Traded: Venture Capital

NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo has launched Build Your Legacy (BYL) Ventures, a venture firm focused on early-stage investments in sports, entertainment, and consumer sectors. BYL Ventures leverages the Antetokounmpo family’s business acumen and expansive network to empower diverse entrepreneurs and foster innovation. The fund has already deployed capital into Unrivaled, a 3v3 women’s basketball league, and Candy Funhouse, an influencer confectionery platform. Acting as both an investor and incubator, BYL Ventures provides capital, mentorship, and strategic support to help founders create lasting impact. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gDvVrCYN HQ: #Milwaukee #Wisconsin #VentureCapital #GiannisAntetokounmpo #BuildYourLegacyBYLVentures #TradedVC

Swedish electric boat startup Candela, led by CEO and founder Gustav Hasselskog, secured an additional $14M in its Series C extension, bringing the total round to $40M. Known for its hydrofoiling watercraft, Candela recently delivered its first U.S. ferry, the P-12, to Lake Tahoe, where it will provide eco-friendly transit on the lake. The funding, led by SEB Private Equity with support from EQT Ventures and KanDela AB, will scale production of the P-12 in Stockholm as the company expands operations globally, including deals in New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Berlin. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/ggn3Yt67 INVESTORS: SEB Private Equity, EQT Ventures & KanDela AB ROUND: Series C AMOUNT: $14,000,000 HQ: #Stockholm #Sweden #VentureCapital #Candela #SEBPrivateEquity #EQTVentures #KanDelaAB #GustavHasselskog #TradedVC

Clean Skin Club, a Weston, FL-based skincare and hygiene brand, raised $32M in a funding round led by Astō Consumer Partners and Amberstone. Founded in 2019 and led by CEO Ben-David Imberman, the company is known for its flagship product, Clean Towels XL, a dermatologist-approved, single-use, 100% USDA bio-based facial towel. The funds will support expansion into brick-and-mortar retail, new product development, and talent investment, aligning with its commitment to sustainability and high-quality, cruelty-free products. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gkXPNJx8 INVESTORS: Astō Consumer Partners & Amberstone AMOUNT: $32,000,000 HQ: #Weston #Florida #VentureCapital #ClearSkinClub #BenDavidImberman #TradedVC

Zepto, the Mumbai-based quick-commerce startup, has raised $350 million in its third funding round in six months, maintaining its $5 billion valuation. This round was backed by prominent Indian family offices, wealthy individuals, and Motilal Oswal, with notable investors including Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar. The new funding is part of Zepto’s strategy to prepare for an IPO in 2025. Founded by Aadit Palicha, Zepto has seen rapid growth, delivering groceries and other items in 10 minutes across 17 Indian cities. The company aims to achieve $2 billion in annualized sales and 150% growth in the next year, despite challenges such as regulatory hurdles and the impact of quick-commerce on traditional retail. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gQy8Z4RR INVESTORS: Sachin Tendulkar, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Raamdeo Agrawal, Narotam Sekhsaria Family, Motilal Oswal Wealth, Mother’s Recipe, Mankind Group Family office, Kalyan Family Office, Happy Forgings, Haldiram Snacks Pvt. Ltd & Amitabh Bachchan ROUND: Series G AMOUNT: $350,000,000 VALUATION: $5,000,000,000 HQ: #Parel #Maharashtra #India #VentureCapital #Zepto #AaditPalicha #SachinTendulkar #RPSanjivGoenkaGroup #RaamdeoAgrawal #NarotamSekhsariaFamily #MotilalOswalWealth #MothersRecipe #MankindGroupFamilyoffice #KalyanFamilyOffice #HappyForgings #HaldiramSnacksPvtLtd #AmitabhBachchan #TradedVC

Anthropic the AI startup co-founded by Dario Amodei has raised an additional $4 billion from Amazon, bringing the tech giant’s total investment in the company to $8 billion. The funding includes an agreement for Amazon Web Services (AWS) to be the primary partner for training Anthropic’s AI models, utilizing AWS’s custom Trainium chips. The partnership is designed to scale Anthropic’s Claude models, which are already used by tens of thousands of customers through Amazon Bedrock. Since its founding in 2021, Anthropic has raised a total of $13.7 billion in venture capital, with a valuation exceeding $40 billion, as it continues to develop generative AI with a focus on safety. INVESTOR: Amazon AMOUNT: $4,000,000,000 HQ: #SanFrancisco #California #VentureCapital #Anthropic #DarioAmodei #Amazon #TradedVC

Lighthouse, a London-based data analytics platform for the hospitality sector, raised $370 million in a Series C round led by KKR, pushing its valuation to over $1 billion. Founded by CEO Sean Fitzpatrick, the company provides business intelligence tools, using AI to analyze 400 terabytes of data daily, serving over 70,000 hospitality providers, including major chains like Holiday Inn and Radisson. The funds will support Lighthouse’s expansion in AI functionality, data sets, and acquisitions, including its recent purchase of Stardekk, a hotel management software. This significant raise reflects the increasing demand for data-driven solutions in the rapidly evolving travel industry. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gWwzZ698 INVESTORS: Spectrum Equity, F-Prime Capital, Eight Roads Ventures & Highgate Technology Ventures ROUND: Series C AMOUNT: $370,000,000 VALUATION: $1,000,000,000 HQ: #London #UnitedKingdom #VentureCapital #Lighthouse #SeanFitzpatrick #SpectrumEquity #FPrimeCapital #EightRoadsVentures #HighgateTechnologyVentures #TradedVC

Blue Bear Capital, led by partners Vaughn Blake and Ernst Sack, recently raised a $160 million third fund to support software-driven AI solutions in climate, energy, and industrial sectors. The firm focuses on investing in digital innovations that complement hardware in sectors like solar, wind, water treatment, and more. Blue Bear Capital’s approach emphasizes AI’s universal applicability across industries, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. The fund’s strategy includes reserving substantial capital for follow-on investments, with plans to back about 15 companies. Blue Bear’s investors include the McKnight Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and UBS. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gCYstKwC INVESTORS: McKnight Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, UBS, Woven Earth Ventures & Zoma Capital AMOUNT: $160,000,000 HQ: #SanFrancisco #California #VentureCapital #BlueBearCapital #VaughnBlake #ErnstSack #TradedVC

OneRail, a last-mile delivery solutions platform founded in 2018 by Bill and Lisa Catania, addresses the complex and costly challenges retailers face with final-stage logistics. Bill, who previously founded the digital coupon company M-Dot Network, started OneRail to streamline the delivery process, initially focusing on local courier networks before shifting to a scalable solution for large retailers. OneRail’s platform automates delivery mode selection and optimizes carrier networks to provide a unified, cost-effective solution for omnichannel fulfillment. Recently, the company raised $42 million in a Series C round, bringing its total funding to $109 million. This capital will be used for product development and expanding the team, as OneRail continues to grow its customer base, which includes brands like Lowe’s and PepsiCo. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gFyBzD9n INVESTORS: Aliment Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Piva Capital, Mana Ventures, Las Olas Venture Capital, Gaingels, Florida Opportunity Fund, eGateway Capital, Chicago Ventures, Bullpen Capital & Arsenal Growth Equity ROUND: Series C AMOUNT: $42,000,000 HQ: #Orlando #Florida #VentureCapital #OneRail #AlimentCapital #SiliconValleyBank #PivaCapital #ManaVentures #LasOlasVentureCapital #Gaingels #FloridaOpportunityFund #eGatewayCapital #ChicagoVentures #BullpenCapital #ArsenalGrowthEquity #BillCatania #LisaCatania #TradedVC

Twine, a Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity company led by CEO Benny Porat, raised $12M in seed funding to accelerate the development of its digital cyber employees. The round was co-led by Ten Eleven Ventures and Dell Technologies Capital, with participation from prominent angel investors, including Assaf Rappaport and Roy Reznik (CEO and Co-Founder of Wiz), Varun Badhwar (CEO and Co-Founder of Endor), and others. Twine focuses on building digital cybersecurity employees, with its first offering, Alex, designed to tackle identity management tasks and help organizations meet their cyber objectives, addressing the growing talent gap in the cybersecurity field. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gZaMF-C6 INVESTORS: Ten Eleven Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, Assaf Rappaport, Roy Reznik & Varun Badhwar ROUND: Seed AMOUNT: $12,000,000 HQ: #TelAviv #Israel #VentureCapital #Twine #TenElevenVentures #DellTechnologiesCapital #AssafRappaport #RoyReznik #VarunBadhwar #BennyPorat #TradedVC

Tekever, a Portuguese dual-use drone startup, has raised €70 million ($74 million) in a Series B funding round led by Baillie Gifford & Co. and the NATO Innovation Fund. The company, founded by CEO Ricardo Mendes, develops advanced surveillance drones, including its largest model, the ARX, which can control smaller drones for land, sea, or battlefield surveillance. Tekever’s drones have been used in various applications, from tracking migrant smugglers to aiding military operations in Ukraine. The company is expanding into new markets, especially the U.S., and is focused on advancing drone technology for both civilian and defense sectors. The funding round also included participation from the U.K.’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund and Crescent Cove Advisors. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gJNZ-Wns INVESTORS: Baillie Gifford & Co., NATO Innovation Fund, U.K. National Security Strategic Investment Fund, Crescent Cove Advisors, Iberis Semper & Cedrus Capital ROUND: Series B AMOUNT: $74,000,000 HQ: #Portugal #VentureCapital #Tekever #RicardoMendes #BaillieGiffordandCo #NATOInnovationFund #UKNationalSecurityStrategicInvestmentFund #CrescentCoveAdvisors #IberisSemper #CedrusCapital #TradedVC