Who’s Actually Closing? a16z, Sequoia, 8VC, Menlo—All Gas, No Brakes

August isn’t quiet—here’s who’s writing checks while everyone else is still on vacation.

Author

Michael Morgenstern
July 29, 2025

Happy Tuesday Brex Community,

Is summer really a slowdown? The numbers tell a different story. Per Pitchbook, June 1st, 7591 U.S. Seed–Series B deals have closed—even as people say summer is quiet. Andreessen Horowitz led with 15, Khosla Ventures and Pioneer Fund closed 12 each, and Sequoia, General Catalyst, and Flex Capital followed with 9. Lightspeed, Bessemer, Founders Fund, Menlo, True Ventures, BoxGroup, Hustle Fund, and Abstract Ventures each closed 6, with Everywhere Ventures, Flybridge, Accel, Homebrew, Index, and M13 also staying active.

Don’t wait for perfect timing. While others might consider pausing, the market keeps moving. AI and new policy signals (think: White House AI Plan, GENIUS Act) are giving founders a tailwind. August is your chance to get in front, deepen your relationships (with your customers primarily), and prep for September’s race. Don’t wait. Ship.

Growing together, Michael Morgenstern 

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Brandon Amoroso is the co-founder of SCALIS

SCALIS  is the first AI-native hiring platform, purpose-built for the AGI era. It integrates ATS, job board, and an autonomous recruiting agent that automates everything from sourcing to offer letters—turning your 1 recruiter into 5. Sourcing time is down 93%, admin overhead 82%. In just 45 days: 200,000+ job seekers, a defensible data moat, early revenue, and a $6.5M pipeline. This is a founding team with a recent exit, moving fast to raise a $3M Seed and lock in its lead. They deliver what legacy players can’t—speed, automation, and quality at scale—by putting AI at the center, not as a bolt-on. Their platform is seeing rapid adoption from both employers and candidates because it actually works: faster hires, better matches, less overhead.

Ambassador’s POV: SCALIS isn’t a patch; it’s a fundamental rebuild. CEO Brandon just put in another $200K personally, on top of $800K pre-seed. Few teams have this combination of urgency, founder-market fit, and timing in a market overdue for change.. Deck and reach out [email protected].

Galia Beer-Gabel is a Partner at Team8

Galia Beer-Gabel partners closely with founders to ideate, launch, and scale the next generation of fintech startups—focusing on early-stage teams solving major challenges in banking and financial services. She draws on deep, global experience from her leadership at PayPal, where she drove enterprise sales and product innovation across sub-Saharan Africa, Israel, and Eastern Europe, including the landmark M-PESA partnership that expanded financial access for millions in Kenya.

A champion of founder resilience and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Galia translates strategic and operational know-how into practical guidance for startups navigating complex regulatory and tech landscapes. A lifelong learner and sought-after speaker, she’s also a mom of three and thrives on unconventional ideas. If you’re building in fintech, AI, cyber, or enterprise infrastructure, Galia is eager connect.

 

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