If you prefer listening, check out our podcast summarizing the most relevant insights from Venture Capital CW 47/ 48:
Methodology: Every two weeks we collect most relevant posts on LinkedIn for selected topics and create an overall summary only based on these posts. If you´re interested in the single posts behind, you can find them here: https://linktr.ee/thomasallgeyer. Have a great read!
Macro and Market Pulse
Early-stage strength persisted, while late-stage rounds faced tighter gates and valuation discipline
Venture activity remained overindexed globally, with investors emphasizing diversification and private equity adjacencies
Comparisons to prior tech waves framed AI enthusiasm as significant yet bounded by capital efficiency and real defensibility
AI and Deep Tech
AI commanded a premium across stages, with close to half of recent European rounds centered on AI and strong Q3 deal value in AI specifically
Infrastructure and application layers both drew attention, highlighting a need for specialized talent and scalable compute
Outlooks for 2026 balanced optimism with realism, positioning AI as a durable vector rather than a transient cycle
Liquidity, Exits, and Deal Mechanics
Most software exits sat below the $100 million mark, reinforcing sober valuation targets and outcome planning
A failed $100 million pre-IPO block illustrated how price dynamics can unravel when buyer demand inflates terms
Concentrated strategies differentiated top-performing funds, while broader diversification benefited the long tail
Founder and Fundraising Playbooks
Tight, timely investor updates improved fundraising velocity and signal quality for prospective backers
High-quality processes increased founder leverage, from preparation to partner alignment and term execution
Seed discipline centered on founder quality, sharp market definition, and simple, clean terms that reduce friction
Choosing investors prioritized trust, partnership fit, and sustained support over headline valuation
Europe Ecosystem and Geographic Signals
AI represented a large share of recent European rounds, reinforcing the region’s tilt toward data and infrastructure plays
German blockchain startups attracted fresh capital focused on infrastructure and early-stage innovation
Poland showed a Q3 2025 slowdown across value and transaction counts, signaling localized caution amid broader resilience
Launches, Products, and Programs
A new initiative launched to accelerate Europe’s blockchain and crypto venture industry, targeting regulatory and institutional barriers to growth
An AI-driven people development platform secured a new financing round to scale across Europe, reflecting continued appetite for practical AI applications
Numbers to Note
AI VC deals reached $54.8B in Q3, highlighting depth in infrastructure and applications
Advisory activity touched $19.7B in Q3 2025 for AI-related deals, underscoring sustained institutional engagement
German blockchain startups raised $45M, pointing to infrastructure-first theses and early-stage traction
Want to see the posts voices behind this summary?
This week’s roundup (CW 47/ 48) brings you the Best of LinkedIn on Venture Capital.
→ 64 handpicked posts that cut through the noise
→ 33 fresh voices worth following
→ 1 deep dive you don’t want to miss