Crisp Raises $26M In Series B1 Funding Led By Paine Schwartz PartnersCrisp, a Bentonville, Ark.-based AI platform for retail data, raised $26M in a Series B1 round led by Paine Schwartz Partners, with participation from Blue Cloud Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Cox, DNX, Prologis, and Wellington Management. Led by founder and CEO Are Traasdahl, Crisp leverages AI to integrate and analyze retail data across CPG brands, retailers, and distributors, helping optimize sales and supply chain operations for over 7,000 brands. The company plans to use the funding to expand platform features, grow data partnerships, enhance its AI Agent flagship product, and make strategic global hires. Total funding for Crisp now stands at $127M since its 2017 founding.
FOUNDER: Are Traasdahl
INVESTORS: Paine Schwartz Partners, Blue Cloud Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Cox, DNX, Prologis & Wellington Management
ROUND: Series B1
AMOUNT: $26,000,000
HQ: #Bentonville #Arkansas
#VentureCapital #Crisp #AreTraasdahl #PaineSchwartzPartners #BlueCloudVentures #FirstMarkCapital #Cox #DNX #Prologis #WellingtonManagement #TradedVC
ElevenLabs Raises $100M Led By Sequoia And ICONIQ At $6.6B ValuationElevenLabs, the AI startup known for its realistic voice technology, just hit a $6.6 billion valuation, doubling in just nine months. The company, founded by CEO Mati Staniszewski, recently raised $100 million in a tender offer led by Sequoia and ICONIQ, with participation from a16z and others. While ElevenLabs made its name in AI voices for everything from Fortnite characters to customer service bots, Staniszewski told TechCrunch’s Equity podcast that voice models will soon be commoditized, signaling a pivot toward conversational AI agents, music generation, and tools to detect deepfakes.
FOUNDER: Mati Staniszewski
INVESTORS: Sequoia, ICONIQ & a16z
AMOUNT: $100,000,000
VALUATION: $6,600,000,000
HQ: #London #UnitedKingdom
#VentureCapital #ElevenLabs #MatiStaniszewski #Sequoia #ICONIQ #a16z #TradedVC
Mirum Pharmaceuticals Acquires Bluejay Therapeutics For $820 Million To Advance Liver Disease TherapiesMirum Pharmaceuticals, led by CEO Chris Peetz, is set to acquire Bluejay Therapeutics, a San Francisco-based biotechnology company focused on viral and liver diseases, for up to $820 million. Under the agreement, Mirum will pay $250 million in cash and $370 million in stock, with potential milestone payments of up to $200 million in cash. The acquisition, expected to close in Q1 2026 pending regulatory approval, will strengthen Mirum’s leadership in rare liver disorders and add a fourth potential registrational readout over the next 18 months. Bluejay is advancing therapies for chronic hepatitis B and delta virus, including brelovitug, cavrotolimod, and a liver-targeted HBV transcript inhibitor (BJT-628), complementing Mirum’s existing portfolio of rare disease treatments like LIVMARLI®, CHOLBAM®, and CTEXLI®.
PRICE: $820,000,000
Mirum Pharmaceuticals HQ: #FosterCity #California
Bluejay Therapeutics HQ: #RedwoodCity #California
#VentureCapital #MirumPharmaceuticals #BluejayTherapeutics #TradedVC
Pryzm Secures $12.2 Million Seed Funding Led By Andreessen Horowitz For AI Procurement PlatformPryzm has raised $12.2 million in a seed funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism fund, with participation from XYZ Venture Capital, Amplify.LA, and Forum Ventures. The company, led by Co-Founder and CEO Nick LaRovere, is modernizing federal procurement with its AI-powered platform that connects government and industry, accelerating how emerging technologies are discovered, evaluated, and acquired. Built by alumni of Palantir and Lockheed Martin, Pryzm’s platform streamlines acquisition processes, giving federal agencies and private-sector innovators real-time insights and enabling faster, more competitive contracting. The funding will support platform enhancements, expanded deployments, and growth across Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York.
FOUNDERS: Nick LaRovere, Matt Hawkins, Justin Deckert & David Istrati
INVESTORS: Andreessen Horowitz, XYZ Venture Capital, Amplify.LA & Forum Ventures
ROUND: Seed
AMOUNT: $12,200,000
HQ: #Boston #Massachusetts
#VentureCapital #Pryzm #NickLaRovere #MattHawkins #JustinDeckert #DavidIstrati #AndreessenHorowitz #XYZVentureCapital #AmplifyLA #ForumVentures #TradedVC