Hey everyone,

We’re in the era where Gen Z isn’t just consuming technology — they’re building it. From AI-native platforms to new consumer models to redefined brand marketing, Gen Z founders bring unique cultural fluency, speed, and audacity to the table.

This week’s issue spotlights rising Gen Z leaders, fresh VC commitments to their generation, and how the next wave is changing fundraising, growth, and community.

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🔥 Top Global Deals This Week

• SalarySe — $11.3M Round
  Gurugram-based fintech startup raised $11.3M in a new funding round led by Flourish Ventures and SIG Venture Capital.

• Crusoe — $1.38B Series E
  AI infrastructure / data center startup secured $1.38B to scale its operations, including a 1.2GW campus in Texas.

• The Prompting Company — $6.5M Seed
  A U.S. startup that helps brands optimize their presence in AI chat interfaces raised $6.5M in a seed round led by Peak XV Partners & Base10.

• Legora — $150M Series C
  Stockholm startup automating legal workflows announced a $150M Series C round led by Bessemer, ICONIQ, and others.

👩 Founder Spotlight

Nathaneo Johnson — Founder & CEO, Series
At only 22, Nathaneo launched a platform aiming to rewire how people network. His strategy: embed AI into social infrastructure so connections aren’t superficial but value-based. After his LinkedIn trailer went viral, he and co-founder Sean Hargrow closed $3.1M in just 14 days.

Why it matters: Nathaneo demonstrates how Gen Z founders convert cultural signal into real capital — by telling stories, owning identity, and building tools that reflect their worldview.

💸 Fund Highlight

Wave Ventures (Europe’s Gen Z Fund)
Based in the Nordics, this fund is run by and focused on Gen Z founders. It recently closed €7M for its third fund, tripling the size of its prior fund, with backing from founders of Slack, Supercell, Skype, and others.

What sets them apart: Their LP base includes young operators, and they aim to invest early in under-the-radar Gen Z startups — often before traditional VCs even notice.

🌱 Trend Insight

• Gen Z founders are thriving because tools like no-code platforms, AI assistants, and low-cost distribution reduce barriers to entry.

• But skills still matter: a Fast Company piece noted that 70% of VC decisions are about the founder & team — not the product. AI handles the math, humans read the nuance.

• Gen Z isn’t only building consumer brands — they’re entering biotech, climate, AI infrastructure, and new verticals with fresh perspectives.

💼 Opportunities & Fellowships

• Campus Founders Fund — Student-run VC fund investing in student startups. Recruitment is open.

• AV Venture Fellow Program — Part-time remote fellowship to train diverse professionals for roles in VC & entrepreneurship.

• Growth Intern — OneSixOne Ventures

• Ventures Intern — MongoDB

• Summer Fellowship — Thrive Capital

• Show Her The Money Film Screening (Swarthmore chapter invites you)
  Thursday, Nov 20, 7–8:30 PM ET | Swarthmore College Martin Hall
  Swarthmore College’s screening of Show Her The Money, an award-winning documentary that exposes the gender gap in venture funding and celebrates women investors and entrepreneurs.

  RSVP: Luma link

✨ Closing Thought

Gen Z’s edge isn’t just youth — it’s fluency. They think in multi-platform, social-first, AI-augmented terms already. The challenge — and opportunity — is not in catching up, but in leaning into their native strengths: culture, speed, authenticity.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re too young to build, let these founders shift your thinking: the future needs you now, not tomorrow.

Until next week,
The GIVC Team 💗