Weekly Tech Pulse
From Ramp surging with a $16 billion valuation to Gecko Robotics raising $125 M, and surpassing $1 billion valuation.
US & International Startup & Tech News
Ramp surges to $16 billion valuation with $200 M round led by Founders Fund
Ramp, a fintech managing corporate spending and procurement, closed a $200 million funding round led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. This latest round lifts its valuation to $16 billion, a significant jump from $13 billion earlier in the year, reflecting rapid business growth and expanded customer base.
Source: CNBC
Multiplier, founded by ex-Stripe exec, nabs $27.5 M to fuel AI-powered accounting roll‑ups
Multiplier, launched by former Stripe APAC lead Noah Pepper, secured $27.5 million to scale its AI-powered accounting roll-up platform. Initially aimed at tax accountants, the startup pivoted to apply AI for professional services to increase operational efficiency.
Source: Tech Crunch
Banzai’s $53 M Act-On acquisition falls apart after funding collapses
Seattle-based Banzai International’s planned $53.2 million acquisition of Act-On Software was canceled after funding for the deal collapsed due to current market conditions, as disclosed in an SEC filing.
Source: GeekWire
Grifin secures $11 M to make investing less intimidating
Grifin, an investing app, raised $11 million in Series A funding to expand its offerings, including hiring, HR integrations, family plans, and new features. The app boasts around 500,000 registered users, 100,000 monthly actives, and over 1 million downloads, appealing especially to female investors.
Source: Tech Crunch
Spotify’s Daniel Ek leads €600 M investment in German drone maker Helsing
Daniel Ek’s investment firm Prima Materia led a €600 million funding round in defense tech startup Helsing, valuing it at about €12 billion. Helsing, known for AI-driven drones, aircraft, and submarines, has already supplied thousands of strike drones to Ukraine and secured government contracts in Europe.
Source: CNBC
Denver Ventures closes on $20 M to invest in ‘Founder DNA’
Denver Ventures officially launched its Seed Fund I, successfully closing over $20 million—exceeding targets. The fund will invest $250K–$800K in pre-seed to seed startups led by founders with unique “Founder DNA,” drawing on a network of 800+ family offices and business leaders.
Source: Venture Capital Journal
Gecko Robotics raises $125 M, surpassing $1 billion valuation
Gecko Robotics secured $125 million in a Series D round—led by Cox Enterprises and including Y Combinator alumni—doubling its valuation to $1.25 billion. The Pittsburgh-based firm develops AI-powered inspection robots for critical infrastructure.
Source: CNBC
LATAM Startup & Tech News
Cross-border trade fintech Tensec raises $12 M seed
Tensec, a cross-border trade fintech, has successfully closed a $12 million seed round—backed by Axios Pro coverage—aiming to streamline international transactions for businesses .
Source: Axios
CloudWalk raises R$314 billion in Brazil’s largest FIDC deal this year
CloudWalk, Brazil’s fintech, secured R$314 billion via a fideicomisso de direitos creditórios (FIDC)—the largest such deal in the country this year—highlighting its dominance in payment and financial infrastructure .
Source: Valor Internacional
Steryon secures €1 M seed for cybersecurity in critical infrastructure
Spanish-LATAM startup Steryon closed a €1 million seed round led by 4Founders Capital and Abac Nest. The industrial cybersecurity platform—leveraging AI for visibility, compliance, and remediation—targets critical infrastructure in Spain and Latin America.
Source: El Pais
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