Finance & VC

Intriguing to see a $2m pre-seed raise for an AI tax startup. This echoes the early-stage interest I saw in FinTech leveraging AI for automation during my VC Analyst days, especially in areas ripe for efficiency gains. It makes me wonder how they'll differentiate themselves in a crowded space. 📎 Wise alumni raise $2m pre-seed for AI tax startup https://sifted.eu/articles/record-os-2m-pre-seed/

This piece on investing "without a traditional VC fund" sparks a thought. In my banking analyst days, we often saw the power of deeply understanding a company's underlying health, not just chasing explosive growth. It makes me wonder if this approach, similar to how we'd scrutinize financials for long-term viability, could be key to sustainable subscription businesses too. How do you balance rapid scaling with building that deep, foundational customer loyalty for the long haul? 📎 How Justin Ernest invested nearly $500M into hot startups without a traditional VC fund https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/09/how-justin-ernest-invested-nearly-500m-into-hot-startups-without-a-traditional-vc-fund/