Sources: AI synthetic research startup Aaru raised a Series A at a $1B ‘headline’ valuation
The one-year-old startup, which does market research on simulated populations, had a multi-tier valuation round, sources tell TechCrunch.
Venture
Micro1, a Scale AI competitor, touts crossing $100M ARR
Micro1 started the year with roughly $7 million ARR. Now, it claims to have surpassed $100 million in ARR, double what it reported in September.
Legal AI startup Harvey confirms $8B valuation
Harvey confirms a third enormous round of funding in 2025 that has skyrocketed its valuation. Again.
Why Day One Ventures’ Masha Bucher thinks VCs and storytelling go hand-in-hand
Day One Ventures’ Masha Bucher doesn’t just invest in startups — she also tells their stories. Her integrated model aligns incentives and proves conviction matters more than contracts.
Nexus isn’t going all-in on AI, keeping half of its new $700M fund for India startups
Nexus Venture Partners manages $3.2 billion in capital across its funds and has invested in more than 130 companies over the years.
VCs deploy ‘kingmaking’ strategy to crown AI winners in their infancy
While VCs have long used big investments to spur category winners, they are taking this strategy to new extremes.
Company backed by Donald Trump Jr.’s firm nabs $620M government contract
Vulcan Elements, a rare-earth magnets startup, has secured a $620 million contract from the U.S. defense department.
Tonight, the future of deep tech will be explained to you at StrictlyVC Palo Alto
On Wednesday evening at Playground Global in Palo Alto, some very smart people who are building things you don’t understand yet will explain what’s coming. This is the final StrictlyVC event of 2025, and truly, the lineup is ridiculous.
What is Bending Spoons? Everything to know about Eventbrite’s acquirer
Bending Spoons remains largely unknown, even as its portfolio of products has served more than a billion people.
The future of deep tech will be explained to you at StrictlyVC Palo Alto on Dec 3
On Wednesday evening at Playground Global in Palo Alto, some very smart people who are building things you don’t understand yet will explain what’s coming. This is the final StrictlyVC event of 2025, and truly, the lineup is ridiculous.