Artificial intelligence dominates this year’s list of 25 venture-backed startups we think most likely to reach a $1 billion valuation. #BillionDollarStartups https://t.co/9bZIHZqGJD https://t.co/CAY5GLpBwe ...

Slow Ventures cuts first check from $60M creator fund into woodworking founder | TechCrunch https://t.co/IVcQfrym96 ...

Ditch VC norms and find capital on your own terms at Disrupt 2025 | TechCrunch https://t.co/wpxvNmBeiL ...

The action in early stage venture has remained steady but hasn't reached any euphoria like previous cycles, yet. ...

Investment Opportunity in Africa - Africa is the most undercapitalized, high potential geographic area in the world [1][3] - Venture space inflows in Africa reached approximately $4 billion to $5 billion, significantly lower than the US (over $28 billion) and Europe (approximately $8200 billion) [1][2] - Africa's biggest assets are its people, particularly its young, educated population [4] - Venture capital is seen as a vehicle to distribute opportunity [5] Capital Mobilization and Investment Strategies - Mobilizing local capital through pension funds is crucial, with Ghana setting an example by allowing a percentage of pension funds to invest in the venture space [5][6] - Attracting diverse capital pools, including DFIs, Japanese capital, and Middle Eastern investors, is essential [7][8] - Balancing short-term capital seeking early exits with long-term investments is necessary for unlocking Africa's true potential [8] - Diversifying investments across the continent (e g Francophone Africa with the CFA franc) and sectors provides a strategic hedge against devaluation [13] - Supporting portfolio companies in diversifying revenue streams and focusing on capital-efficient, fast-scaling businesses is key [15] Regulatory Environment and Regional Collaboration - Francophone Africa (Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco, Tunisia) offers a regime where companies can start in one country and easily expand to others [17][18][19] - Regional challenges within ECOWAS are not seen as a major deterrent to trade and investment [20][21] - Increasing intra-African trade through initiatives like the AFCTA is crucial for the continent's economic development [23]

RT Mario Gabriele 🦊 (@mariogabriele)The Future 50 is here.5 months ago, we asked +200 of the world’s best VCs to pick the 2 companies with the highest ceilings. The only rule: they had to be valued under $200M.After months of research, we chose the 50 we believe are best-positioned to dominate.More here: https://t.co/wTQqONQku4 ...

Meet The Investor Who Sold His Coffee Shop And Raised $186 Million To 'Disrupt' Venture Capital https://t.co/9EmHGwgXT3 https://t.co/9EmHGwgXT3 ...

Meet The Investor Who Sold His Coffee Shop And Raised $186 Million To 'Disrupt' Venture Capital https://t.co/tWAGaA8RD8 https://t.co/tWAGaA8RD8 ...

Core Insights - SuRo Capital Corp. reported a significant increase in net asset value (NAV) per share, reaching $9.18 as of June 30, 2025, up from $6.66 per share at the end of March 2025 and $6.94 per share a year earlier, marking a growth of over 35% [2][3][24] - The growth in NAV was primarily driven by investments in AI-focused companies, with notable contributions from CoreWeave's IPO and OpenAI's record $40 billion capital raise, which underscored the demand for AI platforms [3][4] - The company declared an initial cash dividend of $0.25 per share, reflecting successful monetizations of its public securities and indicating a positive outlook for further distributions throughout the year [4][11] Financial Performance - As of June 30, 2025, SuRo Capital's total net assets were approximately $219.4 million, with liquid assets around $52.4 million [2][9] - The company reported a net investment loss of $3.7 million for the second quarter, but realized gains on investments amounted to $21.2 million, contributing to a net increase in net assets from operations of $62.3 million [9][21] - The total investment portfolio had a fair value of approximately $243.8 million, with the top five investments accounting for about 53% of the total portfolio [5][6] Investment Activity - During the second quarter, SuRo Capital invested $5 million in Plaid, a fintech platform, and exited investments in CoreWeave and ServiceTitan, realizing gains of $15.3 million and $5.9 million respectively [7][8] - The company held positions in 36 portfolio companies, with 33 being privately held and 3 publicly held, indicating a diversified investment strategy [5][18] Market Context - The strong performance of SuRo Capital is reflective of broader market trends favoring AI infrastructure companies, which have gained significant attention and investment in recent years [3][4] - The company's strategy focuses on identifying and investing in high-growth, category-defining companies, particularly in the technology and fintech sectors [4][18]

Venture capitalists have become high school AI talent scouts at the International Math Olympiad, looking to invest in hopes of a buyout or an "acquihire," TBPN's @johncoogan and @jordihays said on the Odd Lots podcast https://t.co/WfYUapTAfI https://t.co/E88ChJtdN7 ...