The Top Voices

Product Spotlight by George Levin: Roam Research This week, George Levin, founder and CEO of Hints, shares his thoughts on a tool that has transformed how he organizes and accesses ideas — Roam Research. As a powerful note-taking tool for networked thinking, Roam helps structure and connect ideas for writing, brainstorming, and content creation. About Roam Research: ◾️Founders: Conor White-Sullivan, Joshua Brown ◾️Founded date: 2017 ◾️Type: Private Company ◾️Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States ◾️Total Funding: $10.4M ◾️Investors: Stripe co-founders Patrick Collison and John Collison, True Ventures, Lux Capital, Balaji S., Tim Ferriss, Sarah A. Downey , Jeff Fagnan, Nikhil Basu Trivedi, Josh Buckley, Brianne Kimmel, Harry Stebbings, Village Global and more.

Austin-based RapidCanvas, founded by Rahul Pangam and Uttam Phalnikar, has raised $16M in Series A funding to address the global tech talent shortage with its innovative AI agents. RapidCanvas combines generative AI and human expertise to automate up to 75% of tasks traditionally handled by data scientists and engineers. The Series A funding round was led by Peak XV Partners, with additional participation from Titanium Ventures existing investors Accel and Valley Capital Partners. This brings RapidCanvas's total funding to over $23.5M since its inception in 2021. The funding will support RapidCanvas in scaling its platform, enabling enterprises to deploy custom AI solutions 10X faster and at 80% lower cost. With a unique "Service-as-Software" model, RapidCanvas is redefining automation by delivering measurable business outcomes, helping companies unlock growth and efficiency in record time. Harshjit Sethi Steve Schmidt Dinesh Katiyar Steve O'Hara Alok Bathija Antonio E. Stephen Wong Mayuresh (Mayur) Kshetramade Divya V Kavya Ram Mohan Yash Patel Gurpreet Ghuliani Saad Siddiqui Rohit Vakulabharanam Mark Bahl Hiranyagarbh Narale John Forrest Santiago Covarrubias Nitin Gupta Ray Hsu James Nisbet Shubham Khandelwal Saurabh Thakral Fuge Zou

Is AI here to replace your team, or is there a better way to work together? Alec Skriloff, Co-Founder of Squib, shares why augmentation, not replacement, is the future of AI in startups. By combining human creativity and judgment with AI’s efficiency and insights, teams can achieve greater scalability and success. See the key insights in our cards 👇 Read the full article on The Top Voices: link in the comments

Belgian software startup @Powernaut, founded by Florentijn Degroote and Serge M., raises €2.4M in pre-seed funding to decentralise the energy sector. Powernaut develops AI-driven orchestration software that manages millions of decentralised devices, such as electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps, to optimise energy usage across supplier portfolios. Investors include Revent, Seedcamp, Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀, and Syndicate One. The investment will support Powernaut’s mission to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels by enabling cost-effective, decentralised energy solutions. With over 200MW of decentralised energy assets already under management, Powernaut is reshaping the energy landscape to make it more sustainable, efficient, and consumer-friendly. Henrik Grosse Hokamp Franca Pullem Kate McGinn Carlos Eduardo Espinal MBE Boris Bogaert Koen Christiaens Hans Kayaert Elise Stern Arne Berresheim Matthias Feys

Amsterdam-based startup Next Sense, a leading provider of Smart BuildingPlatform SaaS solutions, has raised €11.5M in Series A funding to accelerate its mission of decarbonizing the built environment. With leadership from Ferdinand Grapperhaus (CEO), Pim Rutgers (CTO), and Enrico Rosa (CPO), Next Sense’s Smart Building Platform integrates real-time monitoring, AI-driven controls, and advanced simulations to optimize energy usage, enhance ESG compliance, and improve occupant experiences. By leveraging AI, the platform delivers up to 40% energy savings per project and supports over 150 high-profile real estate assets, including clients like CHANEL, AXA IM, Microsoft, and MERLIN Properties. This €11.5M round was co-led by Pensioenfonds ABP and ETF Partners, with participation from EDGE, SHAPE Capital BV, and Timeless Investments. The funding will drive global expansion, further development of Next Sense’s platform, and measurable environmental impact in line with EU sustainability regulations and net-zero goals. Tomer Strikovsky Alejandro Diaz Horstmann Lodewijk Meens Laurens Wouda Niels van Blitterswijk, CFA Coen van Oostrom Daan Van der Vorm 🇳🇱 Bas Van Veggel Job Elders Marcel Eggenkamp Joshua van den Heuvel Ralph Brackel Oindrila Ghosh Fabienne M. Cézanne Jason B. Steven Vis Aetios Fokeas Stefan Hendriks Katerina Ryabets Ivan Chernykh

What does PR bring to startups in 2024? Part 2 PR is key for startups to succeed in a competitive market. In this roundtable, top experts reveal how PR drives business growth, tackles unique startup challenges, and highlights the best strategies and ways to measure their impact. Featuring: Lauren Field, Senior Digital PR Manager at Distinctly Stepan Burov, Co-founder at 8bitPR Agency Christian Sharp, Communications and PR Manager at OVHcloud Anastasiya Bardunova, Founder and CEO at Makers PR Justin Mauldin, Founder of Salient PR Hadil Elmaki, Senior PR Manager at Yango ▪️Read part two of the discussion: link in the comments ▪️Missed part one? Find it there too!

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to run AI models locally in production? Inference-as-a-Service (IaaS) is reshaping how businesses deploy, optimize, and scale their AI systems. Yulia Sadovnikova, Community Marketing and Brand at AIFoundry.org, explores the key questions behind building a successful IaaS system. It’s not just about having answers; it’s about asking the right questions to unlock efficiency, scalability, and control. Check out the key takeaways in our cards 👇 Read the full article: link in the comments

Berlin-based NAO, co-founded by Robin Binder, Philipp Nowakowski, and Amel Hasanovic, raises €3.4M to democratize private and alternative investments. NAO offers a co-investment platform that allows users to invest in alternative asset classes like private equity and hedge funds with just €1,000 and three clicks. By making these asset classes accessible, NAO aims to transform how individuals build sustainable and diversified wealth. This €3.4 million seed round was led by a Swiss family office, with participation from Zeitgeist X Ventures and other private investors. The funding will accelerate NAO’s European expansion, enhance its platform capabilities, and grow its customer base. Currently available in Germany and Austria, the platform has already attracted several thousand users, who invest an average of €10,000 each. With partnerships with leading financial institutions like FERI, UniCredit, UBS, and Vontobel, NAO is redefining private market investing and empowering a new generation of financial decision-makers. Jakob Schreyer Artur Hasselbach Hendrik Schmidt Nina Levchuk 🇺🇦 Aaron Rosen Steffen Hetzel Jascha Kock Duygu İnsel Jacques Meirer

Istanbul-based startup Datapad, co-founded by Cem Ruso ⚡️ and Orkun Soylu, has raised over $500k to transform data analytics with autonomous AI agents. Datapad replaces traditional dashboards with AI-driven KPI monitoring and strategic insights. The investment round was led by Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀, with participation from e2vc, Startup Istanbul, and angel investors. The funding will enable @Datapad to enhance its platform, which empowers decision-makers with conversational AI tools for real-time analyses and strategic recommendations. With over 100 customers globally, Datapad is set to redefine analytics and build a data-driven future for businesses worldwide. Boris Bogaert Wim Derkinderen Lotte Geldermans Koen Christiaens Enis Hulli Esat Acar Arın Özkula Burak Buyukdemir Aydın Doğan Yalçındağ Hristo Borisov Melih Herman Simon Manolya Ruso Etohum Startup Istanbul

Ekaterina Kurasheva, Founder and CEO of R-Founders, shares her strategies for building impactful and lasting communities. R-Founders, an exclusive network for top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs scaling their businesses globally, has grown tenfold in two years, supported by strong member referrals. Her practical tips reveal how to attract top talent, foster collaboration, and maintain long-term engagement. See the key insights in our cards 👇 Check out the full article on The Top Voices: link in the comments