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- Perplexity & Substack Secure Big Funding, Crypto Goes Public & AWS/Meta Boost AI! 🚀
Perplexity & Substack Secure Big Funding, Crypto Goes Public & AWS/Meta Boost AI! 🚀
Seed Radar
July 22, 2025
Issue #19 • July 22, 2025
Hey SeedRadar Squad! This week, Perplexity AI has secured substantial additional funding, reinforcing its position in AI-powered search. Meanwhile, Substack has officially achieved unicorn status with a major Series C round, poised to empower more writers and creators, and a new crypto venture, The Ether Machine, is set to go public on Nasdaq.
Besides those headlines, AWS and Meta have partnered to launch a significant accelerator program, providing expert support to startups. This issue also highlights a dynamic array of emerging tech startups, from military logistics AI to automated wealth transfer, and features cutting-edge AI tools ready to supercharge your workflow.
Image courtesy of CNET
📈 Important News of the Week!
• Perplexity AI, a startup challenging Google with its AI-powered search engine, has raised an additional $100 million in a new funding round. The financing, an extension of a previous round, boosts the company's valuation to $18 billion, reflecting intense investor confidence in AI-native platforms that are rethinking core internet services. - Read More
• Substack announced it has raised $100 million in a Series C funding round led by BOND and The Chernin Group, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz. The investment increases the company's valuation to $1.1 billion, officially making it a unicorn. Substack plans to use the capital to invest in better tools and broader reach for the writers and creators on its platform. - Read More
• The Ether Machine, a new crypto venture, announced it will go public on the Nasdaq via a merger with blank-check firm Dynamix Corporation, launching with over $1.5 billion in committed capital. The new entity will trade under the ticker "ETHM" and aims to be the largest public vehicle for institutional-grade exposure to Ethereum, holding over 400,000 ETH on its balance sheet to generate yield through staking and DeFi strategies. - Read More
• AWS and Meta have partnered to launch a six-month accelerator program to support 30 U.S.-based startups that are building applications with Meta's open-source Llama AI models. Each selected startup will receive $200,000 in AWS credits and hands-on engineering support from both AWS and Meta experts, a move designed to accelerate innovation and increase the adoption of Llama models. - Read More
💰 Hot Funding Rounds You Missed!
• iCOUNTER ($30M) -A cyber risk intelligence company that uses an AI-driven platform to provide precision intelligence on targeted threats against its customers, acting as an early warning system. - Read More • Tavrn ($15M) -An AI technology company transforming law firms by automating manual and costly workflows for high-volume personal injury law practices. - Read More • Folio ($14M) -A financial operations platform for the hospitality industry offering a modern procure-to-pay solution that includes a managed marketplace, AI-powered invoice processing, and streamlined payments. - Read More • Rwazi ($12M) -A consumer-trained AI platform that captures real-time, zero-party consumer data on shopping and consumption habits across more than 190 countries to provide brands with actionable insights. - Read More
🌱 The Next Big Thing: Our Startup Pick!
🎯 This Week's Emerging Star: Tongo
Tongo is a financial technology startup that's making serious noise in the real estate world. Trusted by thousands of agents at major firms like Coldwell Banker, Century 21, and Douglas Elliman, they are definitely one to watch.
So what's their big idea? Tongo is tackling the financial instability that comes with a commission-only career. They've built a financial platform from the ground up for real estate agents, offering tools that traditional banks often don't. This includes everything from a commission line of credit that gives agents early access to their pending paychecks to automated tools that help manage savings and taxes.
Everyone in a commission-based role knows the stress of an unpredictable income stream, and that's exactly what Tongo is trying to fix. They are betting that by providing financial products specifically designed for agents, they can give them the stability and confidence to not just manage their finances, but grow their business. It is a bold goal to build a new financial safety net for the self-employed economy, and that makes Tongo a company worth watching very closely.
🚀 Startup Radar: Movers, Shakers & Future Makers
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🛠️ Trending AI Tools to Supercharge Your Workflow!
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💼 Join the Revolution: Hot Startup Jobs!
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💼 Resource of the Week: SaaS Template!
📊 Chargebee's Comprehensive SaaS Financial Model Template
An expert-level, downloadable Excel template (updated for 2025) that addresses the complexities of recurring revenue for AI and SaaS startups. It includes detailed sheets for Revenue Reports (New ARR, Expansion, Churn), P&L Statements (factoring in COGS like hosting and support), and Unit Economics (LTV:CAC), providing the financial rigor VCs demand in 2025.
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