<p>Insight Partners closed another giant flagship fund after big returns in 2024.</p>

<p>Climate tech may have had a down year in 2024, but new data also shows a maturing sector with larger deal sizes. Venture investment in the climate tech sector was down 7% to $12.9 billion, $1 billion shy of 2023’s tally, according to data in a new PitchBook report. The report found that round size [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Climate tech may have had a down year in 2024, but new data also shows a maturing sector with larger deal sizes. Venture investment in the climate tech sector was down 7% to $12.9 billion, $1 billion shy of 2023’s tally, according to data in a new PitchBook report. The report found that round size [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Intel says that it plans to spin off its corporate venture arm, Intel Capital, into a standalone fund, with Intel as an &#8220;anchor investor.&#8221; In a press release on Tuesday, Intel said that the move will &#8220;[enable] greater autonomy&#8221; and &#8220;the flexibility to attract external capital.&#8221; Intel expects Intel Capital to begin operating independently in [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech!&nbsp; This week, we’re looking at the latest with embattled fintech Bench, Robinhood’s $45 million settlement, a couple of M&amp;A deals, some cool fundraises, and more. To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important fintech stories delivered to your inbox every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. PT, subscribe here. The big [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech!&nbsp; This week, we’re looking at the latest with embattled fintech Bench, Robinhood’s $45 million settlement, a couple of M&amp;A deals, some cool fundraises, and more. To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important fintech stories delivered to your inbox every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. PT, subscribe here. The big [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Powerset, founded in late 2022, is an investment program with a simple hypothesis: what if the best investors aren’t venture capitalists but other founders, scribbling off checks in between late night coding sessions and board meetings? </p>

<p>Powerset, founded in late 2022, is an investment program with a simple hypothesis: what if the best investors aren’t venture capitalists but other founders, scribbling off checks in between late night coding sessions and board meetings? </p>

<p>Alex Dewez, a partner at 20VC, just released its highly anticipated State of the French Tech Ecosystem 2024 report. This is a nice follow-up to Atomico’s State of European Tech report, with a more granular view on French startups in particular. As a reminder, the bottom line of Atomico’s report is that European startups raised [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Alex Dewez, a partner at 20VC, just released its highly anticipated State of the French Tech Ecosystem 2024 report. This is a nice follow-up to Atomico’s State of European Tech report, with a more granular view on French startups in particular. As a reminder, the bottom line of Atomico’s report is that European startups raised [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Ben Lerer, managing partner of one of New York’s most prestigious seed-stage venture firms, Lerer Hippeau, shared some predictions with Fortune’s Leo Schwartz. He believes venture firms will continue to see a bifurcation as money pours mostly into top funds like Thrive and a16z, as well as into smaller more bespoke funds.&nbsp; “Where you go [&hellip;]</p>

<p>AI companies across the globe raised more than $100 billion in venture capital dollars in 2024, according to Crunchbase data, an increase of more than 80% compared to 2023. It encompasses nearly a third of the total VC dollars invested in 2024. That&#8217;s a lot of money funneling into a lot of AI companies. The [&hellip;]</p>

<p>AI companies across the globe raised more than $100 billion in venture capital dollars in 2024, according to Crunchbase data, an increase of more than 80% compared to 2023. It encompasses nearly a third of the total VC dollars invested in 2024. That&#8217;s a lot of money funneling into a lot of AI companies. The [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The round could give the company a valuation of about $1 billion, a decrease from the company’s previous $1.35 billion valuation. </p>

<p>The round could give the company a valuation of about $1 billion, a decrease from the company’s previous $1.35 billion valuation. </p>

<p>Y Combinator is maybe only two-degrees of separation from anyone in tech. Even Larry Page.</p>

<p>Y Combinator is maybe only two-degrees of separation from anyone in tech. Even Larry Page.</p>

<p>Defiant is a new early-stage VC firm focused on B2B SaaS and fintech coming out of stealth Thursday. Joseph Pizzolato (pictured right) and Cam Rail (pictured left), the duo at the helm of the firm who met when they were six years old, have already secured $30 million and plan to raise as much as [&hellip;]</p>

<p>VC investments in emerging markets such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) plummeted by over 40% compared to 2023, according to a new report. The data mirrors the wider global trend of reduced VC funding in the last two years, especially for non-AI companies. The total raised across the markets surveyed was $9.1 [&hellip;]</p>

<p>VC investments in emerging markets such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) plummeted by over 40% compared to 2023, according to a new report. The data mirrors the wider global trend of reduced VC funding in the last two years, especially for non-AI companies. The total raised across the markets surveyed was $9.1 [&hellip;]</p>