How AI became the ultimate partner for venture capitalists

"AI has impacted all walks of life, and investing is no exception. We see AI transforming all elements of the investment process," declared Rotem Shacham, Director at PSG Equity. This statement encapsulates the profound shift occurring within venture capital firms, as artificial intelligence moves beyond a mere buzzword to become an indispensable tool deeply integrated into the day-to-day work of partners and team members. READ MORE

The venture capital money machine is spinning again

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There’s been much talk about the Silicon Valley venture capital model being broken given the scarcity of successful exits over the past few years. But the standard VC playbook can still sometimes work as written, as shown by the blockbuster flotation of Figma on the New York Stock Exchange last week from which the design software company’s market value surged to more than $60bn on its opening day. The VC playbook goes as follows: READ MORE

Global M&A hits $2.6 trillion peak year-to-date, boosted by AI and quest for growth

Global dealmaking has reached $2.6 trillion, the highest for the first seven months of the year since the 2021 pandemic-era peak, as a quest for growth in corporate boardrooms and the impact of a surge in AI activity has overcome the uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs.

The number of transactions to August 1 is 16% lower than the same time last year, but their value is 28% higher, according to Dealogic data, boosted by U.S. megadeals valued at more than $10 billion. READ MORE

Startup Funding Stays Flat, But Figma IPO Lights A Spark In The Market

Global venture funding totaled $29.7 billion in July 2025, flat year over year and down month over month from the $43 billion invested in June, Crunchbase data shows.

Despite a month-over-month dip in venture dollars, July offered hopeful signs for startup investors: AI remains a funding juggernaut, and Figma’s stellar IPO performance could be the catalyst needed to unlock the public markets for dozens of high-growth, revenue-generating tech unicorns that have been waiting in the wings. READ MORE

VC industry has become a better career for women over the past 7 years

Women are making strides in the venture capital world, according to a new report published by the nonprofit All Raise and as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. 

All Raise released a report that said 18.6% of the top roles at leading VC firms are held by women, which is double what it was in 2018. The survey also found that many women (a quarter of survey respondents) were promoted last year and that investors were still interested in backing underrepresented founders (75% of investors said they were looking to make such deals).  READ MORE

Access to 401(k)s couldn’t come at a better time for private equity

President Trump is considering whether to encourage retirement funds to invest in private equity, a financial sector that’s hungry for capital after shrinking last year for the first time in decades.

Trump is mulling an executive order that would instruct the Securities and Exchange Commission and Labor Department to guide directors of 401(k) and individual retirement account plans to make investments in private equity funds, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month. READ MORE

What VCs really want: The five pillars for building a successful AI startup

As the AI investment landscape reaches greater maturity, investors are observing a decisive "shift from 'hype' to 'discipline'" in evaluation criteria. While AI undoubtedly offers what many describe as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," investors are increasingly demanding evidence of "sustainable growth and proven profitability" rather than accepting promises based purely on technological potential. READ MORE

The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report

The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report takes us on a trip across various ecosystems in the US, highlighting some of the notable funding activity in the various markets that we track. The notable startup funding rounds for the week ending 8/2/25 featuring funding details for ESB, Observe, Salient, and twenty-nine other deals representing $10.5B in new funding that you need to know about. READ MORE

How working in private equity helped shape this HR leader’s career

For many HR pros, startups are a career sweet spot. That’s the case for Stacey Richey, who currently is global VP of people at Smartcat, a Series C AI translation company.

She’s worked at companies during hyper-growth periods. What first gave Richey the startup bug, she told HR Brew, was a formative early career experience working at a private equity firm, and consulting its portfolio companies on their talent strategies. READ MORE

Understanding the impact of private equity on employees

The growth of the private equity in recent years has raised concerns about its consequences. This column matches 2.5 million workers who were employed by 3,600 firms in the US that underwent leveraged buyouts with workers at firms that were not acquired to explore the effects of private equity on labour market outcomes. The authors find that unemployment for workers at bought-out firms rises and wages fall substantially after buyouts, with wage losses concentrated among those who leave the bought-out firm. These dynamics appear to be the result of private equity acting to increase efficiency rather than exploiting labour market power. READ MORE

New Option for Excess Fee Income Rebates in Private Equity Funds for Non-US and US Tax-Exempt Investors

This update discusses a new and interesting development with respect to how certain non-US and US tax-exempt investors can receive a “rebate” of previously paid management fees with respect to their investments in private equity funds. We are encountering this new rebate alternative, usually presented in the subscription booklets of private equity funds, with increased frequency. Below is a high-level summary of this new rebate alternative and the potential tax considerations for investors who wish to select it. READ MORE

Q2 venture funding climbs on AI deals while PE stuck on sidelines

It’s time to take the temperature of the venture and private equity sectors, and we’ve got some new numbers. 

VC investing in startups is on the upswing, with venture firms pouring $91 billion into companies during the second quarter, a roughly 11% increase year over year, according to business data and predictive intelligence firm Crunchbase. Second quarter’s $91 billion represents a 20% drop from the first quarter when startups raised $114 billion. However, Q1 was the strongest quarter for venture investment since Q2 2022. (First quarter also included OpenAI’s $40 billion financing, the largest private round ever.)  READ MORE