Chris Hollod

🚨NEW EPISODE: Recorded live at FUTURE TITANS 2026 - Jeff Perry of Carta sat down with the iconic Seth Levine, co-founder of Foundry. Seth has been in venture for 25 years, built Foundry from scratch as an emerging manager himself, and has backed about 50 emerging manager funds through his fund of funds. He has genuinely seen every side of this table. They went deep on building Foundry, why VCs are in the influence business, not the decision business, and why the concentration problem in venture is not only bad for LPs, but also for the innovation ecosystem overall. And why Seth's new book, Capital Evolution, is so important for the future of America. 🎧 Links to listen... Apple: https://lnkd.in/ehQUQ2EM Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eU4FExpg

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Terra Innovatum and GSR III Acquisition Corp. File Form S-4 After Business Combination Announcement Advancing Public Listing. Transaction To Accelerate Terra Innovatum’s Pathway to Commercialization of Groundbreaking Micro-Modular Nuclear Technology by 2028. https://lnkd.in/eNpGF9bU

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#AmTech Weekly Roundup: Apex - Spacecraft Manufacturing raised $200 million in Series C funding from Point72 Ventures, 8VC, Andreessen Horowitz, and Washington Harbour Partners LP. Apex builds satellite buses (core body with power, propulsion, and communications) that customers can customize cheaper and quicker than building bespoke buses for each mission.   Ian Cinnamon, Maximilian Benassi    Rainmaker Technology Corporation raised a $25 million Series A from Lowercarbon Capital, 1517 Fund, Long Journey, Garry Tan, and Naval Ravikant. Rainmaker uses drones for cloud-seeding. In addition to agriculture, they are thinking of it as water infrastructure: why build more pipes and canals when the clouds can do the heavy lifting?  Augustus Doricko    Jericho Security raised a $15 million Series A from Era, Lux Capital, and Gaingels. Jericho uses generative AI help corporations run cybersecurity trainings and simulations against increasingly sophisticated AI phishing attacks and social engineering.   Sage Wohns #VC #NationalInterest #USA #Startups

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Check back if you missed it! The world is changing around us and it makes sense to own a piece of it. Remember we have two entry points into deep tech: 1) go direct into the CR Fund 2) write a small check into AIM Company *Must be accredited. Sorry, government rules, not mine.

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Excited to finally share what we’ve been building over the past year. Today we’re announcing the first investment from ARKITEKT EQUITY. Over the past year, we have been closely observing the structural shifts occurring within semiconductor ecosystems. As manufacturing systems become more complex, the infrastructure enabling those systems becomes increasingly strategic. These environments demand operational clarity, coordination, and long-term alignment. ARKITEKT was built around a simple idea: durable value is created where frontier technology meets pragmatic execution. Our investment in BBTech reflects this conviction. This is just the beginning of what we aim to build at ARKITEKT EQUITY. Stay tuned! https://lnkd.in/g_pQiBZY

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**Boston's Startup Ecosystem Awaits: Founder Summit 2026** As the startup ecosystem continues to thrive, events like the TechCrunch Founder Summit provide invaluable opportunities for founders and investors to connect. ElevenX Capital recognizes that concentrated deal flow facilitates impactful partnerships and consistent innovation in the VC landscape. How do you leverage industry events to enhance your investment strategy? #investing #innovation #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

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💡Emerging GP Fundraising Insight #8: Rolling Closes Keep You Moving Small funds can't always afford to sit still until the target is hit. Rolling closes let you start deploying earlier, build a track record, and show momentum to prospective LPs. One GP told me that for Fund I ($5M target), he took capital as it came, signed, wired, and got to work. It wasn't perfect, but it kept the lights on and the deals moving. Sometimes the "sign and wire as it comes" approach is the only way to get moving. Takeaway: Momentum is a fundraising asset and rolling closes can help you keep it. Has anyone here used rolling closes as a strategic advantage?

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We believe in more than just funding—we believe in fueling breakthroughs. In this short video, discover how ReX Capital partners with companies that fuse hardware, software, and AI to solve global challenges. These aren’t just ideas—they’re real solutions with traction, IP, and untapped potential. 📽️ What you'll see: ✔️ What makes a Hard Tech company fundable ✔️ Our role as a refueling catalyst for growth ✔️ How we bring more than capital—offering strategic expertise and meaningful connections If you’re part of a visionary team ready to scale but stuck at a capital crossroads, we might be the catalyst you're looking for. 📩 Let’s connect and build something game-changing. 📥 info@rex-cap.com

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Big milestone for Ayar Labs — $500M Series E at a $3.75B valuation. This raise underscores just how critical optical I/O and co-packaged optics (CPO) have become in the AI and HPC era. As compute scales, the bottleneck is no longer just processing — it’s moving massive amounts of data efficiently, with lower power and latency. That’s where Ayar’s photonics platform is positioned to fundamentally reshape system architecture. Notably, this round combines top-tier institutional investors (Neuberger Berman, ARK, Insight, QIA, Sequoia Capital Global Equities, 1789 Capital) alongside strategic leaders like AMD, MediaTek, NVIDIA, and Alchip. That mix of financial and commercial backers signals both capital confidence and ecosystem pull. The focus now: scaling high-volume production and test capacity to accelerate deployment of their CPO solution. Moving from breakthrough technology to manufacturing scale is the real unlock. Congrats to the Ayar Labs team on continuing to push the semiconductor and photonics frontier forward. #optical #photonics #semiconductor #AI #HPC

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The New Space race isn't just about getting to orbit, it's about what you can do once you're there. Whether it's landing on the Moon or satellite servicing in LEO, you need reliable, high-thrust propulsion across civil, commercial, and defense space applications. Agile Space Industries delivers the design, 3D printing, and vacuum hot-fire testing capabilities all under one roof, and this vertical integration allows them to move at the breakneck speed the market now demands. Their Series A raise is a huge validation of that vision, grateful to be along for the journey with Denver Ventures. Big congrats to the Agile team on the announcement!!! 🚀

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AI isn't just powering software. BrightAI just raised $51 million to automate inspection and other hardware-based AI capabilities. As Alexa von Tobel, co-founder of Inspired Capital put it: “So many people are so focused on the future of digital AI, but we’re excited about this new layer of AI: the physical world AI.” We are in the early innings of a series of AI-fueled innovations! https://lnkd.in/enhmafvH

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Seed-stage fundraising requires differentiation. Grind Ventures found it at the intersection of three underserved markets Technology transfer from universities creates early-stage opportunities that most VCs miss. Defense and federal marketplace applications provide revenue visibility. Critical infrastructure sectors offer commercial scale. Focused Thesis - Dual-use technologies serving defense and 16 critical infrastructure sectors Technology Transfer - University research teams1-5 years old at $1-3M valuations Revenue Clarity - Federal marketplace provides structured procurement pathways Commercial Scale - Critical infrastructure sectors offer massive addressable markets   Geographic Focus - US-based companies with clear domestic advantages Stage Discipline - Seed investments with defined entry points and milestones The market rewards problem-obsessed founders with healthy margins and cash flow visibility. Dual-use technology delivers both. Which of these thesis elements resonates most with your investment approach? #VC #GrindVentures #ThoughtLeadership

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Reshoring manufacturing to the U.S. hinges entirely on advances in automation and robotics—and those advances, in turn, rely on next-generation tools like integrated development environments, foundation models, smart robotics skills, and flexible automation platforms. This isn’t merely an incremental shift; it’s the next industrial revolution. I estimate it will unlock up to $30 trillion in GDP over the next decade, as countries compete fiercely for leadership. Eclipse is our time!

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Excited to announce the latest close of our early-stage venture fund. Surpassing our original $100 million target, this milestone reinforces our position as the world’s leading investor focused exclusively on SpaceTech. The fund is backed by an exceptional group of strategic partners, including the British Business Bank, National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), ARABSAT, Eutelsat, NEC Corporation and SKY Perfect JSAT (スカパーＪＳＡＴ). The fund already includes 17 pioneering companies across the US and Europe, building technologies that underpin resilience, security, sustainability, and more: 🛰️ Defence: Auriga Space, ATMOS Space Cargo, General Galactic, Privateer 🌍 Climate & Resilience: Delos Insurance Solutions, Adaptive Insurance, Renoster 🧬 Life Sciences: LambdaVision, Inc. 🔗 Next-Generation Space Infrastructure: AscendArc, Array Labs, constellr, Hubble Network, PiLogic Inc. Ubotica Technologies We are also pleased to welcome our latest investment, Mutable Tactics an exceptional deep-tech defence company based in Cambridge, UK. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eu_n_4J8 #SpaceTech #VentureCapital #DefenceTech #ClimateTech #DeepTech

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I spoke with Christien Louviere of BDE Capital about his journey from a $330mm exit to becoming an independent sponsor. Christien shared excellent insights for folks looking to partner with business owners, rather than buy sellers out completely. Below are a few of the topics we covered: - Why he moved from “zero-to-one” startups to a buy-then-build strategy - How Christien's background shaped a focus on growth vs. cost-cutting - Why 20–40% rolled equity is central to his deal structures—and how it builds trust with sellers - Using scenario analysis with AI tools to evaluate management teams and uncover hidden key-person risks - How to identify when a $3–5M EBITDA company truly has a middle management layer—or is still founder-reliant For anyone investing in or buying small businesses, Christien’s approach provides a fresh lens on growth, alignment, and deal structuring. 🎥 Watch the full interview here → https://lnkd.in/ekfkaiej 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e86Agx6V

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I’ve spoken to over 2 dozen MDs at PE firms I can confidently say that the arb of figuring out how to implement Vertical AI at portfolio companies is very real right now It will fundamentally change underwriting for those who can do it predictably and unlock generational returns. Most are aware they need to act. Very few have.

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Layer is tackling one of the most overlooked pain points for SMBs: accounting. They’re gaining real traction doing so. Emergence is leading their seed round to bring embedded, AI-powered accounting to the SMB software stack. Kevin Spain highlights what makes this team and product so compelling. 

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The announcement of Lila Sciences’ $235M Series A and $1B+ valuation marks a significant milestone, and it’s only the beginning. Lila is building a new model for discovery by combining AI and automated labs to accelerate breakthroughs in life sciences, chemistry, and materials. They are tackling some of the most significant opportunities in science and technology, and I couldn’t be more confident in Geoff and his team as they scale what’s ahead. I have had the privilege of knowing Geoffrey von Maltzahn for many years, and backing him once again through March Capital is both a professional and personal highlight. His leadership, vision, and ability to execute on transformational science give us great conviction in Lila’s future. Congratulations to Geoff and the entire Lila team on reaching this next chapter. I am honored to continue this partnership and look forward to what’s to come. Read more about Lila here: https://lnkd.in/gQfk6msT

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Recap of last week... - OLIX raises $220m led by Hummingbird Ventures, Plural and LocalGlobe - Aerska raises $39m led by EQT Ventures & Growth Life Sciences - Upside Robotics raises $7.5m led by Plural - Seamflow raises $4.5m led by Northzone and Initialized Capital - The Compression Company raises $3.4m led by Long Journey - Bland Company raises $2.7m led by Initialized Capital Congratulations to the founders and their teams! cc Entrepreneurs First

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