The alleywatch startup daily funding report: 12/9/2025. The latest venture capital, seed, pre-seed, and angel deals for NYC startups for 12/9/2025 featuring funding details for Bags, Parallel Learning, and much more. This page will be updated throughout the day to reflect any new fundings. Parallel Learning - $20M Series B. Parallel Learning, a provider of teletherapy for special education services for K-12 students, has raised $20M in Series B funding led by Valspring Capital. Founded by Diana Heldfond in 2020, Parallel Learning has now raised a total of $48.9M in reported equity funding. AlleyWatch is NYC's leading source of tech and startup news, reaching the city's most active founders, investors, and tech leaders. Advertise today Bags - $2.75M venture. Bags, an AI-powered financial management platform for small businesses, has raised $2.75M in Venture funding led by Ford Foundation. Founded by Daniel Taylor, William Hayden, and Ignacio Semerene in 2020, Bags has now raised a total of $7M in reported equity funding.

Bags, a New York-based fintech startup founded in 2020, has raised $2.75 million in a funding round led by Ford Foundation, bringing total capital raised to $7 million. Partnership Fund for New York City, Zeal Capital Partners, Slauson & Co, Limited Ventures and Blueprint FTC participated. The company combines AI-powered insights with human expertise to help small businesses improve financial management and access capital. Bags offers free AI financial reviews that identify errors in financial statements and provide guidance on improvements. Businesses using Bags grow an average of 250% year-over-year and are 4.5 times more likely to secure funding, obtaining financing five times faster than the national average. The startup has worked with over 10,000 small businesses since its founding by Daniel Taylor, William Hayden and Ignacio Semerene. The funding will expand product capabilities and partnerships with community development financial institutions.