Chatbots, Carta, Campuses
Chatbots meet therapy. Gen Z craves IRL connection. Solo founders surge as capital concentrates in SF and NYC at the seed stage. Plus, major raises in AI chips, biotech, cyber, and more!
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MeeLan Lee and Sara Achour, Co-Founders of Unconventional AI, a research lab building highly energy-efficient AI-first chips, raised $475M in seed funding at a $4.5B valuation co-led by a16z and Lightspeed.
Shiyu Wang, Co-Founder & CSO of Sanegene Bio, a clinical-stage biotech developing RNAi-based therapeutics, raised $110M in Series B funding.
Michelle Lee, Founder & CEO of Medra, a Physical AI platform automating end-to-end laboratory experimentation, raised $52M in Series A funding led by Human Capital.
Ioana Hreninciuc, Co-Founder of Runware, a real-time AI inference platform for generating images, video, and audio, raised $50M in Series A funding led by Dawn Capital.
Ori Cohen, Co-Founder & COO of Parametrix, a provider of parametric cyber insurance for digital business interruption, raised $27M in Series B funding led by Mundi Ventures.
Chloe Marie Songer, Co-Founder & CEO of SuperCircle, a full-stack textile waste management platform for retail brands, raised $24M in Series A funding led by Foundry.
Diana Helfond DiGia, Founder & CEO of Parallel Learning, a virtual special education platform connecting schools with licensed providers, raised $20M in Series B funding led by Valspring Capital.
Yi Zhong, Co-Founder of Besimple AI, a data platform providing ethically sourced conversational audio and human-level transcription for voice and multimodal models, raised $3M in seed funding led by YC.
A number of female-founded startups have recently secured major exits, including a $6.5B SoftBank acquisition of Ampere and Eventbrite’s ~$500M sale. In addition, 10+ VC-backed, female-founded companies are actively hiring.
Kirsten Green highlighted a 10-week NYU study on AI therapy chatbots, finding that users of Slingshot AI’s Ash reported reduced depression and anxiety comparable to traditional therapy, as regulators weigh whether AI mental health tools should be treated as medical devices.
Carta-backed research finds solo founders now start over one-third of new companies, a 53% increase from 2019, as AI leverage and falling startup costs make solo founding increasingly common.
Carta data shows 66% of top-decile seed valuations go to startups in SF or NYC, with the Bay Area capturing the largest share as valuations rise.
As Gen Z loneliness rises (82% report feeling lonely and 91% want more in-person connection), NYC added 8,750+ new funded startups and is tapping into a growing talent pipeline from CUNY’s 243,000+ students to meet demand for IRL tech communities.
A new Female Funders Monthly Deal Flow Call is bringing together 40+ pre-seed and seed-stage women investors across the US and Canada, giving female founders dedicated time to pitch directly to active checks.
Multiple women-led VC firms announced new funds this week, including Valkyrie’s $45M AI-focused fund, Female Founders Fund’s $29M Fund IV, Chui Ventures’ $17.3M first fund for sub-Saharan Africa, and more!
🌍 Crebit Pay is hiring 10 paid Growth Interns to help scale its stablecoin-powered cross-border payments product for international students.
🧑🚀 Lovable is recruiting its first cohort of Campus Leaders across US campuses to run events, lead hackathons, and grow Lovable’s presence on campus.
🔥 Jack & Jill is recruiting a small group of SF Ambassadors to help launch its AI recruiting platform in SF.
⚡ SideShift is hiring a Growth Operator in NYC to help scale its UGC distribution engine.
🟡 Yelo is hiring Growth Interns, SWE Interns, and more to help build its Gen Z transportation platform.
🎥 Golpo is hiring paid Content & Marketing Interns to scale its AI explainer video platform across creators, educators, and enterprises.
🎨 Unscript.ai is hiring a Creative Operations Intern for a full-time, 3-month, remote-friendly role to support AI-driven creative workflows and brand video production.
🐝 Hive Markets is hiring interns to help onboard local businesses and grow an e-commerce platform that helps small businesses sell online.
💼 Wischoff Ventures is hiring an Associate and investment + social media interns in SF to work hands-on on pre-seed and seed deals.
🏮 Two Lanterns Venture Capital is hiring VC Fellows this spring for a part-time, hands-on fellowship in sourcing, diligence, portfolio support, and community building.
🗽 Supermomos is accepting applications for its NYC VC Internship Program, featuring a VC bootcamp and a paid summer internship at a NYC-based VC (only for students attending college in NYC).
💁♀️ Teli Labs matches and introduces young talent to founders at top early-stage startups & SMBs. Apply to join our talent pool!
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Love,
Daniela, Adrian, & The Teli Team