Donatello Bianco

YC’s new batch (S25) is live and investors are already swarming 🔥 Harmonic’s data highlights the 20 startups attracting the most attention. The signal is clear: this batch is dominated by AI-native and infrastructure-first companies. ▫️ Pally (YC S25) – Personal relationship management with AI insights ▫️ Avelis Health (YC S25) – AI auditing for medical claims ▫️ Motives (YC S25) – Video-based market and user intelligence ▫️ IronGrid – Insurance-backed warranties for battery storage ▫️ Imprezia – Native ad engine for LLMs and chatbots ▫️ Finto – Automated invoice processing with AI agents ▫️ Kernel – Cloud platform for web automation agents ▫️ Nottelabs (YC S25) – Framework for browser-based AI agents ▫️ BootLoop (YC S25) – AI-driven firmware development and debugging ▫️ Convexia (YC S25) – Automated sourcing of early-stage drug candidates ▫️ Closera (YC S25) – AI marketing workflows for real estate ▫️ AgentMail (YC S25) – Email API purpose-built for AI agents ▫️ Alter (YC S25) – Secure gateway connecting AI tools to enterprise data ▫️ Channel3 (YC S25) – API for AI-powered online shopping ▫️ Albacore Inc. (YC S25) – Autonomous underwater vehicles ▫️ Wedge (YC S25) – Compliance and monitoring for AI in healthcare ▫️ Halluminate (YC S25) – Testing and deployment automation for AI apps ▫️ Cactus (YC S25) – Run AI models directly on devices and wearables YC continues to be the strongest early-stage pipeline in the world. 👉 If you were writing checks today, which of these would you back? Image source: Lenny's Newsletter

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Every VC website says "value-add." Most have never operated and are selling help they can't actually deliver. After 100+ investments, here's what real value looks like (and how to spot the BS). Last week, a founder asked me: "What value do you actually add beyond the check?" Fair question. I've heard every VC claim they're "value-add." Most aren't. The Marketing BS: "Access to our network" = We'll send one intro email, maybe "Strategic guidance" = We'll give opinions on things we don't understand "Operational support" = We'll suggest you hire a recruiter "Brand value" = We have a nice logo for your website I've watched founders waste months chasing these empty promises. What Actually Matters: After backing 100+ companies, here's the only "value-add" that counts: 1. Speed of Decision The best VCs get back to you in 48 hours, not 4 weeks. Time killed waiting for answers is time not building. One of my founders needed emergency bridge funding. Decision in 3 hours. Money wired same day. That's value. 2. Useful Introductions (With Context) Not "Hey, you two should meet." But: "Sarah, meet John. He solved the exact payment processing problem you're facing at scale. He's expecting your call Tuesday at 2pm." Context. Relevance. Follow-through. 3. Pattern Recognition That Saves You Money "I've seen this movie 5 times. Here's what killed the others..." When I tell founders not to hire a VP of Sales before product-market fit, I'm saving them $400K and 6 months of pain. 4. Being There When Things Break Every VC loves you when you're up and to the right. Real value shows up during layoffs, failed product launches, and co-founder breakups. 3am calls. Emergency board meetings. Actual support when everything's on fire. 5. Getting Out of the Way The most underrated value-add: knowing when to stop giving advice. Your company. Your vision. Your execution. The best VCs amplify, not override. The Litmus Test: Ask any VC: "What specific help did you provide your last 3 portfolio companies?" If they talk about their "platform team" or "exclusive events," run. If they name specific introductions, saved costs, or crisis moments they helped navigate - that's real. The Truth: Most "value-add" is BS because most VCs have never operated. They're selling a product they don't understand. The real value isn't in the services they list on their website. It's in the scars they earned building and failing themselves. I tell every founder the same thing: Judge VCs by their actions in your worst moments, not their promises in pitch meetings. What's the most valuable thing an investor has ever done for you (beyond writing a check)? #VentureCapital #Startups #Fundraising #RealTalk #Founders

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One of the most important venture trends I’d like to explore more deeply is team size. According to Carta, in 2022 the average SaaS company raising a Series A had 22 employees. By 2024, that number had dropped to 15. By the end of 2025, I’d wager it will be closer to 12. Everyone understands that AI is removing jobs, but it’s worth being clear about which jobs are disappearing: manual, repetitive, and support functions. On the surface, this is a positive shift - it frees people to focus on more strategic, creative, and product-driven work. But it’s important to recognize that those supporting roles were often the ones CLOSEST to the friction points. They were the people uncovering nuances in process, surfacing customer pain, and flagging issues that needed attention to improve product and customer experience. It’s also important to recognize the tradeoffs. A study in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that when doctors used AI to spot pre-cancerous growths in the colon, their detection rates improved. But when the AI was removed, their ability to find tumors fell by roughly 20% compared to before the tool was introduced. In other words, AI boosted performance in the short term but chipped away at core skills in just a few months. That’s the real tension with AI: the efficiency gains are obvious, but we don’t yet know what happens when human judgment and skills start to atrophy. I’m a big believer in leveraging technology to drive efficiency and scale. But I also believe that frontline workers and customer support teams consistently generate some of the most valuable insights into what a company should fix, what new features might be needed, and where the trajectory of the business could shift. Startups should absolutely automate repetitive, manual, and low-leverage tasks. At the same time, they should remain intentional about maintaining direct lines of communication with customers and leads because no algorithm can replace the raw, unfiltered feedback that ultimately drives better products and stronger growth.

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I interviewed the Spenser Skates, founder & CEO of Amplitude, a YC Company doing +300M in revenues. This man has raised from Sequoia, Benchmark, Battery Ventures and more. If you are thinking about raising Venture Capital, these are 8 things you can't miss: 1. Think in decades, act as if there's no time: https://lnkd.in/dZcFEz5f 2. Most startups don't get traction early on: https://lnkd.in/d7f4Kd3X 3. How to raise millions: https://lnkd.in/diuayRxZ 4. How to choose between investors: https://lnkd.in/dTyM3aiD 5. Rule of 40: https://lnkd.in/dxw36nM4 6. What is the 20% of what Spenser does that drives 80% of his results: https://lnkd.in/djpGEBuY 7. What's the future of Software: https://lnkd.in/dj67C7in 8. The GoHub Ventures question. What would Spenser build right now: https://lnkd.in/dJbHq5ic PS: The podcast is packed with insights, check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dTgiD4cA

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Hey European VCs, stop sharing the latest A16Z deep tech think piece. Start writing checks instead. Too many people try to be thought leaders of a European industrial revolution. Too few actually back it with capital. It's time to unlearn the last 15 years because deep tech startups don't look like the typical B2B SaaS. 1. Founders aren’t most likely WHU grads with polished decks; they’re highly passionate researchers and scientists. 2. These things take time. Don’t even think about quick revenues. 3. These aren’t GTM challenges. It's about solving hard technology problems. Venture used to be about funding deep tech. In the past, the big VC wins came from science and engineering breakthroughs. Only in the internet/SaaS wave did it shift to more lightweight, fast-to-market plays. Europe doesn’t need more essays. It needs more checks.

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𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 (𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟬𝟬+ 𝗩𝗖 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀) What does “traction” actually look like when raising early-stage capital? If you’re gearing up for a pre-seed or seed round, here’s what the data says about ARR benchmarks from 100+ funded startups: 1. $1.5M Pre-Seed Round • 46% were pre-revenue • $150K ARR → 27% • $500K ARR → 15% • $1M ARR → 9% • $2M ARR → 1% 2. $4M Seed Round • $500K–$1M ARR is the sweet spot • $500K ARR → 29% • $1M ARR → 28% • $2M ARR → 20% • $150K ARR or Pre-Revenue → 17% each 3. Key Insights • Pre-seed is still a bet on the team, vision, and potential • Seed investors look for product-market fit and revenue repeatability • Hitting $500K–$1M ARR can significantly improve your odds This is why some founders wait to raise — and others sprint to get even $100K in early ARR. Where do you think the line between pre-seed and seed is really drawn today? #startups #fundraising #venturecapital #seedround #founder #startupfunding

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16 Specialized VCs You Should Know That Actually Invest in Early-Stage Startups 👇🏼 Here are the niche players writing checks in specific verticals: VERTICAL SPECIALISTS: - Nine Four Ventures : PropTech with 30+ years real estate DNA. - Climate Capital : 250+ climate tech investments, decarbonization focus. - CMT Digital: Blockchain infrastructure for the new internet era. - Ryan Sports Ventures : Chicago family office backing sports innovation. Sapphire Sport: Next-gen consumer brands in sports/gaming/fintech. AI & DEEP TECH: - 2048 Ventures : Leading $500K-$2M checks in Vertical AI/Bio. - Recursive Ventures : Data + AI industry disruptors. - Perceptive Ventures : Agentic AI for humanity's next leap. - First Star Ventures : ML, biotech, AR/VR, blockchain pioneers. GEOGRAPHIC & EMERGING: - Orbit Startups : High-growth tech in emerging markets. - Universe Ventures : Space tech, deep tech, biotech specialists. CONSUMER & LIFESTYLE: - Play Ventures : Games VC by game entrepreneurs. - Roble Ventures : Human enablement technologies. GENERALIST POWERHOUSES: - First Check Ventures - Global early-stage, any sector. - Pear VC : Pre-seed/seed specialists, deep founder partnerships. - Precursor Ventures : 400+ companies since 2015, true pre-seed focus. - a16z speedrun : Andreessen's rapid deployment arm. The pattern? These VCs have thesis, expertise, and conviction in their lanes. Which vertical fund should I spotlight next? Gaming? Climate? Space tech? And founders - have you raised from any of these? Kindly share your experiences below 👇 #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #VC #Fundraising #StartupTips #Investors #Startupfunding #Investorrelations #PreSeed #SeedFunding

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