Adam Rothenberg

I spoke with Christien Louviere of BDE Capital about his journey from a $330mm exit to becoming an independent sponsor. Christien shared excellent insights for folks looking to partner with business owners, rather than buy sellers out completely. Below are a few of the topics we covered: - Why he moved from “zero-to-one” startups to a buy-then-build strategy - How Christien's background shaped a focus on growth vs. cost-cutting - Why 20–40% rolled equity is central to his deal structures—and how it builds trust with sellers - Using scenario analysis with AI tools to evaluate management teams and uncover hidden key-person risks - How to identify when a $3–5M EBITDA company truly has a middle management layer—or is still founder-reliant For anyone investing in or buying small businesses, Christien’s approach provides a fresh lens on growth, alignment, and deal structuring. 🎥 Watch the full interview here → https://lnkd.in/ekfkaiej 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e86Agx6V

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Today Isembard announced a $50m Series A fundraise led by Union Square Ventures, less than a year after Notion Capital led their Seed round. 💥This is a company right at the intersection of AI & supply chain sovereignty & they’re exceeding even our most optimistic expectations. By the end of the year they will have 25 factories across the UK, US, Germany, France & Ukraine. 💥Isembard is rapidly scaling its network of AI-first factories for precision manufacturing at the same time as market demand is accelerating. Macro forces (reshoring, rising defence spend, concentration risk in Asia, and the growth of neo-primes) are structurally increasing demand for fast, local, flexible manufacturing that the current industry is unable to deliver on. 💥The innovation is in the way the company builds and franchises factories as a product with tightly integrated units of machines, software, robotics, & process intelligence that turn design files into certified components with speed & reliability. 💥Their AI software platform, MasonOS, connects all sites into a single operating system, replacing fragmented shops with standardised, high-performance industrial nodes & enabling real-time quoting, predictable delivery, & low defect rates. By owning the full production stack, Isembard delivers premium manufacturing performance with the scalability & flexibility of a software platform. 💥We are at the top of the AI hype cycle and there are understandable concerns about the ROI on the vast sums of money being invested into this new super-cycle. But, the ROI for Isembard is both clear and compelling. They will deliver components 10x faster and at 50% of the cost of current suppliers. They will also build a de-centralised, global network of factories to meet the growing demand for national or regional sovereignty. 💥This is a company with a clear vision to disrupt a massive, fragmented $1.8tn component manufacturing market. Today marks another huge stride towards that vision. And they are only just getting started. We’re thrilled to be on this journey with Alexander Fitzgerald & the team & we’re also excited to welcome Rebecca Kaden & USV into the investor base. Notion Capital Union Square Ventures Alexander Fitzgerald Rebecca Kaden Maximilian Eichler Stephen Millard Britt Mulder

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I’ve known David Meister for years and backed him at Sydecar, so I’ve seen his ability to build through complexity. Axiom Trust is taking on one of the most outdated parts of wealth infrastructure, trust administration, by pairing a regulated trust company with AI-native workflows. We're proud to invest again and congrats to the team on the launch!

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We believe in more than just funding—we believe in fueling breakthroughs. In this short video, discover how ReX Capital partners with companies that fuse hardware, software, and AI to solve global challenges. These aren’t just ideas—they’re real solutions with traction, IP, and untapped potential. 📽️ What you'll see: ✔️ What makes a Hard Tech company fundable ✔️ Our role as a refueling catalyst for growth ✔️ How we bring more than capital—offering strategic expertise and meaningful connections If you’re part of a visionary team ready to scale but stuck at a capital crossroads, we might be the catalyst you're looking for. 📩 Let’s connect and build something game-changing. 📥 info@rex-cap.com

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New Beginnings in Vertical Marketplaces SNAK Venture Partners has successfully closed an oversubscribed $50M debut fund, signaling a solid interest in vertical marketplaces. This funding, anchored by Pritzker Group, showcases increasing investor confidence in niche sectors. At ElevenX Capital, we believe this trend indicates a shift toward specialized investments, aligning with our strategy to back innovative solutions that cater to specific markets. How do you see vertical marketplaces influencing the broader investment landscape? #investing #innovation #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

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#AmTech Weekly Roundup: Apex - Spacecraft Manufacturing raised $200 million in Series C funding from Point72 Ventures, 8VC, Andreessen Horowitz, and Washington Harbour Partners LP. Apex builds satellite buses (core body with power, propulsion, and communications) that customers can customize cheaper and quicker than building bespoke buses for each mission.   Ian Cinnamon, Maximilian Benassi    Rainmaker Technology Corporation raised a $25 million Series A from Lowercarbon Capital, 1517 Fund, Long Journey, Garry Tan, and Naval Ravikant. Rainmaker uses drones for cloud-seeding. In addition to agriculture, they are thinking of it as water infrastructure: why build more pipes and canals when the clouds can do the heavy lifting?  Augustus Doricko    Jericho Security raised a $15 million Series A from Era, Lux Capital, and Gaingels. Jericho uses generative AI help corporations run cybersecurity trainings and simulations against increasingly sophisticated AI phishing attacks and social engineering.   Sage Wohns #VC #NationalInterest #USA #Startups

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💡Emerging GP Fundraising Insight #8: Rolling Closes Keep You Moving Small funds can't always afford to sit still until the target is hit. Rolling closes let you start deploying earlier, build a track record, and show momentum to prospective LPs. One GP told me that for Fund I ($5M target), he took capital as it came, signed, wired, and got to work. It wasn't perfect, but it kept the lights on and the deals moving. Sometimes the "sign and wire as it comes" approach is the only way to get moving. Takeaway: Momentum is a fundraising asset and rolling closes can help you keep it. Has anyone here used rolling closes as a strategic advantage?

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The future of corporate venture capital isn’t about optionality or one-off M&A wins. It’s about designing modular, industry-specific platforms that flex and scale with market needs. In this article, I share a playbook for how CVCs can move from cheque-writers to ecosystem architects, building future-ready platforms one module at a time.   Let’s stop acquiring the future and start assembling it. https://lnkd.in/gWSjg9fT

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