⊹ A spark of Genius ⊹
Circe's spell book of ideas, people, and opportunities, curated to enchant your week
⊹ THE CIRCE BRIEF
As AI reshapes more of the digital world, the value of real in person conversation and collaboration is rising. Despite the noise around AI, investors are backing something timeless: The simple, irreplaceable human need to connect.
You can see the contrast in Y Combinator’s most recent batches. While nearly 90% of funded startups are AI companies ,YC has still backed 49 social and community-focused ventures, a meaningful signal that in a world going increasingly digital, the bet on human connection is only getting stronger.
One third of American’s feel lonely every week. In today’s world, feeling disconnected is becoming the norm.
As a result, people are becoming more deliberate and intentional about how, where, and with whom they exhaust their social battery.
And the market is already responding.
Startups like Partiful, Lunchclub, RealRoots, and Candle are all built around the idea: helping people find each other in the real world.
That's the foundation Circe was built on: intentional and curated connections that compound over time.
Want to stay connected with us? Join our community!
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⊹ CIRCE DEALFLOW
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Starla Skin [Skincare Tech]
Raising: Pre-Seed
Starla is leaning into the future of skincare with their Advanced 7-in 1 LED Light Therapy Face Mask, a high tech, at-home device built with MIT and Harvard engineers and dermatologists. The mask uses 7 different wavelengths and AI-driven personalized plans to target everything from fine lines to inflammation.
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VLVT [Consumer Tech]
Raising: Pre-Seed
VLVT is a relationship intelligence platform that is transforming how we build connections by using psychology, both while looking for a partner and when you are already in an existing relationship. “V”, which is VLVT’s AI love coach helps users understand their attachment style, build healthy relationships, and connect with like-minded partners by combining behavioral science and AI.
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Zanzi [Women’s Health Tech]
Raising: Pre-Seed
Zanzi designed the first wearable health device that tracks cycle, sleep, mood heart rate, temperature, gut health, and medications. The device’s interchangeable censoring pod allows you to easily swap it with different jewelry. Bracelets are available for pre-order now!
⊹ TALENT MOVES
⊹ CIRCE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
She approaches technology with deep curiosity about how systems actually work. At Walmart, she builds personalization and recommendation systems that power product discovery across their website and mobile app, shaping how millions of users interact with products online. Her background spans large-scale data infrastructure, in-store computer vision, and engineering roles at companies like TripAdvisor.
On top of all that, outside her work at Walmart, she’s building a venture in the geriatric care space.
We love having her in this community. We have a feeling you’ll want to know her!
⟡ EVENTS
APRIL 9 | Hosted by Circe, AIX Ventures, and The Tech Bros
A full stack AI creation platform that allows users to generate interactive 3D worlds from text using a suite of generative tools.
Youth and AI Innovation Summit (YAIS) | APRIL 12
A hands-on event for students ages 8–18 to explore AI, technology, and entrepreneurship through projects, demos, and competitions.
See our entire Calendar of events here.
.⊹ OFFICE HOURS ⊹
Anna Gurney
Circe, Berkeley MBA/MPH, Chief of Staff @ Aura Finance
Topics: Early stage investing, Women’s Health, HealthTech, VC ecosystem, and building founder networks.
⊹ BOOK TIME
Isa D’Elia
Circe, Berkeley MBA, Bizdev and GTM @ Kenley (YC ‘24)
Topics: Applied AI, HR Tech, 0→1 product strategy, and building systems that help teams move faster.
⊹ BOOK TIME
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⟡ Want your company, job openings, or your brand featured in next week’s spark? ⟡
We know you’re juggling a million things and life moves far too fast. But in the middle of it all, we want to take a moment and recognize how awesome you are and make sure you’re always in the loop!
We are so excited about allll the things we’ve got going on and coming up. We hope you’ll be the biggest part of it!
Thank you for joining us in this journey of creation and empowerment.
