Dealmaker by The Information Staff

Two times/week

Dealmaker

By The Information Staff

The Information's reporters Valida Pau and Julia Hornstein give you the inside scoop on tech deals and dealmakers.

By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy

Recent Editions

TypeSafe CEO Diogo Almeida. Screenshot via YouTube

Jev Fervor Leads to Talk of Big Valuation Boost

By Stephanie Palazzolo, Cory Weinberg and Valida Pau · Sep 24, 2026 11:42am PDT

Silicon Valley has a new AI startup to obsess over—and throw money at. We’re hearing that TypeSafe AI, the startup developing a new kind of model called Jev, has started to talk to investors about raising an enormous round—$1 billion or even more—and that some unnamed investors have offered to put money in at a valuation of $10 billion or more.... Silicon Valley has a new AI startup to obsess over—and throw money at. We’re hearing that...

Barrick Gold's tailings dam in Cotui, Dominican Republic. Photo via Shutterstock

Barrick Gold Inks Five-Year AI Deal Before IPO

By Alix Coutures · Sep 22, 2026 4:28pm PDT

AI is top of mind for stock investors these days. That means even companies outside tech are beefing up their AI credentials ahead of new listings. In one such example, Barrick Gold’s North American unit has agreed to a five-year partnership with Avathon, a startup that develops AI-powered software to help industrial companies predict when... AI is top of mind for stock investors these days. That means even companies outside tech are...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images. (edited)

OpenAI’s Next Round

By Laura Mandaro · Sep 17, 2026 5:53pm PDT

This week, we and others reported that OpenAI has been in early talks with investors about a new private round that could value it at $1.2 trillion or more. That follows CEO Sam Altman’s recent statement that an initial public offering wouldn’t happen this year, not that anyone was actually expecting that!There are plenty of unanswered questions... This week, we and others reported that OpenAI has been in early talks with investors about a new...

Anthropic, OpenAI ‘Pacing’ Spooks Some Startup Customers

Anthropic, OpenAI ‘Pacing’ Spooks Some Startup Customers

By Julia Hornstein · Sep 15, 2026 4:25pm PDT

Anthropic, OpenAI ‘Pacing’ Spooks Some Startup Customers

Anthropic, OpenAI ‘Pacing’ Spooks Some Startup Customers

By Julia Hornstein · Sep 15, 2026 4:25pm PDT

It’s not clear what impact the pledges by Anthropic and OpenAI to slow the pace of AI development will have on their upcoming public offerings. But the comments are having real effects already: more people outside Silicon Valley and Washington are now alert to potential risks from AI in a way they weren’t even very recently. That’s not great... It’s not clear what impact the pledges by Anthropic and OpenAI to slow the pace of AI development...

Volition Capital's Managing Partners. From left to right: Roger Hurwitz, Larry Cheng, Sean Cantwell. Photo courtesy of Volition.

Fund Focused on Bootstrapped Founders Raises $950 Million

By Julia Hornstein · Sep 10, 2026 4:26pm PDT · 1 comment

There’s certainly a frenzy among venture capitalists to back the hottest startups before they’ve made a dime of revenue, but one fund is sticking to a proven strategy of investing in startups that have generated at least millions in revenue—often without raising any institutional money.Focusing on these boot-strapped founders has again resonated... There’s certainly a frenzy among venture capitalists to back the hottest startups before they’ve...

Zain Asgar, co-founder and CEO of Gimlet Labs. YouTube.

Gimlet's Three-Tranche Deal Reveals AI Funding Frenzy

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Phoebe Liu · Sep 8, 2026 5:37pm PDT

Gimlet Labs said late last week it had raised $300 million at a valuation of about $3 billion, in a round led by new investor Andreessen Horowitz. Today we have unreported details on how that round, which boosted its valuation by a whopping 16 times from its last PitchBook valuation, came together.The three-year-old startup, which helps AI... Gimlet Labs said late last week it had raised $300 million at a valuation of about $3 billion, in...

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic. Photo by Getty Images

What Anthropic's IPO Investors Want to Know

By Valida Pau and Cory Weinberg · Sep 3, 2026 10:00am PDT

We’re getting ready for Anthropic to make its initial public offering prospectus public sometime after Labor Day. Though the company’s private investors have had a window into its torrid growth and projections, this will be the first time public investors are getting a full financial picture of the Claude maker. Just how complete a picture... We’re getting ready for Anthropic to make its initial public offering prospectus public sometime...

WNDR founders Jeffrey Katzenberg and Sujay Jaswa. Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images

At Katzenberg’s Bash, OpenAI, Meta Execs Rub Elbows With Hollywood

By Cory Weinberg · Sep 1, 2026 3:00pm PDT

WNDR founders Jeffrey Katzenberg and Sujay Jaswa. Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images

At Katzenberg’s Bash, OpenAI, Meta Execs Rub Elbows With Hollywood

By Cory Weinberg · Sep 1, 2026 3:00pm PDT

Jennifer Hudson, the music superstar, knows how to work a crowd. And what her audience on Saturday may have lacked in rhythm they made up for with wealth and power. In the well-tended Woodside, Calif., backyard of former Dropbox Chief Financial Officer Sujay Jaswa, Altimeter Capital’s Brad Gerstner bopped in the crowd’s front row to “I... Jennifer Hudson, the music superstar, knows how to work a crowd. And what her audience on...

Art by Mike Sullivan

There’s a ‘Large Opportunity’ in China, Says VC firm Dimension

By Valida Pau · Aug 27, 2026 4:52pm PDT

China hasn’t held the same opportunities for U.S. venture capitalists it once did, given a crackdown by both countries on cross-border tech investments. But U.S. VCs are still hungry for insights into the country’s tech startups, whose fast growth holds clues to the future of U.S. AI companies. In one sign of their interest, a group of... China hasn’t held the same opportunities for U.S. venture capitalists it once did, given a...

Art by Clark Miiller, Google's Nano Banana.

Why Revenue Is Hopping at Data Observability Startups

By Alix Coutures · Aug 25, 2026 4:33pm PDT

A cluster of startups taking on database giants Snowflake, Databricks and Datadog are experiencing a revenue windfall thanks to rising adoption of AI agents. That could lead to a wave of startup dealmaking, from new investments to M&A. Earlier Tuesday, I reported that ClickHouse’s annual recurring revenue jumped 40% from May to $350... A cluster of startups taking on database giants Snowflake, Databricks and Datadog are...

Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images.

Barclays Loses Tech Bankers; VCs Get Exits From Poolside, OpenRouter

By Valida Pau · Aug 20, 2026 5:15pm PDT

Barclays has been losing tech bankers lately. Last night I reported that Tim Luke, a veteran semiconductor analyst and banker, is leaving the British investment bank to join Morgan Stanley. His position as a vice chairman in technology investment banking will further strengthen Morgan Stanley’s strong semiconductor banking franchise. ... Barclays has been losing tech bankers lately. Last night I reported that Tim Luke, a veteran...

From left, Nicolas Kopp, CEO and founder of Rillet; Campfire founder and CEO John Glasgow.

QuickBooks Challengers Are Fetching $1 Billion Valuations

By Julia Hornstein and Valida Pau · Aug 18, 2026 5:31pm PDT

From left, Nicolas Kopp, CEO and founder of Rillet; Campfire founder and CEO John Glasgow.

QuickBooks Challengers Are Fetching $1 Billion Valuations

By Julia Hornstein and Valida Pau · Aug 18, 2026 5:31pm PDT

Fast growth at AI startups like Mercor and Replit is also boosting the fortunes of startups that help them balance their books.Rillet, which makes AI-powered accounting software it sells to other companies, said Tuesday it has raised $100 million in a funding round led by returning investor Iconiq, valuing Rillet at $1 billion. And rival... Fast growth at AI startups like Mercor and Replit is also boosting the fortunes of startups that...

Shiv Verma, Robinhood CFO and president of Robinhood Ventures

Y Combinator Startups Get a New Backer: Robinhood

By Julia Hornstein · Aug 13, 2026 6:00pm PDT

For years, venture investors have scouted potential investments in the graduating classes of Y Combinator in the hope of backing the next Stripe, Airbnb and DoorDash. Robinhood is now pitching this playbook to individual investors, with a new fund to invest in early-stage startups that participate in the accelerator. On Thursday, Robinhood’... For years, venture investors have scouted potential investments in the graduating classes of Y...

Team8's Liran Grinberg and Layer Global's Anton Levy. Photos by YouTube, Getty Images.

New Israeli Fund Gets an Early Exit; $1 Billion for Anton Levy’s New Fund

By Julia Hornstein and Dakin Campbell · Aug 11, 2026 4:01pm PDT

Software dealmaking is so hot in Israel right now that an Israeli VC fund notched its first exit before it had even wrapped up fundraising.Team8, which just raised $365 million to back seed and Series A companies, co-led a $48 million fundraise for Tel Aviv-based Koi late last year out of a new $265 million fund for seed and Series A startups.... Software dealmaking is so hot in Israel right now that an Israeli VC fund notched its first exit...

Photo by YouTube

Missile Interceptor Startup Furientis Attracts Blue-Chip Investors

By Leo Schwartz and Julia Hornstein · Aug 6, 2026 5:38pm PDT

Over the last year, we’ve seen more generalist venture capital firms make forays into defense tech, a niche once relegated to specialized investors comfortable with revenue based on uneven government contracts and who weren’t restricted from investing in weapons makers by their limited partners. Furientis, a startup founded last year that... Over the last year, we’ve seen more generalist venture capital firms make forays into defense...

Photo by Getty

Inside the Airtable-Bending Spoons Sale

By Valida Pau, Stephanie Palazzolo and Julia Hornstein · Aug 4, 2026 2:25pm PDT

Photo by Getty

Inside the Airtable-Bending Spoons Sale

By Valida Pau, Stephanie Palazzolo and Julia Hornstein · Aug 4, 2026 2:25pm PDT

What an ending. Airtable, valued at $11 billion in 2021 after a trio of funding rounds in under two years, is being acquired by Italian conglomerate Bending Spoons for just $1.285 billion in cash, the companies said on Tuesday. The price tag for the once-hot productivity app seems like a blow to shareholders, particularly those like hedge fund... What an ending. Airtable, valued at $11 billion in 2021 after a trio of funding rounds in under...

Nscale’s founder and CEO, Josh Payne. Art by Clark Miller; YouTube.

Neocloud Nscale Gets Ready to Pitch Investors on Multibillion Dollar IPO

By Valida Pau and Cory Weinberg · Jul 30, 2026 1:17pm PDT

A jittery stock market isn’t the best environment for new public listings. But one young startup with deep ties to the AI boom is marching ahead with its IPO plans, at least for now.Nscale, a UK-based AI cloud provider heavily backed by Nvidia, has been meeting with prospective investors recently and scheduled an investor day to pitch analysts... A jittery stock market isn’t the best environment for new public listings. But one young startup...

Art by Mike Sullivan, stock image by Adobe.

Jump Capital Raises $350 Million Fund For AI Investments

By Yueqi Yang · Jul 28, 2026 3:50pm PDT

Jump Capital, the venture capital firm backed by the founders of quant-trading firm Jump Trading, has raised a new fund of $350 million, Jump Capital co-founder and partner Sach Chitnis told me. The Chicago-based firm will use the new money to expand its investments in AI startups. The fund is the same size as its last vehicle raised in... Jump Capital, the venture capital firm backed by the founders of quant-trading firm Jump Trading,...

Photo by Getty.

The Startups Angling to Go Public After Anthropic

By Valida Pau · Jul 23, 2026 3:39pm PDT

Before we get into today’s column, some breaking news: Stripe is in talks to buy OpenRouter for about $10 billion. The news follows our report Friday that the $1.3 billion-valuation startup, which helps companies choose the best and cheapest AI models, was the target of takeover interest. Databricks was also in early discussions to buy... Before we get into today’s column, some breaking news: Stripe is in talks to buy OpenRouter for...

Workers atop Valar’s reactor in Utah. Courtesy of Valar Atomics

Venture’s AI Fever Goes Nuclear

By Julia Hornstein · Jul 21, 2026 4:23pm PDT

Workers atop Valar’s reactor in Utah. Courtesy of Valar Atomics

Venture’s AI Fever Goes Nuclear

By Julia Hornstein · Jul 21, 2026 4:23pm PDT

Before we get to today’s column, check out our story from earlier today about Mercor. My colleague Cory and I reported that Mercor generated $614 million in gross revenue in the first half of this year, overwhelmingly from AI foundation model customers. That concentration highlights the risk to Mercor’s business if any of the big AI firms, which... Before we get to today’s column, check out our story from earlier today about Mercor. My...