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☆ Fintech has hit a bottom after plunge in valuations and squeeze on funding, execs and VCs say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Executives and investors at the Money20/20 event in Amsterdam last week told CNBC that valuations have corrected from unsustainable highs from the industry's heyday in 2020 and 2021. Iana Dimitrova, CEO of embedded finance startup OpenPayd, told CNBC in an interview at the firm's booth that the market has "recalibrated." "Value is now ascribed to businesses that manage to prove there is a solid use case, solid business model," Dimitrova told CNBC. In 2021, global fintech funding reached an all-time peak of $238.9 billion, according to KPMG. Nanu added that the trend mimics the "craziness" fintech saw in terms of frothy valuations in 2020 and 2021.

Persons: Long, Dimitrova, Horacio Villalobos, Revolut, Prajit Nanu, fintech, Nanu, OpenPayd's Dimitrova, OpenPayd, Crypto, Andrea Pirlo, Fintech execs, they're, James Black, IVP, We've, Black, Charles McManus, Chris Ratcliffe Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, AMSTERDAM, CNBC, RAI, KPMG, Companies, U.S ., ClearBank, Global Summit Locations: Amsterdam, Lisbon, Portugal, fintech, Italian, stablecoins

☆ A wave of AI 'acquihires' is coming. Here's who could be looking for deals.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But the tech giant's play underscores the market's demand for tech talent — and venture capitalists expect a wave of "acquihires" to hit the AI ecosystem later this year. M&A dealmaking among AI startups is already off to a strong start this year, with 55 exits recorded in Q1 of 2024, per Crunchbase data. AdvertisementThe majority of AI startups are overpriced, said Konstantin Vinogradov, general partner at Runa Capital. AI startups with revenue in the single-digit millions that raised money at unicorn valuations, Dash said, might not even have that option. Those deals don't make sense for buyers, he said, which could lead Big Tech companies or other AI startups to poach their talent instead.

Persons: —, Inflection's, Ayangar, Konstantin Vinogradov, Somesh Dash, overshadowing, Shmuel Chafets, Sivesh Sivakumar, Shaun Johnson, Naveen Rao, Sivakumar, Johnson, PhotoRoom, Aravind Srinivas, Mike Smeed, Chafets, Dash, they'll Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Business, Investors, Runa, Big Tech, Apple, Target, Ventures, Accenture, Boston Consulting Group, Intuit, Nike, American Express, Safeway, InMotion Ventures, Disney, Netflix Locations: OpenOcean, Snowflake, Databricks

☆ DeepL, a European rival to Google Translate, rides AI hype to a $2 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Launched in 2017 by founder and CEO Jaroslaw "Jarek" Kutylowski, DeepL is a competitor to Google Translate. At $2 billion, DeepL is now worth double what it was in its previous round in January 2023, when it raised $100 million from investors at a $1 billion valuation. ICONIQ Growth and Teachers' Venture Growth came on board as new investors, while existing investors IVP, Atomico and WiL also participated. "We're really expanding our product toward being able to support these bigger enterprise customers," Kutylowski said. The company has ramped up its focus on selling into enterprise over the past few years and now counts customers including Zendesk, Nikkei, Coursera and Deutsche Bahn.

Persons: Kutylowski, Jaroslaw, WiL, PARIS —, I'm, DeepL Organizations: CNBC, Google, Venture, PARIS, Zendesk, Nikkei, Coursera, Deutsche Bahn Locations: Atomico, Swiss, U.S, Asia

☆ Another US venture capital firm, Leonardo DiCaprio-backed Regeneration.VC, moves a general partner to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US venture capital firm Regeneration.VC, backed by Leonardo DiCaprio, has moved a founding partner to Europe and is raising its second fund. Michael Smith, a general partner at LA-headquartered Regeneration.VC, moved his family to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in August. Smith set up Regeneration.VC in 2020 to back seed and Series A stage companies in what he dubbed "consumer climate technology." "For our first fund, we had investors and then companies in our portfolio in Europe. Around one third of Regeneration.VC's first fund has gone to European companies so far, Smith said.

Persons: Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Smith, Smith, Regeneration.VC, Biden's Organizations: LA, Lightspeed Ventures, Economy Foundation Locations: Regeneration.VC, Europe, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sequoia, Denmark, New York, New Zealand, California

☆ It's the return of the tech IPO. Instacart says it's profitable — and this may be the necessary secret ingredient for a hot market debut in 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Melia Russell | Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tech startups Instacart and Klaviyo filed to go public, marking the return of the tech IPO. Instacart and others going public are profitable, a bar others may have to meet to be successful. That's when software company HashiCorp and cloud tech company Samsara went public. Instacart revealed profits of $428 million in 2022 and $242 million for the first six months of 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementThat Instacart and Klaviyo are profitable could make them attractive to investors who became skittish in the downturn.

Persons: Klaviyo, Instacart, Tom Loverro, Loverro, IPOs, hasn't, Joe Kaiser, Kaiser, Cava Organizations: Morning, IPOs, P, Sequoia Capital, D1 Capital Partners, Summit Partners, Mercato Partners, Nasdaq, Enterprise Locations: Cava

☆ How $7.75 billion Hopin went from pandemic darling to selling off its flagship business for $50 million and handing back some investor cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Tasmin Lockwood | Michael Cogley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Virtual-events startup Hopin was a pandemic winner when it hit a $7.8 billion valuation in 2021. Now its CEO is stepping down, it's selling off parts of its business, and is set to hand back investor cash. But as vaccinations arrived and the travel restrictions eased, demand for Hopin's platform waned. "The pandemic was an extraordinary time to be investing," one London-based tech investor who had not backed Hopin said. Armed with more than $1 billion in investor cash, Boufarhat opted to make acquisitions.

Persons: Johnny Boufarhat, Boufarhat, Andreessen Horowitz, Catalyst, Slack, Hopin, Johnny ", Hopin Boufarhat, outsized, Streamyard, Badri Rajasekar, Klarna Organizations: Tiger, UPS, RingCentral, University of Manchester, Financial Times, Venture, Founders, Microsoft, Private Locations: London, Australia, Lebanese, US, Dubai, Papua New Guinea, Switzerland, Hopin

☆ US startups are having a bad year. Relief isn’t coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Across the country, in Silicon Valley, the situation isn’t quite as good. For decades Silicon Valley has been a dominant contributor to the US economy and an integral part of the country’s culture. Bankruptcy filings…less so.”Pitchbook and The National Venture Capital Association’s most recent report on the industry also takes a pessimistic view of the situation. What it means: While startups are certainly far from extinct, there has been a serious culling in Silicon Valley that will likely continue on for some time. Just 19% of venture capital deals were made with startups based in the Bay Area this year; that’s down from 22% in 2020.

Persons: haven’t, Tom Loverro, IVP, Pitchbook, ”, dealmakers, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, they’ll, they’re, Elizabeth Warren, Tesla, Elon Musk, Ramishah Maruf, Elon, “, ” Warren, funneling Tesla, Warren, Gary Gensler, Linda Yaccarino, Musk, CNN’s Justin Gamble, Bill Clinton, Jonah Bryson, “ We’ve, Michael D, Smith Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Apple, Microsoft, Venture, National Venture Capital, Goldman, Center for Research, Bank, SEC, Twitter, Securities and Exchange, AmeriCorps, CNN Locations: New York, Silicon Valley, Silicon, Massachusetts, America

Silicon Valley is bracing for what it fears will be an "extinction event" threatening the survival of hundreds of startups. Tom Loverro, a investor at 40-year-old Bay Area venture capital firm IVP, has been loudly warning for months on Twitter and in media interviews about a coming "mass extinction event" for startups. The total volume of venture capital investment into US startups has slumped for six consecutive quarters, according to data firm Pitchbook. Even a last-ditch slashing of the startup's prospective valuation — a "down-round," in Silicon Valley parlance — didn't whet investors' appetites. Over the past year, many startups that rely on Silicon Valley funding have been steeling themselves for the slowdown to avoid similar fates.

Persons: —, they're, Jennifer Neundorfer, That's, Tom Loverro, Loverro, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt, Cameron Lester, I've, Lester, Linda Ahrens, Ahrens, Unown, " Ahrens, Anna Dittrich, Plastiq, Vincent Harrison, Elad Gil, Steve Brotman, Brotman, Will Hawthorne, VC's, Mike Ryan, Pitchbook's Harrison, Sell, Hawthorne Organizations: Ventures, Sequoia Capital, —, Venture, Twitter, United States Federal Reserve, Jefferies, January Ventures, Alpha Partners, Avid Capital, Sugar, Menlo, BulletPoint Network Locations: Silicon, Sequoia, IVP, Valley, Instacart, Navan, Boston, Snowflake, America

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Startups face mass extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Startups are facing a "Mass Extinction Event" — and most people can't even see it. That's according to Tom Loverro, a general partner at IVP, who said: "The Mass Extinction Event for startups is underway." In our full analysis, we dive even deeper into this "Mass Extinction Event," including signs that can be gleaned from the fates of WeWork, Zume, and Plastiq. Investors shut out of traditional funding rounds are finding another way to snap up shares in buzzy AI startups. In an email to Twitter employees, Linda Yaccarino said it's her mission to turn Twitter into "the world's most accurate real-time information source."

Persons: Hallam Bullock, Alistair Barr, Melia Russell, Tom Loverro, Loverro, spigot, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk Pascal Le Segretain, Michael M, Elon, Bezos, Andreessen Horowitz, Read, they're, Steve Jobs, Linda Yaccarino, it's, Matt Mikka's, YouTuber, we've, Shona Ghosh Organizations: London . Venture, Getty, Venture, Tech, Twitter, Tesla Locations: London, San Francisco

☆ British payments fintech Volt in talks to raise fresh funds from Coinbase-backer IVP, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

London-based fintech startup Volt is set to raise fresh funds, sources say. The company, founded in 2019, is in talks with VC firm IVP over a deal worth around $50 million. British fintech startup Volt is in talks to raise fresh capital from Silicon Valley investing firm IVP, sources say. The payments firm, founded in 2019, has already raised around $28 million to date and counts Swedish investor EQT Ventures among its biggest backers. Volt is set to raise around $50 million as part of the deal, two London-based sources said.

Persons: Slack, PSD2, IVP, Hopin, Tom Greenwood, Jordan Lawrence Organizations: EQT Ventures, Fuel Ventures, Open Finance Association, Open Banking, IFX Locations: British, Silicon Valley, London, Europe, Volt's, Brazil

☆ 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

☆ A startup 'mass extinction event' has begun. You can't see it clearly yet, but it's going to be bad.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Alistair Barr | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Startups raised a ridiculous amount of money in recent years through 2021. Startup failure rate is beginning to increase, from artificially low levels in 2021, and there could be a wave of capitulation in the next year where an unusually large number of startups shut down. There was a frenzy of investment, where startups raised massive amounts of money and some businesses got funding that maybe shouldn't have. The money spigot has run dryNow, the money spigot has run dry (except if you're an AI startup). There was so much money raised in recent years that startups have a lot of runway to survive.

Persons: Tom Loverro, Klarna, Loverro, VCs, spigot, pare, We'll, Melia Russell Organizations: Venture, Street Journal, Tiger Global

☆ 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

☆ Exclusive: The University of California has invested billions in venture capital firms since 2000 and it has lost hundreds of millions so far. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Bergman | Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider obtained UC Investments' returns through a Public Records Act request. Unlike many other financial institutions, VC funds are not required to show their return on investment in startups. UC Investments, which has been managed by Jagdeep Singh Bachher since 2014, declined to comment. Though selling early produced an initial windfall, UC Investments could have ultimately missed out on substantial gains from these VC funds. By comparison, UC Investments earned a 8.3% return for its investment in public markets.

☆ A 27-year-old professional athlete landed a gig at Benchmark. Here's how she's balancing a Nike sponsorship, elite running, and working at the VC powerhouse.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Vanessa Fraser is a professional runner sponsored by Nike. As a professional runner for Nike, she's stared down American records, competed at national championships, and raced to make Olympic teams. These days, she's bringing that intensity off the track and into the world of venture capital. So when the call came from a recruiter working with Benchmark, Fraser was open to listening. In some ways, stepping back from full-time professional running and adding variety to her days have made Fraser an even better athlete, she said.

☆ In the midst of the AI boom, investors are doubling down on diligence. Here are the five questions VCs are asking every generative AI startup during pitches.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Buzzy generative AI startups have so far avoided the troubles plaguing the rest of the tech world. Here are the five diligence questions investors are asking generative AI startups, according to VCs. But for generative AI startups, 2023 has been much of the same — and that hasn't been a bad thing. Insider spoke with eight of these VCs about the top five questions they're asking generative AI startups during diligence processes. One hallmark of generative AI startups are their eye-staggering round sizes.

☆ Investors and techies gather in San Francisco to bathe in generative A.I. hype sparked by ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

They were there to discuss the latest craze capturing the attention of the tech world: generative artificial intelligence. The underlying AI software powering ChatGPT, a kind of machine-learning technology known as a "large language model," isn't new. As Bessemer Venture Partners' Sameer Dholakia told audience members, generative AI could change "the lives of billions of people." Blackwell credits OpenAI and ChatGPT with showing people what's possible with generative AI, shining a spotlight on the industry at large. But for one day in San Francisco, generative AI was more than just a tool.

☆ A.I. in tech is having an iPhone moment, says IVP's Tom Loverro
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | 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 EmailA.I. in tech is having an iPhone moment, says IVP's Tom LoverroTom Loverro, IVP general partner, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss what he calls the startup extinction.

☆ VCs have swapped out tennis rackets and golf clubs for pickleball paddles. Here's why the sport has become one of the hottest hobbies in Silicon Valley.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Pickleball has exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming America's fastest-growing sport. From building relationships to escaping stress, here's why VCs are obsessed with the sport. In the background, pop music floated through the air as the group prepared for a trying battle of wits and athletic prowess — pickleball. Once reserved for the quiet neighborhoods of suburbs and 55-plus retirement communities, pickleball has exploded onto the tech and VC scene in recent years, investors say. A networking toolAnd other aspects of the sport make it an ideal pick for a hobby or networking tool, VCs added.

☆ In recent years, investors have poured billions into the burgeoning region of central and eastern Europe. Here's why they're so excited about this startup hotbed.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

VCs have flocked to central and eastern European startups for their efficiency and technical talent. Central and eastern Europe includes countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine, according to the World Atlas. The promise of central and eastern Europe starts with a surplus of strong engineering talent, Vaswani said. "Eastern Europe is the former Communist Bloc, and during communism, one of the dangerous things for the communist regimes were humanistic subjects," Bartos said. Additionally, central and eastern European startups are often more capital-efficient due to lower personnel and living costs, an advantage that founders like Jendruszak have leveraged firsthand.

☆ VCs say hybrid work, generative AI, and niche collaboration tools will be some of the top future-of-work trends that dominate 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider talked to VCs about the rising trends they say will revolutionize the way we work and live. Insider spoke with 15 venture capitalists about the trends and verticals they think are most likely to revolutionize the way we work and live today. Therefore, startups that will thrive going forward are those that embrace a mix of in-person and remote work, known as hybrid work, Thacker and other VCs said. An increase in workers caregiving for aging or sick family members is also supported by flexible work, the CRV general partner Kristin Baker Spohn said. "A lot of employees, whether it's the Great Resignation or the pandemic, found themselves changing the way that they work."

☆ VCs say superpowered software, a dearth of new funds, and rampant M&A among the tech trends to watch in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

We asked investors from firms like Accel, Sequoia, IVP, and Lightspeed to share their forecasts. Party rounds are out, unicorns are in, and the venture market will get worse before it gets better. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Loading Something is loading. We asked them to reveal the hot sectors they're eyeing, the trends that will fizzle, and the new realities of fundraising — for both startups and venture fund managers — in a tech downturn.

☆ $3 billion customer-management startup Podium laid off 12% of staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The $3 billion customer-management startup Podium laid off 12% of its staff Thursday. The $3 billion customer-management startup Podium laid off 12% of its staff Thursday. Podium, based in Lehi, Utah, has raised $201 million from venture-capital firms including Accel, IVP, and Summit Partners, according to PitchBook. The company, which helps businesses communicate with their customers, had about 1,300 employees, according to PitchBook. Affected employees learned they were laid off through email or when they were no longer able to access their work tools.

☆ Andreessen Horowitz's buzzy tech publication Future is shutting down
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Rob Price | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A source familiar with Andreessen Horowitz's content strategy confirmed to Insider that Future is shutting down. An Andreessen Horowitz spokesperson declined to comment on the record. Joe LonsdaleIn this new climate, many tech and venture firms' media strategy has shifted from glorified marketing to a more full-fledged editorial operation. In 2021, an army of more than two dozen marketers at Andreessen Horowitz doubled down on this approach. Disclosure: Melia Russell's husband is a former employee of Andreessen Horowitz.

☆ VC firm IVP warns startups to 'surgically pare down expenses' with a looming recession. Here's the deck it shared with execs.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In a new presentation, the VC firm IVP tells startup leaders to batten down the hatches. Insider has exclusive access to the firm's deck, titled, "Thriving in a Bear Market: A CFO's Guide." That has ripple effects for venture-backed, private companies that rely on outside investment to operate and grow. In the first half of 2022, venture firms raised $83 billion in new funds — the highest amount over a six-month period for the industry, according to a recent report by Silicon Valley Bank. "The market environment is definitely going to favor companies with real market differentiation," Vashee said.

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