Academia is too slow for AI
Feb 19, 2026
Kaley Ubellacker
Happy Wednesday! If you’re new here, welcome to Necessary Nuggets, your one-stop pre-seed shop. We deliver updates from Necessary Ventures and helpful tidbits on our little corner of the world. Every edition is also on our blog.
Good Reads 📖
For the rushed reader …
SpendRule just emerged from stealth and is tackling a blind spot in hospital finance: the millions spent on service contracts and non-barcoded purchases.
AI is advancing so quickly that academic research is becoming outdated by the time it’s published.
Primary Venture Partners successfully raised $625 million for its fifth fund, which will be its largest fund yet.
For the less rushed reader …
The OR for OpEx
There’s no anesthesia required for this removal. SpendRule just emerged from stealth and is tackling a blind spot in hospital finance: the millions spent on service contracts and non-barcoded purchases. These expenses often slip past traditional invoice-matching systems and creep up on hospitals. SpendRule’s AI-powered platform integrates with existing ERP, contract management, and accounts payable tools to automatically cross-check data before payments go out. It flags discrepancies and prevents overspending that would otherwise require manual audits. Launched last summer by healthcare and AI veterans Chris Heckler and Joseph Akintolayo, the company has already signed major health systems and raised $2 million in a round led by Abundant Venture Partners, with participation from MemorialCare Innovation Fund and Zeal Capital. This time, the hospital bills are getting the check-up.
The Fast L-AI-ne
Today’s breakthrough paper is becoming tomorrow’s version history. AI is advancing so quickly that academic research is becoming outdated by the time it’s published. This is raising concerns about how policymakers and the public interpret findings. As one example, recent studies warned that AI gives faulty health advice and may violate therapy ethics; however, the studies were actually based on older models like GPT-4o, GPT-3, and Llama 3, even as newer versions have already been released. Researchers say AI studies now have an unusually short shelf life, creating a power imbalance where tech companies iterate rapidly while academia moves at a slower, peer-reviewed pace. The result is a growing tension: independent oversight is essential, but the traditional systems designed to scrutinize emerging technologies are struggling to keep up. The good news is by the time you’re done procrastinating, you might not need to read the paper after all.
Pre-seed prodigies
Despite the challenging fundraising environment, there’s a new early-stage fund in town. Primary Venture Partners successfully raised $625 million for its fifth fund, which will be its largest fund yet. The fund will focus on pre-seed and seed investments for founders building the next generation of AI-driven companies. The New York-based firm backs startups across sectors including fintech, healthtech, vertical AI, infrastructure and compute, cybersecurity, and consumer tech. Primary offers operational support to its founders, including hands-on help with talent, revenue, and fundraising through its operator-heavy platform and incubation engine, PrimaryLabs. Primary will be building on a solid foundation of past success stories, including nine unicorns from its first fund. Primary is ready to plant another round of checks and watch what grows.
Market Stirrings 🚩
Here's what the week looked like in pre-seed:
$16.1M
45
Data aggregated from proprietary research and Crunchbase; valuation estimate based on 10-20% ownership stake.
SAFES IN NUMBERS
According to Carta, SAFEs are increasingly the go-to instrument for early-stage rounds compared to convertible notes. In 2025, they made up 90% or more of financings across most industries.
healthtech
CryoBio - Giving the cold shoulder.
CryoBio raised $1.3 million led by Marble. CryoBio is developing a sprayable, fermentation-produced antifreeze protein treatment that protects crops from frost damage.
fintech
Smart Bricks - Curve appeal.
Smart Bricks raised $5 million led by Andreessen Horowitz. Smart Bricks is building an AI-powered intelligence and execution platform that analyzes, underwrites, and autonomously manages real estate investments.
AI
Hardshell - Data's new body guard.
Hardshell raised $1.1 million from Black Prism Capital Partners, Front Porch Venture Partners, Mojo Ventures, and others. Hardshell is building a security platform that protects sensitive training data in AI systems before vulnerabilities get baked into the model.
JOBORTUNITIES
| VP of Finance | - Copper:
Rethinking the induction stove and making kitchen electrification more accessible than ever. Picture a fossil-free future, without sacrificing aesthetics.
| Full Stack Software Engineer | - OneImaging:
Envisioning the future of transportation beyond cars and into the realm of personal electric vehicles. Its first product, P1, is the ultimate tool for city navigation.
Outro🚪
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