| Hi, Agen. Given all the controversy OpenAI has generated as a capital-intensive startup founded as a nonprofit, one might think AI-focused founders today would opt to avoid that governance structure. In reality, however, the number of nonprofit AI-focused startups is actually growing. In today’s edition, we speak with one of the co-founders of nonprofit accelerator Fast Forward, which has seen a big influx in AI companies applying to its program. Plus, an industrial cybersecurity startup lands a $100 million Series E as investor interest in the technology seems to perk up. There are scores of AI-focused nonprofits out there and most of them expect they will neither need nor be capable of raising billions of dollars to scale. As OpenAI’s drama continues to unfold, we thought it would be timely to touch base with Kevin Barenblat, co-founder of nonprofit startup accelerator Fast Forward, about how the next crop of AI-focused nonprofits is likely to scale. Nozomi Networks locked up a $100 million Series E from investors including Mitsubishi Electric and Schneider Electric. The San Francisco-based company offers industrial security and IoT security platforms. A few years ago, Latin America was the fastest-growing region in the world for venture investment. Now, with signs that a flood of capital could again be imminent after a tough funding drought, guest author Héctor Jirau Colón cautions LatAm founders to avoid the pitfalls of excessive optimism. So far in Q1, venture funding to the crypto sector has already topped all of Q4. Could VCs be warming to the volatile industry once more, as Bitcoin prices boom? Related Crunchbase Pro query: Venture Funding To Crypto Startups The artificial intelligence theme was evident again among new additions to our Unicorn Board last month: Two of the new companies on the board are in the AI sector, and many of the other newcomers have the technology woven into their products. See also: The Crunchbase Unicorn Board We’re officially in the era of the solopreneur, writes guest author Sailesh Ramakrishnan of early-stage VC firm Rocketship.vc. This new type of entrepreneurship is a game-changer in today’s innovation-driven yet financially tight market, opening doors for early ventures to flourish, he argues. So what’s driving the trend, what does it mean for the startup ecosystem, and how do you navigate the sometimes lonely terrain of solo entrepreneurship? | 
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