Hey GIVC community,

Winter has a way of slowing things down — but in venture, this season is all about momentum. While the year turns and calendars reset, founders are still building, funds are still backing conviction, and new ideas are gathering energy beneath the surface.

This week, we’re leaning into that theme: energy — who’s powering the future, where capital is flowing, and what’s coming next for our community as we step into 2026.

❄️🔥 Let’s get into it.

⚡ This Week’s Agenda

• Energy VC Fund Highlight

• Energy Startup to Watch

• VC Investor Feature

• Notable VC Deals This Week

• Girls Into VC Summit

💸 Energy VC Fund Highlight: Energize Capital

Energize Capital is a venture fund focused on the digital transformation of energy and industrial sectors — backing companies modernizing infrastructure, climate systems, and the built environment.

What makes Energize stand out is its commitment to diverse leadership and long-term impact, with women in senior investing and operating roles and a strong emphasis on founders tackling real-world energy challenges.

From grid modernization to decarbonization software, Energize exemplifies how venture can sit at the intersection of profitability, sustainability, and scale.

🔋 Energy Startup to Watch: Arcadia

Arcadia is building tools that make clean energy more accessible — helping consumers and businesses manage energy usage, access renewables, and reduce costs through data-driven insights.

As the energy transition accelerates, Arcadia represents a broader shift we’re seeing: startups not just creating new tech, but unlocking access to systems that were once opaque or out of reach.

👩‍💼 VC Investor Feature: Arielle Rothman — BoxGroup

If you had asked me in college whether I’d become a venture capitalist, I would have laughed - I was on a pre-MD/PhD track, studying bioengineering at Harvard. Over time, I realized that while I loved research, I was looking for a faster-paced environment. This led me to intern at several startups, where I saw how exciting and impactful the startup world can be. After a stint as a management consultant at BCG, I joined BoxGroup as an investor, supporting founders at the earliest stages of company building.

BoxGroup is an early-stage fund based in NY & SF that has spent the last 15 years investing in companies like Cursor, Ramp, Clay, Airtable, Plaid, Hex, and more. We are investing in pre-seed and seed companies out of our seventh fund, and love meeting builders from day one!

🚀 Notable VC Deals This Week (Kickstarting 2026)

Here are three recent funding rounds that show where capital is already flowing as the year begins:

1. Deepgram — $130M Series C
Voice AI startup Deepgram raised $130 million at a $1.3 billion valuation, led by AVP with participation from Tiger Global, Madrona, Citi Ventures, and others. Deepgram’s AI voice platform powers real-time conversational agents used by organizations across industries and plans global expansion with the new funding.

2. GrowthPal — $2.6M Round
GrowthPal, co-founded by Shalu Mitruka and others, raised $2.6M to advance its AI-powered M&A copilot solution for deal sourcing and execution, led by Ideaspring Capital and a global set of angels.

3. Greentech Megawatt — Rs 30 Crore (~$3.6M) Round
India’s Greentech Megawatt secured funding from Transition VC to grow its wind turbine operations and maintenance platform — a key piece of renewable energy infrastructure in the region.

Opportunities:

2026 Summer/Fall Venture Fellow @ Mendoza Ventures - Apply 

2026 Spring Founder Fellowship @ South Park Commons - Apply 

Media Fellow @ The Collective (NYC) - Apply

Writing Fellow @ The Collective (NYC / Remote) - Apply

Operations Fellow / Scout @ The Collective (SF / NYC / Boston) - Apply

2026 Venture Fellow @ ResilienceVC (Washington, DC) - Apply 

Venture Analyst / Associate @ Plug and Play (Sunnyvale, CA) - Apply

Investor @ First Round (San Francisco, CA, New York, NY) - Apply 

Founder part-time summer fellowship @ Greylock X - Apply 

Ventures Fellowship @ 2048 (Boston) - Apply

Sophomore / Junior 2026 Spring Fellowship Program @ Glade Brook Capital (North America)- Apply

Summer Fellowship @ Detroit Venture Partners (Detroit, MI) - Apply 

Associate / Senior Associate @ Headline (SF) - Apply 

Analyst @ Foundations Ventures (Cairo) - Send your CV along with what you think are the most important qualities in a founder and why - to [email protected]

💌 Girls Into VC 2026 Summit — Applications Now Open

We’re excited to announce the Girls Into VC Summit 2026, a full-day conference bringing together 250+ female investors, founders, and future leaders to expand access, share knowledge, and build meaningful connections across the venture ecosystem.

📍 Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
🗓 Date & Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📝 Apply by: Apply by Jan 28th, 11:59 PM ET to attend!
👉 https://luma.com/bd5qxpea

🎤 Summit Speakers

🧁 Keynote 🧁

Melissa Ben-Ishay — Founder, Baked By Melissa

Breaking Into VC — Pathways & Perspectives

Laura Bordewieck Rippy — Managing Partner, Alumni Ventures

Silvia Tower — Director of Product Management, Battery Ventures

Arielle Rothman — Investor, BoxGroup

Where Investors Are Betting Next

Kimmy Scotti — Founder & Managing Partner, 8VC

Jennifer Davis — Managing Director, Techstars

Sarah Du — Investor, Uncork Capital

Founder Breakouts

Jules Pieri — Co-Founder, The Grommet

Jaclyn Johnson — Co-Founder, Invest with Cherub

Rosanna Gao — Co-Founder, SpringCash

Emily Leahy — Founder, InPhase

Kat Weaver — Founder & CEO, Power to Pitch

VC Breakout

Joy Marcus — Co-Founder & General Partner, The 98

Sarah Young — Founder & Managing Partner, Sandpiper VC

Lily Toto — Senior Associate, Two Lanterns Venture Capital

💗 Closing Note

Even in the quietest season, energy is being stored — in ideas, relationships, and long-term bets. As we step into 2026, we’re grateful to be building alongside a community that believes in momentum with purpose.

Here’s to staying warm, staying curious, and staying bold.

With appreciation,
The Girls Into VC Team 💗