Newsletter: VC Breakfast Club

/deals

🧬 The NATO Innovation Fund made its debut investment in Portal Biotech, co-leading a $35M round to support AI-driven field diagnostics for engineered pathogens. Portal’s tech blends single-molecule protein sequencing with rapid, on-site threat detection.

🔐 Privasee rebrands as Vera, raising €1.2M to become the “OS for customer trust.” Vera automates RFPs, security reviews, and compliance docs with AI - streamlining due diligence and accelerating deal cycles. Investors include Pitchdrive, SFC Capital, and Plug and Play.

🤖 London-based Zango AI raised $4.8M to build AI-native compliance agents for banks and fintechs. Backed by Nexus and neobank execs, Zango tracks real-time regulations and answers product compliance queries.

📦 London-based Hived raised $42M Series B to scale its AI-powered parcel delivery network across the UK. HIVEDmind, its logistics engine, optimizes real-time routing and reduces WISMO stress, boasting 99% on-time delivery and a 100% electric fleet.

🧬 Laverock Therapeutics raised €23.3M to advance programmable gene control therapies. The London-based startup uses recoded miRNAs for tunable gene silencing in cancer and genetic medicine. Backers include Eli Lilly, Calculus, and Mercia.

📦 Hived raised $42M to expand its all-electric parcel delivery fleet across southern England. Founded in 2021, the London-based startup powers ecommerce fulfilment with a 99% on-time rate and real-time AI logistics.

🎰 Yaspa secured €10.1M to scale its AI-powered payments and identity services in the US gambling market. Blending open banking and real-time verification, Yaspa aims to reduce chargebacks and boost compliance for operators.

🎙️ ElevenLabs eyes IPO within five years as global expansion ramps up. Backed by a16z and Sequoia, the AI voice startup is scaling hubs across Europe, Asia, and Latin America - with a London listing possible if the UK “starts accelerating.”

🧪 Cambridge-based Materials Nexus wins KPMG’s East of England Tech Innovator award. Backed by AI and quantum mechanics, the startup is fast-tracking discovery of sustainable materials for clean energy and electronics - and now heads to the UK national final.

📊 Fuel Ventures backs Eventwise with £525K to streamline event budgeting. The London startup's platform replaces spreadsheets with real-time financial control, helping organisers manage spend and forecast with clarity as it scales across new markets.

💸 Yaspa secures $12M to fuel US fintech expansion. The London-based payments and identity startup is targeting the US gambling sector with real-time A2A payments and native player protections, backed by Discerning Capital and Techstars Ventures.

🪑 Roomix raises £850K to scale its family-first furniture platform. The UK startup connects families with local artisans to create customisable, Montessori-inspired pieces.

🏡 JammJar launches AI platform to modernise UK mortgage broking. Backed by Haatch and British Business Bank, the startup automates admin tasks like call summaries and lender matching.

🏥 MediShout raises £6.6M Series A to scale its hospital ops platform across Europe and the US. The startup digitises issue reporting, supplier coordination, and equipment tracking - cutting surgery cancellations.

/funds

• 💰 UK startups raised $8B in H1 2025 - more than Germany and France combined. AI dominated with $2.4B invested, led by Isomorphic Labs, Synthesia, and Orca AI. London still leads, but regional AI hubs are growing fast.

• 💰 The BVCA flags £190B in deployable UK capital, urging reforms to unlock investment. It calls for growth-stage support in life sciences, university spinout acceleration in AI, and procurement reform in defence tech to drive UK economic growth.

/flywheel

• 🎓 Oxford tops UK spinout rankings, with 225 ventures launched since 2011 - more than any other university. The RAEng report shows declining university equity stakes and surging deep tech investment, driven by AI, life sciences, and policy reform.

• 🏦 The London Stock Exchange launches Pisces, a private market platform aimed at keeping UK tech companies local. Designed as a bridge between private fundraising and IPOs, Pisces enables share trading with lighter disclosures—raising hopes and red flags across the venture ecosystem.

• 🏛️ Mansion House launches Scale Up Showcase to back UK tech listings. With 21 top startups pitching to major investors, the initiative aims to close the £2–20M scale-up funding gap and keep high-growth UK firms from heading abroad.

• 🛡️ The UK launches UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) with a £400M annual budget to fast-track military tech adoption. Designed to bring dual-use innovations from prototype to deployment, UKDI aims to boost national security and drive high-skilled job growth.

/breakfast

• Are UK founders more privileged?

• How ElevenLabs took over AI audio?

• 6 female VCs you need to know

📸 /techbrunch

Every week I use AI to reimagine a tech story from the week.

This week, everyone in tech has an opinion about Soham Parekh. Indian engineer Soham Parekh allegedly worked at multiple startups simultaneously, sparking viral debate. Some call him a scammer, others a folk hero. He claims desperation, not deceit - though résumé lies remain unaddressed.

I imagine Soham taking advantage of the moment … and how AI agents might respond.

• Caption this in comments?