Vital, Synthesia, Novo Labs, Uber, Slack, Meeker, SalesLoft, Labster and Uncork Capital

April 30, 2019 BusinessTrumpet

Corporate food VCs serve up odd concoctions

From lab-grown meat to fermented fungus, the venture arms of large food and beverage producers are backing a number of startups pursuing unusual innovations in the edibles space. Crunchbase News takes a look at some of the recent trends shaping the future of snacking.

Sila Nano secures $170M for batteries

Sila Nanotechnologies, a developer of battery technology for use in electric vehicles, raised $170 million in a Series E round led by auto giant Daimler. The financing sets a valuation of $1 billion for the eight-year-old, Alameda, Calif.-based company.

Will Lyft drive Uber valuation lower?

Lyft’s recent market cap around $16 billion offers some insight into how public investors value ride-hailing plays based on revenues and growth projections. The metrics point to a potential lower valuation for Uber’s public offering.

Slingshot Aerospace raises $5M

Austin-based Slingshot Aerospace, a developer of AI-enabled tools for analyzing satellite and drone data, has raised $5 million in a seed funding round led by ATX Venture Partners

Crunchbase: How to tell the difference between a fad and a trend

As a founder, it can be difficult to predict whether an idea will be part of a long-lasting business trend or simply a fad. We discuss how to tell the difference between a temporary craze and a sustainable trend, to help ensure your company is here to stay.

Venture funding surges in Latin America

Venture funding for Latin American startups has skyrocketed in the past couple of years. A new report finds that VC funding into the region hit nearly $2 billion in 2018, up from $1.14 billion the prior year. The number of really big rounds is growing too, while seed-stage activity is also accelerating.

Visa data reveals premium salaries for startup tech talent

Crunchbase News takes a look at employee salaries at tech unicorns using public data on H-1B visa applications by skilled foreign workers. We find that among the current cohort, Uber is the biggest hirer of skilled foreign workers, followed by Airbnb. H-1B salaries, meanwhile, tend to exceed average prevailing wages by job category.

VCs back voice automated voice ordering, ER software, and video synthesis

Our Last Week In Venture series takes a look at startup deals that may have flown under your radar. The latest installment features Vital, a developer of emergency department information system software, Synthesia, a company trying to commercialize video synthesis technology, and Novo Labs, which automates voice ordering for restaurants and takeout providers.

Female founders received 17% of Q1 funding

Seventeen percent of venture dollars representing $8.1 billion went to companies with at least one female founder in the first quarter of this year. Of that, 2 percent was invested in only female founders, and 15 percent went to companies with male and female co-founders.

Slack IPO filing expected Friday

More big news in IPO-land. Slack’s debut filing is reportedly on track to drop this Friday. The prospectus is expected to show annual revenues around $500 million, although no profits as the company continues to spend on growth.

Meeker raises $1.25B for growth fund Bond

Venture investor Mary Meeker has raised $1.25 billion for her debut fund, Bond Capital, which will make growth-stage technology investments. Crunchbase News takes a look at Meeker’s fundraising history, including her time at storied VC firm Kleiner Perkins.

SalesLoft secures $70M

Atlanta-based SalesLoft, developer of an online engagement platform for salespeople, has raised $70 million in a Series D round led by Insight Venture Partners. The financing brings total funding to date for the eight-year-old company to around $146 million.