Lyft, NEA, Voi Technology, Modulate, Chime, Juniper, Mist, Pantheon and Firebrand Ventures

March 12, 2019 BusinessTrumpet

Big takeaways from Lyft’s IPO filing

Lyft has finally formally filed to go public, revealing a long history of quick revenue growth and steep losses. In 2018, the ride hailing company more than doubled revenue to $2.16 billion, while sharply increasing losses to more than $900 million. Meanwhile, booking volume has more than quadrupled over the past three calendar years.

NEA raising most massive fund to date

New Enterprise Associates (NEA), one of the oldest and largest U.S. venture firms, has filed to raise $3.6 billion for its seventeenth flagship fund. If it meets or exceeds the target, the fund will be the largest in NEA’s 42-year history.

Voi raises $30M more for scooters

That was fast. Just three months after raising $50 million in Series A funding, European scooter rentals startup Voi Technology has secured another $30 million. The financing comes as global funding for scooter companies continues its upward ascent.

Dollars go to AI voices, aerial image tools, and group decisions

In our Last Week In Venture series, Crunchbase News looks at venture rounds that may have flown under the radar. The latest installment includes Modulate, a developer of AI-enabled, customized voices for video games, Aerobotics, a provider of tools for farmers to analyze aerial imagery, and Threads, a startup building a platform for team decision-making.

Bank startup Chime secures $200M

San Francisco-based banking upstart Chime has closed on $200 million in a Series D financing led by DST Global. The round reportedly sets a valuation around $1.5 billion for the six-year-old company.

Juniper acquires Mist for $405M

Juniper Networks announced that it will acquire Silicon Valley-based Mist Systems, a developer of AI-enabled wireless networking technology, for $405 million. Founded in 2014, Mist previously raised $88 million in venture funding.

Investors tune in to podcast startups

In the era of esports and high-def streaming video, humble audio is having a moment. Podcasting startups have secured multiple nine-figure rounds in recent months, as well as some big acquisitions.

Pantheon raises $40M for WebOps

Pantheon, a website operations platform for Drupal and WordPress, secured $40 million in a Series D round led by SageView Partners. The financing brings total funding for the San Francisco-based company to $97 million.

Firebrand Ventures expands to Austin

Kansas City-based early stage investor Firebrand Ventures is launching an Austin office. The firm has tapped Ryan Merket, a prominent angel investor and tech executive, to lead the effort.

Crunchbase: Three tips to find innovative startup ideas

Every great company begins with a great idea. In this guide, we walk through the best places to start looking for inspiration for your next startup

Cannabis brand Verano acquired for $850M

Cannabis valuations are hitting new highs. The latest indicator is the acquisition of Verano Holdings, developer of a stable of custom cannabis products, for a staggering $850 million. The buyer is Harvest Health & Recreation, a large, publicly-traded player in the high-end cannabis space.

F5 buys NJINX for $670M

F5, a provider of cloud and security services for app deployments, is paying $670 million to acquire NGINX, the commercial company behind the popular open-source web server of the same name. Founded in 2011, San Francisco-based NJINX previously raised $110 million in venture funding.

Amex snaps up LoungeBuddy

LoungeBuddy, an app for travelers to book time in comfy private airport lounges, is getting acquired too. American Express announced that it is paying an undisclosed sum to buy the six-year-old company, which previously raised at least $4 million in known venture funding.