Basketball AI Scores $500K, Bessemer Predicts 95% AI-Generated Code by 2030, and the Power of Coffee Shop Diligence

Happy Thursday.

In today’s issue:

• Angel Deals of the Week | 87 Deals, 66 Networks

  • STAY TUNED: We’re about to cross 100 angel deals. Special subscriber only analysis dropping on 10/23 to celebrate. Don’t miss it!

• Bookmarks I think you’ll enjoy

• The best nugget from my conversation at DFW Startup Week with Ichan Stall, co-chair of the North Texas Angel Network.

🔥 Angel Deals of the Week

Angel funding rounds announced in recent weeks, compiled from public sources. These deals represent the elite few that survived an angel network’s vetting process. Note: I have not personally analyzed these companies and am sharing for informational purposes only.

🤖 Deal summaries generated using dealmemo.ai.

📊 Angel Network Investment Tracker: 87 Deals, 66 Networks.

One Stop Wellness | Corporate wellness platform

Participating Groups: North Texas Angel Network

One Stop Wellness is developing an AI-powered corporate wellness platform that claims to add up to 9.5 years to employee lifespan. The company offers customized wellness solutions addressing employees' physical, mental, and emotional well-being through Voice AI technology and personalized coaching. The platform identifies key health risks and delivers real-time guidance, educational resources, and lifestyle challenges to promote behavior change. One Stop Wellness recently secured $300,000 from 14 North Texas Angel Network members to support expansion and platform development.

Romy Antoine | $300,000 Angel Round | Dallas, TX | September 2025 | Source

Ballin AI | AI basketball performance analysis platform

Participating Groups: Oregon Sports Angels, FBomb Angels Investment Club

Ballin AI analyzes basketball game film to deliver expert-level player evaluations and recruiting tools. Founded by former Division I athlete Nyla Pollard, the platform provides personalized development plans and AI-powered rankings to help athletes improve performance and increase recruitment chances. The company recently secured $500,000 from Slauson & Co., Oregon Sports Angels, ACT House, and FBomb Angels Investment Club.

Nyla Pollard | $500K Angel Round | Tulsa, OK | August 2025 | Source

Zelus | Environmental Safety SaaS Platform

Participating Group: Centennial Investors

ZeluSports is developing hyperlocal environmental safety monitoring software that delivers Wet Bulb Globe Temperature readings without requiring on-site hardware. The company combines government weather data, radar, satellites, and advanced modeling to help organizations monitor heat illness, lightning, and air quality risks. ZeluSports recently secured investment from Centennial Investors and serves users in over 125 countries across enterprises, schools, and government organizations worldwide.

Scott Schultz | Columbia, MO | August 2025 | Source

📣 Have an Angel Deal to Announce?

🔖 Bookmarks

1. 🛠️ Software 3.0: Bessemer's new roadmap (including an awesome market map) expects AI will write 95%+ of code by 2030, with GitHub’s Copilot already driving 40% of their $2B revenue.

2. 📈 The New Growth Playbook: Research from Foundation Capital on why scaling to $100B valuation could become the new normal.

3. 🎢 Compression City: ACA Board Member John Harbison’s analysis of the insane valuation compression we’re seeing between early-stage and growth-stage venture that I mentioned after speaking with him a few weeks ago.

🥇 The Nugget: My Top Takeaway from A Conversation with Ichan Stall

Mile Deep > Mile Wide 🔍

Every founder has grit.

Every founder can recruit, sell, and cast vision.

Every founder has “what it takes.”

At least, from the stage.

It takes hustle to uncover the “real” person behind the pretty pitch day facade. And that’s a skill worth developing.

Ichan’s “mile deep” approach is one way to do this - while it requires some level of “pre-filtering” (after all, we can’t go a mile deep with everyone), the insights he’s been able to uncover through this thoughtful, time consuming, 1-1 approach have opened (and closed) doors with regularity.

Takeaway: Like the pitch? Great! Pause. Take the founder to coffee. Then decide.

Some signals Ichan looks for in founders during those meetings:

• Do they get defensive or do they ask follow-up questions in response to feedback?

• Do they admit what they don't know without deflecting?

• Are they respectful of other’s time? Do they show up early and stay late?

Want more? Check out my full conversation with Ichan 👇

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Until Next Week 👋

Thanks for reading - have a great week.

-Andrew

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