China's EVAS Intelligence raises nearly RMB 2B for RISC-V AI chips
EVAS Intelligence raised nearly RMB 2 billion (about $280M), announced Sept 18, 2026, at a post-money valuation near RMB 15 billion from 20+ investors including SMIC Capital and Hu…
Founders News
Founder news on fundraising.
354 updates tagged fundraising.
Crusoe raises $3.9B Series F at $30.9B valuation for AI infrastructure
Crusoe closed the initial tranche of a $3.9 billion Series F on Sept 17, 2026 at a $30.9 billion post-money valuation, co-led by Atreides, Mubadala Capital and Valor Equity, with N…
UK's Ryft raises largest UK payments Series B of 2026 at GBP 20M
Manchester payments-infrastructure fintech Ryft closed a GBP 20 million Series B on Sept 17, 2026, led by Gresham House Ventures, to fund expansion into Europe and the US. Ryft now…
ByteDance-spun Anew Labs raises $290M for AI-driven drug discovery
Shanghai-based Anew Labs announced about $290M in inaugural external financing on September 16, 2026, from HSG, IDG Capital, Hillhouse, and 5Y Capital. Spun out of ByteDance, which…
Sydney startup Evatto raises A$1.02M pre-seed for AI event-program platform
Sydney-based Evatto raised A$1.02 million in a pre-seed round led by Purpose Ventures, announced on 16 September 2026. The Startmate Summer 26 alumnus builds an AI platform that au…
ARENA opens $30M Launchpad grants for early-stage clean energy startups
On 16 September 2026 the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) launched Launchpad, a $30 million program split into two $15M streams. The startup stream offers initial grants…
Factory raises $200M at $5B valuation for its AI coding agents
AI software-engineering startup Factory raised $200 million at a $5 billion valuation on Sept 16, 2026, roughly tripling the $1.5B valuation from its $150M Series C five months ear…
Arcee AI hits $1B+ valuation with $150M Series B for open-weight models
Arcee AI announced a $150M+ Series B on Sept 16, 2026 valuing it above $1 billion, led by Vista Equity, Cambium and Emergence with Hitachi, Wipro and M12. It built its Trinity mode…
Evvy raises $40M Series B for AI-powered women's health diagnostics
Evvy, a precision-medicine company offering vaginal microbiome testing, AI-powered diagnostics and personalized care for women's health, raised a $40M Series B on September 16, 202…
Stuut raises $67.6M to automate accounts-receivable work with AI
Stuut, an AI platform that automates accounts-receivable work for companies, disclosed $67.6M in new funding on September 16, 2026 across eleven investors, bringing total funding t…
Footprint raises $25M Series B for AI-native identity and compliance
Footprint, an AI-native compliance and identity platform offering KYC, KYB, AML and secure data vaulting for financial institutions, raised a $25M Series B on September 16, 2026 le…
Ridgeline raises $250M Series E at $1.425B for AI-native investment platform
Ridgeline, founded by Workday and PeopleSoft founder Dave Duffield, raised a $250M Series E on Sept 16, 2026 at a $1.425 billion valuation, with participation from Motley Fool Vent…
Impulse Space adds $308M Series D extension, round now totals $808M
Impulse Space announced a $308 million Series D extension on Sept 16, 2026, bringing the round to $808 million at a $5.6 billion valuation, with Lux Capital, DFJ Growth and Valor E…
Japan's CADDi raises ~$121M Series D for manufacturing procurement AI
Tokyo-based CADDi announced a Series D of about 17.7 billion yen (roughly $121M) on September 15, 2026, with backers including Salesforce Ventures, Moore Strategic Ventures, and Wo…
Profound raises $180M Series D at $1.8B for AI-search visibility (AEO)
On September 15, 2026 Profound announced a $180M Series D at a $1.8B valuation, co-led by Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins, nearly double its February valuation. The platform tracks and…
BDC allocates first $1B of its $6B Defence Platform to fund Canadian startups
On September 15, 2026, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) announced it will deploy $1 billion under its $6-billion Defence Platform: $500 million into venture, growth-eq…
Treasury opens $5B New Markets Tax Credit CY2026 round, apps due Nov 10
Treasury's CDFI Fund published its Notice of Allocation Availability on Sept 15, 2026, making $5 billion in New Markets Tax Credit authority available for the CY2026 round, authori…
Scotland's iGii raises £22.7M for 3D carbon nanomaterial sensors and batteries
Stirling-based iGii announced £22.7M in total funding around September 15, 2026, split between £11.7M equity and £11M public support, from the Scottish National Investment Bank, Ar…
Stockholm's Tandem Health raises $100M Series B for an AI clinical operating system
Tandem Health raised EUR 86.49 million (about $100 million) in a Series B led by the EQT-managed Scaleup Europe Fund, announced September 14, 2026. The startup is expanding from AI…
BNDES and Finep pick Monashees to run new R$500M AI-startup FIP fund
On Sept 14, 2026, BNDES and Finep selected Monashees to manage a new venture fund (FIP) for AI-intensive startups that can mobilize up to R$500 million. BNDESPAR will commit up to…
Intrepid Growth closes US$525M debut fund to back AI founders
Toronto- and London-based Intrepid Growth Partners announced the final close of its inaugural fund at US$525 million (about C$730 million), US$25 million above target, on 14 Septem…
Brussels' Chift raises EUR 10.5M for a unified API to 120+ business finance systems
Chift raised a EUR 10.5 million Series A led by BlackFin Capital Partners, announced September 14, 2026. Its unified API connects business software to more than 120 financial syste…
Temporal raises $550M Series E at $12.55B for reliable AI infrastructure
On September 14, 2026, durable-execution platform Temporal announced a $550M Series E at a $12.55B valuation, co-led by Lightspeed with Wellington, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, and…
Cornelis Networks raises $205M for AI networking to rival Nvidia
Cornelis Networks raised $205 million led by IAG Capital Partners, announced Sept 14, 2026, alongside its new Active Compute Fabric and a collaboration with Qualcomm. The Intel Omn…
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs Oct 13 to 15 in San Francisco
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 takes place October 13 to 15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, drawing about 10,000 founders, investors and operators across 200-plus sessions and the Start…
Web Summit returns to Lisbon November 9 to 12, 2026
Web Summit 2026 runs November 9 to 12 at the MEO Arena and FIL in Lisbon, Portugal. Organizers expect more than 70,000 attendees from over 160 countries, 900-plus speakers and 2,00…
Hong Kong's Qupital secures $300M to fund e-commerce sellers with AI underwriting
Qupital announced roughly $300 million in combined equity and asset-backed financing on September 13, 2026, with M Capital leading and MUFG and Quester Capital participating. It pr…
Off-peak dining app First Table raises A$10M to expand across Australian cities
First Table, the discount off-peak restaurant booking platform now live in 22 Australian cities, raised A$10 million on 11 September 2026. Backers included existing investors Alter…
Innovate UK opens Battery Innovation Programme Round 3 with up to GBP 25m
On 11 September 2026 Innovate UK opened Round 3 of the Battery Innovation Programme, offering a share of up to GBP 25 million across its Concept Development and Feasibility Studies…
Defense startup Mach Industries raises $600M Series C for unmanned systems
Mach Industries raised a $600 million Series C led by Ribbit Capital and Sequoia Capital, reported in Crunchbase's week-ending September 11, 2026 roundup. The company builds defens…
Fleet-management platform Motive lands $1.3B in growth financing
Motive, a fleet management and logistics operations platform, raised $1.3 billion in private-equity growth financing led by General Catalyst, per Crunchbase's week-ending September…
AIDIN Robotics lands KRW 16B from HD Hyundai and Samsung
South Korea's AIDIN Robotics closed a KRW 16 billion strategic round on September 11, 2026, backed by HD Hyundai Robotics and Samsung Venture Investment. The financing pairs the ro…
Copenhagen's Seed Capital closes EUR 130M Fund V for Nordic seed to Series A
Seed Capital closed its EUR 130 million Fund V on September 11, 2026 to back Nordic startups from seed through Series A. The new fund expands one of the region's most active early-…
Suniva raises $835M growth round to scale US solar cell manufacturing
US solar cell maker Suniva raised $835 million in a growth round from Electron Capital Partners, OIC, and Rubric Capital, disclosed in Crunchbase's week-ending September 11, 2026 r…
Positron AI raises $875M for memory-first AI inference chips
Positron AI announced $875 million on September 10, 2026, split into a $375 million Series C and a Series C-1 of up to $500 million, at a roughly $5 billion valuation. The round, b…
Paris-based Arlequin AI raises EUR 28M for LLM-alternative topological neural networks
Arlequin AI closed a EUR 28 million Series A on September 10, 2026, co-led by redalpine and OTB Ventures with Bpifrance's Defence Innovation Fund and Xavier Niel joining. Its topol…
NZ tax bill lets founders keep the favourable FIF method after diluting below 10 percent
New Zealand's Taxation (Annual Rates for 2026-27, FBT Simplification, Foreign Investment Funds, and Remedial Measures) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 10 September 2026. It le…
Slush 2026 returns to Helsinki on November 18 to 19 with 13,000+ founders
Slush 2026, the founder-focused startup event, takes place November 18 to 19, 2026 in Helsinki and draws more than 13,000 founders, VCs, and executives for curated matchmaking, key…
Inspiren raises $70M Series C to run AI in senior living
Inspiren announced a $70 million Series C on September 10, 2026, with NewView Capital and Insight Partners among the backers. Its platform applies AI to operations inside senior-li…
Rogo raises about $30M from banks for financial-workflow AI
Rogo Technologies secured roughly $30 million in strategic financing on September 10, 2026, from Citi, Barclays, BNP Paribas and MUFG, among others. Rogo builds financial AI for in…
India's Swish raises $24M Series B for 10-minute food delivery
Swish, an India-based startup delivering prepared food in about ten minutes, raised a $24 million Series B on September 10, 2026, backed by Bertelsmann India Investments. The round…
Graph AI raises $13.3M for pharma safety and adverse-event software
India-based Graph AI raised a $13.3 million post-seed round on September 10, 2026, from Insight Partners and Bessemer. Its software automates pharmaceutical safety and adverse-even…
Australia's Metacognition AI raises $10M for an AI operating-system layer
Australian lab Metacognition AI announced a roughly $10 million round on September 10, 2026, led by CSIRO-backed VC Main Sequence. It is building an operating-system layer that sit…
Enigmata raises $6.5M to run AI on encrypted data
Nashville-based Enigmata emerged from stealth on September 10, 2026 with a $6.5 million seed round led by Blockchange Ventures. Its Cipher system lets AI models train, search and a…
Wyre AI raises $5M to automate construction preconstruction analysis
Washington, DC-based Wyre AI raised $5 million on September 10, 2026, led by Ironspring Ventures with DPR Construction's WND Ventures and Virginia's VIPC. Its platform reads drawin…
RBC launches $1.4B CAD RBCx growth fund for scaling Canadian tech firms
On September 9, 2026, Royal Bank of Canada unveiled a new $1-billion USD (about $1.4-billion CAD) RBCx growth fund to make direct equity investments in growth-stage Canadian tech c…
FINEP semiconductor grant: R$100M non-reimbursable, apply by Sept 30, 2026
FINEP's Programa Mais Inovacao Rodada 2 Semicondutores offers R$100 million in non-reimbursable economic subsidy (subvencao economica) to companies of all sizes, with proposals ope…
Clay raises $115M Series D at a $7.1B valuation for its AI go to market engine
Clay announced a $115M Series D on September 9, 2026, led by Wellington with Sequoia and a16z, doubling its valuation to $7.1B from August 2025. It now serves 17,000+ customers, in…
Singapore launches AI-powered BizSG portal to simplify grant and government access
Singapore's whole-of-government BizSG portal, unveiled by Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling at the SME Centre Conference on 9 Sep 2026, launches on 30 Sep 2026 as a single entr…
Buildcheck raises $12M Series A for vision AI that reviews construction drawings
Stanford-founded Buildcheck raised a $12 million Series A led by Telescope Partners, with DPR Construction's venture arm WND Ventures joining, bringing total funding to $18 million…
Legal AI startup Harvey raises $550M at a $15.5B valuation
On September 9, 2026 Harvey raised $550 million at a $15.5 billion valuation, led by Diffusion and Lightspeed with Sequoia, a16z, Kleiner Perkins and others. Harvey says 80% of Am…
European Commission proposes Innovation Act to unlock €10.2B/year for startups
On September 9, 2026 the European Commission proposed a new European Innovation Act to help startups and scaleups finance and grow in the EU. It would create a common EU IP-valuati…
India's QNu Labs raises Rs 200 crore Series A1 for quantum-safe security
On September 9, 2026 Bengaluru-based QNu Labs raised a Rs 200 crore (about $24M) Series A1 plus a Rs 150 crore convertible facility. The company builds quantum-safe cybersecurity a…
Japan's Algomatic Dynamics lands 5B yen for physical-AI robotics
On September 9, 2026 Tokyo-based Algomatic Dynamics announced a 5 billion yen (about $34M) first financing to build robotics and physical AI, including motion-data collection and d…
Cybersecurity startup Cylake raises $245M for operational resilience
Cylake disclosed a $245 million convertible-note raise on September 9, 2026, led by Lightspeed with Picture Capital and Redpoint. The company builds a cybersecurity platform focuse…
Perry Weather raises $110M Series C for safety operations software
Perry Weather closed a $110 million Series C on September 9, 2026, led by Silversmith Capital and Arthur Ventures. The company sells weather monitoring and safety-operations softwa…
UK's CloudNC raises $20M for AI-driven CNC machining
UK-based CloudNC raised $20 million on September 9, 2026, from Nimble Ventures, Calculus VC and LM Ventures. Its software uses AI to automate programming for CNC precision-machinin…
Lightfield raises $47M Series A from a16z to build a CRM for agent run companies
Lightfield closed a $47M Series A led by a16z on September 9, 2026, with Greylock, Lightspeed and Coatue joining. The AI native CRM, a pivot from presentation startup Tome, reports…
Mistral AI raises record 3B euro Series D led by Samsung at 21B euro value
France's Mistral AI closed a 3 billion euro (about $3.5B) Series D led by Samsung Electronics on September 8, 2026, with co-leads EQT's Scaleup Europe Fund and PSG Equity, lifting…
Cognition raises $2B at a $48B valuation for its Devin coding agent
On September 8, 2026 San Francisco-based Cognition AI closed a $2 billion Series E at a $48 billion valuation, led by Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, Founders Fund, General Catalyst an…
Innovate UK opens GBP 8.5m Engineering Biology R&D fund, closes 3 Nov 2026
Innovate UK opened Engineering Biology Collaborative R&D: Round 3 on 8 September 2026, offering a share of up to GBP 8.5 million for collaborative projects to develop and scale eng…
Nairobi's ARC Ride raises $33.3M Series A for battery-swap electric mobility
Kenya-based ARC Ride raised a $33.3 million Series A announced September 8, 2026, co-led by Norrsken22 and Novastar Ventures with IFC, British International Investment and Proparco…
AI health startup Forus raises $150M at $3B value to automate drug access
Forus (formerly Tandem) raised a $150 million Series C at a $3 billion valuation announced September 8, 2026, led by Bain Capital Ventures with Accel, Thrive Capital, General Catal…
Stoke Space closes first $1B of Series E for fully reusable rocket
Stoke Space announced an initial $1 billion close of its Series E on September 8, 2026, with Point72 Ventures and Spark Capital involved, bringing total funding to about $2.3 billi…
BrainChild Bio raises $116M Series A for pediatric brain-cancer therapy
BrainChild Bio announced a $116 million Series A on September 8, 2026, backed by an undisclosed private family fund and foundation, Seattle Children's and WRF Capital. The capital…
British Business Bank plans new £150m Northern scale-up fund for high-growth firms
On 7 September 2026 the British Business Bank revealed plans to commit up to £150m to a new fund backing high-growth scale-up businesses across the North of England, including univ…
Jet Zero closes A$30M with Qantas, Airbus and POSCO for sustainable aviation fuel
On September 7, 2026, Australian clean-energy startup Jet Zero completed an A$30 million financing backed by Qantas, Airbus, and new strategic investor POSCO International, taking…
Pixxel raises $100M Series C led by Temasek to scale hyperspectral satellites
On September 7, 2026, Earth-observation startup Pixxel announced a $100 million Series C co-led by Temasek and Seraphim, with 360 ONE Asset, IMM Investment, Radical Ventures, and g…
Federal SBIR/STTR fall deadlines cluster before FY-end Sept 30
Non-dilutive SBIR/STTR grant deadlines fall this month, with the next standard NIH SBIR/STTR due date on Sept 8, 2026 and multiple DoD and Air Force FY2026 Release 2 topics closing…
NZ Active Investor Plus visa pipeline hits NZ$4.9b; Growth path stays NZ$5m
As of Immigration NZ's 4 September 2026 update, the revamped Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa has drawn 904 applications (467 approved) since the April 2025 changes, with about NZ$4…
Gimlet Labs raises $300M Series B at $3B for multi-chip inference
Gimlet Labs closed a $300 million Series B on Sept 4, 2026 at a $3 billion valuation, led by Andreessen Horowitz with Arm, Samsung Ventures, and Microsoft's M12 among backers, brin…
China's MIIT launches AI SME plan, targets 10,000+ new AI startups by 2028
On 4 September 2026, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the 'AI SME Entrepreneurship Support Plan (2026-2028),' structured as 4 areas and 15 key…
MIIT launches AI SME Entrepreneurship Support Plan 2026-2028
On September 4, 2026, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the 'AI SME Entrepreneurship Support Plan (2026-2028),' targeting over 10,000 new sci-te…
African fintech Moment raises $22M Series A for pan-African payment rails
Ghana-based Moment raised a $22M Series A on September 4, 2026, led by Speedinvest and QED Investors, with Global Founders Capital and FJ Labs participating. The three-year-old com…
Singapore's Hivebotics raises $6M Series A for robotic restroom cleaning
Hivebotics raised a $6M Series A on September 4, 2026, led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, with Fareast Land Development and Rigel participating. The company builds arti…
Belgian cleantech Octave.energy raises EUR 10M to scale battery storage in Europe
Mechelen-based Octave.energy raised a EUR 10M Series A (equity plus flexible debt) on September 4, 2026, led by SPDG Growth, with imec.istart, BNP Paribas Fortis, and KBC participa…
Auckland space startup Outlier Space raises NZ$10.5m pre-seed
Auckland orbital-manufacturing startup Outlier Space, founded by ex-Rocket Lab engineer Jamie France, announced on 3 September 2026 that it raised NZ$10.5 million (about US$7.35 mi…
China issues 2026 to 2030 SME plan; targets 22,000 little giant firms, phase 2 national fund
On September 3, 2026, ten Chinese government departments led by MIIT jointly issued a plan for high-quality SME development over 2026 to 2030. It targets 22,000 national little gia…
One North Carolina Small Business Program awards $2.4M; FY2027 solicitations open mid-September
North Carolina awarded more than $2.4 million across 50 grants to 46 small businesses commercializing new technologies, with Incentive and Matching grants tied to federal SBIR/STTR…
China launches Phase 2 of National SME Fund for early-stage hard-tech startups
On 3 September 2026, MIIT and nine other agencies confirmed a second phase of the National SME Development Fund alongside China's 15th Five-Year SME development plan. Phase 1 (esta…
China issues 15th Five-Year Plan for SMEs, targets 22,000 'little giant' firms by 2030
On Sept 3, 2026, ten government departments led by MIIT jointly issued China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for SME development. It targets 22,000 specialized 'little giant' fir…
Crusoe raises over $3B at a $30B valuation for AI data centers
AI infrastructure and cloud provider Crusoe raised more than $3 billion on Sept 3, 2026 at a roughly $30 billion valuation, co-led by Atreides Management and Valor Equity Partners…
Sydney fintech Pearler raises $16M Series A led by Portage
Sydney investing platform Pearler closed a $16 million Series A on 3 September 2026, led by existing backer Portage with TEN13, Altered Capital, No Brand, Chris Cuffe's Partners Ho…
Axle AI lands $17.5M Series A for AI-native insurance backend
New York insurtech Axle AI announced a $17.5M Series A on Sept 3, 2026, led by Base10 Partners. Its AI agents automate claims, coverage verification and policy endorsements for ins…
Cradlewise raises $12M Series A for an AI-powered smart crib
Cradlewise, based in San Francisco and Pune, announced a $12M Series A on Sept 3, 2026 led by 3one4 Capital and Prudent Investment Management. Its connected crib uses AI-based slee…
Resect AI raises $25M to build an accountability layer catching LLM hallucinations
Seattle stealth startup Resect AI announced a $25M seed/Series A round on Sept 3, 2026 from undisclosed investors. The company is building an 'AI accountability layer' that detects…
Elucid raises $55M Series D for AI cardiovascular imaging
Boston-based Elucid announced a $55M Series D on Sept 3, 2026, led by IAG Capital Partners and Elevage. Its AI software analyzes cardiovascular imaging to detect coronary artery di…
New Zealand's Outlier Space raises NZ$10.5M pre-seed for orbital manufacturing
Auckland-based Outlier Space announced a NZ$10.5 million (about US$7.35M) pre-seed on Sept 3, 2026, backed by GD1, Airtree, Side Stage Ventures, and Investible. The startup aims to…
Munich's Zeit AI raises EUR 5M seed for autonomous data engineering
Zeit AI, based in Munich, raised a EUR 5 million seed round on Sept 3, 2026 with backing from Y Combinator, Oxford Seed Fund, a Sequoia Capital scout fund, ACE Ventures, and Hasso…
Ultrahuman raises $70M to turn its smart ring into a computer
Bengaluru-based Ultrahuman raised $70 million ($65M equity, $5M debt) on Sept 3, 2026 at a $365 million valuation, led by Qualcomm Ventures with Labcorp, Alpha Wave, Blume Ventures…
Belgium's Backbone raises EUR 4M pre-seed for food-industry compliance
Brussels-based Backbone announced a EUR 4 million pre-seed on Sept 3, 2026, backed by Pitchdrive, PROfounders Capital, Passion Capital, 100IN, Agristo, and Darta. The platform cons…
Photonics chip startup iPronics raises $125M led by Nvidia for AI data centers
On September 2, 2026 Spanish semiconductor startup iPronics announced a $125 million funding round led by Nvidia and other investors. The capital backs its programmable photonic ne…
HiddenLayer nabs $100M Series B as enterprises rush to secure AI deployments
Austin-based HiddenLayer raised a $100 million Series B announced September 2, 2026, led by Delta-v Capital with Ten Eleven Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft's M12 and Booz Allen…
Wonderful raises $550M at $5B valuation for its enterprise AI agent OS
Wonderful raised a $550 million Series C led by Insight Partners at a $5 billion valuation, more than doubling its value in under six months. Its AI operating system coordinates ag…
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs Oct 13-15 in San Francisco with Startup Battlefield
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 takes place October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, drawing 10,000+ founders, investors and operators. Its Startup Battlefield features 200 pre-Seri…
How to Web returns to Bucharest October 6 to 8, 2026 with OpenAI and Stripe
How to Web Conference 2026 runs October 6 to 8 at Face Convention Center in Bucharest, with an Investors Summit and satellite events opening October 6. Organizers expect 500+ found…
Innovate UK opens GBP 12m advanced materials R&D fund, closes 28 Oct 2026
Innovate UK opened the National Materials Innovation Programme CR&D Round 1 on 1 September 2026, offering UK registered businesses a share of up to GBP 12 million for collaborative…
3D-AI maker Tripo (VAST) raises ~$446M Series B for foundation models
On 1 September 2026 VAST, developer of Tripo AI, announced roughly 3 billion yuan (~$446 million) across Series B and Series B+ rounds led by MPCi, with backers including Perfect W…
WhatsApp remittance startup Felix raises $200M to expand into finance
Miami-based Felix, a WhatsApp- and stablecoin-based remittance platform for Latino immigrants, announced a $200 million Series C co-led by a16z ($87M equity) and General Catalyst's…
Y Combinator Winter 2027 batch: apply by Nov 2, program runs Jan-Mar in SF
Applications for Y Combinator's Winter 2027 batch are due November 2, 2026 at 8pm PT, with decisions by December 11; the batch runs January to March 2027 in person at YC's San Fran…
Proptech funding holds near $8.7B in 2026 as investors bet on AI construction and ops
Real estate tech startups have raised roughly $8.7 billion across 794 deals so far in 2026, on pace to match or slightly exceed 2025's $12.3 billion, per Crunchbase News. Capital i…
Amber Grant: three $10,000 awards for women founders, Sept 30 deadline
WomensNet awards three $10,000 Amber Grants to women-owned businesses every month, and monthly winners compete for one of three $50,000 year-end grants. The current cycle's applica…
Proptech raises $8.7B in 2026 as four of five biggest deals land outside the US
Global real estate tech startups raised about $8.7B across 794 deals through August 2026, down from $12.3B in all of 2025. Four of the five largest 2026 deals were outside the US,…
SF Tech Week returns October 5-11, 2026 with hundreds of a16z-backed sessions
SF Tech Week, presented by a16z, runs October 5-11, 2026, followed by LA Tech Week October 12-18. It is made up of hundreds of independently hosted sessions: some are free with RSV…
Antler residency applications close September 30, 2026 for pre-team founders
Antler is accepting free applications through September 30, 2026 for its global residency, which backs pre-team founders at the earliest possible stage across 30+ locations. Reside…
Delaware EDGE Grant offers up to $750K for STEM startups, closes September 11
Delaware's EDGE Grant awards up to $750,000 to early-stage STEM businesses and up to $400,000 to non-STEM small businesses, with the current application round closing September 11,…
Singapore captured 78% of Southeast Asia's startup funding in 2025 (US$4.2B)
A DealStreetAsia-Kickstart Ventures report covered by e27 found Singapore took 78.1% of Southeast Asia's equity funding value in 2025, about US$4.2 billion, and 61.4% of the region…
Web Summit returns to Lisbon Nov 9-12, 2026, one of tech's largest gatherings
Web Summit 2026 runs November 9-12 at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, historically drawing 70,000+ attendees including founders, investors and press. The 2026 speaker lineup inc…
Slush 2026 gathers 12,000 founders and investors in Helsinki on Nov 18-19
Slush 2026 takes place November 18-19 (Day 0 on Nov 17) at Messukeskus in Helsinki, expecting 12,000+ attendees, roughly 76% of whom are startups or investors, with over 25,000 sch…
Gridsight raises $26M to expose grid capacity for data-center siting
On 1 September 2026 Gridsight announced a $26 million Series B led by Insight Partners for software that reveals available utility grid capacity to help site data centers and other…
SciFin raises $44M seed for an enterprise AI context layer
On 1 September 2026 SciFin announced a $44 million seed round led by Altimeter and Madrona for an enterprise AI context layer that connects customer and forecasting data so AI syst…
Light raises $46M Series A to embed branded electricity services
Austin-based Light raised a $46 million Series A on Sept 1, 2026, led by Matrix with Activate Capital, Spark Capital, Mischief, Gigascale, MCJ, and BoxGroup. Light applies an embed…
MAS commits S$220M to FSTI 4.0 to fund fintech innovation and AI adoption
On 31 August 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore committed S$220 million (about US$173 million) over three years to the renewed Financial Sector Technology and Innovation Sch…
MAS commits S$220M FSTI 4.0 to fund fintech innovation over three years
On 31 August 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore committed S$220 million (about US$173 million) over three years under the renewed Financial Sector Technology and Innovation…
EuroHPC signs 387.8M euro contract for LUMI-AI supercomputer in Finland
On Aug 31, 2026 the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking signed a 387.8M euro contract with Bull to build LUMI-AI, powered by AMD Instinct MI430X GPUs and 6th-gen EPYC CPUs at CSC in Kajaani,…
Sydney anti-scam AI startup Apate.AI raises A$11.4M seed
Sydney-founded Apate.AI raised A$11.4 million (about US$8.15 million) in a seed round announced 31 August 2026, led by Silicon Valley's Lobby Capital with OIF Ventures, Investible,…
Scan.com raises $220M to build a single-API US medical imaging network
Scan.com closed $220M on August 31, 2026: a $90M Series C equity round led by Noteus Partners plus $130M in debt facilities from VerisFi Capital and Atempo Growth. Revenue doubled…
S-Transistors raises 2.6M euro pre-seed for superconducting quantum control chips
Finland-based S-Transistors (Espoo) raised a 2.6M euro pre-seed round on Aug 31, 2026, led by Lifeline Ventures with an angel investor. The company builds superconducting transisto…
Apate.AI raises A$11.4M seed for adversarial anti-scam AI agents
On Aug 31, 2026, Apate.AI (founded in Sydney, now Delaware-incorporated) closed an A$11.4M (about US$8.15M) seed round led by Lobby Capital. Its AI agents impersonate potential sca…
SF Tech Week 2026 runs Oct 5-11, presented by a16z
San Francisco Tech Week 2026 takes place Oct 5-11, an a16z-presented, decentralized series of independently hosted founder dinners, pitch nights, workshops and investor panels acro…
All-In Summit 2026 set for Sept 13-15 in Los Angeles
The All-In Summit returns Sept 13-15, 2026 at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, hosted by the All-In Podcast (Jason Calacanis, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Sacks,…
Andreessen Horowitz raises $1.1B 'Machine Age' fund for hardware and robotics
On Aug 28, 2026 a16z announced a $1.1 billion 'Machine Age' fund targeting hardware infrastructure: processors, memory, networking, storage and robotics. It signals a large pool of…
Photo-sharing app Retro raises over $21M Series A led by Field Ventures and Thrive
Lone Palm Labs, maker of friend-focused photo app Retro, raised more than $21M in Series A on Aug 28, 2026, led by Field Ventures (Dylan Field) and Thrive Capital. Built by ex-Inst…
CivilGrid raises $26M Series A led by Spark Capital for infrastructure mapping
On Aug 27, 2026 CivilGrid raised a $26M Series A led by Spark Capital. The company builds underground-utility mapping and infrastructure-planning software, part of an investor tilt…
China adds 1-point interest subsidy on new small-business working-capital loans
On Aug 27, 2026, Xinhua reported that China's six major state-owned banks plus roughly 400 total institutions (21 nationwide banks and qualified local lenders) began implementing a…
Workforce-screening startup Yardstik raises $30M Series B
Yardstik raised a $30 million Series B on Aug 27, 2026, led by Harbert Growth Partners with Rally Ventures, MissionOG, Crosslink Capital and others, bringing total funding to $65 m…
Agentrys raises $24.5M for AI agents that verify semiconductor engineering
On Aug 27, 2026 Agentrys announced $24.5M in combined seed and pre-seed funding, led by Etna Capital with MediaTek participating, to build AI agents for semiconductor verification…
Onos Health raises $17M Series A for behavioral-health clinical AI
On Aug 27, 2026 Onos Health announced a $17M Series A led by Costanoa Ventures to build behavioral-health AI for clinical intelligence and utilization analysis. It reflects sustain…
Instinct raises $250M Series B led by Index and Benchmark for a consumer AI assistant
On Aug 27, 2026 Instinct announced a $250M Series B co-led by Index Ventures and Benchmark to build a consumer AI assistant that automates tasks across apps and devices. The size o…
France's Lupin Dental raises 15M euro Series A for dental robotics
Paris-based Lupin Dental raised a 15 million euro Series A around Aug 27-28, 2026, led by Fynveur (10 million euro) with existing shareholders, private investors and Bpifrance loan…
AusperBio raises $120M Series C for hepatitis B therapy
AusperBio Therapeutics raised a $120 million Series C on Aug 27, 2026 to advance its lead hepatitis B candidate AHB-137 through a Phase 3 registrational program, backed by RA Capit…
Transfyr launches with $25M seed from General Catalyst for 'physical AI' in labs
On Aug 26, 2026 Transfyr launched with $25M in seed funding led by General Catalyst, with Lux Capital, Breakout Ventures and others. Founded by ex-Ginkgo Bioworks AI lead Anna Mari…
Vinnova's Innovativa Startups 2026 grant raised to max SEK 500,000, opens Oct 12
Vinnova's revamped Innovativa Startups 2026 call offers grants of up to SEK 500,000 (up from SEK 300,000 in the 2025 Phase 1) to test customer needs, business concept and willingne…
Sebrae and Bossa Invest open Inova Startups 6th edition, up to R$800k per startup
At Startup Summit 2026 (Aug 26), Sebrae/SC and Bossa Invest launched the 6th edition of the Inova Startups program, with gross capital of R$20 million and up to R$800 thousand inve…
Inova Startups 6th edition opens: up to R$800k equity per Brazilian startup
Registrations for the 6th edition of Inova Startups opened on August 26, 2026 during Startup Summit in Florianopolis and run through November 30, 2026, with results on February 28,…
South Korea's WRTN Technologies hits unicorn scale with ~$72M Series C
On Aug 26, 2026 South Korean AI startup WRTN Technologies raised about $72.2 million in Series C funding at a valuation above 1 trillion won (~$722M), reaching unicorn scale. The c…
UK energytech Certain Energy raises GBP 10M Series A led by British Business Bank
UK long-duration storage startup Certain Energy (formerly RFC Power, an Imperial College spin-out) closed a GBP 10M (~EUR 11.6M) Series A on August 26, 2026, led by the government-…
India's Purple Style Labs raises $40M Series E to scale luxury fashion
Indian luxury-fashion company Purple Style Labs, parent of Pernia's Pop-Up Shop, raised a $40M Series E on August 26, 2026 with participation from SageOne, Alchemy Capital and Baja…
BDC expands Pivot to Grow loan for tariff-hit SMEs: financing from $250K, revenue floor cut to $1M
On August 25, 2026, BDC announced an expansion of its Pivot to Grow loan to help small businesses absorb cash-flow pressure from new U.S. tariffs imposed August 22, 2026. Eligible…
Proptech seed rounds swell to $6.3M average in 2026
The average proptech seed round rose to $6.3M in 2026 (up from $3.6M in 2022), with more than half now $5M or larger, per MetaProp tracking cited by Commercial Observer on Aug 25,…
Blackbird raises AUD $1.05 billion for the largest ANZ venture fund
On 25 August 2026 Blackbird closed its sixth fund at AUD $1.05 billion, the largest VC raise in Australia and New Zealand, lifting total assets under management above AUD $12.5 bil…
Canada launches $2B Strong Diversification Fund for tariff-hit firms
On August 25, 2026, the federal government announced a new $2 billion Canada Strong Diversification Fund as part of a $7.5B tariff-relief package. It backs shovel-ready capital-mai…
Blackbird closes record A$1.05B sixth fund to back ANZ pre-seed and seed founders
Blackbird announced on 25 August 2026 the final close of its sixth venture fund at A$1.05 billion, the largest venture capital fund in Australia and New Zealand. LPs include the Fu…
Emerald AI raises $150M Series A at $1.05B to flex data-center power
On Aug 25, 2026 Emerald AI raised a $150 million Series A at a $1.05 billion valuation. The startup builds software that lets AI data centers modulate their power draw to ease grid…
Autonomous middle-mile trucking startup Gatik raises $200M Series D
On Aug 25, 2026 Gatik, which operates driverless box trucks for retailers' middle-mile routes, raised a $200 million Series D. The round adds capital as autonomous freight and logi…
Stability AI raises $76M with Universal, Sony, Warner and EA backing
Stability AI, maker of Stable Diffusion, raised $76M in fresh funding announced Aug 25, 2026, with participation from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, a…
Perplexity in talks to raise at $30B+ as revenue tops $750M annualized
As of August 24, 2026 Perplexity is discussing a new equity round valuing it above $30B, up from roughly $20B a year earlier. Its annualized revenue climbed from under $250M at the…
Robotics-AI startup Generalist raises $200M, second round in two months
Generalist AI reportedly raised ~$200M led by 8VC on Aug 24, 2026, just two months after a $400M round backed by Nvidia and Bezos Expeditions. Its new Gen-1.5 model teaches robots…
XPeng's humanoid-robot unit raises $900M+ at a $6.3B valuation
XPeng's humanoid-robotics business raised over $900M in its first external round at a $6.3B+ valuation, announced Aug 24, 2026, led by IDG Capital and Gaorong Ventures with strateg…
Startup Summit 2026 runs Aug 26-28 in Florianopolis with 250 funds
Startup Summit 2026, Brazil's largest startup event organized by Sebrae Startups and ACATE, runs Aug 26-28, 2026 at CentroSul in Florianopolis (SC), drawing about 10,000 people, 1,…
Innovate UK opens £3m UK-Singapore R&D grant round, closes 16 Dec 2026
Innovate UK opened the UK-Singapore Collaborative R&D 2026 competition on 24 August 2026, sharing up to £3 million among business-led projects, with individual UK grants of £100,00…
DOE and SBA launch SBIC-E to steer private capital into small-business energy tech
On Aug 24, 2026 the Department of Energy and SBA signed an agreement creating the Small Business Investment Company-Energy (SBIC-E) Initiative, pairing DOE technical expertise with…
Arintra raises $25M Series B for autonomous medical coding AI
Arintra raised a $25 million Series B announced the week of Aug 24-26, 2026, led by Define Ventures with Peak XV Partners and Y Combinator, bringing total funding to $51 million. I…
Innovate UK opens GBP 3m UK-Singapore R&D fund, closes 16 Dec 2026
Innovate UK opened its UK-Singapore Collaborative R&D 2026 competition on 24 August 2026, with up to GBP 3 million shared across projects. A UK partner can claim between GBP 100,00…
VC portfolio-ops startup Standard Metrics raises $20M Series B
Standard Metrics, which makes portfolio reporting, valuation and benchmarking software for VC and PE firms, raised a $20M Series B led by 8VC with Salesforce Ventures and Spark Cap…
China raises small-business loan interest-subsidy cap to 75m yuan, from Aug 1, 2026
On Aug 21, 2026 the Ministry of Finance (with the PBOC and financial regulator) announced expanded fiscal interest subsidies, effective Aug 1, 2026. The subsidized-loan ceiling for…
China lifts SME loan interest-subsidy cap to 75M yuan, quadruples participating banks
In a notice issued August 21, 2026 (effective August 1, 2026), China's Ministry of Finance, PBOC and National Financial Regulatory Administration raised the per-borrower loan cap u…
NZ launches Institute for Advanced Technology at Auckland's GridAKL
On 21 August 2026 the Government launched the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology (NZIAT), the country's fourth Public Research Organisation, based at GridAKL in Auckland…
China raises SME subsidized loan cap to 75 million yuan, widens interest subsidy
On August 21, 2026 the Ministry of Finance, PBOC, and National Financial Regulatory Administration expanded the fiscal interest-subsidy program, effective August 1, 2026. The per-b…
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 set for Oct 13-15 at Moscone West, San Francisco
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, with organizers expecting 10,000+ attendees plus the Startup Battlefield 200 pitch competition. Early-b…
TechCrunch reveals 2026 Startup Battlefield 200; Disrupt runs Oct 13-15 in SF
On Aug 20, 2026 TechCrunch published its handpicked Startup Battlefield 200 list of early-stage startups across AI, climate, health, fintech and robotics. The top 20 finalists are…
MAS & MOM unveil ONE Pass Investment Management Track for fund talent
On 19 August 2026, MAS and MOM announced a dedicated Investment Management Track under the Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass, requiring a fixed monthly salary of S$30,000+ (…
MAS unveils fund management tax exemption and new hedge fund programme
On 19 August 2026, MAS announced three measures to boost Singapore as an asset management hub: a tax exemption on profit-related returns from fund management services provided to q…
SEC proposes Regulation Crypto Assets with a $5M startup exemption
On Aug 18, 2026 the SEC proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, a tailored offering framework. It includes a startup exemption for raises up to $5M over four years (no financial stateme…
Step San Francisco 2026 AI & tech startup festival runs Aug 26-27 at The Midway
Step San Francisco returns Aug 26-27, 2026, with Day 1 kickoff events across the Bay Area and the main conference Aug 27 at The Midway (900 Marin St). It draws founders, investors,…
India clears 31 more ECMS electronics projects worth Rs 7,877 cr; open to July 2027
On Aug 17, 2026, MeitY approved 31 new applications worth Rs 7,877 crore under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), taking cumulative approvals to 106 projects an…
BNDES-Finep get 19 bids to run R$250M FIP Conexoes Startups fund
The public call to select a manager for the FIP Conexoes Startups closed on Aug 12, 2026 with 19 proposals from fund managers. The vehicle will mobilize up to R$250 million for ear…
China deploys 800 billion yuan policy finance tool to back private SME investment
On Aug 14, 2026 the NDRC convened banks and provincial DRCs to speed rollout of a new-type policy finance tool of 800 billion yuan for 2026 (up 300 billion from 2025's 500 billion)…
BNDES-Finep FIP Conexões Startups draws 19 managers for R$250M early-stage fund
The FIP Conexões Startups venture fund from BNDES and Finep closed its manager-selection call on Aug 12, 2026, drawing 19 proposals; BNDESPAR commits up to R$100M and Finep R$50M t…
NZ Active Investor Plus visa hits NZ$4.8b pipeline; managed funds dominate
As of 16 August 2026, New Zealand's revamped Active Investor Plus (AIP) investor visa had drawn 872 applications and 434 approvals, adding roughly NZ$4.8 billion to the investment…
SBA rolls out 90% loan guarantee for energy-sector small businesses
On Aug 14, 2026 the SBA announced a new 90% Energy Guarantee (versus the standard 75%) through its International Trade Loan program under SOP 50 10 8.1. Eligible small businesses s…
Startup Summit 2026 lands in Florianopolis Aug 26-28 with 250 VC funds
Sebrae and ACATE hold Startup Summit 2026 at CentroSul in Florianopolis on Aug 26-28, expecting 10,000+ attendees, ~200 speakers across 17 tracks, ~1,000 startups and ~250 investme…
ConvergeSouth 2026 gathers ~150 startups in Winston-Salem, Aug 27-28
ConvergeSouth 2026 runs Aug 27-28, 2026 in Winston-Salem, NC across three tracks (HealthTech/BioTech, AI/B2B SaaS, Food/Bev/Agtech), featuring roughly 150 startup demo tables, 125+…
Start Growth opens 2026 batch: R$5M for 10 B2B SaaS startups, apply by Aug 28
On August 9, 2026, Brazilian accelerator Start Growth opened applications for its 2026 investment batch, which will select 10 B2B SaaS startups and invest up to R$500,000 in each,…
Vinnova opens Innovative Startups 2026 grant: up to SEK 500,000
Vinnova's Innovative Startups 2026 call runs from 12 October 2026 to 12 January 2027 (14:00), offering grants up to SEK 500,000 to knowledge-intensive startups. Eligible firms are…
DPIIT signs 5 MoUs giving startups cloud credits, payments and mentorship
On August 8, 2026, DPIIT (Startup India) signed five strategic MoUs with Cashfree Payments, Vultr India, Darwin Dynamics, Cars24 Services and the Council for Startup India to expan…
DPIIT signs 5 MoUs giving DPIIT-recognised startups payments, cloud and investment perks
On August 8, 2026, DPIIT signed five strategic MoUs with Cashfree Payments, Vultr India, Cars24, Darwin Dynamics and the Council for Startup India. DPIIT-recognised startups get pr…
DPIIT signs 5 MoUs giving recognised startups cloud credits and payments perks
On 8 August 2026 India's DPIIT signed five strategic MoUs with Cashfree Payments, Vultr India, Cars24, Darwin Dynamics and the Council for Startup India. DPIIT-recognised startups…
DPIIT signs 5 MoUs to give recognised startups payments, cloud and mentorship
On August 8, 2026, DPIIT signed strategic MoUs with five partners: Cashfree Payments, Vultr India, Cars24, Darwin Dynamics and the Council for Startup India. DPIIT-recognised start…
Step San Francisco 2026 AI startup conference set for Aug 26-27
Step San Francisco 2026 runs August 26-27, with Day 1 kickoff events across the Bay Area and the main conference Aug 27 at The Midway in San Francisco. Billed for 'the people build…
UK deploys £100m to launch 10 new VC microfunds backing early-stage startups
On 7 August 2026, HM Treasury and the British Business Bank announced a £100m deployment under the Investor Pathways Capital initiative to launch up to 10 new UK venture capital fu…
India's RDI Fund clears first ₹2,192 cr soft loans for 22 deep-tech startups
In its first funding round (reported Aug 7, 2026), the Technology Development Board's 12-member Investment Committee approved ₹2,192 crore in soft loans to 22 private companies pic…
UK commits £100m to launch up to 10 new regional VC funds via Investor Pathways
On 7 August 2026, the government announced a £100m next phase of the £400m British Business Bank Investor Pathways Capital initiative, backing as many as 10 new venture capital fun…
Innovate UK names largest-ever Women in Innovation cohort: GBP 75k each
On 7 August 2026 Innovate UK announced its largest-ever Women in Innovation cohort, recognising 100 UK female founders. 61 of them receive a GBP 75,000 grant plus 12 months of tail…
Biggest AIM rules overhaul since 1995 takes effect, allowing founder dual-class shares
On 5 August 2026 the London Stock Exchange's most comprehensive AIM rule changes since 1995 took effect. AIM now permits special (dual-class) voting shares at admission so founders…
Innovate UK awards 61 women founders £75,000 grants in record 2026 cohort
On 5 August 2026 Innovate UK named its largest-ever Women in Innovation cohort: 61 award winners each receive a £75,000 grant plus 12 months of tailored business support, with 39 h…
Delaware opens Fall 2026 EDGE Grant: $1.15M for early-stage firms, apply by Sept 11
Delaware's Division of Small Business opens its Fall 2026 EDGE Grant competition on Aug 11, 2026, with $1.15 million available split between an Entrepreneur track ($400,000) and a…
Nucleate Activator: equity-free biotech program, US apps due Oct 21, 2026
Nucleate's Activator is a free, equity-free program for academic life-science founders spinning technology out of university labs; the US-chapter application deadline for the 2026-…
Crucible Accelerator Fall 2026: no-equity defense dual-use program
The Crucible Accelerator (Inland Empire Tech Bridge, powered by FedTech) runs an 8-week virtual Fall 2026 cohort from October to December for 12 defense and dual-use startups, taki…
Defra opens £20m automation & robotics farming R&D round, closing 30 Sep 2026
Defra's Farming Innovation Programme, delivered with Innovate UK, opened Round 2 of its Automation and Robotics R&D fund on 3 August 2026, offering UK businesses a share of up to £…
Money20/20 USA set for Oct 18-21, 2026 in Las Vegas; passes now on sale
Money20/20 USA 2026 runs October 18-21 at The Venetian in Las Vegas, drawing 13,000+ fintech and payments leaders, 630+ speakers and 380+ sponsors. Registration is open, with early…
FinovateFall returns Sept 9-11, 2026 in New York with live product demos
FinovateFall runs Sept 9-11, 2026 at the New York Marriott Marquis, showcasing seven-minute live product demonstrations across fintech, payments, lending, and banking-tech sectors.…
August 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India unavailable, EB-1 India at risk
The Department of State's August 2026 Visa Bulletin lists EB-2 India as 'unavailable' for the rest of FY2026 after annual limits were reached, while EB-1 India's final action date…
Industry Growth Program: federal commercialisation grants $50k-$5M (currently paused)
The Australian Government's Industry Growth Program, run by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, offers matched grants of $50k to $250k for early stage commercialisat…
Virginia Catalyst awards $2.4M to three university-partnered biomedical startups
On July 30, 2026, Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced $2.4 million in Virginia Catalyst grants — $800,000 each to Pascal Medical, Perfusion Medical and Sonogen Medical for university…
SEBI's GARUDA framework fast-tracks AIF/VC fund launches to 10 working days
On 30 July 2026 SEBI operationalised the 'Green-Channel: AIF Rollout Upon Document Acknowledgement' (GARUDA) mechanism, following the AIF (Second Amendment) Regulations notified 14…
SEC advisory committee reconvenes Aug 6 to push IPOs and small-company capital access
The SEC announced on July 30, 2026 that its Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee will reconvene August 6, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET (virtual) to continue work on modernizing…
Start BSB 3rd cycle opens: up to R$200k economic subsidy for DF startups
Brasilia's Start BSB program opened its 3rd cycle on July 29, 2026, offering non-reimbursable economic subsidy across three tracks: up to R$53,000 (ideation/Eixo I), up to R$110,00…
Singapore raises EFS loan risk-share to 70% for SMEs from Sept 2026
On 29 July 2026, Singapore's MOF announced a second support package raising the government's risk-share from 50% to 70% on the Enterprise Financing Scheme SME Working Capital Loan…
Singapore lifts SME Working Capital Loan risk-share to 70% for Sept 2026-Mar 2027
On 29 July 2026, Singapore's Ministry of Finance announced that the Enterprise Financing Scheme - SME Working Capital Loan's government risk-share rises to 70% for all enterprises…
Start BSB 3rd cycle opens: up to R$200k non-refundable grants for DF startups
FAPDF's Start BSB 3rd cycle offers non-refundable economic subsidy (subvencao economica) of up to R$53,000 for ideation, R$110,000 for incubation/pre-acceleration and R$200,000 for…
Singapore raises EFS Working Capital Loan risk-share to 70% from 1 Sep 2026
The Ministry of Finance announced on 29 July 2026 that the Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS) SME Working Capital Loan and Project Loan will be enhanced from 1 September 2026 to 31…
Brazil launches 5th Eco Invest auction to fund green-tech innovation
On July 28, 2026, Brazil's Ministry of Finance published the operational manual for the 5th Eco Invest Brasil auction, financing technology innovation in strategic ecological-trans…
UK pension giants explore £1bn+ Scale-up Fund to back British science and tech firms
On 27 July 2026 the government announced that five major UK pension providers - Railpen, Nest, LPPI, LGPS Central and Border to Coast - are joining forces to explore a new UK Scale…
CSIRO ON Accelerate 11 opens: up to A$80k non-dilutive, apply by 31 Aug 2026
CSIRO opened applications for ON Accelerate 11, its national deep-tech accelerator, running 27 July to 31 August 2026. Selected teams receive a three-month program valued at over A…
NC IDEA MICRO opens Fall 2026 cycle: $10K grants for North Carolina founders
NC IDEA opened its Fall 2026 MICRO grant cycle on Jul 27, 2026, awarding $10,000 (75% at signing, 25% two months later) plus an eight-week customer-discovery and launch program. Ap…
China's new offshore trust tax hits founders: 20% PIT, back taxes due in 90 days
China's tax authorities announced on July 24, 2026 a framework imposing a 20% personal income tax across the lifecycle of offshore trusts, with back taxes payable within 90 days of…
SBA opens $9M SCALE program: 20 supply-chain accelerator grants up to $500K
On July 23, 2026 the SBA launched the Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) program, awarding 20 grants of up to $500,000 each ($9M total) over a two-year peri…
Endeavor opens Asia-Pacific Global Hub in Singapore, backed by EDB, EnterpriseSG
On 22 July 2026, Endeavor launched its first Asia-Pacific Global Hub in Singapore, in a public-private partnership with EDB and Enterprise Singapore. Its 'Dare to Scale' programme…
Endeavor opens first Asia-Pacific Global Hub in Singapore with EnterpriseSG and EDB
On 22 July 2026, EnterpriseSG and EDB partnered with Endeavor to launch its first Asia-Pacific Global Hub in Singapore, giving local founders access to a global network of 3,000+ e…
Pennsylvania budgets $125M for Innovate in PA 2.0 to back life-sciences startups
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced on July 22, 2026 that Pennsylvania's 2026-27 budget includes $125 million for Innovate in PA 2.0, funding promising startups plus a statewide clinical-t…
EnterpriseSG, EDB & Endeavor open first Asia-Pacific Global Hub in Singapore
On 22 July 2026, EnterpriseSG, EDB and Endeavor launched Endeavor's first Asia-Pacific Global Hub in Singapore, alongside the inaugural 'Dare to Scale' programme for early-stage Si…
NZ R&D Tax Incentive tops $10B; in-year payments coming to boost cashflow
On 21 July 2026 the Government announced New Zealand's Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) has now supported more than $10 billion of R&D spending, taking under seven yea…
MBIE refreshes Founder & Startup Support Programme with 14 providers from 1 July 2026
On 21 July 2026 MBIE announced a refreshed Founder & Startup Support Programme, appointing 14 providers under new contracts that began 1 July 2026 with an initial two-year term. It…
MBIE names 14 providers for refreshed Founder & Startup Support Programme
On 21 July 2026, MBIE announced a refreshed Founder & Startup Support Programme delivered by 14 appointed providers under contracts that began 1 July 2026 (two-year initial term wi…
NZ relaunches Founder & Startup Support Programme with 14 providers from 1 July 2026
MBIE has appointed a refreshed network of 14 providers to deliver the Founder & Startup Support Programme, with new contracts commencing 1 July 2026 for an initial two-year term. T…
NZ refreshes Founder & Startup Support Programme with 14 providers from 1 July 2026
On 21 July 2026 MBIE confirmed a refreshed Founder & Startup Support Programme (FSSP) with a network of 14 providers on new contracts that began 1 July 2026 for an initial two-year…
NZ launches refreshed Founder and Startup Support Programme with 14 providers
MBIE launched the refreshed Founder and Startup Support Programme (FSSP) on 21 July 2026, with new contracts that commenced 1 July 2026 for an initial two-year term. It appoints 14…
Y Combinator: 4 batches/year, $500K standard deal, check for the next open batch
ARTICLE (founderbriefs) Y Combinator runs four batches a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall). Its standard deal is $500,000 plus an approximately three month in person program…
Antler pre-team founder program applications close September 30, 2026
Antler's US residency programs in Austin, New York City, and San Francisco review applications year-round. Antler specializes in pre-team, pre-seed founders, helping individuals fi…
Startup Boston Week returns Sept 14-18 with 100+ free founder sessions
Startup Boston Week runs Sept 14-18, 2026, with 100+ free panels, workshops and networking events—Monday-Wednesday at Boston University and Thursday-Friday in Downtown Crossing. Re…
GENIUS Act stablecoin rules near finalization ahead of July 18 deadline
Federal regulators worked to finalize implementing rules for the GENIUS Act, the first US federal payment-stablecoin law, targeting a July 18, 2026 rulemaking deadline. The framewo…
TechCrunch x Stripe debut Startup Battlefield Australia; 8 startups pitch Aug 19 in Sydney
TechCrunch and Stripe are running the first Startup Battlefield Australia, with eight selected startups pitching live at Stripe Tour Sydney on 19 August 2026. It is free to enter a…
Federal Industry Growth Program paused — no new startup grant applications
The Industry Growth Program — offering free advisory support plus early-stage commercialisation grants of $50,000–$250,000 and commercialisation/growth grants up to $5 million — ha…
Delhi approves Rs 400 crore Startup & Incubation Policy over 5 years
The Delhi Cabinet approved the Start-up and Incubation Policy on July 16-17, 2026, committing more than Rs 400 crore over five years. It funds incubation centres across 11 state un…
Delhi Cabinet clears Rs 400 crore Start-up and Incubation Policy
On July 16, 2026, the Delhi Cabinet approved a Start-up and Incubation Policy committing over Rs 400 crore (~$46.5M) over five years. Phase one covers 11 state universities, 13 gov…
Cabinet clears India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with Rs 1.27 lakh cr, startup design grants
On July 15, 2026 the Union Cabinet approved India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 with a Rs 1,27,500 crore outlay. It uses a grant-plus-equity model for smaller startups designing…
NSW MVP Ventures awards $1M to 22 startups; grants up to $75,000
The NSW Government's revamped MVP Ventures Program awarded $1 million across 22 startups (from 322 applications), with individual grants ranging from $24,225 to $75,000. The progra…
Ottawa commits $13.85M to 63 Quebec AI projects under Regional AI Initiative
On July 15, 2026, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) announced $13,852,374 through the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) for 63 Quebec organizati…
Techstars Founder Catalyst Fall 2026: free, equity-free virtual pre-accelerator
Techstars is running its Founder Catalyst Global Fall 2026 pre-accelerator, a 10-week, fully virtual, non-equity and free program from Sept 22 to Nov 27, 2026. Applications close A…
SEBI waives first-scheme filing fee, cuts AIF launch timeline to 10 working days
SEBI notified the AIF (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on 14 July 2026, exempting an Alternative Investment Fund's first scheme from scheme filing fees and cutting the advance…
NSW MVP Ventures backs 22 startups with $1M; Round 3 now in assessment
On 14 July 2026 the NSW Government announced 22 startups and small businesses would share more than $1 million under Round 2 of the 2025-26 MVP Ventures Program. The program offers…
Australia sets up Office of AI in PM&C to build a national AI framework
On 14 July 2026, PM Anthony Albanese announced a new Office of AI inside the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to coordinate 'Australian standards' for AI and end the go…
Y Combinator opens Winter 2027 batch applications, deadline Nov 2
Y Combinator is accepting applications for its Winter 2027 batch, with a deadline of November 2, 2026 at 8pm PT and decisions returned by December 11, 2026. The batch runs January…
Missouri enacts Angel Investor Tax Credit: 40% (50% rural) on startup investments
Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Missouri's Angel Investor Tax Credit into law on July 13, 2026. For tax years starting Jan 1, 2027, investors earn a credit worth 40% of a qualified investme…
UK expands Growth Guarantee Scheme: £2bn more SME lending a year, terms up to 10 years
On 13 July 2026 HM Treasury announced an expansion of the British Business Bank's Growth Guarantee Scheme, adding £2bn of supported SME lending a year by 2028/29 to reach £3.35bn a…
UK expands Growth Guarantee Scheme, adds £500m ENABLE line for IP-rich startups
On 13 July 2026 the government expanded the British Business Bank's Growth Guarantee Scheme, raising maximum loan terms from 6 to 10 years and turnover eligibility from £45m to £54…
UK expands Growth Guarantee Scheme: £6.5bn more SME lending, turnover cap up to £54m
On 12 July 2026 the Chancellor announced a major expansion of the British Business Bank's Growth Guarantee Scheme, unlocking a further £6.5bn of lending over four years and lifting…
StartupCE 2026 opens: up to 60 startups get 6-month acceleration + BIT grants
Sebrae/CE, in partnership with Funcap, opened applications for the StartupCE 2026 program from July 7 to August 14, 2026, selecting up to 60 startups. Selected companies receive a…
Brazil hikes fintech minimum capital rules, phase-in began July 2026
Under the Central Bank's Joint Resolution 14, minimum capital is now tied to the activities a firm performs: a prepaid payment institution must hold R$12.4 million without Pix and…
Brazil phases in higher minimum capital for Pix payment institutions from July 2026
Under Joint Resolution 14 (National Monetary Council and Banco Central, Nov 2025), prepaid payment institutions offering Pix must hold R$17.4m in minimum capital (R$12.4m without P…
ESA BIC UK opens next intake: up to €60k grant for space-tech startups, 28 Aug deadline
The European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC UK) at Space Park Leicester reopened applications, with the next deadline at 12:00 on 28 August 2026. Selected UK star…
SBA doubles combined 7(a)+504 loan cap to $10M
Effective July 4, 2026, the SBA raised the cumulative cap a borrower can hold across its two flagship loan programs from $5 million to $10 million: up to $5 million through the 7(a…
SBA doubles combined 7(a) and 504 loan cap to $10 million
Effective July 4, 2026, the SBA doubled the cumulative borrowing limit for businesses using both loan programs from $5 million to $10 million. Qualified borrowers can now access up…
NZ Business Investor Work Visa widened to franchises and gifted funds from 6 July 2026
From 6 July 2026, Immigration New Zealand relaxed the Business Investor Work Visa: applicants can now invest in eligible franchise businesses, purchase businesses through a New Zea…
Uttar Pradesh approves Startup Policy 2026 with Rs 1,000 crore startup fund
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved the Startup Policy 2026 on 6 July 2026, creating a Rs 1,000 crore startup fund. Eligible startups can get seed funding up to Rs 15 lakh (up to Rs…
NZ eases Business Investor Work Visa: franchises, NZ entities, gifted capital
On 6 July 2026, Immigration New Zealand widened the Business Investor Work Visa: applicants can now invest in eligible franchise businesses, purchase a business through a New Zeala…
NZ eases Business Investor Work Visa: franchises and gifted capital now allowed
From 6 July 2026, Immigration New Zealand made three rule changes to the Business Investor Work Visa: applicants can now invest in qualifying franchise businesses, purchase a busin…
Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026 sets up Rs 1,000 crore fund, doubles seed grants
The UP Cabinet cleared the Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026 on 6 July 2026, creating a dedicated Rs 1,000 crore startup fund. Standard seed funding doubles to Rs 15 lakh (up to Rs…
ConvergeSouth returns Aug 27-28, 2026 in Winston-Salem for founders
ConvergeSouth 2026, now in its 10th year, runs August 27-28 at Biotech Place and downtown venues in Winston-Salem, NC. It convenes 500+ founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders a…
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs Oct 13-15 at Moscone West, San Francisco
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 takes place October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, drawing 10,000+ founders, VCs and operators and featuring the Startup Battlefield pitch competit…
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 set for Oct 13-15 in San Francisco
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, expecting 10,000+ attendees across 200+ sessions and the Startup Battlefield competition, whose alumni…
NSF SBIR/STTR deep-tech Phase I proposals due Nov 4, 2026
NSF's current SBIR/STTR solicitation (NSF 26-510) funds deep technologies advancing US competitiveness and security, with invited Phase I and Fast-Track full proposals due November…
Connecticut broadens Angel Investor Tax Credit; new approvals resume July 1, 2026
Connecticut's 2026 budget expanded its Angel Investor Tax Credit (25% of a $25k+ investment, up to $500k, $5M annual cap): the in-state employee-residency bar for qualifying busine…
Web Summit returns to Lisbon Nov 9-12, 2026 with 70,000+ attendees
Web Summit 2026 runs November 9-12 in Lisbon (Nov 9 is a pre-conference registration/mentorship day), gathering 70,000+ founders, investors and operators. Early registration is run…
Pernambuco opens R$3M govtech grant: up to R$100k per startup, apply by Aug 17
On July 1, 2026, Pernambuco's Secti-PE and FACEPE launched Edital nº 23/2026 'Inovação Aberta para Desafios Digitais,' selecting 30 micro and small tech-based companies (especially…
SENAI opens R$190M innovation platform; Alianca Startups e PMEs grant for SMEs
On July 1, 2026, SENAI launched the 2026 cycle of its Plataforma Inovacao para a Industria with about R$190 million in R&D funding. The 'Alianca Startups e PMEs' call (R$7.7M total…
Opportunity Zones made permanent; new rolling cycle starts for 2026-27 investors
Under the OBBBA, Opportunity Zones are now a permanent program with zones redesignated every 10 years; the first new cycle begins July 1, 2026 (designations effective Jan 1, 2027).…
Victoria merges LaunchVic and Breakthrough Victoria into Innovation Victoria
From 1 July 2026, Victoria folded startup agency LaunchVic and the state's ~$2 billion Breakthrough Victoria investment fund into a single new body, Innovation Victoria, pitched as…
Innovate UK-Switzerland R&D fund: up to GBP 450k per UK firm, closes 3 Sep 2026
Innovate UK's UK-Switzerland Collaborative R&D Round 3 opened on 1 July 2026 and closes at 11:00am on 3 September 2026, sharing up to GBP 3 million (matched by at least CHF 3 milli…
DataTribe Challenge: cyber startups apply by Sept 11 for $25K
Applications for DataTribe's annual Cybersecurity Startup Challenge are open with a September 11, 2026 deadline; five seed/pre-seed finalists compete live October 26-27 at The Capi…
Money20/20 USA returns to Las Vegas Oct 18–21, 2026 for fintech founders
Money20/20 USA, the sector's largest payments and fintech gathering, runs October 18–21, 2026 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, with 11,000+ senior attendees from 3,400+ companies…
Web Summit Lisbon returns Nov 9-12, 2026 with a startup program
Web Summit 2026 runs November 9-12 at the MEO/Altice Arena and FIL in Lisbon, expecting 70,000+ attendees from 160+ countries, 2,300+ startups, and 1,200+ investors. Attendee ticke…
MAS opens 2026 Global FinTech Hackcelerator; S$80k prizes, Aug 14 deadline
On 29 June 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) opened applications for the 2026 Global FinTech Hackcelerator, run with the Singapore FinTech Festival. Applications clos…
MAS opens 2026 Global FinTech Hackcelerator: S$80,000 per winner, apply by Aug 14
MAS announced on 29 June 2026 the call for its 2026 Global FinTech Hackcelerator (part of Singapore FinTech Festival), inviting AI proposals on three problem statements: credit/fra…
Sweden orders Vinnova and Tillvaxtverket to fix deeptech funding gaps
On June 25, 2026, the Swedish government tasked Vinnova and Tillvaxtverket with analyzing how to improve capital access for breakthrough-innovation and deeptech companies. The agen…
Innovate UK opens £10m 'Next Wave: Breakthrough' createch grant, up to £350k
Innovate UK opened its 'Next Wave: Breakthrough Wave 1' competition on 23 June 2026, sharing £10 million for creative-technology (createch) research projects in England. UK-registe…
British Business Bank readies GBP 350m East and South East England funds for summer 2026
The British Business Bank is standing up two Nations and Regions Investment Funds for launch in summer 2026: GBP 210m for the South East (SEIF) and GBP 140m for the East of England…
SXSW Pitch application window open; final deadline Nov 13, 2026
SXSW Pitch, the Austin showcase for early-stage startups, opened applications June 23, 2026, with regular entry running Sept 14 through the final deadline of Nov 13, 2026. Selected…
SXSW 2027 set for March 15-21 in Austin; early-bird badge sign-up open
SXSW announced on June 23, 2026 that its 2027 conference and festivals run March 15-21 in Austin, with badges priced roughly $820-$1,995 by access level. Signing up early locks a 1…
Ontario adds $6M to Futurpreneur to back nearly 1,000 young founders
On June 22, 2026, Ontario announced an additional $6 million for Futurpreneur Canada, expected to help nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs aged 18-39 launch and grow businesses and support…
Canada adds $173.7M to Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, incl. microloans up to $50K
On June 22, 2026, ISED Minister Rechie Valdez announced $173.7 million over five years for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, split across the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund ($…
DPIIT publishes 107-page Startup Playbook mapping 65+ government schemes
In June 2026 DPIIT released the 'Playbook of Government Schemes and Initiatives for Startups', a 107-page official guide (dated 22 June 2026) that consolidates 65+ Central Governme…
Google for Startups Accelerator opens to NZ founders for the first time in 2026
Google announced on 21 June 2026 that its Google for Startups Accelerator: Australia and New Zealand includes Kiwi startups for the first time. The equity-free 10-week hybrid progr…
Australia proposes 50% CGT startup concession, new equity from 1 July 2027
On 18 June 2026 the Albanese government released a consultation paper for an 'innovative business CGT concession' that preserves a 50% capital gains discount for founders, employee…
LaunchVic funds 9 AI & deeptech pre-accelerators with $3.5M for Victorian founders
On 18 June 2026, Victoria's LaunchVic announced $3.5 million to fund nine pre-accelerator programs for early-stage AI and deeptech startups, with each provider receiving up to $400…
Victoria funds nine AI & deeptech pre-accelerators with $3.5M, up to $400k each
Announced 18 June 2026 at the Victorian Startup Gala, the Victorian Government is splitting $3.5 million across nine pre-accelerator programs, each receiving up to $400,000 to help…
Australia unveils 50% CGT discount for startup founders, employees and early investors
In its 18 June 2026 tax-reform package, the Albanese Government proposed a new 'Innovative Business' CGT concession giving founders, employee share scheme participants and early-st…
BNDES and Finep launch FIP Conexoes Startups fund targeting up to R$250M
On June 18, 2026, BNDESPAR and Finep opened a public call to select the manager of the FIP Conexoes Startups, a private-equity fund with a target capital of R$250 million (minimum…
China's STAR Market reopens pre-profit IPO track to AI, quantum and deep-tech startups
On June 17, 2026, CSRC Chairman Wu Qing announced at the Lujiazui Forum that Shanghai's STAR Market Fifth Listing Standard would expand to let loss-making AI, quantum, biomanufactu…
China opens STAR Market pre-profit IPO track to AI, quantum and embodied-AI startups
On June 17, 2026, CSRC Chairman Wu Qing announced at the Lujiazui Forum that Shanghai's STAR Market 'fifth listing standard' — which requires no profit or revenue — now covers AI l…
China reopens STAR Market IPOs to unprofitable AI and deep-tech startups
On 17 June 2026 the CSRC and Shanghai Stock Exchange expanded the STAR Market's 'fifth listing standard,' effective immediately, letting pre-profit and pre-revenue hard-tech firms…
BNDES and Finep launch FIP Conexões Startups, a R$250M startup fund
On June 16, 2026, Brazil's BNDES and Finep opened a public call to select the manager of FIP Conexões Startups, a fund targeting R$250 million (BNDESPAR contributing R$40-100M; Fin…
BNDES and Finep launch FIP Conexoes Startups: R$250M VC fund for Brazilian startups
On June 16, 2026, BNDES and Finep announced the FIP Conexoes Startups, a venture capital fund with target capital of R$250 million. BNDESPAR commits R$40-100 million and Finep up t…
Sweden's overhauled competition rules take effect Aug 1, 2026; Konkurrensverket gains proactive powers
From 1 August 2026, Sweden's amended Competition Act and a new Public Sales Activities law (Lagen om offentlig säljverksamhet, LOS) take effect. Konkurrensverket can now open inves…
China rolls out national action plan to boost startup founders and sci-tech spinouts
On June 11, 2026, four Chinese government departments led by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security released an action plan promoting 'specialized entrepreneurship' bu…
NZ Budget 2026 doubles FIF de minimis to $100k, eases offshore-share tax for founders
In Budget 2026 (announced 5 June 2026), the Government doubled the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) de minimis threshold from NZD 50,000 to NZD 100,000 for the first time since 2000,…
Canada's new AI strategy pledges $2.3B, incl. $500M Canadian Tech Growth Fund
On June 4, 2026, Canada unveiled a national AI strategy with roughly $2.3 billion in spending, headlined by a new $500-million Canadian Tech Growth Fund offering growth capital, in…
TELUS #StandWithOwners 2026 grants open: 3x$125K prizes, Sept 2 deadline
TELUS relaunched its StandWithOwners contest on June 2, 2026, offering three Grand Prize awards of $125,000 each (in funding, technology and exposure, backed by Samsung, Scotiabank…
Vinnova opens Test & Demo grant for SMEs: up to SEK 1M, deadline Sept 8 2026
Vinnova's 'Test & Demo for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 2026' call opened 2 June 2026 and closes 8 September 2026 at 14:00. It funds up to 70% of eligible costs to a maximum…
Sifted Summit 2026 gathers 3,000+ founders in London Sept 30-Oct 1
Sifted Summit 2026 takes place September 30-October 1 at Magazine London, convening 3,000+ founders, operators, and investors with programming built for Series A+ companies. Ticket…
Government Start Up Loans: £500, £25,000 personal loan at 7.5% fixed plus 12 months free mentoring
Start Up Loans Now Charge 7.5% Interest New loans have a fixed interest rate of 7.5%. Loans taken before 6 April 2026 retain the 6% rate. Eligible businesses must have been trading…
Bits & Pretzels founders festival returns to Munich Sept 28-30, 2026
Europe's leading founders festival runs September 28-30 at Munich's ICM, hosting 7,500 curated attendees including 1,500+ VCs, 300+ LPs, and 600+ executives across 10+ content stag…
China's first State Council Outbound Investment Regulation takes effect 1 July 2026
Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed a State Council decree (Order No. 837) issuing the Regulations on Outbound Investment, a 34-article rule approved 17 April 2026 and effective 1 July…
NSF reboots SBIR/STTR with $250M and a new $30M Strategic Breakthrough tier
NSF restarted its SBIR/STTR deep-tech program (solicitation NSF 26-510) with a $250M FY26 budget, announced May 31, 2026. It adds a Strategic Breakthrough Awards tier of up to $30M…
NSF's relaunched SBIR/STTR reopens: next Phase I pitch window Nov 4
NSF's revived SBIR/STTR program (solicitation NSF 26-510) funds deep-tech startups with up to $305,000 for Phase I over 6-18 months and up to ~$1.25M for Phase II, with roughly $21…
2026-27 Budget overhauls R&D Tax Incentive: +4.5pp rate, $50m turnover cap
In the 29 May 2026 Federal Budget, the government proposed a major R&D Tax Incentive shake-up effective 1 July 2028: a 4.5 percentage-point uplift to the core R&D offset rate, the…
Budget 2026 FIF change lets diluted founders keep the AFI tax method
Budget 2026 (announced 28 May 2026) proposes that founders and active investors who once held at least a 10% stake in a foreign-domiciled company can keep using the Attributable FI…
Budget 2026: $10m Emerging Managers' Programme via NZGCP to back new startup VCs
Budget 2026 (delivered 28 May 2026) allocated NZ$10 million in capital to a new Startup Support Package - Emerging Managers' Programme, delivered by NZ Growth Capital Partners (NZG…
NZ Budget 2026: R&D Tax Incentive adds in-year payments, cuts software cap
In Budget 2026 (announced 28 May 2026), the NZ Government is changing the Research and Development Tax Incentive to introduce in-year payments, so businesses receive the 15% R&D ta…
NZ founders keep favourable FIF tax method as their stake dilutes below 10%
Under Budget 2026 changes applying from 1 April 2026, a founder or active investor who once held at least a 10% interest in a foreign investment fund can keep using the attributabl…
Vinnova Innovative Startups 2026: up to SEK 500,000, applications Oct 12-Jan 12
Vinnova's Innovative Startups 2026 call funds knowledge-intensive Swedish startups with up to SEK 500,000 to test customer needs, business idea and willingness to pay. The applicat…
Google for Startups Accelerator: SEA opens, equity-free AI cohort starts Aug 2026
Google Cloud launched the equity-free Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia, a three-month program for 25 seed-to-Series B AI startups from Singapore and five other ASEAN…
NZ Active Investor Plus visa Growth category adds 20% philanthropy option from 1 June 2026
From 1 June 2026, new applicants in the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa Growth category can direct up to 20% of their total investment (up to NZD $1m of the NZD $5m minimum) to eli…
Google Cloud & EnterpriseSG launch AI Startup Innovation Corridor via Singapore
On 25 May 2026, Google Cloud launched an AI Startup Innovation Corridor linking Southeast Asia to Silicon Valley through Singapore, backed by EnterpriseSG and regional partners. Th…
Google Cloud & EnterpriseSG launch AI startup corridor; SEA cohort begins Aug 2026
On 25 May 2026, Google Cloud and Enterprise Singapore (with government partners in Indonesia and Vietnam) launched a Southeast Asia-to-Silicon Valley AI startup corridor routed thr…
Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia opens with EnterpriseSG, starts Aug 2026
On 25 May 2026 Google Cloud, with Enterprise Singapore, launched the Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia, an equity-free three-month program for an inaugural cohort of…
British Business Bank puts £25m into Antler UK Fund II to back founders from day one
On 21 May 2026 the government-owned British Business Bank made a £25m cornerstone commitment to Antler's UK Fund II — its first backing of Antler. The fund invests in founders from…
CanExport SMEs 2026-27 raises eligibility bar; deadline Aug 31, 2026
For fiscal 2026-27, CanExport SMEs raised its minimum eligibility to 3 full-time employees and $300,000 in annual revenue (up from 1 FTE and $100,000). Of the roughly $31M pool, on…
SEC proposes scrapping the $75M float rule, opening shelf/ATM offerings to more issuers
On May 19, 2026, the SEC proposed 'registered offering reform' that would eliminate Form S-3's $75M public-float threshold and its 12-month reporting-history requirement, letting f…
CFPB narrows small-business lending data-collection rule (1071)
In May 2026 the CFPB finalized a rule narrowing the Dodd-Frank Section 1071 small-business lending data-collection requirements, cutting near-term compliance burden for community b…
ATO R&D Tax Incentive overhaul: $50M threshold, no 'supporting' activities from 2028
The May 2026 Federal Budget delivered the biggest R&D Tax Incentive reform since 2021, confirmed on the ATO site (published 12 May 2026). From 1 July 2028 the refundable-offset tur…
2026-27 Budget overhauls R&D Tax Incentive: refundable offset cap lifts to $50M
In the 2026-27 Federal Budget the Australian Government announced changes to the R&D Tax Incentive (R&DTI), confirmed on business.gov.au, that take effect from 1 July 2028. The ref…
India operationalizes Rs 10,000 crore Startup Fund of Funds 2.0 through SIDBI
DPIIT issued operational guidelines on April 27, 2026 for the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0, a Rs 10,000 crore (about US$1.08 billion) corpus run initially by SIDBI. The fund com…
SBIR and STTR reauthorized through Sept 30, 2031, with new $30M breakthrough awards
President Trump signed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act of 2026 (S. 3971) on Apr 13, 2026, extending the SBIR and STTR non-dilutive R&D grant programs throug…
SBIR/STTR non-dilutive R&D grant programs reauthorized through 2031
President Trump signed S.3971, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (Public Law 119-83), into law on April 13, 2026, reauthorizing the SBIR and STTR programs thr…
SBIR/STTR reauthorized through 2031 with new $30M breakthrough awards
Signed into law April 13, 2026, the reauthorization extends the SBIR and STTR programs through September 30, 2031, ending the recurring short-term lapses. It also creates new Strat…
SBIR and STTR extended through 2031, up to $2.15M non-dilutive per project
The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, signed April 13, 2026, reauthorized the SBIR and STTR programs through September 30, 2031. The programs distribute over $4…
Govt notifies Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with Rs 10,000 cr corpus
The Central Government notified 'Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0' on 13 April 2026 with a Rs 10,000 crore corpus to mobilize venture capital for DPIIT-recognised startups. SIDBI is…
SBIR/STTR reauthorized through 2031, adding a $30M breakthrough track
The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act of 2026, signed Apr 13, 2026, reauthorized the SBIR and STTR programs through Sept 30, 2031 after a six-month lapse that had…
EIS caps double to £10m/year and £24m lifetime for UK startups from April 2026
From 6 April 2026 the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) annual company limit doubled to £10m (£20m for knowledge-intensive companies) and the lifetime limit doubled to £24m (£40m…
EIS and VCT company limits doubled: £24m lifetime, £10m a year from 6 April 2026
From 6 April 2026 the EIS and VCT lifetime company investment limit doubled to £24m and the annual limit rose to £10m, with the gross assets test lifted to £30m before a share issu…
FINEP opens R$300M non-reimbursable grant for AI, robotics, quantum startups
FINEP's 'Mais Inovacao Brasil - Tecnologias Digitais' call offers R$300 million in economic subsidy (non-reimbursable, no repayment) to Brazilian companies developing AI, advanced…
EIS annual raise limit doubled to GBP 10m, in effect from 6 April 2026
From 6 April 2026 the Enterprise Investment Scheme annual company raise limit rose from GBP 5m to GBP 10m (GBP 20m for knowledge-intensive companies), the lifetime limit doubled to…
UK EMI share option limits expanded from 6 April 2026: up to 500 staff, £120m assets
From 6 April 2026, the UK's Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) tax-advantaged share scheme qualifying limits were widened: companies can now have up to 500 full-time-equivalent…
UK Start Up Loans: rate rises to 7.5%, eligibility extended to 5 years trading
From 6 April 2026 the British Business Bank's government-backed Start Up Loans scheme raised its fixed interest rate to 7.5% (up from the 6% set at launch in 2012). Eligibility was…
EMI share-option limits expanded from 6 April 2026: gross assets cap up to £120m
From 6 April 2026 the Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) scheme qualifies far larger companies: the gross-assets test rises from £30m to £120m, the employee cap from 250 to 500…
UK Start Up Loans now cover businesses trading up to 5 years; rate rises to 7.5%
From 6 April 2026 the government-backed Start Up Loans programme (delivered via the British Business Bank) extended eligibility to businesses trading for up to 5 years (60 months),…
UK expands EMI share option scheme limits from 6 April 2026
For EMI options granted on or after 6 April 2026, the qualifying company gross assets limit rises from GBP 30m to GBP 120m and the employee cap from 250 to 500 full-time equivalent…
NZ startups can defer employee share scheme tax until a liquidity event from 1 April 2026
From 1 April 2026, unlisted NZ companies can elect to designate ESS shares as 'employee deferred shares', deferring an employee's tax until the earliest liquidity event (company li…
Ottawa launches $1B BDC Growth VCCI to expand Canadian VC in 2026 to 27
Budget 2025's Venture and Growth Capital Catalyst Initiative (Growth VCCI) commits $1 billion on a cash basis, managed by BDC, starting in fiscal year 2026-27. It runs three stream…
Canada doubles SR&ED enhanced credit limit to $6M, up to $2.1M cash back
Bill C-15 received Royal Assent on March 26, 2026, raising the SR&ED enhanced 35% refundable tax credit's annual expenditure limit from $3 million to $6 million and widening the ta…
SBA bars foreign-national-owned businesses from SBA loans
In a March 9, 2026 policy notice, the SBA banned businesses with any foreign-national ownership from all SBA-guaranteed programs, including 7(a), 504, Microloan, and Surety Bond. A…
Vinnova FFI Accelerated Startup Partnership: up to SEK 750k, Sept 16 deadline
Vinnova's FFI Accelerated Startup Partnership (ASP) 2026 funds collaborative projects between knowledge-intensive startups and established road-transport players, with a total budg…
Singapore adds S$1B to Startup SG Equity, now covering growth-stage deep tech
EnterpriseSG confirmed a S$1 billion top-up to the Startup SG Equity (SSGE) co-investment scheme, announced at Budget 2026 and the MTI Committee of Supply 2026. For the first time…
Finep opens R$3.3bn Mais Inovação Brasil grants; calls close Aug–Sep 2026
Finep launched a series of 13 calls under the Mais Inovação Brasil program offering R$3.3 billion in non-reimbursable economic subsidy (subvenção econômica) for innovation projects…
Vinnova FFI Accelerated Startup Partnership: up to SEK 750,000, next deadline Sep 16 2026
Vinnova's FFI Accelerated Startup Partnership 2026 funds innovation collaborations between startups and established need-owners in sustainable road transport (circularity, transpor…
Singapore adds S$1B to Startup SG Equity, extends co-investment to growth-stage deep tech
In a 2 March 2026 media release, EnterpriseSG confirmed a S$1 billion top-up to the Startup SG Equity (SSGE) scheme, under which EnterpriseSG and EDB co-invest alongside qualified…
Singapore tops up Startup SG Equity by S$1B and extends it to growth-stage deep tech
As announced at Budget 2026 and confirmed in EnterpriseSG's 02 March 2026 media release, S$1 billion is being set aside to top up the Startup SG Equity (SSGE) scheme. Beyond its or…
Startup SG Equity gets S$1b top up, now covers growth stage deep tech
EnterpriseSG confirmed a S$1 billion top-up to the Startup SG Equity scheme, announced at Budget 2026 and the MTI Committee of Supply Debate. For the first time the government co-i…
FINEP has 3+ open non-refundable grant calls, several closing Aug 31, 2026
FINEP's Mais Inovação Brasil program has over R$1.6 billion in open 'subvenção econômica' (non-reimbursable grants) for 2026, including Energy Transition (R$500M), Health (R$300M)…
SEC issues five new Reg CF interpretations clarifying crowdfunding limits
On Feb 17, 2026 the SEC published five new Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations for Regulation Crowdfunding. They clarify that the $5M rolling 12-month raise cap is measured f…
Finep opens R$300M agroindustry innovation grant, apply by Sept 30 2026
Finep's Mais Inovacao Brasil Rodada 2 (Cadeias Agroindustriais Sustentaveis) offers R$300 million in economic subvention (non repayable) for agroindustry, foodtech and animal healt…
DPIIT doubles startup turnover cap to Rs 200 cr, adds new deep-tech class
DPIIT's Gazette Notification G.S.R. 108(E), issued 4 February 2026, replaced the 2019 framework, raising the turnover ceiling for recognised startups from Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 cr…
DPIIT redefines startups: turnover cap doubled to Rs 200 crore, new deep tech class
DPIIT Gazette Notification G.S.R. 108(E) dated 4 February 2026 supersedes the 2019 framework, raising the annual turnover ceiling for recognised startups from Rs 100 crore to Rs 20…
SBA rewrite bars green-card holders from 7(a)/504 loans, drops credit-score prescreen
SBA's revised SOP 50 10 8, effective March 1, 2026, requires 100% of a borrower's direct and indirect owners to be US citizens or nationals residing in the US—excluding lawful perm…
China's MOF launches 1.5-point loan interest subsidy for MSMEs, in effect for 2026
China's Ministry of Finance and partner departments rolled out a loan interest subsidy for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, announced 20 January 2026 and applying to newl…
Greece adds startup investment route to Golden Visa from EUR 250,000
Greece has operationalized a new Golden Visa pathway granting five-year residency to non-EU investors who put at least EUR 250,000 into a startup registered on the Elevate Greece n…
International Entrepreneur Rule 2026: $311K investment bar, new parole fee
The International Entrepreneur Rule remains active for 2026, letting qualifying foreign founders with at least a 10% stake obtain up to 30 months of parole (extendable to five year…
NJ angel investor tax credit jumps to 35% (up to 40%) for 2026 applications
For qualified investments in New Jersey emerging-technology startups submitted after Dec 31, 2025, the NJEDA Angel Investor Tax Credit rises from 20% to 35% of the investment, and…
Iowa's new Seed Investor Tax Credit takes effect, replacing the Angel credit
Under SF 657, Iowa's Seed Investor Tax Credit took effect Jan 1, 2026, replacing the repealed Angel Investor Tax Credit. It offers a 20% credit (35% for investments in communities…
New ACCC mandatory merger-approval regime now in force for Australian deals
From 1 January 2026, Australia's new mandatory and suspensory merger regime requires ACCC clearance before completing acquisitions that hit set thresholds - e.g. combined Australia…
International Entrepreneur Rule now needs $311,071 investment plus a $1,000 fee
Under the International Entrepreneur Rule in 2026, foreign founders need at least $311,071 in qualified U.S. investor funding (or $124,429 in government grants) and a 10% ownership…
SEBI angel funds must onboard only accredited investors by Sept 8, 2026
Under SEBI's revised AIF framework, angel funds registered before September 10, 2025 have until September 8, 2026 to onboard only Accredited Investors, and may keep at most 200 non…