Data-Driven Equity Splitting📊, The Path to PMF, Figma's $12.5 Bn Valuation🎨
Welcome to The VC Corner, your weekly dose of Venture Capital and Startups to keep you up and running! 🚀
Fundraising Season is Almost Here
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In-Depth Insights 🔍
It is Too Early to Judge African Venture Capital. The African VC ecosystem is young, inching past its first decade of existence. The African internet revolution took a different shape than it did elsewhere: between 2005 and 2019, the share of African households possessing a computer went from 4% to 8%, while other developed economies witnessed a 55% to 80% jump over the same period 🌍 [Mathias Leopoldie, Julaya]
Slicing the Startup Pie: Data-Driven Equity Splitting: A data-driven approach to equity splitting among startup founders, providing insights and best practices for fair distribution 📊 [Wildfire Labs, Carta]
Who's Who: A List of Active Business Angels, Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, and Series B VC Firms in Spain 2024: K Fund provides an extensive list of the most active investors in Spain for 2024, offering valuable insights for startups seeking funding at various stages 📈 [K Fund]
VC vs. Non-VC Backed Valuations in Equity Crowdfunding: An analysis comparing the valuations of companies backed by venture capital versus those without such backing in the equity crowdfunding space, highlighting key trends and implications for investors 💰 [KingsCrowd]
Shifting from Outputs to Outcomes: Exploring the importance of focusing on outcomes rather than outputs in product development to drive real value and impact 🚀 [Product Talk]
Anthology 2: PayPal: A detailed look at PayPal's journey and growth, offering lessons and insights for entrepreneurs and startups 📚 [A Letter a Day]
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Interesting Reports 📊
PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. At a glance, Q2’s venture numbers look promising: With $55.6 billion invested, deal value rose to an eight-quarter high. But $14.6 billion of that capital was concentrated in just two companies—CoreWeave and xAI 📈
Harvard Innovation Labs: The Path to PMF. Here's the entire 6-hour, 91-slide workshop for Harvard Innovation Labs on the path from $0-$1M and B2B product-market fit 🚀
Recently Launched Funds 💸
Menlo Ventures and Anthropic Team Up on a $100M AI Fund: Menlo Ventures and Anthropic have launched a $100 million fund dedicated to advancing AI technologies and supporting innovative AI startups.
Cambridge Future Tech Announces £5M for Early-Stage Investments: Cambridge Future Tech has announced a £5 million fund to support early-stage tech startups, focusing on groundbreaking innovations and technologies.
DFJ Growth Raises Nearly $1.05 Billion for Latest Fund: DFJ Growth has raised nearly $1.05 billion for its latest fund, focusing on supporting high-growth technology companies.
NewView Capital Targets $700M for Venture Secondaries: NewView Capital, a spin-out from NEA, is targeting $700 million for a venture secondaries fund, aiming to provide liquidity options for VCs and startups.
Amazon Commits Up to $230M to Startups Building Generative AI Applications: Amazon announces a commitment of up to $230 million to support startups developing generative AI-powered applications, fostering innovation in the AI space.
Paris-Based Breega Hits First Close of $75M Africa Fund: Breega has reached the first close of its $75 million Africa fund, aimed at backing pre-seed and seed startups across the continent.
Hottest Deals 💥
Dechra Pharmaceuticals to Acquire Invetx for Up to $520M: Dechra Pharmaceuticals announces plans to acquire Invetx for up to $520 million, expanding its footprint in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry.
Slope Raises $65M in Funding: Slope has raised $65 million in a new funding round to enhance its financial services platform for startups and SMBs.
Stax Engineering Raises $40M in Funding: Stax Engineering secures $40 million in funding to accelerate the development and deployment of its innovative engineering solutions.
Coatue and General Catalyst Back Figma at $12.5 Billion Valuation: Coatue and General Catalyst back Figma, raising its valuation to $12.5 billion, underscoring the continued investor confidence in design and collaboration tools.
Sam Altman and JP Morgan Back Slope with $65M: Slope secures $65 million in funding from high-profile investors including Sam Altman and JP Morgan, highlighting the platform's growing influence in financial services for startups.
Deepfake-Detecting Firm Pindrop Lands $100M Loan to Grow Its Offerings: Pindrop, a leader in voice authentication and fraud prevention, secures a $100 million loan to expand its deepfake detection capabilities and product offerings.
CytoReason Raises $80M in Funding: CytoReason, a company specializing in computational models of the human immune system, raises $80 million to advance its technology and therapeutic applications.
Robotics and AI Firm Secures Significant Investment: A leading robotics and AI firm secures significant investment to expand its technological capabilities and market reach.
VC Jobs 💼
Isomer Capital (London, UK) is seeking a VC Associate to support their investment activities across Europe. The ideal candidate will have experience in early-stage venture capital or startups.
Partech (Paris, France) is hiring a VC Analyst to join their team. The role involves sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities in the tech sector.
Earlybird Venture Capital (Berlin, Germany) is looking for a VC Associate to identify and support high-growth tech startups in Europe.
Highland Europe (London, UK) is seeking a VC Analyst to assist in evaluating investment opportunities and supporting portfolio companies.
Balderton Capital (London, UK) is hiring a VC Associate to join their team. The role involves sourcing and analyzing investment opportunities in the tech sector.
Point Nine Capital (Berlin, Germany) is offering a position for a VC Analyst to help identify and support early-stage startups in the SaaS and marketplace sectors.
https://open.substack.com/pub/emilyalexandraguglielmo/p/the-meaning-of-god?r=2mtps5&utm_medium=ios