Adrian Johnson

TLDR: Leiden-based Vico Therapeutics secures €11.5M in funding from Seroba and Kurma Partners in a Series B financing round. The funding will help advance the development of therapies for severe neurological diseases.

TLDR: Victor Lazarte, former CEO of Wildlife Studios, has transitioned to a VC role at Benchmark and made his first investment in HeyGen. Lazarte emphasizes the importance of focusing on few things

TLDR: Agtech VC Tenacious Ventures has secured $18 million in commitments for the first close of its second fund, with a $50 million target. The fund will focus on early-stage Australian startups

Article Summary TLDR: Public-Private Partnership Bring Billions To Diverse-Owned Businesses Key points from the article: The Biden administration expanded the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) with $10 billion in funding, focusing

TLDR: Renegade Partners found success with Fund II by focusing on deep-pocketed institutional investors. They raised $128 million for Fund II. Ryan Hibbison’s article highlights the success of Renegade Partners with their

TLDR: Zendesk has launched a corporate venture capital unit called Zendesk Ventures. They will invest in artificial intelligence startups focused on customer service. Customer service software provider Zendesk has launched a corporate

TLDR: Zendesk has launched Zendesk Ventures, a global venture fund to support early-stage AI-first startups focused on enhancing customer and employee experiences. The California-based firm has invested in PolyAI, a developer specialising

TLDR: Venture firms are using AI to streamline operations and make better investment decisions. AI could reduce back office headcount by more than 50%. In a rapidly evolving landscape, venture capital firms

TLDR: 37 new names have joined the 2024 Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist. Main trends include a focus on AI, global expansion of CVC, and increasing longevity in the profession. The 2024 Powerlist

Japan FinTech Observer #65 Summary TLDR: Key Points Fujitsu expands its Corporate Venture Capital fund to begin impact investing with a stake in Gojo & Company Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank and other