Latest news with #UncorkCapital
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uncork Capital Raises $300 Million to Back the Next Generation of Category-Defining Companies
Firm Raises $225M Fund VIII and $75M Plus IV Growth Fund to reinforce its long-term commitment to leading at seed and backing breakout companies through scale SAN FRANCISCO, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Uncork Capital, one of Silicon Valley's most established early-stage venture capital firms today announced the close of $300 million in new capital across two funds: Uncork VIII, a $225 million seed fund, and Uncork Plus IV, a $75 million growth fund. "Through more than two decades—and multiple boom-and-bust cycles—we've consistently backed new ideas that became category-defining companies while backing bold founders at the earliest stages, when others hesitate," said Andy McLoughlin, Managing Partner at Uncork Capital. "In times of volatility, founders need conviction-backed capital more than ever. We believe this is one of the most compelling moments to build—and to invest in—the foundational technologies of tomorrow. These new funds position us to do just that." Uncork VIII will invest in early-stage startups across B2B software, developer tools, and infrastructure, continuing the firm's strategy of leading 35 seed rounds while maintaining significant follow-on reserves. The firm expects to write slightly larger checks with Fund VIII and target marginally higher initial ownership, reflecting a conviction-led approach. Through the Plus IV fund, Uncork will double down on its breakout portfolio companies as they reach their inflection point and scale. Uncork's portfolio spans multiple inflection-stage companies, including: Late-Stage: Human Interest, LaunchDarkly, Carrot Scaling Fast: Tailscale, Hallow, Loft Orbital, ClassDojo, Wrapbook, Crossbeam, and Fountain AI-Native and Early-Stage: GPTZero, Nuon, Ivo, Numeral, Final Round "Uncork has proven to be the most supportive and helpful investor on our cap table," said Jeff Schneble, CEO of Human Interest. "Their ability to effectively communicate our vision and progress to potential investors has been instrumental in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in capital. In fact, many of our current investors were initially introduced to us through Uncork, significantly accelerating our company's growth. They have consistently provided support at every stage and have actively participated in all our financing rounds. We consider Uncork to be one of the top early-stage investors in today's market and highly recommend them to anyone building a high-growth company." Uncork has built its reputation by backing transformative technologies years ahead of the curve—from early bets in AI to foundational SaaS infrastructure. With over 60 years of collective investing experience, the team reviews over 3,000 startups annually and invests in only the most exceptional founders. "We seek founders solving real problems with authentic insights, invest early in exceptional teams building transformative companies, and stay the course, said Amy Saper, Partner at Uncork. "Having backed AI-native startups for nearly a decade, we see some of our most exciting portfolio companies building on generative models and creating the infrastructure for the AI economy itself." Limited partners in the new funds include top-tier university endowments, pension funds, mission-aligned institutions, and repeat backers of the firm's prior vehicles—demonstrating sustained confidence in Uncork's disciplined strategy and founder-first ethos. "With a proven track record of identifying future tech leaders, a well-respected brand in the VC community, and a great team at its core, Uncork Capital has the vision, discipline, and founder alignment we look for," said Becky Connolly, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Tiger Iron Capital. "Their early recognition of breakthrough technologies and ongoing support for those companies make them ideal partners. We're proud to be part of their next chapter." The close of these funds marks Uncork's 21st year and ushers in a new chapter in the firm's evolution. Andy McLoughlin now steps into the role of sole managing partner, while founder Jeff Clavier steps back from day-to-day management and continues to invest in frontier tech and emerging innovation. About Uncork Capital Uncork Capital is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that helps founders build category-defining companies from the earliest stages. For more than two decades, through multiple boom-and-bust cycles and across the tech landscape, the firm has backed over 275 companies, including Fitbit, Sendgrid, Eventbrite, Poshmark, and Postmates, as well as fast-growing startups like Human Interest, LaunchDarkly, Carrot Fertility, Tailscale, Loft Orbital, Hallow, Wrapbook, Crossbeam, Fountain, GPTZero, Nuon, Ivo, Numeral, and Final Round. Today, Uncork continues to support the next generation of builders shaping industries across AI, SaaS, infrastructure, consumer, and frontier tech. Learn more at or follow along on LinkedIn and X. Media ContactMichael Celiceo, CodePRmichaelc@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Uncork Capital
Bloomberg
01-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Uncork Capital's New $300M Fund Seeks Next AI Startup
Andy McLoughlin, managing partner at Uncork Capital, discusses the firm's new fund, which focuses on finding the next big AI startup. McLoughlin talks with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on "Bloomberg Technology." (Source: Bloomberg)
Associated Press
05-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Numeral Secures $18 Million in Series A Funding to Help Businesses Manage State-by-State Sales Tax Requirements
Numeral, a company that handles the intricacies of sales tax compliance for both ecommerce and SaaS companies, has secured $18M in Series A funding led by Benchmark Capital with participation from existing seed investors Uncork Capital, Y Combinator and FundersClub. Numeral has raised $22 million to date and has seen 3X+ revenue and customer growth in the past year based on its ability to help over 1,000 businesses, including Ridge, Graza, immi, Nomad and Muddy Bites, collect tax for out-of-state sales, as mandated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. 'A company doing $5M in sales typically owes sales tax in more than 30 states, which means they need to comply with the tax rules of nearly 10,000 jurisdictions,' said Sam Ross, co-founder, Numeral. 'By streamlining and automating the sales tax process and handling everything from registration to remittance, Numeral takes a major task off the plate of accounting teams, giving them their time and resources back and increasing productivity throughout the business.' Numeral will use its financing to extend its focus to include SaaS companies, as 25 states today require sales tax on software sales, a number that is sure to grow in the coming year as states seek new revenue sources. Numeral will also use the new funds for international expansion and to secure additional engineering talent. 'Sales tax for digital businesses like ecommerce and software is a huge lift with an extraordinary amount of complexity. Further, adding international markets increases this complexity exponentially,' said Chetan Puttagunta, General Partner, Benchmark, and new Numeral board member. 'Numeral is leveraging AI to solve critical business challenges and help businesses expand into new markets with fewer barriers.' Numeral was founded in early 2023. Co-founders Sam Ross, an entrepreneur with multiple ecommerce startups generating over $50 million in revenue, and Matt DuVall, a software engineer who led teams at Stripe, Notion, and Box, bring deep industry experience to the company. Ross' direct experience with the headache of filing sales taxes across many states was the basis for starting Numeral. About Numeral Numeral, founded in 2023 and based in San Francisco, handles the intricacies of sales tax compliance for both ecommerce and SaaS companies, providing support throughout the process, from registration to remittance. Numeral has nearly 1,000 active customers and is funded by Benchmark Capital, Uncork Capital, Y Combinator, and FundersClub. For more information, visit Jennefer Traeger 720-988-6149 SOURCE: Numeral Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 03/05/2025 12:30 PM/DISC: 03/05/2025 12:30 PM
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Numeral Secures $18 Million in Series A Funding to Help Businesses Manage State-by-State Sales Tax Requirements
Established Ecommerce Solution Provider Simplifies the Process of Collecting and Reporting Sales Tax for Out-of-State Transactions; New Investment Will Fuel Expansion into SaaS Marketplace SAN FRANCISCO, March 05, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Numeral, a company that handles the intricacies of sales tax compliance for both ecommerce and SaaS companies, has secured $18M in Series A funding led by Benchmark Capital with participation from existing seed investors Uncork Capital, Y Combinator and FundersClub. Numeral has raised $22 million to date and has seen 3X+ revenue and customer growth in the past year based on its ability to help over 1,000 businesses, including Ridge, Graza, immi, Nomad and Muddy Bites, collect tax for out-of-state sales, as mandated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. "A company doing $5M in sales typically owes sales tax in more than 30 states, which means they need to comply with the tax rules of nearly 10,000 jurisdictions," said Sam Ross, co-founder, Numeral. "By streamlining and automating the sales tax process and handling everything from registration to remittance, Numeral takes a major task off the plate of accounting teams, giving them their time and resources back and increasing productivity throughout the business." Numeral will use its financing to extend its focus to include SaaS companies, as 25 states today require sales tax on software sales, a number that is sure to grow in the coming year as states seek new revenue sources. Numeral will also use the new funds for international expansion and to secure additional engineering talent. "Sales tax for digital businesses like ecommerce and software is a huge lift with an extraordinary amount of complexity. Further, adding international markets increases this complexity exponentially," said Chetan Puttagunta, General Partner, Benchmark, and new Numeral board member. "Numeral is leveraging AI to solve critical business challenges and help businesses expand into new markets with fewer barriers." Numeral was founded in early 2023. Co-founders Sam Ross, an entrepreneur with multiple ecommerce startups generating over $50 million in revenue, and Matt DuVall, a software engineer who led teams at Stripe, Notion, and Box, bring deep industry experience to the company. Ross' direct experience with the headache of filing sales taxes across many states was the basis for starting Numeral. About Numeral Numeral, founded in 2023 and based in San Francisco, handles the intricacies of sales tax compliance for both ecommerce and SaaS companies, providing support throughout the process, from registration to remittance. Numeral has nearly 1,000 active customers and is funded by Benchmark Capital, Uncork Capital, Y Combinator, and FundersClub. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact:Jennefer TraegerTraeger Communications720-988-6149jtraeger@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
30-01-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Final Round AI Secures $6.88M in Oversubscribed Seed Funding to Transform the Job Search Journey
Funding fuels global expansion, product innovation, and scaling of operations of the AI-powered platform to help job seekers land dream jobs in under 30 days SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Final Round AI, an AI-powered platform transforming how people find jobs, today announced the successful close of a $6.88 million oversubscribed seed funding round. With backing from Uncork Capital, Final Round AI is on a mission to become the 'Robin Hood of the modern recruiting industry,' making career transitions faster, smarter, and more equitable. Uncork is joined by HF0, Linear Capital, Ritual Capital, Mento VC, AltaIR Capital, Alumni Ventures, Goodwater, Hico Ventures, Soma Capital, iSeed Ventures, Level One, Sky9 Capital, and notable angels in Silicon Valley. Along with the funding, the company is announcing a $8 million scholarship program fund for 2025. 'This funding marks an incredible milestone for Final Round AI as we strive to redefine the job search process,' said Michael Guan, Co-Founder and CEO of Final Round AI. 'The success of the Interview Copilot has shown us the power of AI to create meaningful impact. With this support, we're positioned to improve our technology, build a world-class team, and extend our impact globally—helping individuals navigate the evolving job market with confidence.' The Interview Copilot™, Final Round AI's flagship innovation, empowers job seekers to feel confident and articulate their thoughts clearly by delivering AI-generated, real-time answers and insights during interviews. This revolutionary tool equips candidates with the resources they need to excel, leveling the playing field in the competitive recruiting landscape. Fueling Growth and Innovation Final Round AI's mission is clear: to leverage cutting-edge AI technology to guide job seekers through every step of their career journey, helping them land their next opportunity in under 30 days. By offering AI-native solutions, the platform simplifies job searches, creates seamless workflows, and delivers personalized insights, making job hunting an effortless and effective experience. Final Round AI will use the seed funding to achieve three primary goals: Enhancing the Interview Copilot™ and Other Products: Investing in technology to refine the Interview Copilot's real-time AI capabilities, ensuring seamless performance and personalized support for job seekers during interviews. Scaling Operations and Team Expansion: Building a top-tier team dedicated to innovation and research to push the boundaries of AI in the recruiting and hiring process. Unlocking New Revenue Opportunities: Developing partnerships with AI-first companies and hiring platforms to connect top talent with career opportunities, creating scalable and sustainable revenue streams. 'Final Round AI is a game-changer in the job search space, using AI to empower individuals impacted by workforce changes and automation,' said Tripp Jones, Partner of Uncork Capital. 'We're proud to support their vision and are excited to see the transformative impact this team will deliver.' The Future of Work Starts Here The funding comes at a pivotal moment as AI and automation continue to reshape industries and redefine the workforce. In a job market where competition has never been fiercer, 2024 revealed a harsh reality for job seekers: it takes, on average, 247 days and 294 applications to secure a role. Final Round AI's platform addresses these challenges by equipping individuals with tools like the Interview Copilot to excel in the rapidly changing job market. 'Our vision is to ensure that anyone navigating career transitions has access to technology that simplifies and accelerates their journey,' Guan added. 'The Interview CoPilot™ is just the beginning. This funding allows us to scale our reach and impact while building the foundation for long-term success in the rapidly evolving job market.' Introducing the Final Round AI Scholarship Program In addition to the funding announcement, Final Round AI is proud to unveil the Final Round AI Scholarship Program, a groundbreaking initiative designed to empower job seekers by making the process of landing a job more accessible and affordable. Backed by an $8 million fund, this program underscores the company's commitment to supporting individuals in achieving their career aspirations. The scholarship program aims to eliminate financial barriers for Final Round AI's Pro Premium members by offering a 100% refund on their membership fees when they successfully land a job using the company's cutting-edge tools. This initiative is not just about financial reimbursement; it reflects the company's mission to support job seekers in achieving their career aspirations. To learn more about the program, visit About Final Round AI Final Round AI is an AI-native platform dedicated to transforming how people find jobs. The company's flagship product, the Interview Copilot, delivers real-time AI-powered insights and answers during interviews, redefining the preparation and execution of job searches. By guiding job seekers through every step of their career journey, Final Round AI is on a mission to make career transitions smarter, faster, and more equitable for millions worldwide. To learn more, visit
