It’s Friday, June 20, 2025 — and we’re wrapping the week with a fresh slate of global tech funding activity that signals investor appetite is far from cooling off. From AI-powered interview tools to fintech rails, cardiac imaging, and sustainable seafood tech, today’s lineup reflects a growing push toward automation, inclusion, and climate-conscious solutions.

While there were no billion-dollar megadeals to headline the day, the volume and variety of early-stage funding paint a clear picture: investors are placing calculated bets across sectors that address real-world inefficiencies, especially in healthcare, payroll, payments, and procurement.

Notable deals include Cluely’s $15 million Series A to grow its AI assistant for “cheating smart,” and fintech Tensec’s $12 million seed to streamline cross-border payments. On the health front, France’s DESKi secured $6 million to expand AI-guided heart scans, while Nigerian startup PaidHR raised $1.8 million to modernize payroll for African businesses.

Top backers like Andreessen Horowitz, Costanoa Ventures, White Star Capital, and Accion Venture Lab showed strong support for emerging infrastructure, whether that’s AI-first HR tools, crypto-based payment rails, or software for automating procurement.

Below is the full breakdown of every tech funding deal announced on June 20, 2025 — including company overviews, key investors, and terms.

AI startup Cluely announced it has closed a $15 million Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. Cluely, which offers an AI assistant for job interviews, exams, and sales calls, said the new capital will help it refine its product and grow its team. Cluely shared the news Friday through a video posted on X.

The company’s co-founder, Roy Lee, has generated buzz (and controversy) on social media by publicly showcasing the technology. Cluely’s total funding now stands at roughly $20.3 million, including the prior $5.3 million seed raised this spring. We covered the 21-year-old back in March after he landed FAANG offers, only to get kicked out of Columbia.

Palo Alto-based fintech Tensec has secured $12 million in a seed funding round, the company announced on June 20, 2025. The round was led by Costanoa Ventures and included participation from Quiet Capital, WillowTree Investments, Cambrian VC, and Ignia Partners.

Tensec’s platform enables small and mid-sized companies to offer cross-border and real-time payment services to their clients. The new funding will be used to accelerate Tensec’s expansion into Europe and Asia, enhance its banking integrations for global trade finance, and transform the $190 trillion cross-border payments market.

Founded by former executives from PayPal, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Visa, Mastercard, Rapyd, and Credit Karma, Tensec provides global trade companies and FX providers with the infrastructure to offer cross-border payments and financial services directly to their customers. The company is backed by top-tier investors and operates out of its San Francisco headquarters, with additional offices in New York, Mexico City, and São Paulo.

French healthtech DESKi announced a €5.8 million (~$6 million) seed round to support the global rollout of its HeartFocus cardiac imaging software. HeartFocus is an AI-powered echo-scan tool that guides novice operators through ultrasound heart exams.

The funding round was led by Racine² (an impact fund managed by Serena and Makesense) with participation from BNP Paribas Développement, Épopée Gestion, Good Only Ventures, Better Angle, and NACO. The company said the funds will fuel FDA market launch and further software development after recent regulatory clearance.

Middle Eastern fintech SaturnX, which provides a stablecoin-based API layer for cross-border payments, confirmed a $3 million seed round in mid-June. The round was led by White Star Capital and included “strategic institutional investors,” according to a press release.

Founded in 2024 in the UAE, SaturnX’s platform lets banks, remittance firms, and financial apps move money instantly and cheaply via stablecoins. The company said it has already processed over $250 million in transaction volume. The new funding will help SaturnX expand into Gulf-to-Asia payment corridors and build its regulatory and liquidity infrastructure.

Nigerian HR/payroll startup has closed a $1.8 million seed round, led by Accion Venture Lab with participation from existing backers Zrosk, Chui Ventures, and Zedcrest Capital. PaidHR’s cloud platform automates local and cross-border payroll, compliance, and financial benefits for SMEs in Nigeria and beyond.

Founded in 2020, PaidHR said the new funds will be used to enhance its software and expand its team as it broadens its footprint across Africa. CEO Seye Bandele said the investment will help small businesses scale more effectively by formalizing HR functions and providing earned wage access to employees.

HailiaFinnish seafood technology startup, has raised €1.75 million (≈$1.9 million) to turn fish processing waste into human-grade food products. The round attracted new investors, Holdix and Ikorni Invest, with participation from existing backers.

Hailia’s process turns under-utilized fish parts (heads, fins, frames, etc.) into ready-to-eat seafood products, addressing sustainability and food-security concerns. The company said the investment will fund international licensing partnerships with food processors (including Kalavapriikki and Denmark’s Dana Technology) and speed up global expansion.

Finnish AI startup closed a €1.2 million (~$1.3 M) seed round to accelerate its “agentic AI” procurement platform. The round was led by Failup Ventures with continued participation from existing investor Antler.

Nvelop’s software automates enterprise sourcing by generating RFPs, evaluating proposals, and managing contracts using AI assistants. Founder Mikko Valorinta said the funding validates Nvelop’s vision for transforming tedious procurement processes into strategic, real-time decision-making.

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