Japan's SBI Group participated in a $25 million Series A round for Singapore-based stablecoin payments company dtcpay.
8:01 PMFinextra5 stories from 5 sources
Institutional capital backs infrastructure, AI, and regional growth
Day’s Recap
Together, the stories point to a funding environment shaped less by individual founder access than by large financial institutions and public vehicles choosing which markets and technologies to scale.
Supporting Articles
SETT, the venture capital fund operated by Spain's Ministry for Digital Transformation, will be a major industry topic at this year's San Sebastián Festival. Its executives will outline how the fund plans to support Spanish companies, including audiovisual businesses.
1:43 AMVarietyGeneral Atlantic CEO Bill Ford says accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship have created unusually strong conditions for growth investing, with opportunities across the United States, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. He expects geopolitical tensions to reshape supply chains without ending globalization, and sees AI generating further investment opportunities despite valuation and safety risks.
12:14 PMBloomberg Markets8:01 PMFinextra
SBI Group joins $25m funding round for dtcpay
Summary
Japan's SBI Group participated in a $25 million Series A round for Singapore-based stablecoin payments company dtcpay.
SBI's investment gives dtcpay a major financial-sector backer as it builds stablecoin payment infrastructure. The
Unlock the full First Pass Analysis to get a better understanding of why this story mattersWhy it matters
Bank-backed capital is accelerating the push to make stablecoins part of mainstream payment infrastructure.
1:43 AMVariety
Ready, SETT, Go: SETT Execs Drill Down on the Spanish Sovereign Venture Capital Fund That Will Drive Industry Conversation at San Sebastián
Summary
SETT, the venture capital fund operated by Spain's Ministry for Digital Transformation, will be a major industry topic at this year's San Sebastián Festival. Its executives will outline how the fund plans to support Spanish companies, including audiovisual businesses.
Spain is moving from cultural support toward direct state-backed investment in media companies. That could
Unlock the full First Pass Analysis to get a better understanding of why this story mattersWhy it matters
SETT could reshape Spain's audiovisual market by making public capital a central force in private-sector expansion.
12:14 PMBloomberg Markets
General Atlantic CEO Sees Long-Term AI Opportunity
Summary
General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford says accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship have created unusually strong conditions for growth investing, with opportunities across the United States, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. He expects geopolitical tensions to reshape supply chains without ending globalization, and sees AI generating further investment opportunities despite valuation and safety risks.
AI remains an investable growth theme even as valuations and safety concerns increase scrutiny. Geopolitical
Unlock the full First Pass Analysis to get a better understanding of why this story mattersWhy it matters
Investors are treating AI and cross-border growth as durable themes, but future winners will need to withstand valuation resets and a more fragmented global economy.
Other Developments
A curated list of other prominent stories from this day.
ScrollEd is developing a scrollable, Instagram-like learning feed that combines textbook content with video, audio, and quizzes. The Palo Alto startup was founded by student co-founders and spouses Utsav Gupta and Rebecca Neff, and is presenting at TechCrunch Disrupt.
2:00 PMTechCrunch
Melinda French Gates said she declined to finance her daughter’s startup, requiring her to raise capital independently despite the family’s immense wealth. The decision reflects a deliberate effort to prevent inherited financial security from substituting for entrepreneurial discipline.
9:26 AMFortune2:00 PMTechCrunch
ScrollEd wants to turn textbooks into TikTok
Summary
ScrollEd is developing a scrollable, Instagram-like learning feed that combines textbook content with video, audio, and quizzes. The Palo Alto startup was founded by student co-founders and spouses Utsav Gupta and Rebecca Neff, and is presenting at TechCrunch Disrupt.
ScrollEd is shifting educational content from static, linear textbooks toward short-form, interactive consumption. Students are
Unlock the full First Pass Analysis to get a better understanding of why this story mattersWhy it matters
The company is testing whether social media's engagement model can make structured learning more effective.
9:26 AMFortune
Billionaire Melinda French Gates once revealed she refused to fund her Gen Z daughter’s startup—despite being worth over $34 billion
Summary
Melinda French Gates said she declined to finance her daughter’s startup, requiring her to raise capital independently despite the family’s immense wealth. The decision reflects a deliberate effort to prevent inherited financial security from substituting for entrepreneurial discipline.
The decisive shift is that family wealth did not become the daughter’s first source of
Unlock the full First Pass Analysis to get a better understanding of why this story mattersWhy it matters
The story shows that even when wealthy families withhold direct funding, inherited networks and security can still shape a founder’s odds.
Make it yours
Build Your First Pass.
Pick your topics, set your cadence, and receive your personalized First Pass in your inbox. It’s that simple!