Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Venture Capital
• Cognition, an AI coding company, raised $1b at a $26b valuation, per Bloomberg. Lux Capital, General Catalyst and 8VC led, joined by Ribbit Capital, Atreides Management, and Founders Fund. Go deeper
⚡️Thea Energy, a Kearny, N.J.-based stellarator fusion system developer, raised $100m in Series B funding from USIT, General Innovation Capital Partners, Linse Capital, Calm Ventures, Climate Capital, Divergent Capital, Emerald Technology Ventures, Gaingels, Idemitsu Kosan, Overlay Capital, Timescale Ventures, and Whatif Ventures. Go deeper
• Capchase, an NYC-based B2B financing startup, raised $26m in equity funding. 01 Advisors led, joined by Caffeinated Capital, Thomvest Ventures, Scifi VC, Bling Capital, and Invesco. It also secured a $174m credit facility. Go deeper
• LightTable, a Denver-based platform for construction coordination, raised $22m in Series A funding led by Innovation Endeavors, with participation from Blackhorn Ventures, DivcoWest Ventures, and 9Yards Capital, Primary Venture Partners, MetaProp, and Banter Capital. Go deeper
💊 Waypoint Bio, an NYC-based cell therapy biotech, raised $20m in Series A funding. Amplify Partners led, joined by General Catalyst, Time BioVentures, Lux Capital, and Hummingbird Ventures. Go deeper
• C2i Semiconductors, an Indian voltage regulator platform, raised $16.7m from TDK Ventures and Peak XV Partners. Go deeper
• Slamcore, a London-based spatial intelligence software developer, raised $14m from ROKStar Ventures, Toyota Ventures, Interwoven Ventures, MMC Ventures, Amadeus Capital Partners, and IP Group. Go deeper
🌎 StrainX Bioworks, an Indian precision fermentation developer, raised $13m. Prime Venture Partners and Leo Capital led, joined by Good Startup, Sparrow Capital, Sun Icon Ventures, Dholakia Ventures, and WindT Angels. Go deeper
⚡️ Itera, an SF-based hardware prototyping startup for electronics, raised $12m in seed funding led by Upfront Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, and Colle Capital. Go deeper
💊 Ember LifeSciences, a Westlake Village, Calif.-based cold-chain technology provider for pharma, raised $10.5m in Series A extension funding led by Amgen Ventures and TDF Ventures. Go deeper
🌎 Pacifico Biolabs, a German alt-meat developer, raised €7m in Series A funding from Stray Dog Capital, TGFS, Sprout & About Ventures, Simon Capital, and FoodLabs. Go deeper
• Sond, a Boston-based sleep tech startup, raised $7m from E14 Fund, Crosslink Capital, Ubiquity Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and Meach Cove Capital. Go deeper
⚡️ Caudal Energy, U.K. tidal energy developer, raised £4.3m. Oxford Science Enterprises and Empirical Ventures led, joined by insiders Zero Carbon Capital and Creator Fund. Go deeper
🌎 Mykor, a U.K. developer of low-carbon construction materials derived from waste, raised £4m. Clean Growth Fund led, joined by the British Business Bank and Green Angel Ventures. Go deeper
🚑 Cypher AI, a Cambridge, Mass.-based life science digital infrastructure developer, raised $2m in seed funding. MaC Venture Capital led, joined by Epsilon Ventures, Connecticut Innovations, Sparta Group, and LiquidMetal Ventures. cypherbio.ai
Private Equity
• Fortress Investment Group acquired Vector Capital-backed IPValue Management Group, an intellectual property licensing company, from Vector Capital. Go deeper
• Heartland Food Products, the Carmel, Indiana-based maker of Splenda and SlimFast, agreed to acquire Whole Earth Brands, the Chicago-based maker of zero-calorie sweetener Equal. Go deeper
• Rep Data, a Mountaingate Capital portfolio company, acquired Owl Solutions, a Victor, N.Y.-based survey programming company. Go deeper
Public markets
⚡️ Quilla Resources, a Chilean copper mining firm, is considering a Toronto IPO, per Bloomberg. Go deeper
It's Personnel
• Jessica Delbaum, former partner at A&O Shearman, joined Davis Polk as a partner in the antitrust and competition practice in New York. Go deeper
⚡️ Mo Islam joined Obvious Ventures, the SF-based VC firm, as a partner focused on deep-tech and frontier AI. He was a partner at DFJ. Go deeper
Odds & Ends
• Windfall Bio, a methane-to-fertilizer startup, is auctioning assets at its San Mateo, Calif., headquarters and Texas demonstration plant, per AgFunder News. Investors include Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Mayfield. Go deeper
