DoorDash, Auth0, Sapphire Ventures, Fastly, Criteria, GetYourGuide, Resy, American Express, Amazon and Hydrow
DoorDash ordering up big new round
DoorDash is reportedly looking to add at least $500 more to its cap table at a valuation that could reach close to $13 billion. The planned fundraise underscores a broader turnaround in investor appetites for cash-burning delivery services.
Auth0 loads up with $103M
Identity and authentication technology provider Auth0 has raised $103 million in a new Series E round led by Sapphire Ventures. The financing reportedly pushes the Bellevue, Wash.-based company’s valuation past the $1 billion mark.
VC funding soars in Brazil
Venture funding in Brazil exploded in 2018 to $1.3 billion, representing nearly two-thirds of all VC money raised in Latin America as a whole last year. Meanwhile, deal volume more than doubled to 259 in 2018 compared to 113 in 2017.
Fastly founder dishes on IPO day
Shares of Fastly, a content delivery service provider, surged over 50 percent in first-day trading last week, a welcome win for backers and staffers alike. To put its performance in perspective, Crunchbase News touched base with Fastly founder and CEO Artur Bergman.
VCs back sofa subscriptions, AI, undies, and more
In our Last Week in Venture series, we look at intriguing rounds that may have fallen under your radar. The latest installment features Feather, a high-end furniture subscription service, Algorithmia, provider of a platform for automating aspects of machine learning development, and TomboyX, a maker of gender nonconforming underwear.
GetYourGuide picks up $484M
Berlin-based GetYourGuide, an online service for booking tours and other travel activities, has raised $484 million in a fresh funding round led by SoftBank.
Resy tops Amex M&A spree
American Express announced that it purchased Resy a startup that operates an online platform for making restaurant reservations. It’s the third acquisition by the credit card giant so far this year.
Amazon not a model for money-losing unicorns
As Uber and Lyft struggle in the public market, some argue that Amazon’s history of losses proves that persistent deficits are pretty ok. Crunchbase News explains why that’s not a good argument.
Hydrow expands Series A to $27M
Boston-based Hydrow, a connected indoor rowing machine startup, said it has expanded its Series A, taking the round’s total to $27 million. The fundraise comes as overall financing continues to rise for the connected fitness space.
Crunchbase: How to set SMART sales goals
Goals and target projections are always at the forefront of your mind as a salesperson or a founder. Your sales goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Here’s an outline to make sure you’re setting up for success.
Luckin and Fastly price IPOs near top of range
Luckin Coffee and Fastly each priced their IPOs towards the top of their respective ranges. Luckin Coffee, a quickly growing and deeply unprofitable China-based coffee purveyor, raised over $560 million after pricing shares at $17 each. Fastly, a San Francisco company that powers the distribution of Internet content, raised around $180 million, pricing shares at $16 apiece.
Deliveroo bags $575M as delivery funding surges
U.K.-based Deliveroo has raised an additional $575 million led by Amazon, bringing its total war chest to $1.5 billion. The financing comes amid a surge of funding for the space, with Indian delivery service Grofers closing on a big round this week, and DoorDash reportedly eyeing an even bigger one.
Charting the era of the unicorn IPO
We can make charts galore about the tech IPO market. Yet none diminish the profound sense we are in uncharted territory. Never before have so many high revenue companies gone public at such lofty valuations, all while sustaining such massive losses. Crunchbase News looks at how the numbers add up.
Fiverr plans public debut
Fiverr is the latest company to help ensure the IPO well won’t run dry. The Israel-based provider of a platform for freelance gigs filed to go public on NYSE. Its IPO prospectus reveals annual revenues of just over $75 million in 2018, paired with $36 million in losses.
Apptio acquires Cloudability
Apptio, a software company focused on helping companies manage their IT life, announced that it is buying Cloudability, a smaller firm that helps clients manage their cloud spend. The deal marks Apptio’s third acquisition in two years.
Crunchbase: The right way to do user onboarding
Before Tinder and Coffee Meets Bagel, there was a world of Match.com, eHarmony, OkCupid, and a long list of others. What did they all have in common? The worst user onboarding experience imaginable. Here’s what we can learn from these dating sites on how to do user onboarding right.
