Alex Kayyal

🚀 Today, we’re very happy to be announcing our $13M seed round, led by Headline with support from C4 Ventures, Futury Capital, and incredible angels from across the procurement ecosystem. You can read more about it in the Axios article: 👉 https://lnkd.in/duj4kCHc Or in our Procure Ai company news: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dpWZuQw3 For me, this moment is deeply tied to why we built Procure Ai — not just as a company, but as a product and a technical vision. Again and again, procurement leaders told us the same thing: “We’re being asked to do 3× more with the same (or fewer) people.” Rising complexity, fragmented data, unpredictable timelines, and now global tariffs… procurement teams have been forced to operate in systems that were never designed for this level of pressure. Coming from a product and engineering background, we believed the only real solution was an AI-native architecture — one that sits on top of existing landscapes, enriches messy data, and deploys autonomous agents that can truly take work off people’s plates. The most rewarding part has been seeing that belief materialise: 35–45% faster cycles, 3.5–5% savings, 60% autonomous intake, and platforms that integrate seamlessly without forcing teams to rebuild everything. And most importantly: seeing users feel empowered instead of overwhelmed. This round not only gives us the means to accelerate our growth and expand beyond the DACH region — it will also accelerate our product roadmap, grow our engineering team, and bring AI-native procurement automation to more organisations across Europe. A huge thank you to our investors, early believers, and especially our team: a group of people obsessed with building technology that actually works for procurement. Thank you for being part of this journey. We’re just getting started. — Yves

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What does it mean to be an "AI-first culture" within an investment firm? Hear Hg Partner & Head of Value Creation Christopher Kindt discuss how leading enterprise software focused alternative asset manager Hg is leveraging AI both internally and to drive value for its portfolio companies. On the latest Alt Goes Mainstream podcast, Chris and I discussed all things AI related to private markets. We covered: ➡️ How to build a high-performing value creation team. ➡️ Where value creation has the biggest impact. ➡️ How AI is transforming investment processes. ➡️ How Hg has become an “AI-first” investment firm. ➡️ Where AI will have the most impact in a company today and why agentic AI is transforming certain roles and processes within companies. ➡️ How professionals can generate the most leverage from utilizing AI — without having cognitive decline. ➡️ Why prompting and prompt engineering is so critical in the age of AI (and how you can use your weekends to perfect prompt engineering). ➡️ How a management team can buy into AI and why the current time period represents an interesting opportunity for incumbents, particularly for those building mission-critical enterprise software. Thanks Christopher Kindt for a thought-provoking discussion and for sharing your wisdom on value creation, AI, and private markets. Thanks Ultimus Fund Solutions for your support of Alt Goes Mainstream. https://lnkd.in/euy4qqHH

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Wealth professionals looking to introduce private market investments into client portfolios are finding that client education is essential. Managing Director James Martin shares a key insight from our Global Private Wealth Survey that highlights how stronger education equips clients to confidently embrace private markets.

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What does the "new era" of private equity look like? This week at PEI NEXUS, Bain & Company's Chairman of Global Private Equity Practice Hugh MacArthur recapped the firm's latest Global Private Equity Report. Hugh noted that firms will need to focus on what they do well in a “new era” for private equity. These sentiments echoed much of what Private Wealth Forum speakers, including Arax Investment Partners Founder and CEO Haig Ariyan, Laird Norton Wetherby CIO Ron Albahary, CFA, Ardian Managing Director, US Private Wealth Solutions Ava Mallin, and Citi Wealth Head of Private Equity and Real Estate Jeffrey Locke, shared on stage at PEI. This week's AGM Alts Weekly dives into what a "new era" in private equity might look like, connecting dots and data points from Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company's 2026 reports on the state of the private equity industry. Some key themes defined the takeaways from both reports: ➡️ Returns will not be a dime a dozen: Bain's punchline? "12 is the new 5." ➡️ Megadeals, big questions: 2025 witnessed an increase in global buyout deal value. However, just 13 deals of $10B or more contributed 69% of the growth in 2025, accounting for $274B of the global gain. ➡️ A K-shaped industry: Private equity appears to turning into a K-shaped industry, with “a subset of elite funds [being] on the upswing while everyone else muddles through.” ➡️ No fun in fundraising: McKinsey noted that core, closed-end fundraising has “become more competitive, selective, and time consuming.” ➡️ Continuation nation: There’s been a marked rise in continuation vehicle activity, but only represents less than 10% of exit value. ➡️ Mid-sized deals not so mid: Megadeal activity grabbed the headlines. But deal sizes $1-5B deals grew 29%. Growth in the $1-5B deal size segment could be encouraging for specialist buyout funds. There are some key questions for allocators to grapple with as they think about what private equity might look like in the future. 1️⃣ Do allocators believe public markets will continue to outperform private markets? 2️⃣ Will fundraising bounce back? 3️⃣ Can firms kick value creation into motion? 4️⃣ Are both GPs and LPs ready to handle how investors might look to exit evergreen vehicles? 5️⃣ For LPs, are they finding managers that have an edge? Read on for more👇 This week's Alt Goes Mainstream's AGM Alts Weekly, brought to you by DealsPlus, covers: 🗂️ AGM Index, an index that tracks the leading publicly traded alternative asset managers. 💻 Who is hiring: Senior-level positions from companies Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Inc., Ares Management, EQT Group, Blue Owl Capital, Franklin Templeton, Fortress Investment Group, iCapital, Goldman Sachs, Ultimus Fund Solutions, Krilogy, MSCI Inc. Subscribe👇 to see the latest trends & navigate this rapidly changing landscape as alts go mainstream. https://lnkd.in/eRKN25jy

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Excited to finally share what we’ve been building over the past year. Today we’re announcing the first investment from ARKITEKT EQUITY. Over the past year, we have been closely observing the structural shifts occurring within semiconductor ecosystems. As manufacturing systems become more complex, the infrastructure enabling those systems becomes increasingly strategic. These environments demand operational clarity, coordination, and long-term alignment. ARKITEKT was built around a simple idea: durable value is created where frontier technology meets pragmatic execution. Our investment in BBTech reflects this conviction. This is just the beginning of what we aim to build at ARKITEKT EQUITY. Stay tuned! https://lnkd.in/g_pQiBZY

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A fantastic discussion with Glenn Oken, Dan Herr and Matt Rooney on the evolution of a dedicated BD team in private equity. The conversation explores how deal sourcing has transformed over his 30+ year career, examining what truly drives credibility in the market, the importance of empowering genuine decision-makers, and his journey to co-founding one of the first operationally focused private equity funds in the lower middle market. #DealSourceryPodcast

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Announcing our portco Zeno has raised next round of $25mn with participation from Congruent Ventures Lowercarbon Capital Trifecta Capital ! Advantedge Founders continues to back the team with $2mn additional investment. Its been terrific working with Michael Spencer & Greg Moran to establish the full stack model in Africa. With this raise expansion in new markets and planning for India launch is next steps. https://lnkd.in/gGr6qiBj

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I spoke with Christien Louviere of BDE Capital about his journey from a $330mm exit to becoming an independent sponsor. Christien shared excellent insights for folks looking to partner with business owners, rather than buy sellers out completely. Below are a few of the topics we covered: - Why he moved from “zero-to-one” startups to a buy-then-build strategy - How Christien's background shaped a focus on growth vs. cost-cutting - Why 20–40% rolled equity is central to his deal structures—and how it builds trust with sellers - Using scenario analysis with AI tools to evaluate management teams and uncover hidden key-person risks - How to identify when a $3–5M EBITDA company truly has a middle management layer—or is still founder-reliant For anyone investing in or buying small businesses, Christien’s approach provides a fresh lens on growth, alignment, and deal structuring. 🎥 Watch the full interview here → https://lnkd.in/ekfkaiej 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e86Agx6V

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Sharing some hot takes from a candid conversation with George Mathew (Insight Partners), Rebecca Kaden (Union Square Ventures) and Ben Lerer (Lerer Hippeau), moderated by Akshit (Ash) Bhatia, CFA on Silicon Valley Bank's H1 2026 State of the Markets report. Key insights: 🔥 A "barbell" effect has emerged in venture capital. At one end, massive, late-stage rounds concentrated in a few (mostly AI) companies. At the other, early-stage investing thrives on discipline and finding "pre-consensus" bets, with a hollowed-out middle. 🔥 Specialization is the winning strategy for investors and founders – success now requires choosing a clear lane. Investors must decide between a "top-down" (access-driven) or "bottom-up" (conviction-driven) approach. Article link: https://lnkd.in/e3ywHwDB

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📣 When we first partnered with Evan Klein and the Zaelab team in 2023, we saw a clear opportunity: build the go-to partner for digital transformation across the manufacturing and distribution landscape. Zaelab has made incredible progress, accelerating growth and efficiency for its clients, expanding key relationships with platforms like Shopify and Logik.ai (now ServiceNow), and extending capabilities with the acquisition of Trellis. Now, we are excited to announce that Zaelab has merged with TMG, a company with deep manufacturing roots and a standout #Shopify B2B product, Fuse. Together with Zaelab’s own Portul Shopify solution, the combined platform is now the clear leader in the Shopify B2B space. With 350+ experts across commerce and CRM, Zaelab is helping clients drive digital transformation by leveraging modern platforms like Shopify and ServiceNow. The combined company does this through providing enterprises with the vision, scale, and execution capabilities that are best in class. Huge congrats to the teams at Zaelab and TMG! Press release in comments 👇

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Big milestone for Firmable. We’ve raised $14m Series A led by Airtree. Sales has moved through a few big waves: intuition-led, CRM-led, data-led. We’re now entering the next one – intelligence-led sales. The opportunity isn’t just better data. It’s turning that data into clear direction and action, without adding more work for sales teams. That’s what we’re building at Firmable: a foundation of trusted external data, layered with intelligence that helps sellers know who to focus on and when. Led by Airtree, this round supports our expansion across Asia and into the US – and accelerates the build-out of AI agents that take the admin work off sales teams so they can focus on what they do best. Proud of the team, grateful to our customers and investors. We’re just getting started. Read the exclusive in the AFR. https://lnkd.in/gr66uknb Leigh Jasper | Tara Salmon | Karthik Venkatasubramanian| Chester Thompson| Chath Widanapathirana

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Growth at all costs is out. Strategic expansion is in. One stat from our new report that says it all: By $100M ARR, 67% of growth comes from expansion, not net-new customers. We’re seeing a mindset shift among top-performing founders. They’re prioritizing customer success early, building in product-led growth loops, and measuring how they grow, not just how fast. Full analysis and benchmarks here: https://lnkd.in/gZruurYs #AI #SaaS #CustomerSuccess #BeyondBenchmarks

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We’re thrilled to back Anil Varanasi and the Meter team as they take on one of the most overlooked bottlenecks in modern business: enterprise networking. For too long, IT teams have been burdened by fragmented systems, unpredictable costs, and outdated infrastructure. Meter’s vertically integrated, Network-as-a-Service model changes that—bringing simplicity, predictability, and intelligence to a space that desperately needs it. This isn’t just about better networks; it’s about laying the groundwork for autonomous, AI-optimized infrastructure. Proud to support this exceptional team alongside General Catalyst, Microsoft, Sequoia Capital, J.P. Morgan, and Tishman Speyer . Read more about why we invested here: https://lnkd.in/erhYMDxz.

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We often see that early restraint and alignment are vital for first-time CFOs. This article discusses how taking the time to create context and build trust is essential for making a lasting impact: https://lnkd.in/eUma_Wq3

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Ever wonder what truly drives success inside a private equity boardroom? In my experience, PE-backed boards operate with a different level of intensity, accountability, and focus on value creation. Expectations are clear, metrics matter, and alignment between investors and management is critical. That’s why I’m excited to share that we've partnered with FEI NYC to bring you an insight-packed session designed to give board members, advisors, and operators a practical look at what really happens in these rooms - "Inside the Boardroom of a Private Equity Portfolio Company." With our expert panelists, we’ll explore governance structure, performance expectations, investor dynamics, and the mindset required to succeed in a PE environment. If you serve on a board or aspire to, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/ee4-VG9C #PrivateEquity #BoardLeadership #CorporateGovernance #CFO #PDANYMetro #Growth

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Proud to share a 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 project from two of my colleagues at Crane Venture Partners, Ben Wright and Rav Dhaliwal. A new book! 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 is shaping up to be a definitive field guide for technical founders who are discovering—often the hard way—that building a great product is not the same as building a great company. In an era obsessed with automation and "oh, AI can do that," this book brings the focus back to something harder, messier, and more powerful: conversation, trust, and learning directly from customers. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing 𝟮𝟬 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 from the book. Here are the 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟰 to kick things off 1️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 ≠ 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 Why products don’t make businesses. 2️⃣ 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗔𝗠 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗖𝗣 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 Finding focus in your first market. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿-𝗼𝗻-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺—𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 Prioritizing pain that buyers must fix. 4️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝗖𝗣 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 The path to your initial sales focus. What I appreciate most about this work is its honesty. It doesn’t romanticize selling—but it makes the case that for founders, sales is not a department. It’s a responsibility. And done well, it becomes a real competitive advantage. More takeaways coming weekly. 📍 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵: 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻, 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟬 If you’re a technical founder navigating your first customers—or supporting one who is—this is a book worth paying attention to. #FounderLedSales #Startups #GoToMarket #B2BSales #Founders #Crane

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🚨NEW EPISODE: Recorded live at FUTURE TITANS 2026 - Jeff Perry of Carta sat down with the iconic Seth Levine, co-founder of Foundry. Seth has been in venture for 25 years, built Foundry from scratch as an emerging manager himself, and has backed about 50 emerging manager funds through his fund of funds. He has genuinely seen every side of this table. They went deep on building Foundry, why VCs are in the influence business, not the decision business, and why the concentration problem in venture is not only bad for LPs, but also for the innovation ecosystem overall. And why Seth's new book, Capital Evolution, is so important for the future of America. 🎧 Links to listen... Apple: https://lnkd.in/ehQUQ2EM Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eU4FExpg

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Wealth professionals looking to introduce private market investments into client portfolios are finding that client education is essential. Managing Director James Martin shares a key insight from our Global Private Wealth Survey that highlights how stronger education equips clients to confidently embrace private markets.

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