Genius AI is bringing intelligence to the physical economy, where some of the most valuable and human work in our daily lives takes place. Since Day 1, we have been obsessed with helping talented practitioners do what only they can do as technology takes on the repetitive tasks. We’re excited to share that we raised a Series D at a $1.15B valuation to accelerate our vision. We are also announcing a new brand, Genius AI, as our platform and customer footprint have evolved. Alongside our core flagship GlossGenius product, we’re releasing products that run more of the admin work on their own, so business owners can finally do what they dreamed of. To the 125,000 businesses who have trusted us to save them 112M hours of admin work and earn billions of dollars in extra revenue already, thank you for your partnership. Our work is just beginning as we make your most repetitive workflows disappear. Grateful for our investors, including @Lux_Capital that led the round with participation from @BessemerVP @ImaginaryFund @2048vc @L_Catterton and @StepStoneVC . Here’s a note from our founders @DCohenShohet @Leahcs with more detail below ⬇️

Today we’re unveiling @chemistry_fund - a new firm founded by @kshenster, @Mark_Goldberg_ and me. We’re also announcing a debut fund of $350M – dedicated to going all in with a select number of high conviction investments at the Seed and Series A. I couldn’t be more excited to team up with Mark and Kristina after the proverbial lightning bolt struck us all earlier this year: we got in a room (actually, several rooms, and offsites, and underground parking lots) and many working sessions and hummus snacks later, realized we had the exact same vision for how to build a venture firm from scratch (not to mention the chemistry to pull it off 😉). We discovered we were so remarkably aligned on what the industry needs - and let’s face it - what it does NOT need - that we had to burn the boats and build this new thing ourselves. One thing we were certain of: this new firm would strip away the excess and instead focus maniacally on the true essence - going all in with our founders from the earliest stages. We each said out loud what had been staring us in the face: venture capital isn’t meant to scale. Committing fully and wholeheartedly to each and every one of our investments may not be a recipe for rapid growth, but it’s our north star and built into the very fabric of Chemistry. All three of us will actively support each investment. We are the portfolio services team. No one else sits between us and our founders. We strive to bring excellence - one of our core firm values - to early-stage investing. I can’t stress enough how thankful I am to the mentors I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from both inside and outside of Bessemer, the founders I’ve had the pleasure of working with, the seed and angel ecosystem that has served as an amazing sounding board for us along the way, and, finally, the LPs who have taken the plunge with us. With incredible excitement for what’s to come… chemistry.vc/post/introducin…

In summary, thank you to the entire @BessemerVP team for giving me this opportunity and then putting up with me for all of these years! I hope to make everyone at the firm proud as I step into my new role as Bessemer alum. 13/13

🎮VR could be the next consumer earthquake. On our latest roadmap, we break down: ⏰ Why VR could have its moment soon 🥽 Challenges facing VR entrepreneurs 🏆 Ways we think VR builders will win 4️⃣ Sectors to watch in VR 1.0 Read more here: bessemervp.team/3wo0q9w

1/Personal news: After stepping away from @firstround 18 months ago, I’m ecstatic to be joining @danportillo and the whole team from @sweatequityventures to redefine partnership in VC – building The General Partnership. Check @thegp for more on what we’re building and who we are.

3 brothers co-founded a personal finance app that changed the way millions manage subscriptions. Today, Rocket Technologies🚀 announced its acquisition of @truebill for $1.275B. Read the backstory on what inspired @kentbennett to invest in Truebill✍️ bit.ly/3ebIZj2

Having led the Series A for @glossgenius, we’re proud to see the business platform for beauty professionals raise $19.2M to date 🙌 At Cloud 100 this year, founder/CEO @DCohenShohet shared her mission-driven approach: bit.ly/3HrLOts Read more👇tcrn.ch/3ozH5xj

Today @toasttab makes its debut as a public company on @NYSE. Thank you to our employees, customers and investors for believing in Toast! We’ll continue on our mission of empowering the restaurant community to delight their guests, do what they love and thrive. $TOST

Congrats to the @Toasttab team on this milestone! When the founders moved into the empty office next to mine, I knew they were different. They ignored the conventional wisdom that restaurant tech was too hard - they just wanted to build something great. bvp.com/toast

And just like that, Toast is officially listed on the @NYSE. 🎉 We’re excited about this milestone, but this is only the beginning of our journey. Thank you to our customers -- you have guided, educated, and trusted us, and we look forward to our ongoing partnership. $TOST