Deel Raises $300 Million at $17.3 Billion Valuation in Ribbit-Led Round

Global HR and payroll platform Deel has raised $300 million in new funding at a $17.3 billion valuation, led by new investor Ribbit Capital. The raise comes as Deel faces a legal battle with rival Rippling, which accuses it of corporate espionage - claims Deel has denied, countersuing for defamation. CEO Alex Bouaziz said the funding marks a “doubling down” on Deel’s global payroll infrastructure, with plans to pursue strategic acquisitions and expand payroll coverage to over 100 countries within four years. Deel is an underlying asset of VenCap 6, VenCap 13B, VenCap 15, VenCap 16 and VenCap 17.

Tempo Raises $500 Million at $5 Billion Valuation to Build Stablecoin Network

Tempo, the payments-focused blockchain developed by Stripe and Paradigm, has secured $500 million in Series A funding led by Greenoaks and Thrive Capital, valuing the project at $5 billion. Designed as a blockchain infrastructure for stablecoins, Tempo partners with OpenAI, Shopify, and Visa to enable dollar-backed crypto payments at global scale. Tempo is an underlying asset of VenCap 16, VenCap 17 and VenCap 18.

Synthesia Eyes $4 Billion Valuation in GV-Led Round

London-based AI video startup Synthesia is in talks to raise a new funding round led by Google Ventures (GV), valuing the company at around $4 billion. The firm, known for its AI-generated video avatars, recently surpassed $150 million in annual recurring revenue - up 50% since April. The move follows unfinalised acquisition talks with Adobe and Meta. Synthesia is an underlying asset of VenCap 6, VenCap 13B and VenCap 15.

Fal.ai Raises $250 Million at $4 Billion Valuation to Power Multimodal AI

AI infrastructure startup Fal.ai has raised around $250 million in new funding, pushing its valuation above $4 billion, with Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia among the lead investors. Fal.ai provides cloud infrastructure for hosting image, video, audio, and 3D AI models, powering applications in media creation, advertising, gaming, and e-commerce. The company reported $95 million in revenue and over 2 million developers on its platform with customers including Adobe, Canva, Shopify, and Perplexity. Fal.ai is an underlying asset of VenCap 6, VenCap 16, VenCap 17 and VenCap 18.

Sesame Raises $250 Million Series B to Build AI-Powered Smart Glasses

Conversational AI and smart glasses startup Sesame has secured $250 million in Series B funding and launched a closed beta of its iOS app. Founded by Brendan Iribe (Oculus co-founder) and Ankit Kumar (former Ubiquity6 CTO), Sesame aims to create a personal AI agent with a lifelike voice that users can interact with naturally through lightweight, fashion-forward eyewear. Sesame is an underlying asset of VenCap 16 and VenCap 17.

Sakana AI Targets $2.5 Billion Valuation in $100 Million Raise

Tokyo-based Sakana AI, a developer of next-generation artificial intelligence systems inspired by biological and evolutionary processes, is in talks with U.S. and Japanese investors to raise $100 million at a $2.5 billion valuation - up 66% from a year ago. Founded in 2023 by former Google researchers, the company focuses on creating adaptive, efficient AI models designed to evolve and improve over time, mirroring natural systems. Sakana is an underlying asset of VenCap 16 and VenCap 17.