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☆ Kasa Living, which partners with KKR and TPG, wants to become the Amazon of hospitality. See the 33-page slideshow it used to raise $70 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kasa Living has made a habit of raising funds at some of the hardest times for the hospitality and proptech industries. Kasa Living CEO and founder Roman Pedan points to the shares of Marriott and Hilton, which are up over the last five years, as an indication of what Kasa could be. Kasa Living is now working with some investment firms to help locate and buy buildings that Kasa Living will operate, a model known as OpCo/PropCo. Instead of having to hire someone to handle bookings and finances for each property, Kasa Living handles it all centrally, "removing that fixed cost." Some financial information has been redacted from the deck by Kasa Living.

Persons: Roman Pedan, Kasa, Pedan, Pendan Organizations: Marriott, Hilton, KKR, Sonder, TPG, Amazon Web, Citi Ventures, FirstMark, New York Life Ventures, Fireside Investments, RET, Zigg, Ribbit, EBay, Kasa Locations: Brookfield

☆ Nvidia-backed startup Synthesia unveils AI avatars that can convey human emotions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.K. tech startup Synthesia unveiled a new range of AI-generated avatars that can convey emotions like happiness, sadness, and frustration. Nvidia -backed artificial intelligence firm Synthesia on Thursday unveiled a new wave of AI-generated digital avatars that can convey human emotions using a user's text inputs. The company said its "Expressive Avatars" can blur the lines between the virtual world and real characters. In one demonstration, the company showed three lines of text being inserted into its platform — "I am happy. The company's technology is used by more than 55,000 businesses, including half of the Fortune 100, to make digital avatars for corporate presentations and training videos, according to Synthesia.

Persons: Synthesia, Kleiner Perkins Organizations: Nvidia, Fortune, Accel, GV, FirstMark, MMC Locations: London

☆ Stock market should expect more IPOs to hit pipeline in 2024, says FirstMark's Heitzmann
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailStock market should expect more IPOs to hit pipeline in 2024, says FirstMark's HeitzmannRick Heitzmann, FirstMark founder and managing partner, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss how the volatility of rate cuts has affected markets, if IPO markets will soon open up, and the signal that capital markets are open for business again.

Persons: FirstMark's, Rick Heitzmann Organizations: Email

☆ Reddit IPO a 'litmus test' on investor appetite for non-AI companies, says FirstMark's Heitzmann
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailReddit IPO a 'litmus test' on investor appetite for non-AI companies, says FirstMark's HeitzmannRick Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital Founder & Partner, joins 'Fast Money' to discuss Reddit's upcoming IPO and what this week's IPOs could signal about IPO investors.

Persons: FirstMark's, Rick Heitzmann Organizations: FirstMark, Partner

☆ Buzzy Y Combinator-backed billing startup Lago has raised $22 million with this 22-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewLago, a French startup that offers open-source billing software, has raised $22 million. Founded in 2021, Lago utilizes the open-source community to help businesses like Mistral, Together AI, and Swan manage their payments and billing needs. AdvertisementIn addition, Lago, which has around 30% of its business in the US, will begin to scale out its offering outside of Europe. Lago believes its flexibility around infrastructure will help it win more clients globally as businesses look to create more customizable revenue stacks.

Persons: —, Lago, Swan, Matt Turck, Chuong, Turck Organizations: Service, Business, FirstMark, New Locations: Paris, Lago, Europe

☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stands to net millions as Reddit goes public
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will be in a position to make millions after Reddit goes public, thanks to a series of bets on the online discussion board company that go back to 2014. Altman will hold 9.2% of voting power after Reddit's initial public offering, according to information in the company's prospectus. In 2014 Altman led Reddit's $50 million Series B funding round, after using the service every day for nine years, he wrote in a blog post. In the first half of 2021, Reddit was raising a Series E round, and Altman invested $50 million. He went on to say that investors in the Series B round would give 10% of shares to Reddit users.

Persons: Sam Altman, Reddit, Altman, OpenAI, Reddit's, It's, Steve Huffman, that's, FirstMark's Organizations: Microsoft, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Silicon

☆ Reddit is a litmus test for investor appetite for non-AI things, says FirstMark's Heitzmann
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailReddit is a litmus test for investor appetite for non-AI things, says FirstMark's HeitzmannRick Heitzmann, FirstMark co-founder and partner, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss if Reddit's IPO makes Heitzmann feel better about the overall landscape, the co-founder's reaction to the recent stock performance, and much more.

Persons: FirstMark's, Rick Heitzmann, FirstMark

☆ This startup wants to find cancer faster with AI-powered full-body scans. See the 22-slide pitch deck that got Ezra $21 million.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewLast August, Kim Kardashian posted on Instagram that she'd gotten a full-body MRI scan from the startup Prenuvo, which sparked a national conversation about the merits of preventive imaging. With Kardashian's help, the scans were finally making headlines — and healthtech startup Ezra felt their impact. "The day that Kim Kardashian got a scan, even though it wasn't an Ezra scan, our day-over-day revenue spiked," Ezra CEO and cofounder Emi Gal told Business Insider. Those tailwinds have propelled growth for Ezra, which partners with radiology clinics to perform full-body MRI scans. And, with Ezra's scans, that startup has "helped hundreds of people find cancer," he added.

Persons: —, Kim Kardashian, she'd, Ezra, Emi Gal, Amir Dan Rubin, Anne Wojcicki, Vlad Tenev, David Prior, Esther Dyson, — Gal, Ezra Flash, radiologists, Gal, We've Organizations: Service, Business, VC, FirstMark, Firms, Allianz Life Ventures, Mana Ventures, Ventures, Seedcamp, LDV Locations: Gaingels, Republic

☆ DraftKings early investor on Flutter’s listing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDraftKings early investor on Flutter’s listingRick Heitzmann, Cofounder FirstMark, joins the 'Fast Money' traders to discuss Flutter's IPO and his IPO market outlook.

Persons: Rick Heitzmann, FirstMark

☆ 2024 will be a stock pickers market, says FirstMark's Rick Heitzmann
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email2024 will be a stock pickers market, says FirstMark's Rick HeitzmannRick Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital partner, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss what he needs to see from the Magnificent 7 before he expects a reshuffling of the stocks.

Persons: Rick Heitzmann Rick Heitzmann Organizations: FirstMark

☆ Cybersecurity crises create opportunity for emerging social media companies: FirstMark's Heitzmann
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCybersecurity crises create opportunity for emerging social media companies: FirstMark's HeitzmannRick Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital founder & partner, joins 'Fast Money' to talk the SEC saying its X account was compromised, security concerns in the online space, the state of AI and more.

Persons: FirstMark's, Rick Heitzmann Organizations: FirstMark Capital, SEC

☆ FirstMark's Rick Heitzmann expect lower for longer in IPO valuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFirstMark's Rick Heitzmann expect lower for longer in IPO valuationsRick Heitzmann, First Mark Capital, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss why he expects lower valuations for longer in the IPO market.

Persons: Rick Heitzmann, Mark Capital

☆ Arm debut will help jump-start IPO market, early Airbnb investor Rick Heitzmann suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Stephanie Landsman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Arm Holdings will help jump-start the IPO market, according to the venture capitalist behind Airbnb and Pinterest. Chip design company Arm , which is affiliated with Softbank, jumped almost 25% in its Nasdaq debut on Thursday. And, Heitzmann expects next week's Instacart IPO to follow in Arm's footsteps. "It's the reason they're going to price Instacart down 70% from the last private round." "People were wondering how much appetite is there from the big traditional IPO buyers," Heitzmann said.

Persons: FirstMark, Rick Heitzmann, CNBC's, Chip, Softbank, Johnson, Heitzmann, It's Organizations: Holdings, Softbank, Nasdaq, CART, Heitzmann

☆ Arm, Instacart IPOs ushering in more rational environment, suggests investor Rick Heitzmann
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailArm, Instacart IPOs ushering in more rational environment, suggests investor Rick HeitzmannRick Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital Founder & Partner joins 'Fast Money' to talk Arm going public today, the future of the IPO market and the tech sector as a whole.

Persons: Rick Heitzmann Rick Heitzmann Organizations: FirstMark, Partner

☆ FirstMark Capital's Rick Heitzmann gives the pulse on the IPO market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFirstMark Capital's Rick Heitzmann gives the pulse on the IPO marketRick Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital founder, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss tech IPOs possible comeback and more.

Persons: Rick Heitzmann Organizations: FirstMark Capital

☆ There's a real appetite for growth stocks, says FirstMark's Rick Heitzman on CAVA's IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThere's a real appetite for growth stocks, says FirstMark's Rick Heitzman on CAVA's IPORick Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital founder and managing partner, joins 'Last Call' to talk CAVA's big IPO and what it could mean for a previously sluggish IPO market.

Persons: Rick Heitzman, Rick Heitzmann Organizations: FirstMark Capital

☆ A Nvidia-backed platform that turns text into A.I.-generated avatars boosts valuation to $1 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article NVDA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTAn animated avatar generated by the AI video platform Synthesia. To do that, Synthesia has created animated avatars which look and sound like humans, but are generated by AI. Synthesia is a form of generative AI, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. The company doesn't disclose its sales or revenue metrics, though it says it "consistently driven triple digit growth," with over 12 million videos produced on the platform to date. Synthesia plans to ramp up investment into its technology, with a particular focus on advancing its AI research and making Synthesia avatars capable of performing more tasks.

Persons: Synthesia, Slack, Kleiner Perkins, Morgan Stanley, Victor Riparbelli, Matthias Niessner, Steffen Tjerrild, Lourdes Agapito, Philippe Botteri, Riparbelli, Nvidia isn't, it's, They're, Felix Capital, Atomico, they're, David Beckham, Beckham Organizations: Nvidia, CNBC, Accel, Facebook, Spotify, GV, FirstMark, MMC, YouTube, Netflix, Business, Iconiq, Felix, Meritech Locations: London, A.I

☆ The family office for Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey backs French rival to Microsoft Excel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of the spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel is shown on the display of a smartphone. French business planning software startup Pigment has raised $88 million in a funding round led by ICONIQ, the private investment fund that manages the money of tech billionaires such as Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey. Pigment is best known for its business planning and forecasting platform that's designed to be more user-friendly than Microsoft's spreadsheet software Excel. As well as Microsoft, Pigment also views enterprise software tools from giants like Google, SAP and Oracle as rivals. It introduced a new service called Pigment AI last month, on the heels of heightened buzz surrounding AI and products like ChatGPT, which lets clients query data, identify patterns and automate analysis and reporting.

Persons: ICONIQ, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, Eleonore Crespo, Romain Niccoli, FirstMark, Klarna, Miro, Tommy Hilfiger, PVH, Crespo Organizations: CNBC, Venture, Felix Capital, Google, SAP, Oracle, behemoth, Microsoft Locations: U.S

☆ FirstMark Capital's Rick Heitzmann weighs in on the risk and rewards of A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFirstMark Capital's Rick Heitzmann weighs in on the risk and rewards of A.I. Rick Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital founder, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the risks and rewards of AI.

Persons: Rick Heitzmann Organizations: FirstMark Capital

☆ Welcome to the final phase of software eating the world. SaaS companies beware, you're on the menu this time.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This could disrupt the way software is created, distributed, and used, VCs and startup founders say. This outcome would flip the traditional software industry on its head, calling into question the value of SaaS companies in a world where everyday people can build software themselves. "This is the final chapter of software eating the world, where a bunch of people can create enterprise software within the enterprise." A 'healthy pressure' for traditional SaaS providersTo be sure, the death of the traditional software company still seems a long way off. However, even skeptics admit that the threat of generative AI to traditional SaaS will push established software companies to prove their worth.

☆ The government will take A.I. regulation seriously after social media problems says Plexo's Lo Toney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe government will take A.I. regulation seriously after social media problems says Plexo's Lo ToneyPlexo Capital’s Lo Toney and Firstmark Capital’s Rick Heitzmann, join 'Closing Bell' to discuss the A.I. arms race, regulation and outlook.

☆ 6 startups that have raised $100 million or more in 2023 to change healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The healthcare-staffing startup ShiftKey raised $300 million in a round led by its majority investor Lorient Capital. The clinical-trials-tech startup Paradigm raised a $203 million Series A round led by Arch Venture Partners and General Catalyst. The healthcare-staffing startup ShiftMed raised a $200 million round led by Panoramic Ventures. raised a $200 million round led by Panoramic Ventures. Vytalize Health, a startup that helps doctors provide value-based care, raised $100 million from Enhanced Healthcare Partners, Monroe Capital, and North Coast Ventures.

☆ Venture capital was severely over-funded in 2020 and 2021: FirstMark Capital's Heitzmann
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailVenture capital was severely over-funded in 2020 and 2021: FirstMark Capital's HeitzmannRich Heitzmann, FirstMark Capital, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the private equity market, the overall state of venture capital and more.

☆ See the 6 startups that have raised the most cash in 2023 to transform healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Startups in the industry raised $3.4 billion across 132 deals in the first three months of 2023. The healthcare-staffing startup ShiftKey raised $300 million in a round led by its majority investor Lorient Capital. The clinical-trials-tech startup Paradigm raised a $203 million Series A round led by Arch Venture Partners and General Catalyst. The healthcare-staffing startup ShiftMed raised a $200 million round led by Panoramic Ventures. raised a $200 million round led by Panoramic Ventures.

Greg Becker, who was the longtime CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, pictured last year. "Looks like Silicon Valley Bank is in some deep shit," Uncommon Capital general partner Jamie Quint tweeted. Startup founders scrambled to get their funds out of Silicon Valley Bank after its collapse. Andreessen Horowitz announced this week that it will continue banking with Silicon Valley Bank "for the foreseeable future" but is crafting a longer-term plan to diversify. Even so, he added, "I think we'd be supportive, as they stabilize, for them to be one of many partners that our founders bank with."

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