Thiel Capital’s Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups like Etched through Arizona connections

Selby’s VC firm, Copper Sky Capital, is currently raising a $300 million second fund, according to a regulatory filing.

Melinda Gates’ venture firm backs Magnify Ventures’ $46.6M Fund II

Early-stage firm Magnify Ventures has raised a $46.6 million Fund II from LPs, including Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures.

Bending Spoons defies SaaS slump, surges 40% on first day of trading

The company has grown rapidly by acquiring and revamping last-generation tech brands like AOL, Eventbrite, Evernote, Meetup, and Vimeo.

After $18B IPO, Bending Spoons founder says success comes from minimizing luck

The co-founders of Bending Spoons, the Italian company quietly buying beloved, ailing Internet brands, learned big lessons from their own startup’s failure.

Ashton Kutcher leaving Sound Ventures to launch new VC firm with Morgan Beller

Sound built its reputation on concentrated, high-conviction bets in category-leading AI labs, while Kutcher’s new fund appears to be chasing the layer underneath those companies — the infrastructure and energy that power them.

The DeepMind trio who built a poker AI are now making money for quant hedge funds

EquiLibre Technologies, a Prague-based AI lab founded by three ex-DeepMind researchers, is now valued at more than $500 million.

Novak Djokovic has a new job — advisor to private equity firm General Atlantic

General Atlantic has tapped tennis legend Novak Djokovic to serve as a global strategic advisor.

Patronus AI lands $50M to build ‘digital worlds’ that stress-test AI agents

Agent testing startup Patronus AI, founded by former Meta AI researchers, is experienced nearly insatiable demand, its investor says.

Valor Equity Partners looks to raise a $2.5B Fund VII, per Bloomberg

New details have emerged about Valor’s latest fund, which last year announced it was raising an unspecified amount of capital.

How to invest when everything is moving too fast

TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC evening in Los Angeles late last week brought together two of the more straight-talking investors working in AI right now. They were as entertaining as they were illuminating.