Browsing Category: Startups

  • Copilot is a subscription personal finance tracker aiming to kill Mint

    When Intuit acquired Mint more than a decade ago, mobile was in a different place — as were tech-enabled financial services. There hasn’t been much progress for the personal finance tracker app category in the meantime. Mint has stumbled along with integration issues and tiresome data misclassifications. For many, the best alternative has been firing …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Visa’s Plaid acquisition shows a shifting financial services landscape

    When Visa bought Plaid this week for $5.3 billion, a figure that was twice its private valuation, it was a clear signal that traditional financial services companies are looking for ways to modernize their approach to business. With Plaid, Visa picks up a modern set of developer APIs that work behind the scenes to facilitate …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Marijuana delivery giant Eaze may go up in smoke

    The first cannabis startup to raise big money in Silicon Valley is in danger of burning out. TechCrunch has learned that pot delivery middleman Eaze has seen unannounced layoffs, and its depleted cash reserves threaten its ability to make payroll or settle its AWS bill. Eaze was forced to raise a bridge round to keep …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • VCs are just tired

    I was in SF last week and met with more than a dozen VCs over the course of two days. This was post the holidays, post their visits to the ski chalets in Tahoe and the island beaches, and in the smack dab of one of the most important fundraise periods of the year — …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • SiteMinder raises $70M at $750M valuation after cresting $70M ARR in 2019

    Today SiteMinder, an Australian software company focused on the hotel industry, announced a $70 million (USD) round that values the company at $750 million. That’s about $1.08 billion in Australian dollars, making the firm a Down Under Unicorn, even if it’s a bit shy here in America. According to SiteMinder, the round was “led by …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Hyundai and Kia put over $110M into UK electric delivery vehicles startup Arrival

    Forget the consumer market for electric vehicles. It turns out delivery vehicles could be the “Trojan horse” for electric to really take off. Korean auto giants Hyundai and Kia put more than $110 million in U.K. startup Arrival, which emerged from relative stealth today. The investment immediately makes Arrival one of Britain’s most valuable startups, …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Matera raises $11.2 million to let you handle residential property management yourself

    Matera, the French startup formerly known as illiCopro, is raising an $11.2 million funding round (€10 million). The company has been building a SaaS platform to give you all the tools you need to handle property management for your residential building. Index Ventures is leading the round, with existing investor Samaipata also participating. Business angels, …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Loliware’s kelp-based plastic alternatives snag $6M seed round from eco-conscious investors

    The last few years have seen many cities ban plastic bags, plastic straws and other common forms of waste, giving environmentally conscious alternatives a huge boost — among them Loliware, purveyor of fine disposable goods created from kelp. Huge demand and smart sourcing has attracted a big first funding round. I covered Loliware early on …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Are OYO’s deep cuts a reality check for unicorns?

    Hello and welcome back to our regular morning look at private companies, public markets and the gray space in between. After a short pause, we’re back on the topic of unicorn layoffs. While it’s cheery that a number of companies are chugging ahead with ARR growth powered by efficient spend, not every company has taken …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel
  • WorkBoard triples again in 2019, raises $30M from a16z to celebrate

    WorkBoard, a SaaS startup that provides goal setting and management software to other companies, announced today that it has closed a $30 million Series C. The new capital comes less than a year after the startup raised a $23 million Series B. WorkBoard has raised $66.6 million to date, according to Crunchbase. Andreessen Horowitz’s David …

    January 16, 2020 | by Raheel