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Venture Capital News
TechCrunch
2w
227
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Next Insurance gets scooped up by Munich Re for $2.6B
- Germany's Munich Re has agreed to acquire digital insurance company Next Insurance for $2.6 billion.
- Founded in 2016, Next Insurance focuses on providing insurance to small-to-medium-sized businesses and was last valued at $2.5 billion.
- Next Insurance has raised nearly $1.2 billion and has over 600,000 customers with 700 employees.
- Next Insurance will become part of Munich Re's Ergo unit, with the deal expected to close in Q3 2025.
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Medium
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120
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Founders: Create a Business Plan VCs Will Love — Aligning Numbers with Narrative for Investment…
- Creating a financial model for your business plan is about demonstrating realistic potential through numbers and narrative, not just creating a perfect Excel file.
- A business plan communicates your story through financial representations and serves key purposes for VCs, such as revealing how your company operates and providing depth for evaluation.
- Financial models are crucial for scenario planning, where VCs test assumptions and project revenue lines for different scenarios to estimate potential ROI.
- Assumptions in your financial model should be grounded in logic, supported by data, and strike a balance between ambition and realism.
- VCs focus on key areas like revenues, costs, and cash flow when reviewing your financial model to assess your business's health, scalability, and resilience.
- VCs expect your financial model to be organized and include key elements like revenue sources, expenses, and funding requirements for immediate insight into your business.
- Assumptions in revenue projections should be both optimistic and realistic, grounded in data and industry benchmarks to build credibility.
- Costs in a financial model expose risks and constraints, and VCs scrutinize them to ensure all expenses are considered and scalability is addressed.
- Cash flow analysis is essential to demonstrate financial stability, with VCs examining runway, burn rate, and projections across different scenarios.
- Founders should be prepared to justify and explain every assumption in their financial model, understanding how VCs analyze revenues, costs, and cash flow.
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Medium
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261
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Unlocking Value with Investor Updates
- Investor Update emails can be highly beneficial for founders in terms of building enterprise value and achieving their goals.
- The main reasons to write good investor updates are: to keep investors informed, to attract potential investors, to gain support and insights, and to strengthen relationships.
- A suggested framework for monthly investor updates includes sections for revenue, critical KPIs, business development wins, product releases, internal developments, milestones, metrics, product, team, and shoutouts.
- For more mature businesses, quarterly board decks are recommended with a focus on strategy, numbers, key challenges, and product development. Prospective investors can be provided with a shortened and redacted communication format.
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TechCrunch
2w
107
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VC investment in European startups passed $52B in 2024, continuing long-term growth trend
- Venture capital investment in European startups surpassed $52 billion in 2024, indicating continued long-term growth.
- Europe's startup market stabilized, with a rebalancing of investment terms compared to the extreme highs and lows of the pandemic period.
- European companies showed an expansion of option pools, highlighting a stronger talent pool and focus on scaling companies.
- Europe faces some constraints in the number and amount of growth-stage funding deals, although early-stage funding is well-served.
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Medium
2w
175
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Where’s all the Business Funding in Canada?
- 5% of all businesses in Canada closed down in June, with the lowest rate of new business openings in over a year.
- Half as many Canadians are starting businesses today compared to 20 years ago, despite record population growth.
- VC success stories and large government grants are reported, but the overall business funding situation in Canada is not running smoothly.
- Suggestions to improve the Canadian startup ecosystem include implementing changes to support startups and small & medium enterprises (SMEs).
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10 Likes
Saastr
2w
257
You Are Probably Doing Email All Wrong
- Email continues to hold value and executives manage their own inbox.
- Most people are not utilizing email effectively, wasting the opportunity to connect.
- Generic copy, lame pitches, and not solving customer problems contribute to wasted emails.
- It is important to make sure each email is the best shot at engaging the recipient.
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Medium
2w
208
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The Future of Remote Work with AAK Tele-Science: Driving Productivity and Collaboration
- Remote work has enabled organizations to access a global talent pool, reduce operational costs, and improve work-life balance.
- Managing remote teams effectively requires real-time performance tracking and task automation.
- Seamless communication is essential for remote teams. AAK Tele-Science offers integrated messaging and collaborative workspaces.
- AAK Tele-Science provides AI-driven analytics to measure productivity trends, employee well-being insights, and engagement tracking tools for remote work culture.
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Saastr
2w
25
How Coursera Turned Around Their GRR from 47% to 86% in 12 Months: A Deep Dive
- Coursera, under the leadership of Bradley Lawrence, has successfully turned around their Gross Renewal Rate (GRR) from 47% to 86% in just 12 months.
- Key factors in this turnaround include implementing a comprehensive deal management system, restructuring the customer success team, focusing on product stickiness, optimizing the role of customer success managers, and overhauling the implementation process.
- Institutional buy-in, remote team excellence, and key lessons for other SaaS companies are identified as additional keys to success.
- To maintain this improvement, Coursera plans to focus on continuous process refinement, monitoring health metrics, proactive churn prevention, and strong product-market alignment.
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1 Like
Medium
2w
55
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Introducing Micro Venture Initiative (MVI): Tokenizing Sustainable Social Impact
- Libertas Alpha introduces the Micro Venture Initiative (MVI), combining blockchain technology with grassroots entrepreneurship for sustainable micro-ventures.
- MVI tokenizes physical assets, creating digital tokens on a blockchain for broader investment and transparency.
- MVI's inaugural project in Nigeria focuses on an eco-friendly water supply venture, offering environmentally sustainable options.
- MVI's model ensures fair returns, sustainable growth, and benefits for all stakeholders in the community development process.
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3 Likes
Insider
2w
283
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This startup says computing limits shouldn't slow down science. See the pitch deck it used to raise $4 million.
- Camber, a startup, raised $4 million in funding to make scientific computing faster and more accessible.
- The platform allows researchers to process large datasets using powerful GPUs in the cloud.
- Camber aims to democratize scientific computing and enable researchers to focus on breakthroughs rather than IT infrastructure.
- The funding will be used to expand teams, build partnerships, and provide scholarships for early-career researchers.
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17 Likes
Saastr
2w
244
Dear SaaStr: How Do I Progress My SDRs to AEs?
- Set Clear Performance Metrics for SDRs
- Create a Career Path and Communicate It
- Pair SDRs with AEs for Mentorship
- Promote Based on Timing and Team Needs
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14 Likes
TechCrunch
2w
7.6k
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SoftBank to acquire semiconductor designer Ampere in $6.5B all-cash deal
- SoftBank Group is set to acquire semiconductor designer Ampere Computing through a $6.5 billion all-cash deal.
- The deal aims to broaden SoftBank's investment in AI infrastructure, as Ampere has developed a server chip based on the ARM compute platform.
- Ampere will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank, and its lead investors Carlyle and Oracle will sell their shares.
- The acquisition will strengthen SoftBank's capabilities in AI and compute, supporting its growth initiatives in these areas.
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32 Likes
Medium
2w
296
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TACKLING THE MISSING MIDDLE OF THE TECH INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE IN BENIN
- Benin aims to become a digital hub in West Africa, with tech innovation driving economic diversification post-transition to a lower-middle-income country in 2020.
- In 2024, Spiro, an electric motorcycle startup, secured $50 million, boosting Benin's startup ecosystem and positioning it as a key player in Francophone Africa.
- Despite commendable GDP growth and digital investments, Benin struggles with a 'missing middle' financing gap, hindering tech startups' scalability and sectoral growth.
- Challenges include limited venture capital interest, regional scalability needs, regulatory barriers, and a small domestic market impacting startup growth and access to capital.
- World Bank reports highlight Benin's digital infrastructure strides but point out deficiencies in digital skills, access to venture capital, and regulatory adaptations needed for fintech sector growth.
- To address these challenges, suggestions include adopting a Startup Act, enhancing local investor capacity, establishing public co-investment funds, and developing digital skills and workforce.
- Benin's regulatory framework allows for investment entities like venture capital companies, but challenges such as double taxation policies and infrastructure disparities inhibit startup growth and foreign investments.
- Initiatives like the Fonds d’Appui Catalytique de Solidarité (FACS) face hurdles, indicating the importance of structured fund management for effective support of startups and SMEs.
- Other Francophone African countries like Morocco, Tunisia, Rwanda, and Senegal offer insights on successful VC ecosystems, suggesting regulatory adaptations and funding strategies for Benin's ecosystem.
- Benin's strategic position for regional expansion and growing support infrastructure make it an attractive target for venture capital investments, emphasizing a need for policy reforms and local stakeholder collaboration.
- Through tailored policies, regulatory innovations, enhanced investor capacity, and infrastructure improvements, Benin can unlock its digital innovation potential and establish itself as a vibrant hub for tech startups in West Africa.
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17 Likes
Saastr
2w
322
5 Interesting Learnings From DropBox at $2.6 Billion in ARR
- Dropbox is transitioning to its third phase, investing in its AI-focused business offering, Dash.
- Dropbox holds a 20.9% market share in the file sharing business, positioning itself between Microsoft and Google.
- More than 50% of Dropbox's revenue comes from outside the U.S., reflecting a strong global presence.
- Dropbox has approximately 18 million paying customers with 500,000 being business customers.
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19 Likes
Medium
2w
202
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Beyond Silicon Valley: How AI Is Reshaping Emerging Markets
- AI can accelerate development and reshape emerging markets, but also deepen economic disparities.
- McKinsey estimates that AI could add $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030.
- AI-powered solutions in agriculture are increasing crop yields and reducing pesticide use.
- AI-driven personalization is revolutionizing the tourism industry in emerging economies.
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