Weekly Tech Pulse
From CRV raising $750M and Frazier Life Sciences raising $1.3 billion to Cline raised $27 million to help developers control their AI spend.
US & International Startup & Tech News
Venture firm CRV raises $750M, downsizing after returning capital to investors
CRV, a 55‑year‑old Silicon Valley venture firm, has closed its twentieth flagship fund at $750 million, down from its prior billion‑dollar raise. The firm has recently returned capital to investors and is taking a more cautious, leaner stance in light of current market dynamics. This move marks a strategic pivot in its investment approach, favoring efficiency over scale.
Source: Tech Crunch
British Columbia company with mushroom‑picking robots lands $40M
A BC-based startup, 4AG Robotics, which has developed mushroom‑picking robots secured $40 million in Series B funding to scale automation in agriculture. The robotic platform targets labor shortages in the mushroom industry by streamlining harvest processes. Investors highlight the company's potential to modernize food production using novel robotics.
Source: GeekWire
Frazier Life Sciences raises $1.3 billion for latest fund
Frazier Life Sciences has closed its oversubscribed $1.3 billion 12th fund, marking its largest capital raise to date. The firm plans to deploy the capital into early-stage biopharmaceutical and company‑creation investments. Long-standing and new limited partners showed strong support for the fund, emphasizing confidence in its biotech focus.
Source: GeekWire
MIT spinout Strand Therapeutics raises $153 million to make cancerous tumors light up
Strand Therapeutics, a spinout from MIT, just secured a $153 million funding round to develop proteins that enable cancerous tumors to literally “light up,” improving detection and therapeutic targeting. The company aims to deliver these proteins into cancer cells, immune cells, or bone marrow for precise treatments. This investment underscores the growing interest in biotech innovations that enhance cancer diagnostics and therapy.
Source: Forbes
New startup Wild Zebra brings AI tutor to thousands of students, raises $2 M for wider rollout
Wild Zebra, an ed‑tech startup, raised $2 million to scale its AI‑powered tutoring platform, which tracks student progress, identifies learning gaps (even longstanding ones), and accelerates advanced learners at their own pace. Though it’s not yet generating revenue, the company plans to introduce a school implementation fee starting fall 2025. Founded by industry veterans, the platform recently began partnerships with multiple schools to prove the concept.
Source: Geekwire
Clay confirms it closed $100 M round at $3.1 B valuation
AI‑powered sales automation startup Clay raised $100 million in a Series C round led by CapitalG, pushing its valuation to $3.1 billion—more than doubling its worth in just three months. With existing investors like Sequoia, Meritech, and First Round also participating, the funding will accelerate product development. Clay expects to reach $100 million in revenue by year‑end, tripling its performance from the prior year.
Source: TechCrunch
Cline has raised $27 million to help developers control their AI spend
Open‑source AI coding startup Cline secured $27 million in Series A financing led by Emergence. The tool offers transparent billing and cost tracking to help developers avoid unexpected cloud charges from AI usage. In just months since its hackathon beginnings, Cline has reached over 2.7 million installs and aims to bring clarity and control to AI‑driven code workflows.
Source: Forbes
LATAM Startup & Tech News
Juvo raises $25 M FIDC to expand access to credit in Brazil
Brazilian fintech Juvo has raised $11.5 million in equity and $25 million via an FIDC vehicle to expand credit access to low‑income clients in classes C and D. The company uses AI and alternative data to build credit profiles for those with limited financial history, often leveraging mobile phones as collateral. Borrowers keep access to their devices, but non-essential apps may be disabled in case of default.
Source: LatamList
Twelve Hundred Fund funds startups in Mexico with $300 million
Twelve Hundred VC launched a $150–300 million early‑stage investment fund to back up to 1,200 startups across Mexico and the Americas, focusing on sectors like fintech, genomics, climate tech, healthtech, robotics, urban tech, and human capital. The initiative aims to increase the number of unicorns emerging in the region through this versatile funding approach.
Source: Mundo Startups
Brazilian fintech raises USD $27 million in Series B round
Brazilian fintech NG.Cash closed a Series B round worth 150 million reais (about US $27 million), led by U.S. investor New Enterprise Associates. Legal support for the funding came from Veirano Advogados in São Paulo along with two U.S. law firms. The investment will bolster NG.Cash’s growth in the Brazilian financial services market.
Source: LatinLawyer
Hunty raises USD $1M to conquer global recruiting with AI
Hunty, a Colombian platform specializing in mass recruitment powered by AI, secured a $1 million investment to accelerate its expansion beyond Latin America. Operating in 12 countries and growing at 25% monthly, Hunty aims to translate its platform into new languages and enter markets in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. Its AI tech already automates critical hiring processes for high‑volume employers like fast food chains, delivery, retail, and logistics.
Source: Revista Clevel
Brazilian payroll startup Tako raises USD $18M
São Paulo‑based HR and payroll platform Tako has raised $18 million (approx R$100M) in Series A funding led by Ribbit Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. The startup uses AI agents to automate payroll, onboarding, and compliance within Brazil’s complex labor laws. Since launch, Tako has processed over R$1 billion in payroll and saved clients more than 5,000 days of manual work.
Source: Axios
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