The Dealflow by Founders Capital - Edition 4

Key News and Trends

What was once considered a safe and lucrative career path may soon be a thing of the past.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has boldly claimed that within a year, essentially all new code will be generated by AI. Amodei argues that as AI takes over the heavy lifting, developers will shift their focus from writing code to solving bigger, more creative problems. Read more here.

AI might need 100X more compute - but Nvidia needs you to believe it now.

This week, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang claimed the world will require 100 times more computing power to support the next wave of autonomous and advanced AI models. To meet that demand, Nvidia is unveiling a new generation of AI “superchips,” including the Blackwell Ultra GB300 and the upcoming Vera Rubin. The company also plans to pour hundreds of billions into U.S. manufacturing over the next four years, shifting its supply chain away from Asia and cementing its dominance at the heart of AI infrastructure. Read more here.

Google’s making it clear: the future of cloud dominance runs through cybersecurity.

Alphabet has agreed to acquire cybersecurity startup Wiz for $32 billion - its largest-ever acquisition - as it doubles down on cloud security to better compete with Amazon and Microsoft. Talks had previously stalled last year when Wiz was valued at $23 billion, making the final price a notable increase. Wiz’s technology will remain available across all cloud platforms. Pending regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close in 2026. Read more here.

The SEC is giving private funds a louder voice, and they’re ready to pitch.

The SEC recently updated its guidelines, simplifying general solicitation rules for private equity and venture capital funds. This clarification makes it significantly easier for funds to publicly advertise their offerings and engage openly with media during fundraising efforts, unlocking access to bigger checks and broader investor interest. Read more here.

Founder’s Take: AI’s Inflection Point - Genuine Revolution or Nvidia’s PR Play?

Nvidia's CEO recently claimed that demand for AI computing must scale by 100X - a bold prediction that inevitably blends genuine urgency with strategic positioning, given Nvidia's crucial role in the market. Yet beneath the PR lies an important truth: we're still in the early innings of AI’s computational needs, and if adoption continues accelerating, this exponential scaling could quickly become essential. Crucially though, the next breakthrough might not even come from established giants. Smaller, innovative players could just as easily be the ones building the solutions to meet AI’s soaring compute needs.

Underscoring the pace of change, Anthropic’s CEO forecasts that AI-generated code could replace software developers within a year. While that timeframe might sound aggressive, the underlying implications are undeniable: software engineering, once among the safest and most lucrative careers, has already seen hiring rates plummet. AI isn’t just a passing disruption - it's rapidly becoming central to enterprise operations, redefining entire industries at a pace faster than many businesses anticipated.

Top Venture Deals 

Nerdio – $500M Series C  (General Atlantic)

• Nerdio, a Chicago-based automation platform simplifying Microsoft Azure deployments and management, secured $500 million in Series C funding at a pre-money valuation exceeding $1 billion. The round, signalling strong investor appetite for cloud optimisation tools, was led by General Atlantic with participation from Lead Edge Capital and StepStone.

Apptronik (Extension) – $403M Series A (B Capital and Capital Factory)

• The Texas-based humanoid robotics developer extended its Series A round by $53 million, bringing the total raised to $403 million. New investors include Mercedes-Benz, Japan Post Capital, ARK Invest, Helium-3, Magnetar, RyderVentures, and Korea Investment Partners. Read more here.

Cognition AI –  N/A  (8VC)

• Cognition AI, a provider of generative AI tools designed to automate software coding and enhance developer productivity, raised hundreds of millions in a funding round led by 8VC, doubling its valuation to nearly $4 billion. Read more here.

Upcoming Public Offerings

CoreWeave

• Scheduled to debut in late March or early April, CoreWeave specialises in cloud computing services tailored for AI developers. The company plans to offer 49 million shares priced between $47 and $55, aiming to raise approximately $2.5 billion, which would value the firm at around $29 billion. Read more here.

Klarna

• The 19-year-old Stockholm-based payments company that filed for an IPO last Friday announced this week that it has secured an exclusive partnership to offer buy now, pay later loans for Walmart, taking over a role previously held by competitor Affirm. Read more here.

See you in the next edition,
Sam Scott and the Founders Capital Team