When Alex Bouaziz launched Deel in 2019, experienced entrepreneurs warned him he’d need to replace his entire leadership team as the company scaled. He ignored that advice, kept 80% of his original team, and built a $17.3 billion HR platform. Now he’s explaining why going against conventional wisdom
The creators of OpenCV have launched CraftStory, an AI video startup that can generate coherent videos up to five minutes long. Their Model 2.0 dramatically outpaces competitors like OpenAI’s Sora 2, which maxes out at 25 seconds.
The old startup wisdom of waiting until the last minute to raise funding is officially dead. AI companies are raising massive rounds in quick succession, while traditional businesses are using fintech tools to accelerate revenue. Timing your cash access has become the ultimate competitive advantage.
A top Meta AI researcher who helped create PyTorch has joined former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati’s startup. The move comes as Thinking Machines aggressively recruits talent with $500,000 salaries and eyes a $50 billion valuation.
Accounting automation startup Maxima has raised $41 million to eliminate repetitive manual work from accounting teams. The platform focuses on reconciliation, journal entries, and close workflows while maintaining accuracy and control. Research shows AI-using accountants handle 55% more clients and
Farmdrive, the Ballymena-based agritech startup, has raised £1 million in pre-seed funding. The company plans to use the investment for European expansion and team growth. Founded in 2023, Farmdrive aims to replace farming paperwork with digital tools.
Beehiiv is making a massive expansion beyond newsletters, adding AI website creation and real-time analytics. The platform now aims to be the “operating system for the creator economy” and compete with established players like WordPress.
Delivery Hero is forecasting stronger fourth-quarter growth thanks to a recovery in its Asian markets. The company’s shares jumped 8% on the encouraging outlook, with South Korea showing particular strength.
Vendep Capital has closed its fourth fund at €80 million to support the next generation of SaaS founders. The Finnish VC firm specifically targets AI-first products and has backed companies like AlphaSense and Happeo.
A Cambridge University spin-out has secured funding to advance photon-multiplier technology that could increase solar panel efficiency without requiring infrastructure changes. The technology converts wasted sunlight into usable infrared photons that existing silicon panels can absorb. Commercial pr
