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Venture Capital News
Medium
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307
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Founder Spotlight: Ariel Harmoko @Artifact AI and agentic AI systems
- 2024 is the year when AI agents are the talk of the town. AI agents have the ability to execute a multitude of tasks for you. The last couple of weeks were intense in this space as major tech companies have demoed their upcoming agentic products.
- Microsoft gave a demo on their Copilot Studio, Google showcased Jarvis, and Salesforce launched their own low-code agent building tool called Agentforce. Major AI architectures based on agentic workflows are emerging.
- Many people can build an agentic framework or multi-agent AI workflow highly specific to their use case today. OpenAI’s Swarm library is open source on GitHub for anyone to experiment with.
- Artifact AI's vision is to become the global standard in accounting software. They've developed a customizable, agent-driven workflow that covers everything from bookkeeping to tax filing and everything in between.
- Multi-agentic AI systems are essentially LLM-based agents that operate almost like an LLM in a loop, but with memory and states. This system is what we call a multi-agent AI system.
- Ariel Harmoko, the CEO of Artifact AI has spoken with 300-400 founders. He believes that most founders are not building their companies bottom-up with AI agents because this space is still new and requires deep technical knowledge of LLMs to stay current with the latest advancements.
- For those looking to build AI-native companies, it is recommended to build a tailored evaluation framework for different LLMs based on their use case. You don’t need to be a technical founder to start building such workflows.
- The next big leap in AI may be on the hardware front. Already, we are seeing this in the push towards AR/VR and the Tesla Bot gaining traction. The fusion of multimodal AI with hardware, enabling interaction beyond chat to include vision and more, is going to be thrilling to watch.
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Medium
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376
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Risk Communication in Venture Capital
- Effective risk communication is crucial in venture capital (VC) to navigate uncertainties and manage risks.
- Clear communication helps VCs and startups understand and address potential risks, fostering trust and alignment.
- Utilizing risk assessment frameworks and ongoing communication through updates and progress reports enhance risk management strategies.
- Encouraging open dialogue, visual tools, tailored messaging, and transparency contribute to effective risk communication in VC.
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Siliconangle
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8.4k
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Insider raises $500M in funding for its personalized marketing platform
- Insider, a personalized marketing platform startup based in Istanbul, has raised $500 million in a late-stage funding round led by General Atlantic.
- Insider offers a cloud platform that enables companies to customize their marketing campaigns based on buyer preferences, using a built-in customer data platform (CDP).
- The platform utilizes machine learning features called Sirius AI to automate tasks and optimize promotion delivery, saving time for marketers.
- Insider's platform is used by over 1,500 companies, including major brands like Nike and Samsung. The funding will be used for market expansion, hiring, and AI advancements.
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Medium
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98
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The Curious Case of the Student Athlete: Leadership Lessons from the Court to the Workplace
- According to Spencer Stuart’s 2023 study of Fortune 500 CEOs, nearly 60% participated in collegiate athletics, reaching the CEO position an average of four years faster than their non-athlete peers. This acceleration isn’t surprising when you consider the unique mindset forged through athletic competition.
- One reason athletes reach the C-suite faster is their nuanced understanding of when to compete and when to collaborate. From their earliest days, these athletes learn a crucial lesson: team success and individual success are inseparable. Athletes learn to push each other to improve without resorting to sabotage.
- Student athletes bring a unique advantage here. They’re conditioned to view feedback as essential for growth and they take that criticism and put it into action.
- Student athletes spend an average of 12 years balancing academics, practice, games, and travel — a rigorous schedule that builds extraordinary discipline. Athletes who regularly achieve flow state show not just marginally better performance, but consistently perform 29% above their baseline metrics.
- These final traits represent the culmination of all others. As Coach Amaker always stressed, you must “earn and deserve.” Success is never handed to you, and the pursuit of excellence naturally brings you into contact with others who are smarter, stronger, or better connected.
- Our internship program actively recruits current student athletes into the venture and startup ecosystem.
- These metrics mirror the broader pattern seen in the Spencer Stuart study — athletes don’t just succeed, they accelerate. They bring a unique combination of skills that allows them to navigate complex business environments with the same agility.
- The ability to compete while collaborating, to iterate and initiate, to maintain rhythm through repetition, and to stay humble while hungry — are the same traits that define great business leaders.
- The key takeaway is that athletes acquire specific skills and attributes during their sporting days that can be transformed into the boardroom or in their startup venture
- Former student athletes consistently demonstrate two seemingly contradictory traits that actually create a powerful combination in the workplace. They’re 66% more likely to take on challenging stretch assignments, showing their hunger for growth, while simultaneously being rated 23% higher on teamwork and collaboration metrics, indicating their humility and ability to work with others.
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TechCrunch
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179
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The Chainsmokers want to bring a different kind of value add to B2B companies
- The Chainsmokers have launched their VC fund Mantis VC, focusing on B2B startups.
- They aim to bring a different perspective and value to B2B companies.
- Their strategy is to provide support, perspective, and connectivity that traditional funds may not focus on.
- They leverage their network to make introductions and help with hiring for their portfolio companies.
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TechCrunch
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200
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New funding rounds confirm that money attracts money
- Startup Salva Health won the Startup Battlefield competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024.
- Swiggy, India's largest food delivery startup, plans to go public at a $11.3 billion valuation.
- Nasdaq CEO expects a resurgence in startup IPOs to begin in 2025.
- A petition for a new legal form for European startups is gaining momentum.
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Medium
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286
How to Hire an Executive
- Talent density is the single most important variable and determinant of success in a startup.
- Identifying whether a role is for value creation or protection is important.
- For startups, executives must take big risks and make big swings to create and increase their company’s value.
- Executives for value creation must balance focus and defocused exploration and be comfortable with ambiguity.
- Team building and leadership are crucial for any CEO hire.
- Annotate a dozen top resumes to create a realistic candidate profile for recruitment.
- Find someone with the best network and instincts for entrepreneurial talent.
- Preferably, prioritize finding an executive who is not too experienced in the industry of the startup.
- Find someone who is a great thinker, learner, and team builder and who can quickly learn.
- It's important to find a candidate who can raise funds effectively and develop and sell the vision of the company.
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VC Cafe
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350
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Weekly #FIRGUN Newsletter – November 1 2024
- Firgun is an informal modern Hebrew term and concept that describes unselfish delight or pride in the accomplishment of the other person.
- Last week, Israeli startups raised over $500M, demonstrating the ecosystem’s ability to attract investors during market instability and conflict.
- In the tech and AI ecosystem, OpenAI is now going head to head with Google with ChatGPT search, and xAI now has the world’s largest AI supercomputer.
- Apple rolled out Apple Intelligence across iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices, while Russia fined Google the largest fine compared to the world's total GDP and has released a new product called Google Learn About.
- Flash floods in Valencia, Spain claimed the lives of 95 people and created apocalyptic scenes, and Iran threatened it will deal Israel a 'devastating blow.'
- Israeli startups raised over $500M, and M&A deals surged to $11.9 billion—up 39% from Q1-Q3 2023.
- Startup NextSilicon raised $100M, followed by DoorLoop at $100M, and INNOVENTRIC at $28.5M to fund their respective projects.
- Sapien and Motormia both raised over $8M in seed rounds, and Verax AI raised $7.6M.
- Ctrl was acquired by Sana AI for an undisclosed sum, and Puls was acquired by Super for an undisclosed sum.
- The state of AI in Q3 2024 and in generative AI’s early years have been explored in CB Insights and The Wharton School's AI Adoption Report, respectively.
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Saastr
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389
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The 3 Financial Plans You Need for Next Year: C-90, C-60 and C-10 (Updated)
- You need to make three plans to run your SaaS business for the next year.
- These days, venture capital is so much tight that you need a relatively high-quality plan.
- Start with an “L4M” model to average the growth rate in your revenue, costs, and burn rate for the last four months or so.
- The first plan is C-60, the second is C-10, and the third one is C-90.
- C-60 is called a base plan, and C-10 is your stretch plan, which is usually around 20% higher than the C-60 plan.
- C-90 is only for planning purposes that you need to make if the burn stays the same but revenue comes up short.
- The broader team doesn't use C-90.
- Use the C-60 plan as the Base Plan and everyone's goals for next year.
- The C-10 plan is used for the Stretch Plan and bonuses for everyone if you hit it.
- The C-90 Plan is used to manage cash.
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Medium
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179
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Why am I bullish on crypto payment +DID solution?
- Bitcoin and stablecoins offer advantages for cross-border payments, with stablecoins providing greater price stability.
- Decentralized Identity (DID) systems have the potential to streamline P2P crypto payments.
- WeChat serves as an example of a Web2 solution with mass adoption, integrating digital identity and payments seamlessly.
- Reveel ID is a new omni-chain payment system and DID framework aimed at solving crypto payment challenges.
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Alleywatch
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282
Cruisebound Raises $13M to Scale its Digital-First Cruise Booking Platform
- Cruisebound has raised $13m in funding, to scale its digital-first cruise booking platform.
- The company's platform offers a comprehensive comparison and reservation service, aggregating offerings across all major cruise lines.
- The platform delivers agency-level service through both web and mobile interfaces, significantly reducing research time for consumers.
- Cruisebound has an extensive inventory of over 27,000 itineraries, ensuring consumers receive transparent pricing.
- With an industry where 80% of bookings are facilitated through travel agencies, Cruisebound has developed a streamlined digital solution to simplify the process.
- The latest funding round brought the company's total funding raised to $25.7m, with participation from Thayer Ventures, Link Ventures, and other investors.
- Cruisebound has had triple-digit revenue growth over the past two years.
- The current financing will fuel the company’s growth, adding new partners and inventory, and simplifying the booking process.
- Cruise industry is expected to reach $66bn in revenue by the end of 2024, and the majority of the bookings facilitated through travel agents.
- Cruisebound makes money from booking commissions.
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TechCrunch
1w
333
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Former Caribou founder launches Further, a fintech that’s focused on helping people buy homes
- Further is a new fintech platform that helps users navigate the financial side of home buying.
- The platform's first product, launching Friday, is a calculator that shows what people can afford and what their monthly mortgage payments and closing costs could look like.
- Further looks to give users more than just numbers by providing information on loan options based on their financial status.
- The platform is currently free to use with the company planning to monetize once it releases more product developments.
- The Founder of Further, Kevin Bennet, aims to make the complicated home buying process more manageable for people and especially for first-time buyers.
- Further was created after Kevin Bennet left the auto loan refinancing start-up, Caribou, and spoke to people who had purchased their homes over the past two years, finding common pain points and a gap in the market.
- Further’s pre-seed funding came from investors, including Link Ventures, Vesta Ventures and Fidi Ventures, allowing the company to come out of stealth.
- While the company is unsure of the specific details of their future releases, they are currently developing more features and capabilities.
- Further aims to enable people with insights and information to make good decisions and plan for the dream of being a homeowner.
- Bennett thinks his track record as a founder has made a difference in investors' confidence in the company.
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Saastr
1w
158
Image Credit: Saastr
The Top Marketing Strategies for 2025 Growth with the CMOs of Snowflake, LinkedIn, and Carta
- CMOs of Snowflake, Carta, and LinkedIn share their top marketing strategies for growth in 2025.
- Snowflake’s growth levers for business come from multiproduct adoption, with AI and machine learning playing a big part.
- Carta is strategically focusing on transitioning their software platform to cater to underserved communities in venture capital and private equity firms.
- LinkedIn is focused on mining the customer experience, working on customer reviews and creating a seamless experience focused on value.
- Creating a new category successfully requires a company to already have a large enough platform and sales team to speak to it on a daily basis.
- The consistent messaging strategy for branding is more important than being 100 percent right.
- AI is having the most significant impact on the productivity of sales teams, specifically outbound SDRL messages.
- CMOs for LinkedIn, Carta, and Snowflake are looking to reduce their reliance on web optimization and focus more on building communities and influencer marketing.
- In conclusion, it is an exciting time to be in tech and marketing because brands must focus on creating new paradigms rather than trying to adapt AI to their existing ones.
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Saastr
1w
47
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Dear SaaStr: When Should a SaaS Company Allow Month-to-Month Contracts vs. Requiring Annual?
- Annual contracts combined with prepaid cash are a huge benefit, when done right.
- Bigger companies want to sign annual contracts, especially in exchange for discounts.
- Very small businesses and individuals mostly want to pay monthly on their credit cards.
- Be flexible in the beginning at least. Once you have a brand that customers trust, more will prepay annually.
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TechCrunch
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740
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Buddy.ai is using AI and gaming to help children learn English as a second language
- Buddy.ai is an animated, multimodal, conversational character tutor designed to help children learn English as a second language.
- The idea for Buddy.ai came when the founder's daughter struggled with an online tutor who read scripted answers.
- The company faced challenges in navigating regulations and training the AI to understand children's voices in different languages.
- Buddy.ai recently raised an $11 million seed round and plans to invest in product development and expanding language options.
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