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Venture Capital News
Insider
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Check out the pitch deck these ex-Googlers used to raise $3.25 million for their AI sales agent startup
- San Francisco-based startup Breakout, founded by ex-Googlers Sachin Gupta and Hitesh Aggarwal, raised $3.25 million in seed funding for their AI sales agent platform.
- Breakout's AI sales representative is designed to manage software companies' inbound sales, offering instant information and personalized interactions.
- The startup uses a usage-based pricing model and currently has five key clients.
- With the new funds, Breakout plans to expand its technology capabilities and serve its waitlist of customers.
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Medium
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Why We Invested in Benji
- Benji is an API-first platform that enables rewards interoperability.
- The platform offers 'pay with points' and 'earn points' functionalities.
- Benji aims to provide a cost-effective alternative to credit card fees.
- The founding team has a proven track record and promising early pilots.
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Insider
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Social-media startups target a new set of investors: their users
- Social startups like Diem and Spill are allowing users to invest in their platforms through WeFunder, a crowdfunding tool compliant with SEC regulations.
- Diem's community round started in February, set to close in May, while Spill will launch its own community crowdfund in March.
- WeFunder enables a larger number of smaller investments into startups, similar to angel syndicates, with each community investor represented as a single line on a startup's cap table.
- Users can invest in Diem starting at $100 and in Spill starting at $250, providing them with ownership stakes and potential future returns if the companies succeed.
- Crowdfunding rounds on WeFunder often accompany traditional venture capital investment rounds, offering startups an additional means of fundraising.
- Investing through WeFunder gives users a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), ensuring potential stock ownership if the startup goes public or gets acquired.
- Diem and Spill offer various perks to investors, such as exclusive events, badges, and access to new features, enhancing user engagement and loyalty.
- The current landscape of social media, with users seeking alternative platforms due to changing policies, is driving the decisions of startups like Diem and Spill to crowdfund.
- Other platforms like Substack and Beehiiv have also utilized WeFunder for fundraising, emphasizing user involvement and sharing the upside of success with the community.
- Startups like Fanbase have used platforms like StartEngine for crowdfunding, further democratizing the investment process and engaging users in supporting social network innovation.
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Saastr
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This is The Last Chance for the “Lost Generation” of SaaS and B2B
- The first half of 2025 is when VCs, founders, and others have to start dealing with the 'Lost Generation' in SaaS and B2B.
- The Lost Generation refers to companies at $10m-$300m ARR that are growing at less than 20% a year.
- 2021 saw rapid growth, 2022 experienced a crash in multiples, 2023 saw buying and growth slow, and 2024 marked a significant AI budget absorption in the industry.
- 2025 needs to be the year of re-accelerated growth for the Lost Generation to inspire belief and success in the industry.
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Funded
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Startup Valuation: How Investors Determine Your Worth
- Startup valuation is a crucial aspect of fundraising.
- Investors analyze various factors before deciding how much your startup is worth.
- Key factors affecting startup valuation include market size, business model, traction and growth metrics, competitive advantage, founder and team experience, product development and innovation, funding stage and risk level.
- Tips to increase startup valuation include demonstrating traction, building a strong team, optimizing financials, enhancing market positioning, and securing strategic partnerships.
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Medium
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Navigating the Venture Capital Landscape: Insights for Entrepreneurs and Investors
- Venture capital funding occurs in different rounds, including seed funding and Series A, B, and C rounds.
- In 2021, Stripe raised $600 million in Series G funding, bringing its valuation to $95 billion.
- VC funds are increasingly integrating ESG principles into their investment strategies.
- U.S. venture-backed companies saw a total of $130 billion in exit value in 2021.
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Medium
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Dissecting the cross-border M&A exit route for European proptech
- M&A has played a significant role in the maturation of the proptech industry in Europe, with several notable deals recorded.
- Europe comprises a diverse startup community across various countries and languages, making it an attractive target for US counterparts seeking acquisitions.
- Acquisitions provide exits for investors and contribute to the flow of capital into the next generation of founders, ideas, and products.
- While some European startups have become successful unicorns, many others have been acquired by North American companies, benefiting the early-stage investors.
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Insider
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Keith Rabois ran into Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang in DC. It's still no Silicon Valley, he says
- Tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang, have been spending more time in Washington, DC.
- Keith Rabois, venture capitalist, recently ran into Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang while in the capital.
- However, Rabois believes that DC is unlikely to become a hotspot for founders and venture capitalists.
- The Bay Area remains the prime location for startups and venture capitalists in the US.
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Saastr
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Dear SaaStr: What’s a Big Check for a VC Investor?
- For most professional investors, investing more than 1.5%-2% of an individual fund into one deal is considered a lot of money.
- A $2m-$4m investment is considered the sweet spot, representing 1.5%-2.5% of the fund.
- Investing $7m-$8m+ is possible if there is high conviction, but most VCs prefer to do it over 2 rounds to offset some risks.
- Seed VC funds have grown in size to ensure that each individual initial check isn't more than 1.5%-2% of the fund.
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Medium
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What Is Venture Capital? How Venture Capital Works
- Venture capital is a form of private equity financing where investors provide capital to startups and small businesses in exchange for equity or ownership stakes.
- The venture capital process involves multiple stages, from initial funding to eventual exit strategies.
- Venture capital firms support emerging businesses by providing funding, mentorship, and strategic guidance.
- India has a growing startup ecosystem with various venture capital companies that play a vital role in shaping the entrepreneurial landscape.
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Analyticsindiamag
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Will India’s VC Market Drive 100 AI Unicorns in the Next Decade?
- India's AI startup ecosystem is still in its early stages, with Krutrim AI being the only AI unicorn so far.
- Despite a recovery in venture capital funding—rising to $11.2 billion in 2024—AI investments remain slow, with Indian AI startups raising only $560 million in 2024, a 49.4% drop. However, with government-backed AI initiatives, incubators like Google and NVIDIA, and major VCs such as Peak XV Partners allocating ₹16,000 crore, AI funding could accelerate.
- If this momentum continues, India may see a surge in AI unicorns over the next decade, closing the gap with the US and China.
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Medium
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Celebrating 4 Years of the Black Angel Group: Growth, Impact, and the Future of Inclusive Investing
- The Black Angel Group (BAG) celebrates its fourth anniversary as a community of 300+ members and $4.2 million+ invested in innovative startups.
- BAG has grown into a global platform, aiming to empower Black tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors worldwide.
- BAG has expanded its reach beyond the U.S. and now has members from Europe, Africa, LATAM, and Asia.
- BAG remains committed to supporting high-potential founders and driving meaningful impact through its network and expertise in the angel investing landscape.
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AustinStartups
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A Quick Recap of NY Climate Week 2024
- New York Climate Week 2024 showcased innovative solutions from businesses, governments, and individuals, focusing on air quality, energy consumption, and AI integration.
- President Biden highlighted climate stakes and criticized Trump's climate denial at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum during the event.
- California Attorney General filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil for worsening the plastics pollution crisis through deception.
- Major banks and companies like Google pledged support for tripling nuclear capacity by 2050, emphasizing carbon-free electricity demand.
- $1.3 billion was allocated by the DOE for carbon capture projects, and green banks joined forces to invest in the clean energy economy.
- Initiatives focused on training one million people for jobs in clean energy sectors and corporate commitments to sustainable practices were highlighted.
- The event also addressed concerns over geoengineering, protests against fossil fuels, water-energy nexus, clean tech financing, and electricity access in Africa.
- Overall, Climate Week 2024 underscored the urgency of climate action, emphasizing the need for diverse solutions, funding models, and collaborative efforts.
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Saastr
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5 Interesting Learnings from Salesforce at $40 Billion in ARR
- Salesforce has reached $40 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), growing at a rate of 9%.
- Salesforce has achieved a 33% Non-GAAP Operating Margin and generates $13 billion of free cash flow annually.
- Salesforce has embraced AI technology, closing 5,000 Agentforce deals and handling 380,000 conversations with an 84% resolution rate.
- Only 21% of Salesforce's revenue comes from sales, showcasing the company's diverse offerings beyond its CRM.
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Medium
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AI is Rewriting the Rules of Healthcare: A 2025 Investor’s Playbook
- Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare by enhancing diagnostics, treatment planning, and operational efficiency, with AI platforms providing diagnoses in a fraction of the time compared to traditional methods.
- AI's integration into healthcare systems is attracting significant investment, with $5.7 billion raised in the first half of 2024, reflecting the recognition of AI's potential to transform healthcare delivery and generate returns for investors.
- AI systems have achieved high accuracy rates in classifying heart disease and are creating synthetic patient data to facilitate safe and effective AI adoption in healthcare.
- AI-powered virtual assistants aid in medication management, patient follow-ups, and surgical planning, improving patient safety and resource allocation efficiency.
- Machine learning algorithms in drug discovery optimize drug formulations, accelerating the development process and paving the way for personalized therapies.
- Automated systems like Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are projected to save the global healthcare industry $200 to $360 billion over the next five years, optimizing operational tasks and reducing economic losses.
- AI-driven healthcare startups like Baibys, Resilience, and Nabla are leveraging AI to streamline medical procedures, optimize cancer patient management, and automate clinical documentation, securing substantial investments.
- Market trends show the global AI healthcare market is forecasted to reach $490.9 billion by 2032, with AI radiology platforms, glucose monitors, and payors adopting AI to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.
- AI is transforming healthcare access in regions like Africa, where AI tools are used to tackle healthcare challenges such as limited infrastructure and access, showcasing the potential for AI to revolutionize healthcare globally.
- Big tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, IBM Watson Health, Google DeepMind, and Philips are accelerating AI adoption in healthcare, offering AI-powered solutions to improve clinical decision-making and patient data analysis.
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