VNTR Newsletter June 29: AI and Wall Street, Founder Liquidity, Record Space Deals

Venture Capital, Web3, and Private Equity – News, Events, and VC Reads

Jun 29, 2025

Happy Sunday!

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VNTR Investor Forum Cannes

Join us for another powerful VNTR Investor Forum in Cannes on June 30, co-hosted with Gamma Prime. The event will gather active investors visiting ETH CC as well as prominent investors from the South of France and Monaco. The program features: 15 expert speakers, 5 thematic roundtables, and ample opportunities for high-level networking.

Can’t make it to the Forum? Join us at our upcoming events, Forums, and Global Summit.

Founders, Want Liquidity Without Walking Away? Consider A Secondary Share Sale

Building a startup is exciting but can also be a long, uncertain and often exhausting ride. It is certainly not for the faint of heart. Founders put years of their lives into these companies — usually at great personal, financial and professional risk, with little financial reward until a big exit happens or, in much more rare cases, on the creation of liquidity following an IPO.

Q1 2025 VC Fund Performance report
Data from more than 2,500 venture funds that currently use Carta Fund Administration gives us a revealing snapshot of fund performance, including IRR, DPI, and TVPI.

VNTR Club Fellowship July 1, 2025

A curated 4-week program designed to foster connection, collaboration, and tangible outcomes within the VNTR Club.
Kickstart your VNTR Club journey by joining a carefully selected cohort of investor peers. Build trusted relationships with top-tier members, exchange insights, and unlock new investment opportunities. Apply to join the VNTR Club Fellowship

VCs shoot for the stars, send space-tech funding on course for new record

Global VC funding for space-tech startups is set to reach new heights this year, but investor bets are becoming more concentrated as the vertical matures. According to PitchBook data, VC investment in space tech has already reached $5.9 billion this year, which puts 2025 on course to exceed 2021’s record. However, the deal count could land below last year’s level, with most capital going toward mature startups.

VNTR Global Investor Summit, Lisbon on Nov 11

Join us for a full day of keynotes, panel discussions, thematic roundtables, company showcases, the annual VNTR Awards, networking at the VNTR Club lounge, and dedicated breakout sessions for LPs, CVCs, and Family Offices. (View sponsorship opportunities)
Extend your experience by joining the VNTR Retreat to Porto and the Douro Valley, November 13–16.
👉 Apply here to speak at the VNTR Summit

👉 Apply here to showcase your company

The Billion-Dollar Banker: How AI Is Supercharging Wall Street’s Top Talent

Artificial intelligence is turbocharging front-office professionals, setting the stage for a new era where individual productivity and compensation hit unprecedented heights — some estimates suggest that by 2026, AI-empowered investment bankers could generate an additional $3.5 million in revenue each, redefining what it means to be a rainmaker in the industry.

Why Europe’s VCs are ditching the boardroom for startup life

Back in the deal-making frenzy of 2021, it seemed like everyone wanted to ‘break into VC’. Now, many of those same investors are leaving the industry and jumping into operating roles instead. For many of them, it’s their first time working at a startup. While there are plenty of US investors with operational experience, few European VCs are former operators — the percentage of ex-operator partners has been estimated to be as low as 1.8% in Europe.

VCs Haven’t Tired Of Sleep Startups
Sleep remains a hot startup category, with investors betting on products that promise better rest and overall well-being, despite over half of adults reporting poor sleep habits.

5 Interesting Startup Deals You May Have Missed In June: Drug Discovery Without Animal Trials, Better Nuclear Fuel, And Software For Military Planning
From AI-driven drug testing to nuclear fuel innovation and military planning tools, June’s standout deals showed continued investor appetite for bold, frontier technologies.

Alphabet’s Gradient Ventures is raising $200M for a new AI fund
Alphabet’s early-stage AI fund is back in the market with a $200M raise, signaling Big Tech’s ongoing commitment to AI despite wider VC funding slowdown.

A Conversation With Lead Edge Capital On Secondary Markets And Why It’s Holding Out On AI
Lead Edge Capital discusses its flexible investment strategy and why it’s cautious on AI hype, despite increased private equity activity in venture-backed secondaries.

Questioning PE’s illiquidity premium
NYC’s pension CIO highlighted PE’s long-term underperformance versus public markets, reigniting debate around whether the illiquidity premium still justifies the trade-off.

AI crypto app users nearly double this year as funding beats 2024 total
AI activity on blockchains surged in 2025, with nearly 4.5M daily users and record funding levels, cementing the tech’s role in decentralized application growth.

How a Founder Sold His 1-Person AI Startup for 9 Figures in 6 months
A founder just sold his 1-person company for 9 figures ($80M upfront + more in earn-out) without splitting a dime. This is the untold story of Base44's founder, Maor Shlomo.

European Commission downplays stablecoin risks, counters ECB warning
The European Commission dismissed ECB concerns over stablecoins, calling major risk scenarios “highly unlikely” and signaling a more relaxed regulatory tone.

The new math: Why seed investors are selling their winners earlier
Seed investors are rethinking long-term holds as LPs push for earlier liquidity, prompting firms like Precursor Ventures to reassess their exit strategies.

VCs are taking the plunge into maritime tech. Here’s where they’re looking
With geopolitical tensions rising, investors are eyeing maritime security tech — from undersea infrastructure to naval defense — as the next strategic frontier.

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