INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here.Before this newsletter takes a break for the Fourth of July next week, here are the startup
stories and funding rounds that caught our eye over the last few days, which have been quite busy.Most interesting startup stories from the
weekImage Credits:SOPA Images / Contributor / Getty ImagesThis week brought us lawsuit updates, M&As, and a combination of both.AI agents:
Data cybersecurity company Rubrik acquired Predibase to accelerate the adoption of AI agents by its users
The startup, which helps companies fine-tune AI models, had raised some $28 million in venture capital
fintech services.Red herring? Embattled AI music startup Suno announced the acquisition of WavTool, a browser-based AI digital audio
workstation, in a deal that actually happened a few months ago but that it chose to disclose on the heels of yet another copyright
lawsuit.Unstable ground: Getty Images dropped its primary lawsuit against Stability AI, the startup behind AI image generator Stable
Diffusion, but other lawsuits continue, both in the U.S
first wind power plant in Wyoming.Most interesting VC and funding news this weekKalshi CEO Tarek Mansour at StrictlyVC 2025.Image Credits:A
Meanwhile, the small deals keep things interesting, too.Same amount, new valuation: Harvey AI raised a $300 million Series E co-led by
Kleiner Perkins and Coatue
This comes only four months after Sequoia led a $300 million Series D at a $3 billion valuation into the AI-enabled legal tech startup,
which is now valued at $5 billion.AI scribe: Abridge, an AI startup automating medical notes, secured a $300 million Series E led by a16z at
a $5.3 billion valuation.Crypto predictions: Blockchain-based prediction market platform Kalshi raised a $185 million round at a $2 billion
post-money valuation, while rival Polymarket is reportedly working on closing a $200 million round at a pre-money valuation around $1
billion.Money in the bank: Finom, a challenger bank that targets SMBs across Europe, raised some $133 million in a Series C round of funding
high: Indian drone startup Raphe mPhibr raised $100 million in an all-equity Series B round led by General Catalyst
Its customers include the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as armed police forces.Easy dictation: AI-powered dictation app Wispr
Flow locked in $30 million in a Series A that brought its total funding to $56 million
The company also released an iOS app earlier this month.Upcycled: Novoloop, a startup that upcycles waste plastic, raised a $21 million
inspired by a data-processing problem its founders encountered at Lyft, raised two rounds of funding totaling $27.5 million within eight
months.AI voices: Synthflow AI, a Berlin-based no-code platform that lets enterprises build and deploy customized white-label voice AI
customer service agents, raised a $20 million Series A led by Accel.As the name suggests: Better Auth, the third Ethiopian startup to
graduate from YC, raised $5 million in seed funding
Its open source framework promises to simplify how developers manage user authentication and has quickly become popular.Eternal light: Space
startup Lux Aeterna came out of stealth with $4 million in pre-seed funding and the ambition to launch a reusable satellite in 2027.Last but
not leastImage Credits:Dani Padgett / StrictlyVCAfter a two-year break from public life, seasoned early-stage investor, entrepreneur, and
