Justin Ernest, founder of Sabertooth VC, has invested nearly $500 million into startups including Anthropic, Anduril, and SpaceX by leveraging a captive network of limited partners instead of establishing a formal venture fund.
Ernest bypassed the typical year-long fundraising process required to launch a traditional VC firm. Instead, he accessed an established network of LPs—limited partners with capital ready to deploy—enabling rapid investment decisions across multiple high-profile startups.
This approach allows Ernest to move faster than conventional venture structures while maintaining significant investment capital. The strategy has proven effective in securing positions in competitive funding rounds for companies operating in artificial intelligence, defense technology, and space exploration.
The model demonstrates an alternative pathway for experienced investors to deploy capital at scale. By working within an existing LP network rather than building institutional infrastructure, Ernest avoided lengthy fundraising cycles while maintaining operational flexibility. The approach reflects broader trends in venture capital toward streamlined decision-making and faster capital deployment in competitive market conditions.
DeepSeek's annualized revenue run rate has doubled to $1 billion in recent months, up from less than $500 million. The Chinese AI company aims to close a $7.5 billion fundraise by late October.
Modal Labs and Baseten, two platforms enabling businesses to run AI models, are in advanced funding talks that would significantly boost their valuations. The rounds reflect growing investor appetite for AI infrastructure services.
Ema, an AI agent platform automating corporate processes in HR, IT, and finance, secured $77 million in Series B funding led by Creaegis. The round brings the startup's total funding to $140 million.
Enveda Therapeutics raised $311 million in funding, bringing the AI biotech company's valuation to $2 billion. The capital will accelerate clinical trials for drugs derived from natural compounds.