Weekly TOP Startup / VC news of August 28, 2025

In 2010, a Grammy-winning artist passed on investing $200K in an emerging real estate disruptor. That stake could be worth $100+ million today.

One year later, another real estate disruptor, Zillow, went public. This time, everyday investors had regrets, missing pre-IPO gains.

Now, a new real estate innovator, Pacaso – founded by a former Zillow exec – is disrupting a $1.3T market. And unlike the others, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company.

Pacaso’s co-ownership model has generated $1B+ in luxury home sales and service fees, earned $110M+ in gross profits to date, and received backing from the same VCs behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Invest for $2.90/Share

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

AI reshapes industries. Sleep.ai secured $5.5 million for its advanced sleep intelligence platform, leveraging vast data to improve global health outcomes. Colle AI introduced creator-focused tools for seamless, multichain NFT personalization. Tax Deeds AI launched national workshops, simplifying complex property investing with AI-driven insights. Manufacturing expert Himanshu Thaker advocated for transparent AI, cobots, and human-centric automation on factory floors. CloudDefense.AI unveiled flexible pay-as-you-go pricing for its QINA application security platform, making enterprise-grade protection accessible. Crusoe expanded its sustainable AI cloud capacity with atNorth, powering demanding workloads with renewable energy. Artificio debuted AI Generative Forms, creating intricate, adaptive data workflows beyond human design. These innovations underscore AI's pervasive impact, driving efficiency, accessibility, and new frontiers across technology, health, finance, and industry.

BEWI ASA significantly strengthened its financial position. The company successfully executed a EUR 75 million private placement. This capital raise involved issuing 44.8 million new shares at NOK 20.00 each. It unfolded in two distinct tranches, gaining strong backing from key investors. A share lending arrangement facilitated initial settlements. Major shareholder BEWI Invest AS adjusted its temporary holdings. Simultaneously, BEWI announced a subsequent "repair offering." This aims to offer up to 3 million new shares to eligible existing shareholders excluded from the private placement. The moves follow solid Q2 2025 performance, particularly in packaging. BEWI focuses on enhancing its balance sheet and supporting strategic initiatives, including potential acquisitions. The company navigates market shifts with improved financial agility and a clear path for future growth.

Keychain, a New York-based innovator, just secured $30 million in Series B funding. Wellington Management spearheaded the round, with BoxGroup and Lightspeed participating. This infusion propels its AI-powered manufacturing platform. Keychain digitizes the complex CPG supply chain. It connects brands with vital suppliers, streamlining production and accelerating market entry. Its core, KeychainOS, is an AI-native ERP system designed for rapid deployment. This capital fuels expansion across industries like beauty and personal care. It also supports geographic growth. Keychain already facilitates over $1 billion in manufacturing projects monthly, serving major retailers and brands. This strategic investment solidifies its position as a leader in CPG digital transformation.

Attio, a London-based innovator, has raised $52 million in Series B funding, bringing its total to $116 million. GV led the round. This capital fuels the company's mission: building the first AI-native CRM. Legacy systems falter. Attio’s platform offers a ground-up solution. It unifies real-time data. It automates complex workflows. It empowers users to build bespoke go-to-market systems. The investment accelerates engineering and product development. It also expands market outreach. Attio is rapidly gaining traction. It aims to redefine customer relationship management for the AI era.

Palmonas, a leading demi-fine jewelry innovator, has secured INR 55 crore in Series A funding from Vertex Ventures SEAI. This significant capital injection fuels aggressive expansion. The brand plans 100 new stores in the next year. It will bolster its popular 9kt gold collection and launch new product categories. This strategic move aims for national market dominance and global reach. Founded in 2022 by visionaries, including actor Shraddha Kapoor, Palmonas delivers high-quality, waterproof, skin-safe jewelry. It precisely bridges the gap between fast fashion and traditional fine jewelry. The company redefines everyday luxury for modern consumers within a rapidly expanding market segment.

Indian baby product leader R for Rabbit closed a $27 million Series B funding round. Filter Capital and 3one4 Capital spearheaded the investment. This deal enabled an exit for early backer Xponentia Capital. The fresh capital boosts omnichannel distribution. It accelerates product development and digital initiatives. Founded in 2014, R for Rabbit boasts over 35% CAGR since FY21. Its annual run rate exceeds $30 million. The move capitalizes on India's booming baby care market. Rising incomes and demand for premium, safe products drive this growth. R for Rabbit aims for market leadership and expanded reach, strengthening its innovative portfolio.

EliseAI secured $250M Series E funding. This propels its AI automation for healthcare and housing. The company’s valuation hit $2.2B. It addresses systemic inefficiencies. EliseAI streamlines complex operations, cutting costs and improving user experiences. New solutions like AI-Guided Tours and advanced patient scheduling drive growth. The firm’s rapid expansion and $100M ARR highlight its market leadership in vertical AI. This capital fuels product innovation and aggressive hiring.

British International Investment injected $19.4 million into Altum Credo Home Finance. This capital boost expands affordable housing access across India. It targets low-income families and women borrowers. The funds enhance Altum Credo’s operational reach in southern and western states. Digital infrastructure and service delivery also improve. This reinforces BII's commitment to inclusive growth. The investment highlights robust activity in India's housing finance sector, propelling financial inclusion and economic development for emerging urban and semi-urban populations.

WizCommerce, an AI-driven sales and ecommerce platform for wholesale distributors, secured $8 million in Series A funding. Peak XV Partners spearheaded the investment. The capital targets the $10 trillion US wholesale market, currently reliant on manual processes. WizCommerce automates sales, integrates critical business systems like ERP, and streamlines payments. Funds will significantly expand US operations, advance cutting-edge AI technology, and introduce autonomous 'AI employees' for wholesale tasks. This strategic investment accelerates the digital transformation of B2B sales, promising enhanced efficiency, profitable growth, and a superior experience for both sales representatives and wholesale buyers across diverse product categories, solidifying WizCommerce's position as a market leader in innovative supply chain technology.

Meme coins ignite investor interest. The market demands substance. Pepeto emerges. It uniquely blends meme culture with robust utility. PepetoSwap offers zero-fee trading. A cross-chain bridge facilitates transfers. High staking rewards incentivize holders. Dual security audits ensure trust. Its growing community and strong presale funding highlight massive potential. Unlike fading Pepe, hyped Little Pepe, or unproven Bitcoin Hyper, Pepeto provides a solid foundation for growth. This Ethereum-based project positions itself as the top contender for the 2025 bull run, offering tangible value and early opportunity. Investors seek the next big winner. Pepeto delivers.

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