Weekly TOP Startup / VC news of May 14, 2026

Late last year, a Klimt sold for the highest price ever paid for modern art at auction.

An outlier sure, but it wasn't a fluke. U.S. auction sales grew 23.1% in 2025. The $1-5mm segment even grew 40.8% YoY.

Meanwhile, Apollo’s chief economist Torsten Slock said to expect ‘zero in return in the S&P 500 over the coming decade.’

So, that's where it gets interesting.

Each environment is unique, but after dot-com, post war and contemporary art grew about 24% annually for a decade. After 2008, about 11% for 12 years.

It’s also had near-zero correlation with the S&P 500 since ‘95.*

Now, Masterworks lets you invest in shares of artworks featuring legends like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso.

Shares can sell quickly, but my subscribers can skip the waitlist:

Skip the waitlist

^{*Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.}

The tech landscape is shifting rapidly. Intel is reportedly nearing a significant chip deal with Apple, boosting its foundry business. Nvidia has invested over $40 billion in AI companies this year, expanding its ecosystem. SpaceX is poised for a massive $1.75 trillion IPO, raising concerns about Elon Musk's control and French legal probes, even as its AI arm signs compute deals. Google's AI cloud platform sees substantial growth and faces scrutiny over contract concentration. Rocket Lab thrives on space economy demand. Other major IPOs are anticipated, signaling market dynamism amid ethical AI discussions.

Featherless, a Singapore-based open-source AI infrastructure platform, raised a $20 million Series A round. AMD Ventures and Airbus Ventures led this key investment. The company aims to democratize AI, providing neutral, efficient compute for thousands of models. Its technology offers a vital alternative to closed ecosystems. Singapore also saw significant funding for ReN3 ($5M AI productivity), Formas.ai ($3.98M AEC AI), SiamDL ($7.8M fintech), Cata ($5.3M consumer apps), and Amplicity ($1M energy tech). China's tech sector secured robust investments in rockets, batteries, aviation, and smart chassis. Asia's innovation economy surges.

Apis Partners announced the final close of its third private equity fund, securing an impressive $1.23 billion. This achievement surpassed its target by 23%, effectively doubling the size of its predecessor fund. The substantial capital targets high-growth, tech-enabled financial infrastructure and services firms across Europe and strategic global growth markets. Over 70% of existing investors recommitted. With $400 million already deployed across seven companies and $2.3 billion in assets under management, Apis reinforces its market leadership. The firm also boasts a top global ranking for growth equity performance and over $1 billion in realizations, highlighting a strong investment strategy in the digital economy.

Paymentology secured $175M from Apis and Aspirity, propelling global expansion and product innovation. The funds bolster its cloud-native issuer processing platform, transforming the $49 trillion global payments market from legacy systems. Serving 68 countries, Paymentology empowers digital banks, fintechs, and neobanks with real-time solutions. The investment fuels ventures into credit, stablecoin, AI, and tokenization. Record sales and transaction growth highlight its market impact. This strategic funding reinforces Paymentology's role in modernizing financial infrastructure, unlocking widespread access to advanced payment experiences worldwide.

Kanvas Biosciences secures a pivotal $48 million Series A round, boosting total funding to $78 million. This capital fuels accelerated clinical trials for KAN-001, their lead immuno-oncology therapeutic. KAN-001 targets non-responsive cancer patients, aiming to dramatically improve immunotherapy outcomes. The company pioneers spatial biology and AI platforms, offering unprecedented visualization of host-microbe interactions. This technology enables advanced development and scalable manufacturing of complex live biotherapeutics. Funds also advance KAN-004 for ICI-induced colitis and support a Gates Foundation partnership for global health. The company expands its manufacturing footprint and board, redefining microbiome medicine for critical unmet needs.

Finnish deeptech firm Kelluu secured €15 million, led by NATO Innovation Fund, for its autonomous airship platform. This funding fuels persistent low-altitude monitoring across vast, challenging regions, including the Arctic. Kelluu's silent, long-endurance airships fill crucial surveillance gaps, combating modern drone threats for defense and bolstering civilian infrastructure resilience. The company's agile, fast-paced innovation model offers vital lessons for entrenched defense procurement systems, proving that rapid tech deployment is possible. This investment signals a critical shift towards advanced, dual-use aerial autonomy to enhance global security and operational efficiency.

Skyroot Aerospace achieved unicorn status. It secured $60 million in a new funding round. Its valuation now stands at $1.1 billion. This marks a significant milestone for India's private space sector. The capital infusion will scale manufacturing and accelerate the launch cadence of its Vikram-series rockets. This includes developing the advanced Vikram-2. Skyroot's success sharply contrasts with the broader Indian startup ecosystem. Venture capital funding has experienced a significant decline. Weak capital inflow and persistent macroeconomic challenges plague the market. Deal volumes are low. Investor caution remains widespread. Skyroot's achievement serves as a vital indicator of sector-specific strength amidst a challenging investment landscape.

Corvera, an AI innovator, secured $4.2 million in seed funding. The company moved its operations from London to San Francisco. This strategic relocation targets the US market's dynamic tech adoption. Corvera develops AI solutions for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) supply chains. It automates critical tasks. The funding fuels expansion and accelerates development. Corvera aims to redefine logistics and operations.

Skincare brand 4AM secured over $4 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round. CAVU Consumer Partners led the investment. 4AM launched its innovative Clean Sheets facial wipes across 1,745 Target stores nationwide. This substantial capital injection fuels aggressive retail expansion, operational scaling, and key senior hires. 4AM redefines convenient, science-backed skincare, offering multi-functional micellar wipes. These serve as a powerful cleanser, toner, and treatment in one step. Founders Jade Beguelin and Sabrina Sade drive this market disruption, blending efficacy with modern lifestyle needs. Expect significant beauty industry impact from this rapidly growing brand.

Tessera Labs secured $60 million in significant funding. Andreessen Horowitz led the investment round. The capital accelerates AI-powered enterprise transformation solutions. Tessera's multi-agent AI platform revolutionizes ERP modernization projects. It dramatically reduces project timelines from years to weeks. Businesses also see cost reductions over 50%. This innovative technology ensures predictable, governed, and continuous digital change. It manages complex enterprise systems like ERP, HCM, and CRM. The company plans aggressive expansion, strategic hiring for AI research, and continued platform development. This major investment signals a new era for enterprise software implementation, tackling long-standing IT modernization challenges across diverse global industries.

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