VNTR Newsletter June 15: AI Agents, Unicorn Surge, and CVC’s $10B AI Play
Venture Capital, Web3, and Private Equity – News, Events, and VC Reads
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Meta’s $10B bet on Scale AI highlights a trend: CVCs now account for nearly 75% of AI VC investment
Social media giant Meta is in talks to invest around $10 billion into the data labeling startup Scale AI, Bloomberg reported. It would be the latest big corporate venture check going into an AI startup. Corporate participation in AI funding rounds has been growing, going from 54.3% of all US VC AI deals in terms of transaction value in 2022 to 74.7% so far this year, according to PitchBook data. Big tech companies are placing their bets on the select AI companies they believe will win the current boom.
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Y Combinator is going all-in on AI agents, making up nearly 50% of latest batch
Nearly half of the startups in Y Combinator‘s first-ever Spring cohort were companies building or designing tools to create AI agents, continuing the famed accelerator’s tendency to reflect the broader startup market’s trends. Of the 144 startups in the Spring 2025 batch, 67 are described as “AI agents” within the accelerator’s online database.
New Unicorns Add $22B In Value In May As 5 Trot Onto Board From Europe
Thirteen companies joined The Crunchbase Unicorn Board in May 2025, including five from Europe, Crunchbase data shows. The five new unicorns from Europe mark the highest monthly count of new billion-dollar startups since 2023 for the continent. They included the first two from Germany and the first company from Portugal so far this year to be valued at $1 billion-plus. The U.K. also added two companies last month, marking three total this year.
Chime’s 54% IPO discount signals down rounds are here to stay
Despite notching a lower valuation than at its peak in the private market, Chime closed its first day of trading on the Nasdaq at $37.11, a 37% bump over its IPO price. The hotly anticipated fintech float shows growing comfort with a difficult reality for investors: the down-round IPO.
BlackRock targets $400B in private market fundraising by 2030
Mega-funds out of traditional buyout behemoths like Blackstone, Apollo Global Management and The Carlyle Group have historically outshone BlackRock‘s private capital business, but BlackRock’s recent push signals a strategic shift in ambitions to be a leader in that market. The $11.6 trillion asset manager seeks to raise $400 billion in private capital commitments by 2030, largely through its private wealth and insurance investors, according to an investor presentation on Thursday.
Food Tech Funding Stays Lean While Buyers Show Appetite For M&A
VC funding in food tech remains low, but M&A deals are picking up as consolidation becomes an alternative growth strategy.
Quantum Uncertainty Shouldn’t Stop Investors From Making The Right Bet
Quantum computing may be complex and early-stage, but its disruptive potential makes it hard for investors to ignore.
Cleantech On Track For Weak Funding Year
Clean energy startups are facing a steep drop in funding in 2025, with deal volume and round sizes down sharply.
AI Hijack: The Court Just Legalized The Automation Of Lawyer Identity Theft
A court ruling allows lawyers to bid on competitor names for ads — a loophole now open to AI-driven impersonation.
How To Supercharge Your Startup With Your First Senior Hire
Hiring experienced leadership can accelerate growth — but managing someone more senior is a challenge many founders face.
Most-Active US Investors: Khosla, Accel Top May Ranking
May saw Khosla Ventures and Accel lead the U.S. VC deal count, with a surge in $100M+ rounds.
US LPs pivot to European private credit for stability
Amid policy shifts and trade concerns, U.S. LPs are turning to Europe’s private credit markets for safer returns.
Crypto ownership isn’t just lambos and bros anymore
Crypto adoption is broadening beyond hype and speculation, with more mainstream users entering the space.
AI can’t do it alone: Blockchain is the missing piece in next-gen gaming
To unlock AI-driven gaming experiences, blockchain is emerging as a key enabler of ownership and interoperability.
Europe’s VC mafias
From Skype to Seedcamp, Europe’s VCs are spawning new firms — and building networks akin to tech’s original mafias.
Are machines smarter than venture capitalists?
A philosophical take on whether investing success is skill or luck — and if AI might soon outperform humans at it.
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Upcoming VC Events and Conferences
June 16-17 BEST KOREA STARTUP IR DEMODAY, Hong Kong (complimentary tickets)
June 17-18 Basel Investor Forum, Switzerland (15% discount using code BIFVNTR2025)
June 19-21 BTC Prague, Czech Republic
June 25-26 FinTech Summit Africa 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa
June 26 World Climate Investment Summit, London, UK (20% discount using code VNTR2025N)
June 26-27 LegalTech Talk, London, UK (Complimentary investor passes)
June 26-27 Istanbul Blockchain Week (50% discount using the code VNTR50OFF)
June 27 Low Altitude Economy Forum, Hong Kong (complimentary tickets)
June 30-July 3 Ethereum Community Conference, Cannes, France
July 8-9 RAISE Summit, Paris, France
July 17-18 India-Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit 2025, Nairobi, Kenya
August 21-22 Coinfest Asia, Bali, Indonesia (20% discount using code CA20VNTR)
August 27-28 TechBBQ, Copenhagen, Denmark (25% discount using code 25VNTRCapitalnetwork25)
Sep 23-24 CV Summit, Zurich, Switzerland
September 29 - October 2 CC Forum Zurich, Switzerland (for complimentary EXECUTIVE PASS, please contact Irina)
October 15-17 Principled Business Summit, New York, US (15% discount using code VNTRMEMBER)
November 11 VNTR Global Investor Summit Lisbon (Complimentary Passes)
If you would like to submit VC-related events, please send them to support@vntr.vc.
VNTR Events
Join us at our upcoming events to connect with key investment decision-makers:
June 16 2025
Investor Roundtable Boston
during BIO Week
June 18 2025
Club Mastermind Cascais
for active VNTR Club members only
June 18 2025
Investor Roundtable Singapore
during SuperAI
June 18 2025
Investor Dinner Malaga
June 20 2025
Investor Roundtable Amsterdam
during TheNextWeb
June 25 2025
Investor Roundtable Dubai
June 30 2025
Investor Forum Cannes
during EthCC
June 30 2025
Investor Roundtable Hong Kong
August 2 2025
Investor Roundtable Hanoi
September 2 2025
Investor Roundtable Lagos
during GITEX Nigeria