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☆ It's becoming insane again in venture capital: A tiny AI startup wants investors to pay $100 to book a meeting with its founder.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A couple of days ago, startup founder Dan Siroker set his sights on meeting new investors. Siroker closed the process with 170 bids to sift through. Siroker told Business Insider this week that he isn't actively fundraising. Advertisement"When deals get hot, there is extreme interest," Ben Lerer, managing partner of Lerer Hippeau, an early-stage venture firm, told Business Insider's Ben Bergman late last year. "If you're not there long before the raising, you're not part of the conversation."

Persons: —, Dan Siroker, clamoring, whittle, Siroker, isn't, Andreessen Horowitz, they'd, Pavlo Gonchar, Ben Lerer, Lerer, Insider's Ben Bergman, there's, Dick Costolo, they're, Costolo, he'd Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Twitter, Google, Nvidia, Boys & Girls Locations: haves, Silicon Valley

☆ AI startup Perplexity is in talks to raise more money at a significantly higher valuation just months after its last round
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewOnly months after buzzy AI search-engine startup Perplexity AI raised its last round of funding, the company is yet again raising additional funds, as investors clamor to back tech's next big generative AI startup. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Perplexity is raising this additional money at a significantly higher valuation cap than its previous pricing of $520 million, according to two people with direct knowledge. A spokesperson told Business Insider that the details of the deal were incorrect but did not clarify when asked for further information.

Persons: —, clamor, Jeff Bezos, Perplexity, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard, Aravind Srinivas, It's, Elad Gil, Nat Friedman, Fred Wilson, aren't Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Institutional Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Bessemer Venture Partners, Nvidia Locations: OpenAI

☆ VC Dick Costolo dishes on the new startup funding frenzy and valuations coming back to earth. 'The world now is much more sane.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He prefers getting to know founders long before they decide to raise money so he can pounce on the right opportunity. Investors, including hedge funds, hurtled term sheets at founders to beat the competition, skipping the usual diligence along the way. Flush with cash, the partners are seeing a flood of hyper-growth startups come to market for funding after a two-year dry spell. The funding blockage is also softening as valuations come back to earth, Costolo said. "Prices are a lot more sensible now," Costolo said, noting the exception of valuations in artificial intelligence.

Persons: Dick Costolo, Costolo, Costolo isn't, Adam Bain, Twitter's, Dario Amodei, Kimberly White, Getty Costolo, they're, Bain, David Fischer Organizations: Twitter, Business, Advisors, Software, Carta, TechCrunch, Google, Nvidia, Fund, Health Locations: Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Detroit

☆ Rippling CEO Parker Conrad dishes on why the startup is sitting on a massive $750 million war chest
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. To this day, Rippling hasn't touched the money it raised in that emergency package, Conrad told Business Insider. Rippling will invest hundreds of millions of dollars from the balance sheet into research and development this year, according to CEO Parker Conrad. Parker Conrad says Rippling hasn't touched any of the venture capital it raised over the last two rounds. Shepherding the startup through this next growth phase is new chief product officer Eisar Lipkovitz, Rippling told Business Insider exclusively.

Persons: Parker Conrad, Conrad, Rippling hasn't, Kleiner Perkins, Rippling, Amy Osborne, Mamoon Hamid, they've, TechCrunch, Eisar Lipkovitz, Lipkovitz, Deel, Melia Russell Organizations: Business, paychecks, Bedrock, Washington Post, JPMorgan, Google Locations: Silicon, San Francisco, Asia, Lyft, Rippling

AbridgeAbridge CEO Dr. Shiv Rao. AbridgeHQ: PittsburghTotal raised: $62.5 millionWhat it does: The medical scribe startup uses large language models to document patient-doctor interactions in electronic medical records. What makes it promising: Easing administrative burdens for providers is top of mind for investors as growing burnout drives more clinicians out of the healthcare field. Abridge is using AI to tackle one of the most time-consuming, burnout-inducing processes in healthcare — clinical documentation.

Persons: Abridge, Shiv Rao Organizations: Abridge, Pittsburgh

☆ Startup funding is falling in most major cities. So why is Boston pulling ahead?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Melia Russell | Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementThe Bay Area took the lion's share of capital raised on Carta in 2023, followed by Boston, then New York. AdvertisementAccording to Carta data, select metro areas saw the total early-stage funding raised decline by at least a third from 2022 to 2023. Yet early-stage funding was only down 24% in Boston, however, the smallest decrease of the metro areas that Carta tracks. According to Carta data, about $2.6 billion of capital raised in biotech flowed to Boston startups last year. Beyond biotechThe Carta data shows Boston also had strong showings across investment in software-as-a-service and hardware.

Persons: —, Zach Weinberg, Roche, Carta, Founders, that's, Rudina Seseri, Seseri, Peter Walker, Michael Greeley, Greeley, Mark Castleman, Castleman, Clement Cazalot, Cazalot, Walker Organizations: Service, Massachusetts Turnpike, Partners, Business, Carta, Boston, East Coast, Companies, Area, Flare Capital Partners, pharma, Intel Ignite, Glasswing Ventures, Founders, Machinery, Pritzker Group, Armory Square Ventures, Way Ventures, Klaviyo's, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Boston, New York City, East, Boston , Cambridge, Newton , Massachusetts, Newark, Jersey City , New Jersey, New York, San Francisco, Bay, France, Copley

☆ Uncle Sam just overhauled the H-1B visa lottery, and that's good news for startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA new reform to the US H-1B visa program aims to ring out some of the uncertainty for migrant workers and employers. Each year, tens of thousands of foreign nationals wind up at venture-backed companies through the employment-based visa program. However, obtaining an H-1B visa remains challenging due to high demand. Data shows much of the increase was due to a record-breaking number of employers submitting multiple H-1B registrations for the same person. "This led to many individuals being entered into the lottery multiple times, through different companies, and ultimately decreasing the odds of being selected in the lottery," Finkelman said.

Persons: —, Jason Finkelman, Finkelman, USCIS, Sophie Alcorn, Alcorn Organizations: Service, Immigration Services, Business, Tech Locations: Austin, Hyderabad, Beijing, Silicon Valley

☆ Exclusive: VCs are circling Midi to give more money to the menopause care startup, just 4 months after its last funding round
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

At the White House, Jill Biden is leading a new initiative to boost federal government research into women's health. Most menopause care startups, including Midi, sell into enterprises to offer the service as a benefit to employees. US companies lose about $1.8 billion each year from workdays missed due to menopause symptoms, according to a Mayo Clinic estimate. While venture funding to women's health startups fell in 2023, according to CB Insights, startups tackling menopause symptoms surged ahead of the pack. Data shows these startups raised $230 million last year, making up a third of all funding to women's health startups.

Persons: hasn't, Semper, Joanna Strober, Sharon Meers, Goldman Sachs, It's, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, tailwinds, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Biden, workdays Organizations: Business, Midi, GV, Google Ventures, Felicis, Houston, Hermann Health, CBS, McKinsey, White, Mayo Clinic Locations: Midi

☆ Here are the 25 startups that sponsor the most H-1B visas for immigrants looking for work
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Melia Russell | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The H-1B visa has served as a prominent pathway for skilled foreign labor into the American job market. The H-1B visa program is the nation's largest temporary work visa program, with over 600,000 workers across 50,000 employers. However, obtaining an H-1B visa remains challenging due to high demand. According to data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the 2024 H-1B visa lottery saw applications rise to a record-breaking 780,000. Using recent data from the US Office of Foreign Labor Certification, Business Insider put together this ranking of the top H-1B startup employers between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.

Persons: USCIS, Jason Finkelman, Finkelman Organizations: Business, Citizenship, Immigration Services, White, Information, Regulatory Affairs, of Foreign Labor Locations: Hyderabad, Beijing

Read previewThe recent firing and rehiring of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has put his leadership and personality under a microscope. People who have worked closely with Altman told Business Insider the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Advertisement"The thing I loved about OpenAI is you got to be heard," a former employee told BI. Relationship with MicrosoftWhile Altman is approachable, insiders said his obsession with growing the company can make him seem terse, impatient and superior to other "big tech" companies. AdvertisementAre you a Microsoft or OpenAI employee, or someone else with information to share?

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Altman, he's, He's, OpenAI's cofounders, Altman's, Satya Nadella, There's, OpenAI, doesn't, they've, Mira Murati, Sam, that's, Ashley Stewart, Kali Hays, Darius Rafieyan Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Business, Microsoft, Google, OpenAI Locations: astewart@insider.com, khays@insider.com, drafieyan@insider.com

☆ A formfitting blazer and Chelsea boots, or jeans and high-top sneakers? Here's how the 2023 rising stars of VC put together their 'power outfits.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | Ben Bergman | Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Many of this year's VC rising stars told Business Insider that their go-to power outfits included apparel like tailored sport coats or Chelsea boots, and more casual pieces like hoodies and well-fitting jeans. Very few investors are wearing collared shirts with their jackets, opting instead to pair it with a t- shirt and jeans. Nmachi Jidemna told Business Insider that for her everyday wear, her go-to was "usually a structured blazer with a relaxed pair of jeans." Lori Harvey (left) and Heidi Klum (right) wearing red outfits. Black flowy trousers, black turtleneck, and chunky black boots."

Persons: that's, Laura Bock, Nmachi Jidemna, Javier Grevely, Ralph Lauren, Tobi Coker, Janelle Teng, Patron's Amber Atherton, Jason Yeh, Ashley Paston, Justin Williams, VCs, Mahati Sridhar, Grady Dick, Michelle Farsi, Pear, Vivien Ho, Lori Harvey, Heidi Klum, Valentina Frugiuele, Bauer, Griffin, Luci Fonseca, RTFKT, Brandon Hoffman, JL, Sarah Wu, Emerson, Fiona Huang, Demi Obayomi, Natalie Borowski, Daisy Wolf, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: Business, Wellington Management, Converse, Seae Ventures, Getty, GV, Nike, Sunset Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures Locations: London, Chelsea

☆ From bouldering to silent meditation retreats: Here's how this year's rising stars of VC are keeping their wellness on track while hunting down deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Renbarger | Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

And these rising stars of the VC world are at the forefront of the trend, with many adopting various wellness routines. Business Insider asked this year's rising stars to name their best wellness hack that keeps them at the top of their game. Find ways to get movingMany rising stars in VC have a relationship with exercise that goes beyond an obligatory hour at the gym or a forced jog around the block. "It's amazing how taking just 10 minutes out of my day helps set the pace and structure for the rest of the day so well," she told Business Insider. she told Business Insider.

Persons: Base10, Justin Williams, Fiona Huang, Huang, Laura Bock, Amanda Herson, Taylor Brandt, Luci Fonseca, It's, Vivien Ho, VCs, journaling, Ashley Paston, Ahmed Mirza, who's, Amber Atherton, Brandon Hoffman, Tobi Coker, Wellington Management's Javier Grevely, Natalie Borowski, I've Organizations: Business, Seae Ventures, Ventures, Headline, Base10 Investors, Meritech, Sunset Ventures Locations: New York, Eastern, Brooklyn

2023 was a tumultuous year for the venture capital industry. This year, Business Insider asked the most important VCs across the US to name the most promising VCs in their cities. Business Insider also asked the general public and last year's rising stars who they thought should make the cut. And just like last year, more of this year's rising stars are women than men, indicating that more women are being brought into the pipeline of the traditionally male-dominated venture capital industry. Scroll to see 2023's rising stars of venture capital, organized alphabetically by the investor's name.

Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, Tech, Business

☆ The cofounder of Allbirds has some advice for startups looking to IPO: make money ahead of going public
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Allbirds was one of the last startups to go public in 2021's IPO biltz. "You need to be a great company, you need to be profitable," says Allbirds cofounder Tim Brown. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Going public before turning profitable is a thing of the past, according to Allbirds cofounder and chief innovation officer Tim Brown. "You need to be a great company, you need to be profitable," he told Business Insider.

Persons: Allbirds, Tim Brown, —, Klaviyo, Lerer, confidentially, PwC, Spencer Platt, Champagne, Brown, Joanna Glasner, Didi, Rivian Organizations: Service, Time Magazine, Maveron, Tiger Global, Casper Locations: Instacart, Silicon, Americas, Allbirds, Ukraine

☆ Ruzwana Bashir Is Quietly Connecting the Tech World
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Story by Melia RussellPhotography by Lelanie FosterRuzwana Bashir is ransacking her kitchen cabinet for just the right tea. Bashir wears an Erdem floral-printed bra top, Erdem skirt, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Old Jewelry earrings along with her own bracelet and ring. "Part of building a business was going out and sharing what you were doing with the world," Bashir says. For years Bashir's startup had been building muscle around these capabilities; now it had an eager audience. Eating at acclaimed restaurants is fine, but Bashir prefers the more-intimate affairs at tech executives' homes because, she says, "you can stay longer."

Persons: Melia Russell, Lelanie Foster Ruzwana Bashir, Peek, She's, she's, Andy Warhol, Picasso, Bashir, I'm, Andreessen Horowitz, Jack Dorsey, Eric Schmidt, Goldman Sachs, Giuseppe Zanotti, Lelanie Foster, Bashir isn't, Elon Musk, Ronan Farrow, Roelof Botha, Mustafa Suleyman, we've, Bennett Miller, Capote, " Miller, —, doesn't, didn't, Madeleine Albright, Tom Ford, Jared Cohen, Oskar Bruening, Forbes, Mark Zuckerberg, I've, Bashir wasn't, Travis Kalanick, Adam Neumann, Ty, Emily Weiss, Bashir refashioned, Donald Trump, Bruening, Laurence Tosi's, Miller, Beyoncé, shrugs, Anna Wintour, Anna, we're, Taylor Swift, Katie Haun, Marc Benioff, Reid Hoffman, Marissa Mayer, Dick Costolo —, Cohen, Katherine Maher, Maher, Daniel Kahneman, It's, Radel, Becky Akinyode, Elaine Winter, Tiffany Bloomfield, Dela, Chad Hilliard, Enmi, Kenny Aquiles Ulloa, Cyrenae, Madison Perez, Aidan Lapp, Bashira Webb, Bryan Erickson, Jinyoung Chang, Rodriguez, Rebecca Zisser, Claire Landsbaum, Emma LeGault, Joi, Marie McKenzie, Conner Blake, Kyle Desiderio, Victoria Gracie, Nicole Forero, Virginia Alves Organizations: Google, Museum of, Business, Elon, Vogue, Roelof, Oxford University, Oxford Union, Blackstone Group, Harvard Business School, Studios, Web, Young, Organization, Dela Revoluciøn, Enmi Yang Digital Tech Locations: Manhattan, SoHo, Bahamas, United States, Balthazar, England, Israel, Petra, Istanbul, Elle, Utah, COVID, Salt Lake City, Costa Rica, Atlanta, WestCap

☆ Confessions of a startup founder's wife
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

I wished I had told Kyle that I would understand if he wanted to quit. That's as apt a description of Kyle's startup as it is of our relationship. I'm not sure Kyle has found as many perks to being a startup founder married to a startup reporter. Now Kyle's startup has pivoted a third time. The truth is, I don't know if Kyle's startup will make it.

Persons: Kyle, Kyle shrugged, pang, I'd, hadn't, Scott Belsky, It's, messier, I've, he'd, Jillian, Chris Dixon, Andreessen Horowitz, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, Schulze, TikTok, Josh Cochran, Marc Andreessen, I'm, He'd, Eric Paley, Steve Jobs, —, Playbyte, he's, Rohan Seth, Paul Davison, Steve Huffman, hasn't, Instagram, it's, Zelda, That's, cradling, Melia Russell Organizations: Apple Watch, Steam, Francisco's Mission, University of California, TechCrunch, White House, YouTube, Labor Locations: Champagne, Francisco's, Berkeley, San Francisco, New York, America, Playbyte, Kyle, Boston, Bay, sobs

☆ The hidden woes of being in a relationship with a startup founder
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In today's big story, a Business Insider reporter gives her unique perspective on navigating life as a startup founder's wife. The big storyA founder's other backerJosh Cochran for InsiderThe startup world is not for the faint of heart. Melia's account of her relationship with Kyle and his startup is equal parts entertaining, heartwrenching, and informative. AdvertisementJosh Cochran for InsiderAs if being a founder spouse wasn't difficult enough, Melia has the bonus of covering the space as a reporter. And while that's true of any relationship, it's especially pertinent in the volatile startup ecosystem.

Persons: —, Josh Cochran, it's, Insider's Melia Russell, Kyle, Melia, takeaways Melia, Lennihan, Alexander Spatari, Pete Weir, Weir, — it's, HENRY, Steve Irwin, Satya Nadella, Bolton Clarke, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Brandon Bell, Getty, Associated Press, Apple, Google, US, York City, Discovery Education, Australia, Microsoft, Cisco Locations: Brandon, York, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Andreessen Horowitz is in the midst of a reshuffle to sharpen its focus on AI, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ben Bergman | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Andreessen Horowitz is reshuffling parts of its investment organization to sharpen its focus on artificial intelligence, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The changes will center the venture capital firm on two main themes: AI applications and AI infrastructure, the people said. The AI applications group is being headed by general partner Alex Rampell, according to the sources. General partner Martin Casado, who focuses on enterprise deals, will oversee another group investing in AI infrastructure, the people said. Do you have information about A16z or another venture firm?

Persons: Andreessen Horowitz, Alex Rampell, Rampell, Martin Casado, Margit Wennmachers, Casado, Jeff Jordan, Databricks, A16z, Pretzels, Vinod Khosla, Khosla, Ben Bergman, Melia Russell, mrussell@insider.com Organizations: US, A16z, VMware Locations: Silicon Valley, Airbnb, bbergman@insider.com

☆ Founder Collective has quietly built a seed-investing powerhouse that just raised a $95 million new fund. Its secret sauce: staying small.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The firm has raised $95 million for its fifth and largest fund, Founder Collective tells Insider exclusively. While it's not the splashiest shop, those in the know know Founder Collective has quietly built one of the most successful venture-capital franchises on the East Coast. Founder CollectiveFounded in 2009, Founder Collective started as a bloc of founders and investors pooling their money to invest in startups. Founder Collective has always been ruthlessly focused on the seed stage, where investors take the biggest risk in pursuit of the highest returns. "We have been fastidious and we've screamed it to anyone who will listen: capital efficiency, capital efficiency, capital efficiency," Frankel said.

Persons: Eric Paley, Collective's, it's, Beezer Clarkson, Sapphire, Clarkson, Paley, David Frankel, Frankel, Amanda Herson, Herson, we've Organizations: Sapphire Partners, Cendana, Foundry Group, Forbes, Felicis Ventures Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts, East, Coupang, Susa

☆ Founders Fund backed Jennifer Campbell's startup before she sold it to Coinbase for millions. Now she's looking to 'harpoon' a startup 'whale' as the firm's newest partner.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jennifer Campbell left Coinbase to become a partner at Founders Fund. Before Founders Fund, Campbell built and sold a crypto prime brokerage startup. Before Campbell invested at Founders Fund, she got funded by them. Before long, she caught the attention of several funds, including her former backers at Founders Fund, circling the same deals. AdvertisementAdvertisement"I felt like I always knew I wanted to come back to Founders Fund," Campbell said.

Persons: Jennifer Campbell, Coinbase, Campbell, —, let's, Fund's, Erin Gleason Organizations: Founders Fund, Fund, Service, SpaceX, Quiet Locations: San Francisco's Presidio, Coinbase, OpenAI

☆ Marc Andreessen is getting raked over the coals for calling social responsibility the 'enemy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

VC Marc Andreessen wrote a lengthy missive this week, titled "The Techno-Optimist Manifesto." AdvertisementAdvertisementIt wouldn't be a Marc Andreessen essay if the internet didn't lose its mind over it. Rather, technology, he wrote, can solve for "any material problem" under the sun and herald a new era of "abundance for everyone." The backlash to Andreessen's essay was swift. He runs one of the biggest venture capital firms by assets and perceived importance.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, —, Kara Swisher, Andreessen, Ben Collins, Andreessen's missive, Dorothea Baur, Cameron Moll, he's, Gary Marcus, Marcus, what's, Aravind Srinivas, A16z, Collins, Andreessen Horowitz, Del, Johnson Organizations: Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, Facebook, Backstage Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Venture Locations: Silicon Valley, Del Johnson, Silicon

☆ ‘A scary situation’: As Wall Street assails Harvard, students worry about their futures
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Melia Russell | Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ackman, in his initial tweet about Harvard, said that "a number of CEOs" shared his desire to publicly out the Harvard students who condemned Israel. Other business leaders were quick to echo his calls, winning plaudits on social media. In a visit to Harvard, Insider spoke with a range of students about the backlash to the statement on Israel. It's ironic, of course, to accuse students of silencing dissent when Ackman and other business leaders are seeking to do exactly that. But now, some Harvard students fear that the backlash from the business community will have a chilling effect on student speech.

Persons: Bill Ackman, they've, Israel, Marc Rowan, Meyer Davidoff, Kalita, Eden Mendelsohn, what's, " Melia Russell, Tim Paradis Organizations: Harvard, Wall, Big Law, University of Pennsylvania, Invictus Pharmacy, LinkedIn, Birkoa Capital Management, Penn, Twitter Locations: Gaza, Silicon, Israel, Silicon Valley

☆ The giant sucking sound you hear is the gobs of capital being pulled away from emerging managers. Here's how one solo capitalist defied the slump.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Those who raised their first venture capital funds in the pandemic-era boom times are now struggling with their sophomore efforts. Despite the tailwinds, some emerging managers are defying the slump and raising new funds. He told Insider exclusively that he's now closed on $15 million for fund two from investors including Cendana Capital, Invesco Private Capital, and two dozen startup founders. And so in 2019, he reached into his network of founders and raised a $2 million fund to invest in software companies. Now, he's already gearing up for fund three, which Wan said he plans to launch in 2024.

Persons: Insider's Callum Burroughs, Jordan Wan, Wan, Zocdoc, Oliver Kharraz, it's, Alan Ni, Jake Cooper, Manoj Kanagaraj, Blackstone, Cooper didn't, Cooper, they've, Wolf Organizations: Sequoia, Partners, Cendana, Invesco, Capital, Oscar Insurance, Garner Health Locations: London, Denver , Colorado, Wan

☆ The 52 most important VCs in Boston, according to other VCs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

In September, one of Boston's own homegrown companies, Klaviyo, was among the first tech startups to pry open the IPO market, which had been closed for a two-year stretch. According to research by Carta, Boston has a healthy lead on other cities for total capital raised across biotech, health-tech, medical devices, and energy companies so far this year. It's also worth mentioning that funding to Boston startups has cooled from the peak in 2021, as has funding everywhere. In celebration of this vibrant scene, Insider is recognizing the most important venture capitalists in the greater Boston area. We asked VCs from across the country about the Boston investors to know, and we also referred to our past reporting on the top seed investors to find more picks.

Persons: Andrew Bialecki, It's, VCs Organizations: Boston, Carta Locations: Boston, Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles

☆ Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck two former VCs used to raise $4.7 million in funding for their startup The Grand, whose coaching service is used by Googlers, founders, and NBA players alike
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In the midst of a funding crapshoot for young startups, The Grand, a four-year-old startup that provides career coaching as a service, has raised $4.7 million in a round of seed funding led by Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six. You could say founders Anita Hossain Choudhry and Rei Wang had a leg up on creating the pitch deck they used to convince venture capitalists to back their startup. The goliath of coaching startups is BetterUp, a startup that offers individual and group coaching and has raised $600 million in funding so far. The Grand is now walking in lockstep with roughly 1,000 members, including Googlers, founders, and pro athletes. Check out the pitch deck that The Grand used to raise $4.7 million in seed funding.

Persons: Alexis Ohanian's Seven, Anita Hossain Choudhry, Rei Wang, Hossain Choudhry, Wang, Oscar, it's Organizations: Google, Intuit, Angel City Football Club, NBA, Carta Locations: Ohanian, lockstep

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