Gaurav Vohra

The Headline family is experiencing incredible momentum, and today our portfolio company DeepIP is announcing a $25M Series B, bringing total funding to $40M.  This is the kind of company that doesn’t just add AI to a workflow, but it sets the standard for an entire category. The momentum speaks for itself: 1️⃣ 10x ARR growth in < 18 months 2️⃣ Trusted by 400+ law firms and leading corporate IP teams globally 3️⃣ 2M+ chats on the DeepIP platform We’ve had the chance to back FX (Francois-Xavier) L. and Edouard D., leading their Seed round with Headline. Watching them take on a problem as complex and high-stakes as patent work has been genuinely impressive. And working with them has been an absolute pleasure: these 2 are coupling very high ambition and humility. Tech built in Europe, but opening the US office very early and FX starting a life in NYC with his family with 0 hesitation in order to build a global category leader in the IP industry. What convinced me early is still what stands out today: patent teams don’t need another standalone AI tool. They need something that fits the way the work actually happens: documents, long-running matters, multiple stakeholders, and zero room for sloppy context handoffs. Big congrats to the whole DeepIP team + Korelya Capital, Balderton & Serena Proud that we’re doubling down at Headline and continuing the support for what’s next!

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Every #VentureStudio GP knows some portfolio bets won’t hit. That's expected - and it's one of the reasons studios are such a powerful vehicle for innovation. And while a venture's failure might be what's visible to the outsider, what keeps them up at night isn’t failure at the venture level — it’s failure at the systemic level within the studio. One bad entity design. One IP misstep. One governance gap. That’s how studio operations fall apart. We break down how to spot (and fix) these cracks before they turn into fault lines in our latest paper, "The GP Dilemma" - DM me and I'll send you a copy!

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The pitch deck FLORA AI used to raise a massive $42M Series A from Redpoint Ventures and attract founders of Vercel, Frame io, and fal 🔥 FLORA just closed a $42M Series A (bringing total funding to $52M) led by Redpoint Ventures, with participation from Guillermo Rauch (Vercel), Emery Wells (Frame io), and the founders of fal. But here’s the real reason this deck stands out: It doesn’t sell AI tools. It sells a new creative default. The deck is a masterclass in how to pitch an AI platform without competing on models. Here’s what founders will learn from reading it: - How to frame AI as a workflow shift, not a feature upgrade - How to position yourself above models instead of being replaced by them - How to use interface and product screenshots to communicate strategy - How to pitch enterprise credibility without overexplaining - How to make your product feel inevitable in a world where models commoditize If you’re building in AI, creative tools, or infrastructure, this is one of the cleanest Series A decks you’ll see this year. Comment “FLORA” and I’ll send you the link 🌱

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🚀 Big milestone for Attio: today announcing a $52M Series B led by GV (Google Ventures), with Michael McBride joining the Board. This follows incredible momentum in customers, revenue, and team growth. But what excites us most remains the same as the very first day I met Nicolas Sharp four years ago, and the reason we have continued to back Attio from Seed through to Series A to now: game-changing product philosophy, world-class technological leadership and delivery, and resulting customer delight. From day one, Nicolas Sharp and Alexander Christie set out to build a new kind of CRM: ✨ Lightning fast and a delight to use ✨ Built on a flexible, modern data model ✨ All designed to give users full control to build a CRM that works for their GTM motion and seamlessly plug into the rest of their stack That foundation has proven to be exactly the right one. A new generation of GTM builders is emerging with Attio as their central pillar - including companies like Lovable, Granola, Modal and more. And the data model is perfect for building native AI functionality and allowing agents to work with the CRM - some of this is live, some is coming soon 👀  Nick and Alex have assembled a stellar team and have impressively scaled the organisation. Congratulations to them all on this funding milestone. Thank you for having us along for the ride over the past few years, and here’s to an epic next chapter ahead.  More from Nick here: https://lnkd.in/easA6jYV

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Product-market fit genuinely feels different...and it'll show up in the data Demo to close rates are the easiest thing to look at for product-market fit right now. Vertical AI startups in our portfolio are seeing 50%+ demo to close rates, even with brand new account executives selling the product. It's happening in every market from AI takeoffs to AI CSR/Voice software to AI procurement solutions. When you see a demo to close rate over 50% chances are you have a jaw dropping customer experience and you should put your foot on the gas. If you're seeing something dramatically lower in mid-market or SMB ACV categories, it's worth revisiting your product and/or your pitch.

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Biggest structural issue that limits studio scalability. It’s quality. When you increase the number of ventures you’re building, you hit a ceiling fast. You’re no longer able to provide meaningful support across them all. Impact gets diluted. Results drop off. And capital per venture shrinks, which limits your ability to de-risk or move fast. As the studio scales, so does the team, or reliance on AI. Both introduce process drift or output inconsistencies. The bigger you get, the harder it becomes to preserve high standards. That doesn’t mean scaling is impossible. AI might help increase the ceiling. But it still comes down to craft. Quality control becomes the bottleneck. Once you lose that, you’re not a venture studio anymore. You’re acting like an accelerator or a fund. P.S. Follow for more venture studio insights.

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What does it take to create speed in a regulated industry? For Allie Carey, Chief Strategy Officer at SEI, it meant designing a system that could turn hundreds of ideas into real ventures (without adding chaos). Over three years, she: • Built a culture of experimentation across SEI. • Launched a company-wide innovation contest (with real stakes). • Narrowed 30 ideas down to 10 pitches, to 2 experiments, to 1 live business. • Took one idea from concept to paying customers in just 18 months. We tried something new this week on Beyond The Core and built her full playbook live. It’s how SEI increased decision speed, improved throughput, and built a pipeline of repeatable ventures. Catch the full episode, now live wherever you get your podcasts, and download the playbook at https://lnkd.in/gPRvAK_n

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I’m thrilled to announce defy.vc’s investment in Birches Health as part of their $20M combined Seed and Series A funding round, alongside incredible partners like AlleyCorp, General Catalyst, Will Ventures, and others. As someone deeply passionate about backing companies that tackle important problems for our society, I couldn’t be more excited about what Birches is building—a national virtual clinic dedicated to treating gambling addiction and related behavioral disorders like gaming, sex, porn, and internet addictions. What excites me most is Birches’ innovative health assurance model: proactive, accessible, and affordable care that’s evidence-based and delivered right at home. With the explosion of legal sports betting—think nearly $1.5 billion wagered on this year’s Super Bowl alone—we’re staring down a looming public health emergency. Traditional options like hotlines or generic therapy fall short for this high-acuity issue, but Birches changes that by offering specialized therapy from trained clinicians, multimodal treatment, and peer support, all covered by major insurers like United Healthcare, Cigna, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. It’s available in all 50 states, breaking down geographical and financial barriers that have left so many without help. The impact is already profound: 96% of patients report an improved quality of life, and 94% give Birches a 5/5 rating. By partnering with state governments, payors, and policymakers, Birches is pushing gambling addiction into the spotlight of behavioral health conversations, where it’s been neglected for too long—often leading to shame, worsened outcomes, and higher suicidality risks. This funding will supercharge their growth: expanding the provider network, boosting clinical excellence, scaling infrastructure, and deepening insurance and state partnerships to meet surging demand. Very excited to partner with Elliott Rapaport and the entire Birches team! See more about our POV in the blog post linked in the comments. #GamblingAddiction #BehavioralHealth #HealthTech #VentureCapital #Innovation

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Founders love to talk strategy, product, AI, markets… but in the end, your company becomes the people you choose to bet on. I sat down for a podcast with Joe (Head of Talent, Play Ventures)and Miki (Deconstructor of Fun Talent) to break down what actually separates teams that scale from teams that implode. Here are the 3 x takeaways: A: Chaos in product leads to bugs. Chaos in hiring leads to bankruptcy. The gents talked about cases where the CEO hired someone nobody else met. Of five interviewers ask the same questions round after round. Of role definitions changing mid-call and hiring calls made based on vibes. Hiring chaos is the #1 pattern linked to early-stage implosion. B: Culture debt sinks companies faster than technical debt. A-players don’t quit because of comp. They quit because you let B-players linger. Founders love talking about culture and A-players. But the real measurement is in who you tolerate. Because your culture is defined not by who you hire, but by who you fail to let go. C: Great talent follows the founder’s reality distortion field. Compensation doesn’t close A-players. Neither do perks nor for job security. The two gave examples of people leaving high paid jobs in great companies to join startups. It makes no logical sense. And yet, it makes all the sense. The best founders have this gravitational pull. A mission so clear and irrationally ambitious that it temporarily rewires your sense of what’s possible. Top talent joins because they want to be inside that orbit. If you're hiring at a startup or looking to join one, this episode is for you. Full episode and the writeup coming soon. Signup to the Deconstructor of Fun newsletter to get it first!

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Most accelerators are all theory. At Launchpad, we believe in direct support. Not just panels and photo ops. That’s why one of the core parts of the day is 1-on-1 mentorship. Founders sit down with experienced mentors, operators, and investors to get real-time, tailored feedback on their business. This is where I believe the magic happens. Founders ask hard questions. Mentors give honest feedback.  The breakthroughs that help founders shift from “What should I do?” to “Here’s what I’m doing next.” 🎥 Watch our behind the scenes look at how we help founders move faster and smarter with intentional guidance. Boyd Innovation Center, powered by GrowCo Benedict College Statewide Investment Accelerator

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I’m thrilled to officially announce our $3M seed investment in Propel People, a company we built inside the 1848 Ventures studio to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the #construction industry today: the skilled #labor shortage. For small and medium-sized contractors, hiring isn't just a challenge. It's the number one threat to their growth, profitability, and safety. With 94% of contractors struggling to find qualified workers, it’s clear that traditional hiring methods aren't built for the trades. That’s why we built Propel People. It’s a mobile-first, AI-powered hiring platform designed for how construction actually works: in the field. By leveraging smart candidate ranking, instant #SMS-based screening, and a fully #bilingual interface, Propel helps contractors build great crews faster and more efficiently. I’m also thrilled to formally announce that industry veteran Dexter Bachelder is at the helm as CEO. Having worked with Dexter and the team over the last few months, we've already seen the impact of his leadership. His 25 years of experience scaling construction tech companies will be instrumental as Propel People enters this initial stage of growth. This investment reinforces our core thesis at 1848 Ventures: building AI-native companies that solve fundamental pain points for the #SMBs that form the backbone of our economy. A huge congratulations to Dexter and the entire Propel People team on this milestone. We are incredibly proud to partner with you to support the people who build our world. Read the full announcement below. #constructiontech #venturecapital #seedfunding #ai #skilledtrades #smb

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