Sapphire Ventures News
6 articles
What founders should think about if looking to raise a Series C | TechCrunch
Cathy Gao, a partner at Sapphire Ventures, discussed the challenges and strategies for startup founders seeking Series C funding at TechCrunch’s All Stage conference in July 2025. She emphasized that while capital is available, accessing it has become more challenging, with investors now prioritizing certainty over momentum. Gao outlined the criteria for successful Series C fundraising, highlighting the importance of being a category leader with a clear go-to-market strategy. She also stressed the need for sustainable growth and the importance of building relationships with investors well before seeking capital. In the age of AI, companies are growing rapidly, but Gao cautioned that sustainable growth is key to attracting investment.
BioCatch enters unicorn club as valuation crosses $1 billion in latest secondary deal | CTech
BioCatch, a software development company specializing in identifying and preventing bank fraud and money laundering, has secured around $70 million from Sapphire Ventures, reaching a valuation of over $1 billion. This marks the second significant secondary transaction for the company in 2023, following a $40 million package acquisition by Permira Growth Opportunities in May. BioCatch, which counts HSBC, Citi, Barclays, and American Express among its investors, has raised a total of $253 million to date. The companys value has surged due to accelerated growth, driven by a 51% revenue increase from its 152 clients, including 28 of the worlds top 100 banks.
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Sapphire Sport Again Convenes Big Names in Sport, Business and Entertainment to Raise Oversubscribed $181M Second Fund Platform taking AUM to ~$300M(1)
Sapphire Sport, an early-stage investment platform focusing on technology, sport, media, and entertainment, has raised an oversubscribed $181M second fund. The fund is backed by major names across sport, business, and media, including City Football Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, adidas, and Bank of Montreal among others. The new fund will continue to focus on Seed to Series B companies powering the next generation of consumer behavior across various sectors. Sapphire Sport was co-founded by Doug Higgins and Michael Spirito and has about $300M in assets under management.
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Sapphire Ventures to Expand European Reach Following Unveiling of Nearly $2bn in New Capital Commitments
Sapphire Ventures, a venture capital firm, has announced plans to significantly expand its European investment activities in the coming year. This follows the opening of the firms first European office last year. As part of the expansion, Annalise Dragic, currently a Principal at the firm, will be promoted to Partner. The firm also announced that it has secured $2 billion in new capital commitments for investments in late-stage technology companies across the US, Europe, and Israel. This is the firms largest fundraise to date, bringing the firms total to $8.8 billion.
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Sapphire Ventures To Raise $150M Opportunity Fund - FinSMEs
Sapphire Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California, is planning to raise a new opportunity fund. According to a regulatory form filed with the SEC, the Sapphire Opportunity Fund, LP, aims to raise $150 million. The firm focuses on investing in innovative technology companies and providing resources and expertise to help them scale rapidly. Sapphire Ventures has $2.5 billion under management via direct growth investments and early-stage fund investments.
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Sapphire Ventures Closes Sapphire Sport Funds Platform, at $115M+
Sapphire Ventures, a Palo Alto-based technology venture capital firm, has launched a $115m fund platform to invest in early-stage startups in the sports, media, and entertainment sectors. The fund, Sapphire Sport, is led by Doug Higgins and Michael Spirito and is backed by a range of investors including City Football Group, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS, among others. The fund will focus on Series A and B financing rounds, aiming to close a funding gap between seed investors and private equity.
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