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TL;DR
Build accelerators 🚀(no equity, all execution): Retool, Mixpanel, and PostHog are basically “ship faster” programs for founders who need tooling, data, and iteration speed—applications rolling.
Big-ticket credits for AI builders🛠️ : ElevenLabs’ massive voice allowance, Google Cloud’s $350K over 2 years, and Microsoft Founders Hub’s $150K Azure + GitHub/M365/OpenAI credits give serious runway without dilution.
Pre-seed/seed 🌱is split between real-world + B2B automation: modular private spaces ,finance/accounting automation for mid-market, sports AI analytics, and AI model management/deployment tooling.
Series 🅰️+ is rewarding infra + ops + city data: developer workspaces, AI finance close automation, smart-city mobility intelligence, and neuro drug-delivery platforms.
Who’s actively investing 🪙: early-stage checks are flowing ($250K–$2M) from 2048, Afore, and Precursor—while Bessemer, a16z, and Lightspeed are ready to scale winners with $10M–$100M+ rounds through 2026.
Accelerators + Grants
🚀 Accelerators
$60,000 in credits equity-free for building internal tools and apps; includes dedicated support and resources; applications rolling – acts as a "build accelerator" for custom software tools.
$50,000 in free Mixpanel Growth plan credits equity-free for one year; product analytics with expert support and onboarding; applications rolling – helps accelerate data-driven product decisions.
$50,000 in credits equity-free for all-in-one product analytics platform; includes mentorship on usage and integration; applications rolling – supports growth-stage product iteration.
💰 Grants
Up to 33 million characters in free AI voice credits equity-free for early-stage startups; 12-month access to ElevenLabs voice AI platform; applications open year-round – focused on innovative uses of voice AI in products or services.
$350,000 in Google Cloud credits over two years equity-free for AI-focused startups; includes additional perks like mentorship and technical support; applications rolling – ideal for early-stage building on GCP.
$150,000 in Azure credits equity-free, plus GitHub Enterprise (20 seats), Microsoft 365, Visual Studio, and OpenAI credits; no equity taken; applications open year-round – supports founders from idea to scale.
Roladex Venture Studios
Roladex provides hands-on support with fundraising, product development, and marketing—plus the team, network, and resources to launch and scale your business👇
PreSeed + Seed
Notable companies that recently raised:
1️⃣ Alcove — raised $1M (Pre-Seed)
Description: NYC-based startup developing private Pods for neighborhoods or hotels, offering modular, private spaces for work, rest, or events in urban environments.
Investors: Christine Wendell (Pronato Housing), former Congressman Patrick E. Murphy (Togal AI), and other backers.
2️⃣ Midship — raised $4.15M (Seed)
Description: AI-driven platform for finance, accounting, and data processing in B2B software, focused on automation for mid-market companies.
Investors: Early-stage VC support
3️⃣ Arkero — raised $6M (Pre-Seed)
Description: Sports tech startup leveraging AI for analytics, performance tracking, and sales tools in the sports industry.
Investors: Not publicly specified, early investors implied.
4️⃣ Modelence — raised $3M (Seed)
Description: B2B software startup combining AI, cloud computing, and tools for model management or AI deployment.
Investors: Not publicly listed. There was a seed round backers.
💸 Active Investors & New Funds
1️⃣ 2048 Ventures — New York, NY ✨
$500K–$2M checks; thesis-driven pre-seed and seed firm focused on Vertical AI, Deep Tech, Health, and Bio; leads rounds with conviction across the US and Canada, highly active in early 2026.
2️⃣ Afore Capital — San Francisco, CA 💰
$500K–$2M checks; pre-seed "no investment too early" approach for technical founders in infrastructure, AI, and tools; closed $185M Fund IV in early 2025, actively investing in 2026.
3️⃣ Precursor Ventures — San Francisco, CA
$250K–$2M checks; pre-seed focus on diverse, high-potential founders across consumer, enterprise, fintech, and healthcare; closed Fund V at $66M in 2025 for ongoing early-stage deployments in 2026.
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Series A+
Notable companies that recently raised:
1️⃣ Daytona — raised $24M (Series A)
Description: Developer platform for fast, secure, and collaborative coding environments, enabling instant setup of dev workspaces with AI-assisted tools for teams.
Investors: FirstMark (Lead), and other participants.
2️⃣ Accrual — raised $75M (Series A)
Description: AI-powered finance and accounting automation platform for mid-market companies, streamlining accruals, revenue recognition, and financial close processes.
Investors: General Catalyst.
3️⃣ Urban SDK — raised $65M (Series B)
Description: Smart cities and mobility data platform providing real-time traffic, infrastructure, and urban planning insights using AI and geospatial tools.
Investors: Riverwood Capital.
4️⃣ CraniUS Therapeutics — raised $20M (Series B)
Description: Neurotechnology company developing implantable platforms to bypass the blood-brain barrier for long-term drug delivery in neurological disorders.
Investors: Private investors, plus $1M non-dilutive from Maryland State.
💸 Active Investors & New Funds
1️⃣ Bessemer Venture Partners — New York, NY
$10M–$50M checks; Series A/B specialist in cloud/SaaS, cybersecurity, healthcare, and consumer tech; consistently active with deep operational expertise and category leaders; launched new funds in 2025 (including $1B for Forge II) and deploying aggressively into high-growth startups in 2026.
2️⃣ Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) — Menlo Park, CA
$10M–$100M+ checks; Series A/B leader in frontier tech, AI, bio, and consumer; prolific and highly active with massive AUM and platform support; continued heavy deployments throughout 2026.
3️⃣ Lightspeed Venture Partners — Menlo Park, CA
$10M–$100M+ checks across Series A/B/growth; multi-stage leader in AI, enterprise software, fintech, and consumer; one of the most active globally, closing $9B across six new funds in late 2025 (including early-stage and mid-stage vehicles) to aggressively back transformative companies scaling rapidly in 2026.
Appreciate you being here this week. We’ll keep curating the highest-signal accelerators, equity-free opportunities, and funding moves—so you can spot the right doors, move fast, and stay ahead of the curve. Until next week—let’s keep building. 😄
- Michael Marra, Founder & CEO of Entre
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