Enhance Monitor #6

This week saw significant capital injections and high-profile launches in the venture studio ecosystem. From a $200M exit team returning to the studio model in NYC to a historic $20M raise for African venture building, here is what happened in the studio world.

🚀 New Studio Launches

EVPassport Founders Launch Start Holdings (start.vc) Aaron Fisher and Max Rodrigo, the team behind the $200M EV infrastructure success EVPassport, have officially launched Start Holdings LLC. Operating out of NYC and Barcelona, this "AI-native" studio focuses on building enterprise software for high-cost sectors like transportation and energy. They aim to debut their first venture in early 2026.

FORM Partners with Elliott Starr to Launch Belief Studio Creative production company FORM has launched Belief Studio. Positioned as an AI-augmented creative venture, it focuses on high-volume asset production while preserving human strategic judgment, marking another interesting intersection between agency models and venture building.

Winnipeg Welcomes Ignition A new venture studio, Ignition, has launched in Winnipeg. A joint venture between Launch Coworking and ProductStak, the studio is dedicated to supporting early-stage founders in the Canadian ecosystem.

💰 Capital & Funding

Delta40 Raises $20M for African Ventures In a major milestone for the continent, Delta40 has raised $20 million working with backers like the Soros Economic Development Fund and The Rockefeller Foundation. The Nairobi and Lagos-based studio supports startups in energy, mobility, and agriculture, providing checks between $100k-$500k alongside hands-on studio support.

🤝 Partnerships & Strategy

Butterpie Venture Studio x COOL Studio Butterpie has announced a strategic partnership with COOL Studio. The collaboration combines Butterpie's manufacturing infrastructure and AI platform with COOL Studio’s design expertise to launch 12–28 creator-led CPG brands over the next two years.

📚 Reads & Trends

The Evolution of CVC to "Infrastructure Engines" Creative Dock Group highlights a shift where corporate venture arms are moving from "idea factories" to "infrastructure engines." Notably, venture studio funds have grown from 3% of new emerging VC funds in 2022 to 13% in 2025.

Deep Dive: Health2047's Strategy An interview with Warren Templeton of Health2047 reveals how the AMA-backed studio operates. Unlike traditional investors, they take a founding stake and often partner when only a research paper exists, emphasizing "common stock" alignment with founders.