Traded: Venture Capital

BuildOps, a Los Angeles-based provider of AI-powered field service management software for commercial contractors, raised $127M in Series C funding led by Meritech Capital, valuing the company at $1B post-money. Founded in 2018 by CEO Alok Chanani, Neeraj Mittal, and Steve Chew, BuildOps helps contractors in HVAC, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical services improve project management, dispatching, and invoicing. The company has grown rapidly since launching its platform in 2020, doubling revenue in 2023 and 2024. The new funds will support headcount growth, product development, and potential strategic acquisitions. INVESTORS: Meritech Capital, Bond Capital, Schneider Electric’s SE Ventures, Fika Ventures, Next47, StepStone Group & Titanium Ventures ROUND: Series C AMOUNT: $127,000,000 VALUATION: $1,000,000,00 HQ: #LosAngeles #California #VentureCapital #BuildOps #AlokChanani #NeerajMittal #SteveChew #MeritechCapital #BondCapital #SchneiderElectricsSEVentures #FikaVentures #Next47 #StepStoneGroup #TitaniumVentures #TradedVC

Munich Re is acquiring Palo Alto-based Next Insurance for $2.6 billion, with the deal expected to close in Q3 2025. Founded in 2016 by Guy Goldstein, Alon Huri, and Nissim Tapiro, Next Insurance provides digital insurance to SMBs and was last valued at $2.5 billion in 2023 after raising $265 million. The company, which has raised nearly $1.2 billion from investors including Group 11, Allstate, and Capital G, generated $548 million in revenue in 2024 and serves over 600,000 customers. The acquisition will see Next Insurance integrated into Munich Re’s Ergo unit. PRICE: $2,600,000,000 Munich Re HQ: #Munich #Germany Next Insurance HQ: #PaloAlto #California #VentureCapital #MunichRe #NextInsurance #GuyGoldstein #AlonHuri #NissimTapiro #TradedVC

Walrus Foundation, led by cofounder and CEO Evan Cheng, raised $140 million from Standard Crypto, a16z, Electric Capital, Protagonist, and Franklin Templeton Digital Assets, and others to develop a high-speed decentralized storage network called Walrus. Built by Mysten Labs, known for creating the Sui blockchain, Walrus aims to outperform existing decentralized storage protocols like Filecoin and Arweave by offering faster, cheaper, and more programmable solutions. The funding came through a sale of the blockchain’s cryptocurrency, $WAL, valuing the protocol’s total supply at $2 billion. The project is currently in beta, with a web-hosting service already built on top and a planned launch on March 27. INVESTORS: Standard Crypto, Andreessen Horowitz , Electric Capital , Franklin Templeton Digital Assets , Luna Capital , Protagonist , Karatage , RW3 Ventures , Comma3 Venture & Raptor Group AMOUNT: $140,000,000 HQ: #SanFrancisco #California #VentureCapital #WalrusFoundation #EvanCheng #StandardCrypto #a16zcrypto #ElectricCapital #FTDAUS #LunaCapital #ProtagonistXYZ #Karatage #RW3Ventures #Comma3vc #RaptorGroup #TradedVC

Good Good Golf, a Prosper, TX-based golf, media, and lifestyle brand led by CEO Matthew Kendrick, raised $45 million in funding led by Creator Sports Capital, with participation from Manhattan West Private Equity, Sunflower Bank, and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate its global expansion across content, retail, and live experiences. Good Good Golf, which blends entertainment, competition, and lifestyle through its content-to-commerce model, has over 1.75 million YouTube subscribers across multiple channels. INVESTORS: Creator Sports Capital, Manhattan West Private Equity, Sunflower Bank & Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions AMOUNT: $45,000,000 HQ: #Prosper #Texas #VentureCapital #GoodGoodGolf #MatthewKendrick #CreatorSportsCapital #ManhattanWestPrivateEquity #SunflowerBank #PeytonManningsOmahaProductions #TradedVC

ClearGrid, a Dubai-based AI-driven debt collection startup, recently emerged from stealth with $10 million in funding ($3.5M pre-seed, $6.5M seed) to modernize debt recovery for banks, fintechs, and lenders. Co-founded in May 2023 by CEO Mohammad Al Zaben, Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, and Mohammed AlKhalili, ClearGrid uses AI to automate collections, predict customer behavior, and personalize outreach, cutting collection costs by 50%. Already profitable in the UAE, the company plans to expand into Saudi Arabia and 10x revenue in 2024. Investors include Beco Capital, Nuwa Capital, Raed Ventures, and notable angels like Amjad Masad and Justin Kan. INVESTORS: Beco Capital, Nuwa Capital, Raed Ventures, Anu Hariharan, Amjad Masad, Protagonist @protagonistxyz (George Bousis & Harry Hurst), Jason Gardner & Justin Kan ROUND: Pre-seed & Seed AMOUNT: $10,000,000 HQ: #Dubai #UnitedArabEmirates #VentureCapital #ClearGrid #BecoCapital #NuwaCapital #RaedVentures #AnuHariharan #AmjadMasad #JasonGardner #JustinKan #MohammadAlZaben #KhalidBinBaderAlSaud #MohammedAlKhalili #TradedVC

The Boston Celtics, reigning NBA champions, are being sold for $6.1 billion to a group led by private equity executive Bill Chisholm, co-founder of Symphony Technology Group. Sixth Street, a private equity firm, is contributing over $1 billion, with additional support from Boston-area businessman Rob Hale and Bruce Beal Jr., president of Related Companies. Wyc Grousbeck, CEO and governor of the Celtics under Boston Basketball Partners, will retain his roles through the 2027-28 season. The $6.1 billion price marks the highest sale for a U.S. sports team, with the Celtics’ valuation potentially reaching $7.3 billion by 2028. SALE PRICE: $6,100,000,000 The Boston Celtics HQ: #Boston #Massachusetts #VentureCapital #TheBostonCeltics #BostonCeltics #Boston #Celtics #JaysonTatum #NBA #BillChisholm #TradedVC

Michael Seibel, former CEO of Y Combinator, announced that he is stepping into a “partner emeritus” role after more than 12 years with the accelerator. Seibel, who first joined YC as a founder with Justin.TV and Socialcam, later served as group partner, managing director, and CEO. YC CEO Garry Tan confirmed the transition, which follows Seibel’s decision last year to step back from leadership. Seibel plans to take the summer off and focus on helping the government better serve its citizens, a passion he described as “the passion of my youth.” #VentureCapital #MichaelSeibel #YCombinator #TradedVC

SoftBank Group will acquire Ampere Computing, a semiconductor designer founded in 2017 by former Intel executive Renee James, in a $6.5 billion all-cash deal to strengthen its AI infrastructure portfolio. Ampere, based in Santa Clara, CA, designs server chips based on the ARM compute platform and serves clients like Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud. After the deal closes in the second half of 2025, Ampere will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank. This acquisition follows SoftBank’s recent AI investments, including partnerships with OpenAI and the AI infrastructure project Stargate. SALE PRICE: $6,500,000,000 SoftBank Group HQ: #Tokyo #Japan Ampere Computing HQ: #SantaClara #California #VentureCapital #SoftBankGroup #AmpereComputing #ReneeJames #TradedVC

CaseBlink, a Miami, FL-based AI startup specializing in immigration law, raised $2M in pre-seed funding led by Tower Research Ventures, VCs, and immigration law firms, including Fakhoury Global Immigration (FGI). Led by CEO Khalil Zlaoui, CaseBlink provides AI-driven automation for immigration case preparation, helping lawyers organize evidence, perform research, and draft legal briefs more efficiently. The company recently launched Studio, a customizable AI drafting tool for immigration attorneys, and plans to use the funds to expand operations and development efforts. INVESTORS: Tower Research Ventures & Fakhoury Global Immigration ROUND: Pre-Seed AMOUNT: $2,000,000 HQ: #Miami #Florida #VentureCapital #CaseBlink #KhalilZlaoui #TowerResearchVentures #FakhouryGlobalImmigration #TradedVC

Surmount, a data-driven investing platform founded by investor Logan Weaver, has acquired Quantbase, a Y Combinator-backed startup focused on becoming the shopify for investment management products. The acquisition boosts Surmount’s assets under administration to $290M and assets investing through its strategies to $90m. With this move, Surmount aims to expand its reach, allowing more creators to build and share investment products while scaling its platform to a broader investor base. BUYER: Surmount SELLER: Quantbase Surmount HQ: #new york #nyc Quantbase HQ: #new york #nyc