WeWork buys Teem for $100M as Brazil’s Yellow raises $63M for scooters

VC fund creation passes peak

U.S.-based venture firms are launching fewer new funds in 2018 than they did just a couple of years ago. However, dollars raised remain at historically high levels. For 2018, VCs need to raise just $4.6 billion in new funds by year’s end to break the dollar volume record.

Kleiner Perkins splitting up

Famed internet analyst Mary Meeker is leaving her post as partner at storied venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, along with several team members, to launch a new firm focused on growth stage deals. Meanwhile, Kleiner’s early-stage team will continue operating with the Kleiner Perkins name.

Brazil’s Yellow raises $63M for scooters

Brazilian dockless bicycle and scooter startup Yellow has raised $63 million in a new financing round that reportedly ranks as the largest Series A ever for a Latin American startup.

Shift secures $140M for used cars

Shift, a San Francisco-based online marketplace for used cars, raised $140 million in a fresh funding round consisting of about half equity and half debt. Lithia Motors led the round, and was joined by a long list of return backers.

When do you stop being a startup?

When is a startup mature enough to stop calling itself a startup? Crunchbase News takes a stab at defining the metrics to quantify when a startup has graduated to the next stage.

Meituan raises $4.2B in IPO

Chinese e-commerce and delivery app Meituan Dianping reportedly raised $4.2 billion in a Hong Kong IPO, pricing near the top of its offering range.

WeWork buys Teem for $100M

Co-working unicorn WeWork is shelling out a reported $100 million to acquire Teem, a startup that helps firms organize their meeting rooms. The startup joins a long list of companies WeWork has scooped up in recent quarters as it deploys its massive stockpile of investor capital.

Flavored Tobacco Ban Looms Over Juul

U.S. regulators are looking to take a tougher stance on e-cigarettes in an effort to curb use by teens and children. That could have a heavy impact on Juul, the richly funded e-cigarette category leader recently valued at around $15 billion.

Metrics to meet to get funded

What does it take to raise your next round in 2018? An analysis of over 400 funded SaaS startups reveals there are well-defined metrics that companies should be targeting to make it to the next stage of investment.

Hyp3R raises $17M

Marketing software provider Hyp3R raised $17 million in fresh Series A funding. The San Francisco-based company, founded in 2015, uses location data to help companies track and communicate with customers.