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December 21, 2023 - Deals
Paul Judge And Marcelo Claure Acquire Property From SoftBank In Clare Market

ACQUISITION
IMAGE: Marcelo Claure & Paul Judge
DATE: 12/19/2023
BUYER: Paul Judge & Marcelo Claure
SELLER: SoftBank
SALE PRICE: $250,000,000
NOTE: SoftBank is divesting its Open Opportunity Fund, with chairman and managing partner Paul Judge and Marcelo Claure, the fund’s vice chairman and general partner, set to acquire it. Judge and Claure will take ownership of the $100 million Open Opportunity Fund 1, the $150 million Fund 2, and the entire portfolio, with Fund 2 increasing its target to $200 million. Claure, who was SoftBank’s COO until 2022, is returning to work with the fund, emphasizing the move towards diverse representation in the venture capital ecosystem. Fund 1, deployed under Claure's leadership, invested $100 million in 75 Black and Latino companies, achieving seven exits and 46 follow-on rounds. The rebranded Fund 2 aims to invest in 50 pre-seed to growth-stage companies in various sectors, prioritizing diversity in the tech ecosystem. SoftBank will continue its involvement as an LP in Fund 2.
SoftBank HQ: #Tokyo #Japan
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FOUNDER: Zaid Rahman
INVESTORS: Halo Fund, Portage Ventures, Wellington, Crosslink Capital, 53 Stations, Titanium Ventures, Spice & Florida Funders
ROUND: Series B1
AMOUNT: $70,000,000
VALUATION: $1,200,000,000
HQ: San Francisco, California
#VentureCapital #Flex #ZaidRahman #TradedVC
Valarian Raises $50 Million Series A From NEA To Enhance Control Over AI SystemsValarian, a London-based startup building software that gives governments and enterprises greater control over AI systems and data, raised a $50 million Series A led by NEA, bringing total funding to $70 million and marking NEA’s first defense and dual-use investment in Europe. The company argues that reliance on U.S. cloud providers creates sovereignty risks under laws like the U.S. CLOUD Act, and positions its ACRA platform as a way for customers to retain control of sensitive data and AI operations amid growing geopolitical and regulatory concerns.
FOUNDERS: Max Buchan & Josh McLaughlin
INVESTORS: NEA, XTX, Lightbank, Sequel, Litquidity, and angels including Gokul Rajaram and Nikesh Arora
ROUND: Series A
AMOUNT: $50,000,000
HQ: London, United Kingdom
#VentureCapital #Valarian #MaxBuchan #JoshMcLaughlin #TradedVC