OpenAI delays GPT-4.5 rollout due to GPU shortage & Meta in talks to raise $35 billion for data center financing.

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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS

💰 Startup funding updates

Shop Circle, a London, UK-based provider of AI-powered B2B software solutions, raised $60M in Series B funding. The round was led by Nextalia Ventures, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst, NFX, QED Investors, 645 Ventures, 3VC, CDP Venture Capital, The Techshop, Primo Capital, GS Futures and i80 Group. 

Vrai, a Dublin, Ireland-based simulation data company, raised €5M in funding. The round was led by Beringea with participation from Enterprise Ireland, Northstar Ventures and a number of Irish family offices.

Deepnight, a San Francisco, CA-based company developing AI software for military night vision, raised $5.5M in funding. The round was led by Initialized Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, scientist Vladlen Koltun (co-author of Learning to See in the Dark), angel investor Kulveer Taggar, Brian Shin, a former partner at In-Q-Tel, and Matthew Bellamy, lead singer of the band Muse.

Charta Health, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI-powered platform that optimizes medical billing and coding workflows, raised $8.1M in Seed funding. The round was led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from SV Angel, South Park Commons, SpringRock Ventures, Refract Ventures and strategic angel investors.

Nomagic, a Warsaw, Poland-based provider of AI powered robotics for warehouses and the fulfillment sector, raised $44M in funding. The round was led by venture capital arm of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with participation from existing investors Khosla Ventures and Almaz Capital, and included previously signed venture debt from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Claros, a Mclean, VA-based provider of a power management platform optimizing energy delivery and consumption at data centers, raised €9.75M in initial funding. Backers included Red Cell Partners, General Catalyst, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)’s Virginia Venture Partners, Composite Capital Partners, and others.

Firstwork, a San Francisco, CA-baserd AI powered workforce management platform for frontline workers, closed a $5m Seed funding round. The round was led by Gradient with participation from YCombinator, SOMA Capital, 468 Capital, Houghton Street Ventures, Deel Leadership, and the CEO & Co-Founder of Job&Talent.

Highstock, a New York, and Gurgaon, India-based inventory management startup, raised $5.5M in seed funding. The round was led by Greylock, with participation from Max Mullen, co-founder of Instacart.

Skylo Technologies, a Mountain View, Calif.-based company powering commercially available, seamless ‘direct-to-device’ satellite connectivity, raised $30m in funding. The round was led by NGP Capital with participaiton from Westly Group and existing investors Intel Capital, BMW i Ventures, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Next47, and others.

Reddy, a San Francisco, CA-based AI startup that provides enterprise Customer Experience (CX) teams with a single platform to train, deploy and manage their human and AI agents, raised a total of $2m in funding. The round was led by DA Ventures.

Mimic, a Palo Alto, CA-based enterprise ransomware defense company, raised a Series A funding of $50m. The round was led by GV (Google Ventures) and Menlo Ventures, with participation from existing investors Ballistic Ventures, Team8, Wing Ventures, and Shield Capital.

Arsenale Bioyards, a Milan, Italy-based neo-industrial company fundamentally redefining scalable biomanufacturing, closed its first $10m seed financing round. The round was led by Planet A and byFounders with participation from CDP Ventures, Acequia Capital, Plug N Play, Grey Silo Ventures as well as industrial family offices.

Taktile, a NYC-based decision automation platform provider, raised $54m in Series B funding round. The round, which brought total funding to date to $79m, was led by Balderton Capital, with participation from existing investors Index Ventures, Tiger Global, Y Combinator, Prosus Ventures, Visionaries Club as well as Larry Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury.

Earthful, a Hyderabad, India-based plant-based nutrition brand, raised INR 5 Cr I funding. The round was led by Srinivasan Namala with participation from Ritesh Agarwal.

Ligero, a NYC-based crypto startup focused on zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology for data privacy and security, raised $4M in Seed funding. The round was co-led by Galaxy Ventures and 1kx with participation from Franklin Templeton, Nascent, Anagram, Robot Ventures, Digital Currency Group and ZKV.

Magdrive, a Harvell, U.K. electric propulsion startup, raised $10.5m in seed funding. Backers included redalpine, Balerion Space Ventures, Founders Fund, Alumni Ventures, 7percent Ventures, Outsized Ventures, and Entrepreneur First.

Ethos, a NYC-based provider of a model risk management platform, raised $6M in funding. The round was led by Canapi Ventures, with participation from Capital One Ventures and Better Tomorrow Ventures.

Relay, a London, UK-based provider of an AI-powered logistics network enhancing end-to-end delivery for merchants, raised $35M in Series A funding. The round was led by Plural with participation from Project A and Prologis Ventures.

Humanitru, a Richmond, VA-based provider of a data-driven strategy and engagement platform for mid to enterprise level nonprofits, raised $3M in funding. The round was led by Dogwood Ventures with participation from Meeting Street Capital, the 98, I2BF, Front Porch Venture Partners, and Team Ignite Ventures.

Just Move In, a UK-based home setup services platform, closed an $8M Series A funding round. The round was led by Eos Ventures with participation from Wayra (Telefónica’s innovation arm), Second Century Ventures, The FSE Group, and angel investors Simon Rogerson and Chris Hulatt (Octopus Group founders).

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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET

🏦 Venture Capital updates

Sequoia’s Roelof Botha warns ‘chumps’ not to buy into SPVs:

• Sequoia’s Roelof Botha cautioned against the resurgence of SPVs, calling them a trap for inexperienced investors chasing overhyped deals, especially in AI.

• SPVs allow investors to buy into inflated secondary shares rather than direct startup equity, making it harder for them to break even unless valuations skyrocket.

• AI giants like Anthropic and Figure AI are reportedly packed with SPVs, with big-name firms like Andreessen Horowitz drawing in family offices despite minimal VC participation.

ResilienceVC, a Washington, D.C.-based seed-stage fintech venture capital firm, closed a $56M debut fund. The fund was oversubscribed from its initial $50M target and includes LPs such as MetLife, Skoll Foundation, and Ally Financial. Founded by Tahira Dosani and Vikas Raj in 2023, ResilienceVC invests in fintech startups focused on financial stability and inclusion, with plans to make 25 investments, writing initial checks of around $1M.

KEY STORIES IN TECH

📜 Latest in tech

Meta is reportedly planning a standalone AI chatbot app:

• Meta is set to launch a standalone Meta AI app between April and June, expanding beyond its current availability on Facebook, WhatsApp, and the web.

• The company is also exploring a paid subscription for Meta AI with premium features, though pricing and details remain undisclosed.

• With over 700M monthly users, Meta AI is central to Meta’s broader AI push, alongside its open-source Llama models and the upcoming LlamaCon developer conference in April.

OpenAI delays GPT-4.5 rollout due to GPU shortage:

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company is “out of GPUs,” forcing a staggered rollout of GPT-4.5, which starts with ChatGPT Pro users this week and Plus users next week.

• GPT-4.5 is significantly more expensive, costing $75 per million input tokens and $150 per million output tokens—30x and 15x more than GPT-4o, respectively.

• OpenAI is ramping up GPU capacity and plans to add “tens of thousands” of GPUs next week while also investing in AI chips and large-scale data centers to meet future demand.

Meta’s new AR glasses for research can measure heart rate:

• Meta’s Aria Gen 2 AR glasses introduce upgraded sensors, including a PPG heart rate monitor and a contact microphone for enhanced voice recognition.

• The 75g glasses support AI-powered features like eye tracking, hand tracking, and speech recognition, with open-ear speakers and an 8-hour battery life.

• Initially available to research labs, Meta is partnering with Envision to explore applications for users who are blind or have low vision.

Apple sued over 'carbon neutral' claim for watches:

• Consumers filed a lawsuit alleging Apple misled buyers by falsely marketing the Apple Watch Series 9, SE, and Ultra 2 as "carbon neutral."

• The lawsuit argues Apple's carbon offset projects in Kenya and China didn’t provide genuine emissions reductions, making its environmental claims misleading.

• Apple defended its record, stating it has cut Apple Watch emissions by 75% and invests in carbon removal projects, but plaintiffs seek an injunction and damages.

Meta in talks to raise $35 billion for data center financing:

• Apollo Global Management is negotiating a $35B financing package to support Meta’s AI-driven data center expansion in the U.S., per Bloomberg News.

• Meta plans to spend up to $65B this year on AI infrastructure, including a $10B AI data center in Louisiana powered by renewable energy.

• The move comes as Microsoft scales back data center leases and investors grow cautious after DeepSeek demonstrated AI capabilities at a fraction of Western costs.

LAST COFFEE SIP

☕Other news

Meta fires around 20 employees for leaking confidential information:

• Meta terminated around 20 employees for leaking internal information and warned that more firings could follow as investigations continue.

• The crackdown follows a wave of leaks revealing details from internal meetings, including a recent all-hands led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

• Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth previously warned employees that the company was close to identifying the leakers, reinforcing Meta’s zero-tolerance policy on internal disclosures.

HIRING ALERT: STARTUPS & VC ROLES

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• Venture Partner - Iron Key | USA - Apply Here

• Analyst - Jurassic Capital | USA - Apply Here

• Venture Investor - E14 Fund | USA - Apply Here

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• VC Senior Analyst, Climate Fund - Toyota Venture | USA - Apply Here

• Managing Director (Founding Team) Spacecadet | USA - Apply Here

CURATED RESOURCES

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• 350+ Indian Angel Investors & Venture Capital Firms Contact Database (Email + LinkedIn Link).

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