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With only so many days left in the year, despite a short workweek in the US due to Thanksgiving, there was plenty of news starting last Friday. Oh, and by the way, thanks for reading us.
The most interesting startup stories of the week
If you’re looking for a weekend read, here are some recent insights worth digging into.
on the clock: The timing of ServiceTitan’s IPO may not be entirely due to market conditions. The VCs told TechCrunch that the details indicated the software company was on the clock to go public, and there could be more of them.
Salary standards: US government contracting database USASpending.gov reveals the total compensation that defense tech startup Endorel pays its top employees. While there are some technicalities to breaking it down year by year, the bottom line is that it pays really, really well.
New faces: Scaling startups stands as a top priority of the EU’s new top team, which includes three lawmakers in charge of key tech policy areas. This includes Ekaterina Zaharieva, the EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.
Attack of the Clones: It’s not just AI code editors: Y Combinator often backs startups that are building similar products, data analysis startup Deckmatch found. The research also reveals other interesting insights into the types of startups YC accepts.
This week’s most interesting fundraisers
Fundraising season isn’t over yet, and deals of all sizes were once again announced this week.
DTC specs: Iowa, a company that sells a wide range of eyewear products to consumers through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and retail platforms across five markets in the Middle East, has secured a $100 million Series C round led by General Atlantic. .
Cradle of love: Cradle, a startup that applies AI to protein design, has raised $73 million to build its labs and team. Launched in 2022, it previously raised $24 million in a Series A round in 2023.
Shopify for gaming: Israeli startup Appcharge, which sees itself as a sort of “Shopify” for gaming and gives game developers more monetization options, raised $26 million. The round was led by Nordic VC Creandum at a valuation of $100 million.
Sound clone: PlayAI, a Y Combinator alum that clones voices on command, closed a $21 million seed round with support from 500 Startups and Kindred Ventures to invest in its generative AI voice models and voice agent platform. could
Goodbye, Dr. Google: Roon raised a $15 million round led by Forerunner Ventures and Firstmark, with participation from past investors Sequoia Capital and TMV. Now valued at $68 million, the health-tech startup aims to replace “Dr. Google” with video-based Q&As from doctors.
This week’s most exciting VC and fund news.
Create your legacy: Basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo launches VC firm. Called Build Your Legacy Ventures, it will focus on sports and entertainment investments, according to reports.
Cyber Accelerator: Early-stage fund Cleo Capital announced the launch of a cybersecurity accelerator that will back 10 pre-seed and seed startups. They will each receive $250,000 in exchange for 7% equity and participate in this 12-week remote program.
Last but not least.
Latin America fintech will be watchable in 2025, with 2024 figures showing the market is starting to turn around. “I’m sure it’s underfunded after coming out of this region. [post] 2021 correction,” QED Investors partner Mike Packer told TechCrunch.
Credit : techcrunch.com
