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Spotlight: Rebecca Lynn (Canvas Ventures)

Rebecca Lynn is a formidable force in the venture capital world as Co-founder and General Partner at Canvas Ventures. With a focus on early-stage investments in AI, fintech, digital health, and SaaS companies, Lynn has built a reputation for her keen market insights and strategic vision. Before Canvas, she was a partner at Morgenthaler Ventures and held executive positions at NextCard, where she helped scale the company from its early stages to its IPO. Lynn's remarkable investment track record includes companies like Lending Club, Doximity, and Upstart, demonstrating her ability to identify transformative technologies and teams.

Beyond her investment acumen, Lynn brings a unique background combining technology and finance expertise. She holds both a JD and MBA from the University of California at Berkeley, as well as a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri. Consistently recognized as one of the top venture capitalists in the industry, Lynn has been featured on the Forbes Midas List multiple times. She is also known for her commitment to fostering diversity in tech and supporting female founders, regularly mentoring entrepreneurs and speaking on topics related to venture funding, financial technology innovation, and leadership.

VC & Startup News

💸 SignalFire Raises Over $1B as LPs Embrace Data-Driven Investing

Chris Farmer’s firm integrates AI into every aspect of the investing process — from identifying promising early-stage startups to helping portfolio companies with recruiting and product marketing.

Its limited partners seem to agree that its investment methods will continue to hone its edge. On Monday, SignalFire said that it has secured more than $1 billion in fresh capital, bringing its total assets under management to about $3 billion. This is the firm’s largest funding haul ever, exceeding the $900 million it raised two years ago.

(Read Article Link Here!)

👩‍💻 A Comprehensive List of 2025 Layoffs

The tech layoff wave is still kicking in 2025. Last year saw more than 150,000 job cuts across 549 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. So far this year, more than 22,000 workers have been the victim of reductions across the tech industry, with a staggering 16,084 cuts taking place in February alone.

Below is a comprehensive list of all the known tech layoffs that have occurred in 2025, which will be updated regularly.

(Read Article Link Here!)

🚀 North America Startup Investment Spiked In Q1 Due To OpenAI, But Seed And Early Stage Fell

The Q1 tally represented the highest quarterly funding level in three years. However, nearly half of the total came from a single, record-breaking deal: the SoftBank-led $40 billion financing for OpenAI announced on March 31.

Beyond that giant late-stage round, funding was down in other categories. Both early- and seed-stage investment declined. Reported round counts also fell across stages.

(Read Article Link Here!)

Female Startup Stories

💄 Priyanka Gill Founded a Global Beauty Powerhouse

Priyanka Gill, co-founder of Good Glamm Group, helped lead India’s first beauty-commerce unicorn, then teamed up with none other than Serena Williams to launch Wyn Beauty in the U.S. From content to commerce, Good Glamm is redefining how people interact with beauty.

💬 “When beauty meets storytelling, you don’t just sell — you connect.”

🚧 Andi Lucas Leads X-Hemp in Pioneering Sustainable Construction Materials (Cieun)

Andi Lucas, founder of X-Hemp, is redefining the Australian construction industry through the use of hempcrete — a sustainable, lightweight, and fully compostable alternative to traditional concrete. Leading an all-female team, Lucas is challenging long-standing industry perceptions around hemp and sustainability, proving that environmentally responsible materials can deliver both strength and performance.

💼 Kristen Cooper: Supporting Women Entrepreneurs with The Startup Ladies

Kristen Cooper founded The Startup Ladies, an organization based in Indianapolis that supports women entrepreneurs through educational programs, mentorship, and funding opportunities. Since its inception in 2014, The Startup Ladies has expanded its reach throughout the Midwest, aiding numerous women founders in scaling their businesses and connecting with investors.

Podcast Episodes & Articles

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Opportunities

Full-time Opportunities

💱 M13 Investment Analyst (Apply Here)

💵 Construct Capital Investor (Send resume to [email protected])

Pari Passu Venture Partners Analyst / Associate / Senior Associate (Apply Here)

First Round Capital Director of Program Operations (Apply Here)

Trayd Client Relations, Associate (Apply Here)

Brightspark Ventures Associate (Apply Here)

Hebbia Engagement Associate (Apply Here)

Mercury Senior Program Manager - Fundraising Support (Apply Here)

Mercury Community Manager (Apply Here)

For students

Optimist Ventures Summer Analyst / Associate (Apply Here)

.406 Ventures Student Fellows Program (Apply Here)

swsh Remote Spring/Summer Internship (Apply Here)

Lux Capital Fellowship Program (Apply Here)

O’Shaughnessy Fellowships & Grants (Apply Here)

Nido Ventures Fellowship (Apply Here)

Events

Columbia Climate Tech Co-Founder Matching - April 19, NYC (RSVP Here)

emBOLDly Brunch - April 26, NYC (RSVP Here)

For founders

Apply now to be featured in Above 2%: Female Founders in Focus, a photography exhibit at SFMOMA celebrating the visionary women redefining entrepreneurship. Hosted by Daxe, the Modernist, and Women in AI, the exhibit spotlights the stories behind the less than 2% of venture-backed founders who are female. (Apply Here)