<p>TechCrunch will be on the ground at SXSW 2025 — the annual tech, music, comedy, and film conference that kicked off Friday in Austin — in search of the zeitgeist of this AI-centric era. Yup, we&#8217;re one sentence in and AI has already made its entrance. And why not? A quick scan of the massive [&hellip;]</p>

<p>TechCrunch Sessions: AI kicks off on June 5 in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley — and we want AI leaders to take part in industry-changing conversations. Make your mark by leading breakout sessions and discussions with over 1,200 startup founders, VC leaders, and other industry pioneers at TC Sessions: AI. But don’t wait, you have [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Getting ghosted is never fun. Especially if you&#8217;re a founder seeking capital from investors. It’s similar to dating. You might be left wondering “Why is this person not getting back to me? Did I do something wrong?” Did the investor hate the product? Did they not care for me personally?” It’s enough to drive anyone [&hellip;]</p>

<p>If you spend any amount of time online, you probably noticed that your user experience keeps getting worse.&nbsp; Websites are waterlogged with autoplay ads, pop-ups, and tracking scripts. Customer service chatbots are useless, despite the promises of generative AI. Social media algorithms boost rage-bait to keep you scrolling and engaged. Dating apps hide all the [&hellip;]</p>

<p>One of Africa’s most active investors, known for early bets on unicorns like Flutterwave, Andela, and Wave, has secured fresh capital to invest in startups across the continent. This comes as funding deals and volumes in Africa saw only a slight dip last year, according to a report by VC firm Partech. LoftyInc Capital, which [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Foundation Capital has come a long way since it was forced to scale down its fund size from $750 million in 2008 to $282 million (its sixth main fund) in 2013. On Tuesday, the 30-year-old firm announced that it raised a $600 million eleventh flagship fund, which is 20% larger than the predecessor $500 million [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Venture investment to startups founded by women in Europe declined 12% in 2024, but it was in line with the 11% decrease in venture investment overall. </p>

<p>Three key investors have left General Catalyst amidst a series of recent changes at the firm, which now describes itself as an &#8220;investment and transformation company,&#8221; TechCrunch has learned. The departed managing directors include Deep Nishar and Kyle Doherty, who co-led General Catalyst&#8217;s late-stage strategy known as Endurance, and Adam Valkin, one of the three [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Tonight is the night and the clock is winding down to register for TechCrunch Sessions: AI at our Super Early Bird pricing. Register before 11:59 p.m. PT so you can save up to $325 on passes! TC Sessions: AI will bring you invaluable insights into the cutting-edge and ever-evolving world of AI through expert-led main [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Time is ticking to get AI industry insights — and major savings. There are just two days left to save up to $325 and secure your spot at TechCrunch Sessions: AI. But act fast, this special offer ends on March 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT. TC Sessions: AI is an event like no other that [&hellip;]</p>

<p>General Catalyst, the powerhouse venture firm, is considering an IPO, Axios reported Friday morning, citing &#8220;multiple sources.&#8221; TechCrunch has reached out to the firm’s managing partner, Hemant Taneja, for comment. In the meantime, those following General Catalyst’s trajectory won’t be surprised by the prospect. Founded 25 years ago as a small venture firm in Cambridge, [&hellip;]</p>

<p>ResilienceVC, a new seed-stage fintech venture capital firm based out of Washington, D.C., is announcing its $56 million debut fund, the firm shared exclusively with TechCrunch. Founded by Tahira Dosani and Vikas Raj in 2023, ResilienceVC’s mission is a straightforward one: to back fintech companies dedicated to helping Americans find financial stability. It’s writing checks [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Former North Carolina congressman Patrick McHenry announced Wednesday that he landed a job with VC firm Andreessen Horowitz. He will be a senior advisor. His post on X said little about what the job entails, except to be advocating for startups (which a16z likes to call &#8220;little tech&#8221;) with policymakers. Andreessen Horowitz did not immediately [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Millie, a California-based maternity clinic, founded by Anu Sharma, announced the raise of a $12 million Series A by investors including Foreground Capital, TMV, and Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures.  Sharma was inspired to launch the company after the birth of her daughter in 2019. She faced pregnancy complications and, since she grew up with [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Perplexity, the developer of an AI-powered search engine, is raising a $50 million seed and pre-seed investment fund, CNBC reported. Although the majority of the capital is coming from limited partners, Perplexity is using some of the capital it raised for the company&#8217;s growth to anchor the fund. Perplexity reportedly raised $500 million at a [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Private equity firm Thoma Bravo has closed its inaugural European fund at €1.8 billion ($1.9 billion), through which it plans to take equity stakes in midsized software companies across the continent. Europe has no shortage of homegrown venture capital funds — the likes of Atomico and Cherry Ventures have closed early- and growth-stage funds in [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Pre-Series A founders, this is your moment! If you’re ready to showcase your game-changing innovations on a global stage, the battlefield awaits. Applications for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 — the premier startup pitch competition — are officially OPEN. This is your shot to shine! Step onto the global stage and showcase your groundbreaking startup to [&hellip;]</p>

<p>It’s often said that the U.K. and Europe lack the huge level of growth funding for later-stage startups that the U.S. has for its own, and this is correct. According to the European Investment Fund, there are at least seven times more large-size VC funds in the U.S. than in Europe. So the appearance of a [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. Startup life is a story of births and deaths. This week confirmed this, and it confirmed that unicorn rounds are not dead. Most interesting startup stories from [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Global investing in fintech startups is starting to see an uptick. Just this week, KPMG issued its Pulse of Fintech report for the second half of 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2024, investment climbed to $25.9 billion from $18 billion in the third quarter, according to KPMG. Granted, this is not the enthusiasm of [&hellip;]</p>