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With only a few days left in the year, there has been a lot of startup news to compile since last Friday, despite the short working hours in the United States due to Thanksgiving. Oh, by the way, thank you for reading.
The most interesting startup stories of the week
If you’re looking for a weekend read, here’s some recent insight worth digging into.
on the clock: The timing of ServiceTitan’s IPO may not be entirely dependent on market conditions. Details suggest the software company is taking its time to go public and there could be more such listings, the VC told TechCrunch.
salary benchmark: The U.S. government contracting database USASpending.gov reveals the total compensation paid by defense technology startup Anduril to its top employees. There are some technical aspects to sorting by year, but the point is that it’s really expensive.
new face: Startup expansion is a top priority for the European Union’s new top team of three lawmakers responsible for key technology policy areas. This includes Ekaterina Zaharieva, who will become the EU’s Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.
attack of the clones: Not just an AI code editor. Y Combinator often supports startups building similar products, data analytics startup Deckmatch has found. This study also reveals other interesting insights into the kinds of startups YC accepts.
Most exciting fundraising activities of the week
Fundraising season isn’t over yet, with deals of all sizes announced once again this week.
DTC Glasses: Eyewa, a company that sells a variety of eyewear products through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and retail platforms in five Middle Eastern markets, has secured a $100 million Series C round led by General Atlantic.
cradle of love: Cradle, a startup applying AI to protein design, raises $73 million to build its lab and team. The company, which launched in 2022, previously raised a $24 million Series A round in 2023.
Shopify for Games: Appcharge, an Israeli startup that considers itself a sort of “Shopify” for games and gives game developers more monetization options, has raised $26 million. The round was led by Nordic VC Creandum at a valuation of $100 million.
voice clone: PlayAI, a Y Combinator alum that replicates speech on command, has closed a $21 million seed round co-led by 500 Startups and Kindred Ventures to invest in its generative AI voice model and voice agent platform.
Hello, Dr. Google: Roon raised $15 million in investment co-led by Forerunner Ventures and Firstmark, with participation from previous investors Sequoia Capital and TMV. Now valued at $68 million, the medtech startup aims to replace “Doctor Google” with video-based Q&A from doctors.
The most interesting VC and fund news of the week
Build your legacy: Basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo founded a VC firm. The project, called Build Your Legacy Ventures, will focus on sports and entertainment investments, according to the report.
cyber accelerator: Early-stage fund Cleo Capital has announced the launch of a cybersecurity accelerator supporting up to 10 pre-seed and seed startups. Each of them will receive a 7% stake and $250,000 for participating in the remote 12-week program.
Last but not least
Latin American fintech will be worth watching in 2025, and 2024 figures show the market is starting to rebound. “I think the region is underfunded after the 2021 correction,” QED Investors partner Mike Packer told TechCrunch.
