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Startup News
Medium
7d
82
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The collapsing french fundraising market : Time to invest or time to wait ?
- Despite a liquidity crisis, the venture market is hot and wilder than 2021, with entrepreneurs raising mega rounds at unicorn valuations pre product and pre revenue. VCs still have cash to deploy from funds raised during the 2019–2022 boom. The contraction in fundraising seems to have stabilized, as projections for 2024 show only a slight dip. There are actually two fundraising markets at the moment: the “traditional” fundraising market, which is shrinking, and the GenAI market, which is soaring. The essence of venture capital is to invest in outliers. France is internationally recognized for its AI talent with Yann LeCun being French. AI models require vast resources, pushing funding needs sky-high. Major U.S. funds have returned to France to fund AI startups. The AI surge has disrupted valuations, reducing the gap between early-stage and late-stage valuations. Funds are overall struggling to raise new capital and will eventually have less money to invest, leading to a decrease in early stage valuations and the end of the market dislocation, despite the AI hype.
- Many VCs prefer investing in suboptimal conditions over not investing at all. With fewer high-quality startups, funds are competing aggressively, often driving funding rounds and valuations up.
- Young partners are eager to build their track records quickly, creating pressure on General Partners to continue investing.
- Some investors believe the market will eventually bounce back.
- When valuations are sky-high or if we are in the midst of a speculative bubble, VCs still invest in once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to fund the global champions of a new category.
- Creating leading AI models requires vast resources, which pushes funding needs sky-high. As a result, early-stage AI companies are raising larger rounds to cover these costs, allowing VCs to deploy capital quickly.
- Some investors view the rise of GenAI not as just another tech wave like software, cloud, or mobile, but as the ultimate category — the greatest invention in human history and possibly the last one we’ll ever shape.
- The AI surge has disrupted valuations, reducing the gap between early-stage and late-stage valuations. Should early stage investors accept these high valuations to avoid missing out, or wait for the hype to cool?
- Funds are overall struggling to raise new capital and will eventually have less money to invest, leading to a decrease in early-stage valuations and the end of the market dislocation, despite the AI hype.
- As funds are struggling, there will be more losers than winners among VCs. Who will win?
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Medium
7d
381
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Breaking the Taboo: How Death Tech is Defying Society’s Fears and Innovating End-of-Life Care
- Legacy Tech (Death Tech) is a sub-sector of the digital economy, transforming how we approach end-of-life planning, legacy, and memorialisation.
- Legacy Tech addresses the logistical, emotional, and cultural challenges surrounding death, simplifying the end-of-life process, from estate planning to memorialisation.
- Legacy Compass and Elayne promote estate planning from a different, b2b2c angle, focusing on emotional value and process of information gathering.
- Platforms like PlotBox and Cemetery360 digitize the process of finding, purchasing, and managing burial plots, allowing users to take virtual tours of cemeteries and engage with digital memorials.
- Legacy management is important for both digital and physical aspects of a person’s life, ensuring that they are thoughtfully organised, protected, and passed on according to their wishes.
- Legacy management provides clarity, reduces stress for loved ones, and preserves personal and cultural elements that make up a person’s identity.
- GoodTrust, Farewill, and newcomer Legacy Compass offer a mix of practical and emotional support options to help clients manage their legacy effectively.
- Technology is reshaping how society addresses sensitive aspects of life, from creating virtual memorials and managing digital estates to eco-friendly burial solutions.
- Success of early leaders like Farewill and GoodTrust has raised over $45m and $13m respectively, and rising startups like Legacy Compass and Elayne are breaking the taboo and setting a new standard in legacy management.
- Effective legacy management transforms a fragmented process into a cohesive legacy that reflects a person’s values, protects their loved ones, and keeps memories alive.
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Economic Times
7d
335
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UnifyApps raises $20 million in round led by Iconiq Growth
- San Francisco-based UnifyApps has raised $20 million in a funding round led by Iconiq Growth.
- The funding round also saw participation from existing investors including Elevation Capital.
- UnifyApps plans to use the funds to expand its unified enterprise AI agent platform and deepen integration across SaaS applications.
- Iconiq Growth's general partner, Matt Jacobson, will join UnifyApps' board of directors.
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ISN
7d
157
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AI-first travel agent 30 Sundays raises $770,000 in a pre-Seed funding round
- AI-first travel agent 30 Sundays raised $770,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by InfoEdge Ventures.
- 30 Sundays focuses on using generative AI and technology to scale and provide excellent customer experience.
- The startup plans to expand into the European market and enhance its AI and data capabilities.
- India's outbound tourism market is expected to grow, and 30 Sundays aims to cater to rising demand with personalized and scalable travel services.
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TechCrunch
7d
82
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Trump’s election throws tech regulation a curveball
- President-elect Donald Trump plans to dismantle President Biden's AI policies.
- Tech regulation shakeup is expected under the new administration.
- OpenAI acquires Chat.com for potential brand change.
- DeepRoute raises $100 million in funding for automated systems development.
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Startupreporter
7d
223
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Kennametal India sales higher by 4.8 Percent for Q1 FY25, PBT up 28.6 Percent
- Kennametal India Limited reported sales of ₹ 2,704 Mn for Q1 FY25, a 4.8% increase from the same quarter last year.
- Profit Before Tax (PBT) after exceptional item was ₹ 337 Mn, up 28.6% from the previous year's Q1.
- The sales growth was driven by volume growth in both the Hard Metal and Machining Solutions Group businesses.
- Kennametal India focuses on cost efficiency measures, topline growth, share gain initiatives, project solutions, and new customer acquisition.
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Economic Times
7d
348
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Ola Electric Q2 performance better on year, but weakens sequentially
- Ola Electric reports Rs 1,214 cr operating revenue for Q2FY22, up 39% YoY, net loss narrows to INR 495 crore
- However, sequentially, revenue falls 26% and net loss widens; Deliveries fell 21% QoQ to 98,619 units
- CEO Bhavish Aggarwal calls Q2 a "seasonally weak period" and predicts a recovery in Q3
- Ola Electric maintains market leadership with a market share of around 33% & gross margin is 20.6%, despite enhanced competitive dynamics in the industry
- Ola Electric announced plans to launch 20 new products over the next two years
- Ola Electric recently launched sale events to ramp up sales and aims to grow at a rate of 30% YoY from here on
- Ola Electric's market share fell to 27% in September from 58% in May as larger two-wheeler makers Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor gained ground in the EV market
- Ola Electric aims to have more than 3,000 retail stores by March 2025, co-located with service infrastructure, which includes 2,000 company-owned locations
- Ola Electric's mass segment products now account for more than half of its quarterly volumes
- Ola Electric saw its shares decline 2.5% on Friday to INR 72.74 in the BSE, after announcing its Q2 results
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Insider
7d
352
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Silicon Valley is betting a Musk-inspired Trump could unleash a startup boom
- Many venture capitalists expect that US President Donald Trump will dial back regulations, potentially making it easier to develop new technologies and do business in Silicon Valley. Many of these hopes are pinned on Elon Musk's involvement in the new administration. Limits on tech mergers and acquisitions have "caused the rate of venture capital return of distributed proceeds to fall drastically, making new capital formation near impossible." Some lawmakers say that allowing a few companies to influence the majority of AI research, development, and monetization poses an economic risk, while many VCs have cried foul and accused FTC commissioner Lina Khan of an anti-business bent.
- While many in Silicon Valley dislike Trump, many VCs and startup founders crave more freedom to pursue riskier new technologies unburdened by regulation. VCs expect possible deregulation to boost innovation, with Musk potentially influencing policies.Trump is considering Musk for White House roles, including ones that would audit various federal programs. VCs anticipate that an innovation boom will drive the US economy in the next four years with the help of aspirational mega projects, visionary initiatives and renewed government investment in the field of space, industrial and defense. Trump is reported to cut corporate taxes and regulations, helping startup M&A and investment.
- Ben Narasin, founder and general partner of Tenacity Venture Capital has said that the most exciting thing of all will be putting Elon in charge of government efficiency, "He's going to take a chainsaw through calcified butter, and it's going to be awesome to attack the bloat and overreach that we've had in the government."
- "Trump-Vance ticket is the first unabashedly pro-tech presidency in our Nation's history," said Augustus Doricko, CEO and founder of cloud seeding startup Rainmaker. Many VCs and startup founders crave more freedom to pursue riskier new technologies unburdened by regulation.
- Trump created the Space Force in 2019, and his close relationship with Elon Musk will bring renewed attention and government investment into the field. "Elon's going to be an enormously positive monster who delivers a cleaned up, slimmed down, pro-business government, and there will be prosperity for everybody," Narasin said.
- Regulatory pressure had dampened deal-making at Google, with the tech giant abandoning two potential purchases this year, including cybersecurity startup Wiz, which would have been one of the tech giant's biggest-ever acquisitions. Many VCs expect US President Donald Trump will dial back regulations, including limiting on tech M&A to enable exits and new capital formation, which is the cycle of innovation. Silicon Valley is looking for the relaxation in the government's stance about crypto technologies and markets. Some VCs expect that Trump could roll back some antitrust and crypto policies that a Harris administration may have continued.
- For example, regulatory pressure had dampened deal-making at Google, with the tech giant abandoning two potential purchases this year, including cybersecurity startup Wiz, which would have been one of the tech giant's biggest-ever acquisitions. The outgoing administration was an antitrust enforcer and put many tech M&As on hold that it deemed anti-competitive. Limits on tech mergers and acquisitions have caused the rate of venture capital return of distributed proceeds to fall drastically, making new capital formation near impossible.
- Mark Pincus, an early Facebook investor, and the founder of Zynga, responded on X, "Effective accelerationism! E-acc," referring to the recent Silicon Valley movement that wants technological advancements in AI to move as fast as possible, without any guardrails. Some investors were critical about what they call unclear rules for cryptocurrency under the Biden regulation. Investors and founders in the space donated to Trump and other Republican candidates, which they consider more favorable toward crypto technologies and markets.
- "With a major push to remove unnecessary red tape and over-regulation in key areas, we could really have a century of crazy building, innovation, and acceleration," Aaron Levie, the CEO of cloud company Box and a Harris supporter, posted on X Wednesday. Many VCs say they're optimistic about the idea of having one of their own helping to call the shots at the federal level.
- Some lawmakers say that allowing a few companies to influence the majority of AI research, development, and monetization poses an economic risk, while many VCs have cried foul and accused FTC commissioner Lina Khan of an anti-business bent. VCs are hopeful that Trump could roll back some antitrust policies and crypto policies that a Harris administration may have continued.
- The US also opened antitrust investigations into Microsoft and Nvidia earlier this year over their dominance in the hot AI space. The Federal Trade Commission is probing Microsoft's aqui-hire of Inflection AI, and the Department of Justice is investigating Nvidia's acquisition of Israeli AI startup Run:ai.
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Geek Wire
7d
360
Startup radar: 5 early stage companies in Seattle that are raising cash and gaining traction
- Seattle is home to several early-stage startups that are gaining traction and raising capital.
- Govstream is using AI to improve government processes, with investments from Nellore Capital Management and Socrata founder Kevin Merritt.
- Integrate helps streamline program management for hardware development, with $5 million raised from investors and nearing completion of a $1.25 million SBIR contract.
- Sound Games, founded by former Rec Room executive Mike Schmid, is developing video games and has secured initial funding.
- Tamnoon, backed by a $12 million Series A investment, offers a cloud security software platform enhanced by AI to reduce threat exposures.
- Yara AI, co-founded by Seattle tech veteran Joe Braidwood, aims to improve mental wellness through AI-powered support.
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Geek Wire
7d
62
As the AI era heats up, this startup has generated a novel way to cool data center microprocessors
- GemaTEG has developed a novel micro heat-pump architecture that works at the level of individual chips to precisely control the temperature of data center microprocessors.
- This micro heat-pump architecture can help supercomputer operators and AI platforms to address the challenges of computing performance and energy efficiency.
- GemaTEG's technology is chip-agnostic, and every chip in a server or data center can have its dedicated micro heat pump that independently controls cooling based on the specific workload and heat output of that processor.
- This approach contrasts with traditional cooling systems that cool everything uniformly and GemaTEG's system can improve chip performance by more than 30% while reducing overall energy consumption.
- The startup's thermal management system has won the renewal of its Efficient Solution Label from the Solar Impulse Foundation, recognizing approaches that are sustainable from a business and environmental perspective.
- GemaTEG has partnered with Italian aerospace and defense giant Leonardo to enhance the performance of the Italian company's DaVinci-1 supercomputer.
- GemaTEG has raised approximately $10 million in funding from various sources, including equity investments, grants, and bank loans and has approximately 15 employees.
- The team collaborates with EPFL-EcoCloud to develop next-generation thermal management solutions, and they plan to play a role in Leonardo's upgrade of its flagship Da Vinci supercomputer to a new Da Vinci 2 system.
- GemaTEG's unique approach to localized cooling can boost performance and reduce power consumption, positioning the company well to help tackle computing performance and energy efficiency challenges.
- The founders named the company Gematek, in part, for the first names of their respective children — Giulia, Elisa, Matteo, and Alessandro. Also, gemma in Italian means "gem."
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Eu-Startups
7d
331
Busting the myths of angel investment: Separating hype from reality
- Entrepreneurs must learn that raising angel funding is not instant, straightforward, nor based on a single pitch meeting. A lack of patience is one of the key reasons startups fail to raise investment.
- Not all angel investors are worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Anyone with some spare capital and a desire to invest can become an angel.
- Angel investors are not just involved in tech startups, but are drawn to businesses with strong potential.
- Investors are increasingly focused on businesses with a clear pathway to profitability, prioritizing solid growth and exit strategies over vanity metrics.
- While misconceptions around angel investing can exist, entrepreneurs must approach the fundraising process with a clear understanding of its true dynamics to increase their chances of securing investment.
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Yourstory
7d
406
Image Credit: Yourstory
[Weekly funding roundup Nov 2-8] VC funding wanes
- The Indian startup ecosystem witnessed a decline in VC funding during the first week of November.
- Total funding for the week amounted to $101 million, a significant drop from the previous week's $289 million.
- The decrease in funding can be attributed to the absence of large deals and the usual slowdown in activity during the year-end months.
- Despite the decline, the Indian startup ecosystem remains optimistic, with steady VC inflow expected and several startups securing funding.
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ISN
7d
242
Image Credit: ISN
MyHealthcare appoints Diwakar Bhowmik as Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer
- MyHealthcare has appointed Diwakar Bhowmik as Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer.
- Bhowmik brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare information technology.
- His expertise will contribute to MyHealthcare's expansion across multiple regions.
- Bhowmik will oversee operations and strategic planning, focusing on product innovation and geographical expansion.
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14 Likes
Medium
7d
286
Image Credit: Medium
Boomerang’s August Recoveries: $314,797 Worth of Lost Items Returned to Owners
- Boomerang's August recoveries totaled $314,797 worth of lost items returned to owners.
- If these items hadn't been recovered through Boomerang, owners would have collectively spent over $300,000 to replace them.
- Boomerang helps customers get their valuables back quickly and easily, saving time, money, and stress.
- Join the Boomerang Network to be part of this incredible story of recovery, trust, and value.
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Medium
7d
369
Image Credit: Medium
Consumers Now Believe They Have a 45% Chance of Recovering Lost Items
- Boomerang's platform has improved consumer belief in recovering lost items, with a perceived 45% chance of success.
- Customer satisfaction from successfully recovering lost items drives positive reviews and trust in the platform.
- Boomerang aims to become a global leader in item recovery, envisioning a world where all found items are returned to their owners.
- By joining the Boomerang Network, businesses can enhance consumer confidence and transform the Lost & Found experience.
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