DoorDash, AlloVir, Awfis and PlanetScale Palo Alto Networks, Brex, SoFi, Crowdstrike, Sante Ventures and Northwestern Mutual

DoorDash picks up $600M

On-demand food delivery remains hot. San Francisco-based DoorDash just raised $600 million, and is now worth $12.6 billion, a big jump from its prior round. The company’s quick value appreciation comes on the heels of sharp business growth.

Utah racks up exits, funding, and startups

The Beehive State is on a roll, generating giant exits, big rounds, and a host of intriguing early stage companies. Crunchbase News takes a look at how the numbers add up and talks to Utah investors and founders about what’s driving the boom.

Which public colleges graduate the most funded founders?

Leading U.S. public universities have a track of graduating students who go on to launch well-funded startups. We tally up how top research universities rank when it comes to alums who’ve raised funding in the past year.

AlloVir raises $120M for immunotherapy

Houston-based biopharmaceutical company AlloVir (formerly known as ViraCyte) raised $120 million in a Series B round. The company develops therapies to fight viral infections in people with compromised immune systems.

You don’t have to move your startup to Silicon Valley

Fifteen years ago, it may have been necessary for Mark Zuckerberg to fly out to California to convince VCs to invest in Facebook. But these days, more often we learn that entrepreneurs don’t need to move to the Bay Area for venture funding.

Crunchbase: VC investment powers New York City transformation

Last month, the New York City Comptroller’s office published an analysis of the global venture capital ecosystem from a New York City-oriented perspective, using data provided by Crunchbase. Here are the two biggest conclusions the report drew.

Crunchbase Daily will not be publishing on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. We’ll be back on Tuesday.

Palo Alto Networks buys Twistlock, PureSec

Security provider Palo Alto Networks just announced a pair of startup acquisitions, extending an ongoing buying spree. It’s paying $410 million for Twistlock, a container security provider. It’s also purchasing PureSec, a serverless security platform, for an undisclosed sum.

Brex eyes fresh round at $2B value

Brex, a two-year-old credit company targeting market verticals including startups, is reportedly hunting fresh capital at a valuation around $2 billion. If successful, the fundraise would make the San Francisco-based startup one of the fastest ever to reach that valuation milestone.

SoFi raises $500M+ at $4.3B valuation

And the fintech financing news keeps coming. SoFi, a unicorn best known for student debt refinancing, raised more than $500 million in a fresh round. The investment, backed by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and others, sets a pre-money valuation around $4.3 billion.

Crowdstrike sets IPO terms

CrowdStrike, a technology company working in cybersecurity, announced a price range for its initial public offering that sets a preliminary valuation for the unprofitable but fast-growing company of between $3.7 billion and $4.5 billion.

Santé Ventures raises $250M health fund

Santé Ventures, an Austin-based healthcare and life science-focused venture firm, has raised $250 million for its third fund. The amount is significantly higher than the $139 million raised for the firm’s last fund, which closed in 2011.

Northwestern Mutual launches $150M fund

Insurance firm Northwestern Mutual announced that it is creating a second, $150 million corporate venture capital fund to invest in startups that help people attain financial security.

Crunchbase: Ranking startup ecosystems of 1,000 cities and 100 countries

Powered by Crunchbase data, StartupBlink has launched the Startup Ecosystem Rankings Report 2019, with rankings for 1,000 cities and 100 countries. This is our first report to track both momentum and trends within the global startup ecosystem. See how your city ranks.