Weekly VC intelligence digest for Serena

VC Weekly Digest for Serena

Mar 9, 2026

Serena
P PickMyNews
Was this forwarded to you? Get in touch
πŸ’°  FUNDRAISING
Early Stage
Applied AI SaaS / Enterprise Software
Rebar $14M Series A
Proptech · πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ US

Built an AI operating system to help commercial HVAC suppliers generate quotes faster.

Valthos $30M Seed
Biosecurity · Lead: OpenAI

Builds AI systems designed to detect and counter biological threats.

Red Queen Bio $15M Seed
Biosecurity · Lead: OpenAI

Builds AI systems designed to detect and counter biological threats.

Vertical Compute €37M Seed
Semiconductors · BE · Lead: Quantonation

Develops 3D "skyscraper" memory architecture to tackle the "memory wall" for AI chips.

Firmable $14M Series A
AI Sales Platform

Helps businesses identify buying signals and focus on in-market prospects to close deals faster.

Climate Tech
Heliup €16M Series A
Solar Energy · πŸ‡«πŸ‡· FR · Lead: Supernova Invest

Develops ultra-lightweight photovoltaic panels for large commercial rooftops.

Newtrace $6.3M
Climate Tech

Focuses on climate technology solutions.

FinTech
KAST $80M Series A
Fintech · Lead: Left Lane Capital

QED Investors, DST Global. Provides a global money platform that allows users to send, receive, and spend digital dollars.

Denki $4.1M
Fintech · πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ US

Built AI-powered software for financial auditors at public companies.

Growth Rounds
DeepIP €23M Series B
AI & Machine Learning, LegalTech · πŸ‡«πŸ‡· FR · Lead: Korelya Capital

Serena, Headline, Balderton Capital. Develops AI software to automate and augment the patent lifecycle for intellectual property professionals.

Eight Sleep $50M
Sleep Technology

Develops sleep technology products, expanding into predictive, AI-driven health.

Silverflow $40M Series B
Fintech · πŸ‡³πŸ‡± NL · Lead: Picus Capital

Provides cloud-native infrastructure that plugs into card networks via a single API for payment processing.

Dwelly Β£32M
Proptech · πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ UK · Lead: General Catalyst

AI-driven platform to automate maintenance, rent collection, and tenant matchmaking for the UK rental market.

Rozana $25M Series B
E-commerce

Connects consumers with everyday products through an online ordering system and community-based distribution network.

Mega Rounds
Oxa $103M Series D
Autonomous Vehicles · πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ UK · Lead: National Wealth Fund

Builds autonomous vehicle systems for ports, airports, and warehouses.

PLD Space €180M Series C
Space Tech · πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ ES · Lead: Mitsubishi Electric

Develops reusable rockets for small satellite launches.

Einride $113M PIPE
Autonomous Freight · πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ͺ SE · Lead: American West Coast–based asset management firm

EQT Ventures. Provides self-driving trucks and pod-like haulers for freight.

Allica Bank $155M Series D
Fintech · πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ UK · Lead: Ventura Capital

Provides banking services for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Science Corp. $230M Series C
Neuroengineering · πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ US · Lead: Lightspeed Venture Partners

Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator. Develops neuroengineering systems to address neurological and sensory disorders.

Sierra Space $550M Series C
Space Tech · Lead: LuminArx Capital Management LP

Specializes in advanced space technologies and solutions.

πŸ“°  NEWS OF THE WEEK
Applied AI & Enterprise Software

Enterprise software evolves with Agentic AI paradigm

Agentic AI is reshaping enterprise workflows β€” autonomous agents now handle multi-step tasks across CRM, ERP, and support, driving a new wave of vertical SaaS innovation.

ChatGPT weekly active users grow to 900 million

ChatGPT is 2.7x larger than Gemini on web traffic and 2.5x larger on mobile MAU, with paid subscribers for Claude growing over 200% YoY and Gemini 258% YoY.

AI-driven SaaS valuations and M&A activity remain strong

AI-native SaaS companies are commanding premium multiples, with vertical specialization growing as incumbents accelerate acquisition strategies.

Climate Tech & Energy

J.P. Morgan: climate tech investment remains resilient despite policy headwinds

New J.P. Morgan report highlights that climate tech VC funding held steady in Q4 2025, with energy storage and grid infrastructure attracting the largest rounds.

Europe's climate tech Series B gap widens

European climate tech startups face a growing Series B funding gap, with many scaling companies forced to look to US or Asian investors for growth capital.

FinTech & Digital Assets

Stripe reportedly exploring PayPal acquisition

Reports indicate that Stripe has held preliminary discussions about acquiring PayPal, a deal that would reshape the global payments landscape if confirmed.

RBI moves to regulate payment aggregators as financial infrastructure

India's Reserve Bank is tightening oversight on payment aggregators, treating them as core financial infrastructure β€” a signal for regulatory direction across emerging markets.

M&A, IPOs & Exits

Gleamer acquired by RadNet for €200M+

The French AI radiology platform had reached €30M ARR serving over 700 clients across 44 countries.

Pasqal prepares for dual Nasdaq and Euronext Paris listing

The French quantum computing leader is preparing an IPO that could value the company at around $2bn, including approximately €340M in financing commitments.

Poool acquired by Darwin CX

The French subscription orchestration software provider combined with North American platform Darwin CX to build a unified subscription infrastructure for media companies.

VC & Market Data

Global venture funding hits record $189 billion in February

This record was driven by massive deals to AI startups, with 83% of capital going to just three companies, including a $110 billion raise.

Series B funding levels rebound with diversified pipeline

Overall Series B funding has steadily rebounded after a 2023 low, with startups in biotech, robotics, and security securing large rounds.

Active investors concentrate capital on fewer, larger deals

February saw investors focusing capital on generative AI heavy hitters and prominent unicorns, making fewer small bets.

🏒  CORPORATE VENTURE & LP SIGNALS

Accenture

Partnered with Mistral AI. The consulting giant will bundle Mistral's models into large-scale AI transformations for multinationals across Europe, offering joint training and certifications.

Amazon Devices Climate Tech Accelerator

Opened applications for its 2026 cohort, focusing on reducing the carbon impact of devices.

L'OrΓ©al

Signed a multi-year deal with Dioxycle to supply polyethylene made from carbon-electrolysed ethylene for packaging.

πŸ“Š  PORTFOLIO WATCH

Probabl

On March 4, 2026, Predict.fun completed the strategic acquisition of Probabl.

Your weekly edge, delivered by PickMyNews Contact us β†’