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Venture Capital News
Saastr
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Carta: 24% of all Seed VC Rounds Were For SaaS in 2024
- 24% of all seed VC rounds in 2024 were for SaaS, according to Carta.
- SaaS companies started to re-accelerate growth from March 2024 to October 2024.
- AI was often the accelerant for SaaS growth, with many deals being AI SaaS.
- SaaS has become more challenging, but it is back and has evolved.
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Medium
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Candice Matthews Brackeen: Leading with Grit, Vision, and Purpose
- Candice Matthews Brackeen is a trailblazing venture capitalist, educator, and advocate for diversity in entrepreneurship.
- As the General Partner of Lightship Capital and CEO of the Lightship Foundation, she is reshaping the venture capital landscape, supporting underrepresented founders.
- Candice has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Women Venture Capitalists by The Wall Street Journal.
- Through Lightship Capital, she leads investments in groundbreaking startups and provides strategic guidance for their successful scaling.
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Medium
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My Hundred-Million Dollar Ritual
- As a junior member of an investment team at a venture capital fund, the author had an unbounded role.
- The role was a 3-year paid apprenticeship in startups, with the expectation to start or join a company after.
- The author created a system using four simple questions to ensure steady progress and learning.
- This routine resulted in incubating two companies with 9-figure valuations and continues to be used with founders.
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Medium
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Joyce Shen’s picks: musings and readings in AI/ML, December 23, 2024
- Musings and Readings: AI/ML news highlights
- 1. Research papers: 'Towards Friendly AI', 'Jet: A Modern Transformer-Based Normalizing Flow', 'Large Language Models and Code Security'
- 2. Discussion on enterprise AI product management and value creation with Nadiem von Heydebrand at Mindfuel
- 3. Deals: Seed financing raised by Triton Anchor, NeuroKaire, Chargezoom, Anatomy Financial, Starboard, Indapta Therapeutics, Slip Robotics, Salt AI, Basis, Hamming.ai, Simulation Theory, Kurrent, Sotelix Endoscopy, Portal Biotechnologies
- 4. Sunairio secures $6.4 million financing round for leveraging high-resolution climate data for energy asset risk simulation
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Medium
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SAF Part III: Leaders in Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- Leading companies such as Neste and Cemvita are driving the production and adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
- Airlines like United Airlines, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines are investing heavily in SAF to meet decarbonization targets.
- SAF pathways include Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), Fischer-Tropsch (FT), Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ), and Power-to-Liquids (PtL).
- SAF serves as a crucial solution for the aviation sector's transition to a low-carbon future, with significant investments and collaborations driving its production and adoption.
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TechCrunch
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Honda and Nissan plan major merger focused on ‘intelligence and electrification’
- Japanese car giants Honda and Nissan are in talks for a major merger focused on 'intelligence and electrification' in order to stay competitive in a changing industry.
- The merger, if completed by 2026, could create the world's third-largest automaker.
- Nissan's partner company Mitsubishi has yet to decide whether it would join the new alliance.
- Renault, Nissan's current partner, will consider all options based on the best interest of the Group and its stakeholders.
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Saastr
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10 Simple Steps to Improve The Odds You Get VC Funded
- To increase your odds of getting VC funding, avoid unforced errors, and follow these ten simple steps.
- Send the very best deck you can to portray everything investors would want to know about investing in your start-up.
- Don't dump VC scheduling on virtual assistants as it isn't a priority and won't give a good impression.
- Don't take it personally when a VC passes on a deal, follow up once, and move on if you don't hear anything.
- Be careful of artificial urgency; being honest about a longer-than-expected fundraising process might lead investors to consider an investment
- Generally, early-stage VCs need to see at least three successful growth months in a row to get excited and make an investment.
- Many top VCs are looking for outsiders rather than Stripe alum or Stanford graduates, so don't be intimidated while reaching out to them.
- Investors will usually pass on a deal for being too early but check in with them regularly to keep them updated and in the loop on your progress.
- Send cold emails as they work, just ensure that they're great quality and personalized.
- Reflect upon whether you'd invest in your start-up based on your metrics and communication style, and work on levelling it up.
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Medium
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347
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Bi-Weekly Recap: 09/12–22/12
- GRIDBOX has introduced multiple sessions for rented and managed multiple machines at once, streamlining workflows and increasing productivity.
- Drivers will auto-update on their own database rather than relying on third-party providers, building a wide range of drivers, and support older versions of Windows, including Windows 8.
- Browser extension and API Tunneling integrated, allowing seamless global access to our desktop platform worldwide, no need for VPN.
- Wallet Extension is fully completed and officially entered the testing phase. Early results are promising, with all functionalities performing as expected
- BLOCX. is officially live on iQGPT. User worldwide can ask GPT about BLOCX. and instantly access comprehensive data about our project through their AI assistant.
- BLOCX. has also partnered with Victus Capital, recognized by TechBullion as the best-performing VC fund in Web3!
- BLOCX. is heading to the Web3 Amsterdam event in March 2025 and has confirmed the opening of Pakistan's branch office between the 1st and 2nd week of January.
- GRIDBOX has shifted its approach to offer more hands-free options for machine learning experts, allowing users to seamlessly integrate their code with their framework, providing greater flexibility and control.
- Smart contract development will start earlier than anticipated with an estimated rollout timeline.
- Kryptonite Agency will contribute to BLOCX's growth strategies, actively collaborating, each focusing on designated roles to enhance operations.
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Medium
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The 3 Key Metrics Every Early-Stage Startup Should Track
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) is calculated by dividing the total marketing and sales expenses by the number of new customers acquired.
- The goal is to have a low CAC without compromising lead quality or customer satisfaction.
- LTV (Customer Lifetime Value) is calculated by multiplying the average revenue per customer by the customer lifetime.
- Aim for a good LTV to CAC ratio of 3:1 to ensure a sustainable business model.
- MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) is calculated by multiplying the number of customers by the average revenue per user.
- Early-stage startups should focus on steady month-over-month MRR growth as an indication of business model traction.
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Saastr
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Dear SaaStr: Should Cancellations be Effective Immediately for a SaaS Company? Why?
- Cancellations should be treated well by a SaaS company as customers may still come back.
- Customers can return directly or indirectly through recommendations.
- Providing a great experience during cancellation can lead to future business opportunities.
- Taking care of customers at every stage, including when they leave, can have long-term benefits.
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Medium
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Top 5 Equity Crowdfunding Platforms to Watch for Startup Investments in 2025
- AngelList: known for its exclusivity, only a fraction of startups are accepted onto the platform, ensuring a high-quality investment pool. AngelList's platform provides startups with human talent and funding. Investors can enjoy efficient tools like AngelList’s Syndicates where seasoned investors lead investment rounds.
- Republic: redefined crowdfunding with the mission to democratize investing. It supports a wide range of industries and has funded over 2,000 companies by 2023, with significant growth expected by 2025. Republic offers an intuitive interface and educational resources for novice investors.
- LetsVenture: a crucial player in the Asian startup ecosystem, LetsVenture focuses on connecting startups with investors within a community that values mentorship alongside capital. Over 60% of deals get funded, facilitated by its strong network of angel investors and venture capitalists. The platform is designed for ease with a focus on community interaction.
- SeedInvest: hosted vetted, high-potential startups even after it was acquired by StartEngine in 2023. Its selective process results in lower deal volume but potentially higher success rates due to thorough vetting. SeedInvest’s design is investor-focused.
- StartEngine: renowned for its broad investor base and unique feature of allowing secondary trading of shares among investors. StartEngine’s open access policy means a wide array of startups can apply, leading to a diverse success rate. It excels in user experience, providing tools for portfolio tracking, educational content, and even an investor community for shared learning.
- AngelList and SeedInvest focus on quality with high vetting standards, whereas Republic and StartEngine cater to a broader spectrum. LetsVenture offers a tailored approach for the Indian market. For investors, StartEngine and Republic stand out for their intuitive interfaces and educational support. For startups, the ease varies with LetsVenture offering a community feel.
- By understanding the unique strengths of AngelList, Republic, LetsVenture, SeedInvest, and StartEngine, startups can strategically choose a platform that aligns with their growth vision, while investors can find opportunities that match their risk appetite and investment thesis. In this evolving landscape, staying informed and adaptable will be key to leveraging equity crowdfunding to its fullest potential.
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Global Fintech Series
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AI-Powered Leap Financial Raises $3.5 Million Seed Round Led By Fuel Venture Capital
- Leap Financial has raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by Fuel Venture Capital.
- The Miami-based fintech startup aims to connect millions of people in the U.S. and Latin America through the fusion of fintech and AI.
- Leap provides a seamless service for cross-border money flows, specializing in embedded remittances and payments.
- The funds raised will help Leap respond to growing demand, strengthen its AI capabilities, and expand its partnership with Mastercard.
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Medium
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M8 Ventures invests in BindiMaps
- M8 Ventures has invested in BindiMaps, a company focused on indoor navigation.
- BindiMaps recently achieved a major milestone by developing world-first algorithms for hyperlocal precision navigation in large and complex spaces.
- The algorithms enable accurate navigation without the need for Bluetooth beacons and can handle 3D environments effortlessly.
- Several organizations worldwide have adopted BindiMaps as their chosen navigation solution, showcasing its success and potential.
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Medium
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2024: M8 Ventures starts investing
- M8 Ventures began early, launching an angel syndicate in 2024 and expecting to transition to a venture fund later.
- In the same year, one of the general partners, Elaine, left for another job. Emily and Dale were then responsible for paying 50% of the fund’s operating costs each.
- In April of 2024, M8 Ventures invested in a pre-Series A round of Hola Health, leaving the company with a single startup in their portfolio.
- M8 Ventures then launched the M8 Syndicate, which became their first investment alongside InterValley Ventures in SeenCulture.
- M8 Syndicate’s second investment was Prep Local, along with Skalata Ventures, and Anna Wright was already Dale's friend.
- M8 Syndicate invested approximately $1.7M in 8 startups in Dale and Emily's partial year.
- Thanks go to Emily Rich, the cofounders of the businesses in which M8 Ventures invested, the 176+ members of the syndicate, and even the anonymous venture intern.
- The finalists focused heavily on advice for founders and making the most of investments.
- Some of M8 Ventures’ investments include Psylo, DiffuseDrive, Elita Genetics, and a company specializing in advertising insights research.
- M8 Ventures aspires to increase its number of deals and the size of average checks by attracting new syndicate members.
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Medium
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The first time I had caviar was when…
- The startup landscape has changed significantly since the author's first experience with caviar in a castle.
- Today, founders are expected to justify every expense and work with limited resources.
- Both extreme funding environments have their lessons, offering opportunities and forcing clarity.
- The author has learned to appreciate both big moments and small wins throughout the entrepreneurial journey.
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