Episode 20 of Startup Jazz. This week, George and Michelle dive into funding rounds, AI innovation, valuations, covering 6 compelling stories from the startup ecosystem.

Stories featured in this episode:

1. Q1 Global Startup Funding Posts Strongest Quarter Since Q2 2022 With A Third Going To Massive OpenAI Deal (Crunchbase News)

2. Crunchbase Data: The AI Boom Has Drastically Changed Who’s Funding The Hottest Companies In 2025 Vs. 2021 (Crunchbase News)

3. The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds: Anthropic Leads In A Big Week For Giant Rounds (Crunchbase News)

4. Biotech Startup M&A Is Reliably Delivering Some Big Exits (Crunchbase News)

5. Digital Savings Startup Vestwell Lands $385M, Doubles Valuation (Crunchbase News)

6. Next-Gen Nuclear Funding Looks Livelier Than Ever Following Inertia’s $450M Raise (Crunchbase News)

Bringing you the latest in startup funding with a smooth jazz vibe.