Murat Aktihanoglu

Trying something new this week - a studio industry roundup with my take on what matters. The studio model is no longer an experiment being run in a handful of places. It is infrastructure being built across geographies, sectors, and institutional types. 5️⃣ stories from the past seven days:  1️⃣ OSS Ventures hit a EUR 40M first close on a EUR 75M follow-on fund -- capital raised specifically to back the 30 companies their studio created since 2019. The "build then fund" lifecycle is maturing. B'More Venture Studio with a similar thesis: studio operations first, then dedicated capital to scale what's working.  2️⃣ Delta40 raised $20M from 54 investors across 13 countries to launch Africa's first integrated venture studio and fund. The LP base is almost entirely DFIs and foundations. Impact capital is discovering the studio model as a deployment vehicle, something I seeing across geographies (conversations with Michael Bob Starr and Damias McDonald this week alone) 3️⃣ Start Holdings launched Start.vc out of NYC and Barcelona after a $200M EV infrastructure exit. Another operator-turned-studio-founder. This is the pattern we see quite often in our work at 9point8 -- experienced operators like Jason Goldsmith who've built and exited deciding the studio model is how they want to build next.  4️⃣ UBC HATCH admitted 10 new deep-tech spinouts for Winter 2026 -- mostly climate tech. University venture builders are quietly becoming one of the fastest-growing segments. Follow Evan Allen and Jaimie Testai to keep track of its rapid evolution.  5️⃣ The INVEST Act is advancing through the Senate. If passed, it expands qualifying VC fund size from $10M to $50M and loosens general solicitation rules for accelerator and university events. For studio-funds -- and for folks in the The Venture Studio Forum community tracking policy -- this could be the most significant capital formation legislation since the JOBS Act. If this roundup format is useful, I'll keep it going. What other noteworthy news hit your desk this week, and what stood out to you?

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Bezos Earth Fund Announces 24 Phase I Grants Under AI Grand Challenge for Climate and Nature https://lnkd.in/euEuT86g The following 24 organizations have been selected to receive $50,000 Phase I grants for their innovative AI-driven projects: Sustainable Proteins  Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Delft University of Technology Essential Impact Food System Innovations King’s College London New Harvest The Periodic Table of Food Initiative The University of Leeds Wageningen University & Research Biodiversity Botanical Garden Conservation International (BCGI) Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology National Audubon Society The Nature Conservancy New York Botanical Garden Revive & Restore The Smithsonian Institution The University of Geneva The University of Plymouth Wildlife Conservation Society Power Grid Optimization Cornell University’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Wildcard Bioversity International USA Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences The University of Witwatersrand Yale University

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Big News for European Deep Tech Innovation! Mundi Ventures just closed €750M for Kembara Growth Fund dedicated to European deep tech solutions. This is a game-changer for European growth stage startups driving innovation in AI, robotics, clean energy, and sustainability. Europe is a hotbed for cutting-edge technology and climate action. Funds like Kembara are crucial for scaling these innovations and positioning Europe as a global leader in deep tech. #DeepTech #ClimateTech #EuropeanInnovation #VentureCapital #Growth #Sustainability Javier Santiso Yann de Vries

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We've interviewed dozens of investors and founders, and collated some real fundraising advice from the front lines of climate tech... What are investors really looking for? We spoke to leading voices from XPRESS Ventures, StarBeam Capital, Future Energy Ventures, and founders deep in the fundraising trenches. Here’s what they said 👇 💬 “50% team, 25% tech, 25% business model—most founders get that balance wrong.” 💬 “The best pitches tell a compelling story—ambitious, grounded, and commercial.” 💬 “Don’t underestimate how little investors know about your space. Educate, early.” 🔥 Quick takeaways: Lead with traction, not tech theory Keep your pitch simple, commercial, and aligned Fundraising is a marathon—stay focused on your mission 🔁 One founder pitched the same investor three times before securing funding. Another said: “Having a co-founder to share the emotional load saved made all the difference.” Full The Green Techpreneur read here. Subscribe for bimonthly insights → https://lnkd.in/etY2UKty #climatetech #startupfundraising #greentech #founderinsights #climateinvesting #startuplife

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