36 New Tech Unicorns in 2025🦄, The Great AI Awakening🤖, Where do Tech Returns Come From? 🔮
If you're building, investing, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, you're in the right place. Every week, we break down the latest insights, funding news, and founder-friendly gems—no fluff, just what matters. Plus, we track the freshest VC funds deploying capital so you know where the money’s moving.
Let’s get into it 👇
In-Depth Insights 🔍
Where do Tech Returns Come From? 🔮
The next $100B company won’t follow traditional patterns. Tech’s future is shaped by anomalies, market misjudgments, and waves of innovation, with AI at the forefront. [Eric Flaningam]
Blind to Disruption - The CEOs Who Missed the Future 🚗
History shows that disruption is inevitable - just look at carriage companies. CEOs today must adapt to AI or risk becoming obsolete.
What’s Going on with Early-Stage Founders? 🔄
Top founders now have more fundraising options. The rise of microfunds and global competition for capital is reshaping early-stage ventures. [Chris Neumann]
The Great AI Awakening 🤖
New AI models like GPT-5 and Grok 4 are set to disrupt generative AI. Expect cheaper, more powerful models to drive personalization and long-term memory innovation. [Michael Spencer]
How to Talk About Your Competition Without Sounding Like a Jerk 👀
Competition validates your market. Focus on what sets you apart, not tearing others down, and stay focused on your unique value proposition. [CJ Gustafson]Feedback Culture: A Practical Guide to Tying Feedback to Culture 💬
Tying feedback to company values fosters growth and alignment. Companies like StartPlaying turn feedback into action with clear hiring, firing, and promoting practices. [Nate Tucker]
The Other VC Barbell: Engagement 🎯
Venture capital isn’t just about portfolio size. Two strategies dominate: massive diversification for high-volume returns, and deeply engaged, concentrated portfolios for strategic impact. [The Angle Ventures]Solo Founder, $80M Exit, 6 Months: The Base44 Bootstrapped Startup Success Story 🚀
Maor Shlomo bootstrapped Base44 to an $80M exit in six months, leveraging AI to write code and growing to 400,000 users without VC funding. [Lenny’s Newsletter]
Trending News ⚡
Nvidia Reaches $4 Trillion Market Cap 💰
Nvidia hits a $4 trillion market cap, solidifying its AI dominance. This milestone signals Wall Street's confidence in AI, with Nvidia's chips driving innovation at an unprecedented scale. [Routers]
Section 174 Reversed: Full Expensing of Domestic R&D Expenses 💡
The U.S. reverses Section 174, allowing businesses to fully expense R&D costs upfront. Startups can now amend tax returns for 2022-2024 and take catch-up deductions in 2025. [Afternoon]36 New Tech Unicorns in 2025 🦄
2025 sees 36 startups reach unicorn status, with AI leaders like Thinking Machines hitting $10B. The growth is not just in AI - industries like satellite tech and blockchain are scaling rapidly. [Tech Crunch]Perplexity Launches Comet: The Web Browser That Thinks 🌐
Comet by Perplexity redefines browsing. It’s a smart, intuitive interface that adapts to your needs, cutting through tab clutter and making every online interaction faster and more seamless.
OpenAI to Launch AI-Powered Browser, Directly Competing with Google Chrome 💻
OpenAI’s AI-powered browser is set to take on Google Chrome, integrating task-executing AI agents and reshaping ad targeting. The move heats up competition in the browser market. [Reuters]
Elon Musk Unveils Grok 4 Amid Antisemitic Posts Controversy 💥
Elon Musk launches Grok 4, an AI model from xAI, but it’s facing backlash for recent antisemitic remarks. Musk is pushing for growth while addressing the controversy. [Wired]
Google Adds Image-to-Video Generation to Veo 3 🎥
Google’s Veo 3 now includes image-to-video generation, allowing users to turn photos into videos. Over 40 million videos have already been created, marking a leap in AI-driven video tools. [Tech Crunch]X Faces Decline in Users as Competition from Threads Grows 📉
X is seeing a 10% drop in daily users as Threads catches up, signaling shifting dynamics in the social media space. X’s engagement remains strong, but Threads and new competitors are narrowing the gap. [Tech Crunch]
Microsoft Cuts 9,000 Jobs as AI Push Drives Efficiency 🧑💼
Microsoft announces 9,000 more layoffs as AI helps automate tasks, streamlining operations for efficiency. The company’s ongoing restructuring reflects a broader trend in tech. [Geek Wire]
Revolut Seeks $1B Funding to Achieve $65B Valuation 💸
Revolut looks to raise $1B, pushing its valuation to $65B. Backed by Greenoaks, the fintech giant aims to expand its user base and continue its growth as a primary banking option. [Sifted]
Social Media Gems 💎
20 VC Firms Capture 95% of All Profits 🏆
The power law is real in venture capital. Just 20 firms capture most of the profits, showcasing the high-stakes, high-reward nature of the ecosystem. Access to these elite firms is rare, making competition fierce.
AI M&A Activity Surges in Q2’25 📊
AI M&A is on fire, with Q2’25 doubling the previous 5-year average. Acquisitions are driven by the need for top-tier tech and talent, as industry giants like OpenAI and Databricks push the envelope.
Founders Fund’s Big Beautiful Bets 💡
Founders Fund is all in with $100M across 23 companies. With $671M in SpaceX now valued at $18B, their concentrated bets in AI and aerospace are reaping massive returns.
Unicorn Success Per Dollar Invested 🦄
Australia leads with 1.22 unicorns per $1B invested, outpacing the US, but funding remains scarce. High potential, low capital - Australia’s startup scene is an untapped goldmine.
New Funds 💰
Circulate Capital closed a $75.8M fund to boost the circular economy in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Propel Venture Partners fund V is live at $100M, backing the next big high-growth startups.
British Business Bank a £500M package to back diverse and emerging UK fund managers.
Cyberstarts launched a $300M fund to help cybersecurity employees cash out.
Rittenhouse Ventures closed Fund III to fuel more early-stage startup investments.
Ego Death Capital raised $100M for bold, next-gen investments with their second fund.
Boldstart Ventures fund VII is a go with $250M to back enterprise software startups.
Heavybit raised over $180M across two funds to back developer-first startups.
OnePrime Capital closed $305M for Secondary Fund III, focused on late-stage tech.
That’s a wrap for this week.
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The convergence of AI acceleration, shifting VC strategies, and breakout founder stories makes 2025 feel like a turning point. Appreciate the clarity and signal through the noise!
Great summary here guys. Keep up the good work.