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Startups Weekly: The Real Deal Edition
Welcome to the only edition of Startups Weekly that matters – the one that tells you the raw truth about the startup world. Don’t bother signing up for our newsletter unless you’re ready for some real talk.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
This week, Zomato spent $244 million buying out Paytm’s entertainment ticketing business. Meanwhile, FireHydrant acquired Blameless to solve the incident management problem. Dropbox swooped in to grab Reclaim.ai, and a new generation of rocket companies is rising to challenge SpaceX’s dominance.
The Hyped and the Busted
Large funding rounds this week included a whopping $270 million for Grafana Labs, a company that’s now worth over $6 billion. PIP Labs raised $80 million to build a blockchain for content IP in the age of AI, but is it just a desperate attempt to stay relevant? Defcon AI raised $44 million to help the Department of Defense optimize logistics, but will they actually deliver?
VC Shenanigans
Bolt, the fintech startup, is trying to wrangle $450 million from VCs, but at what cost? BEVC is raising a climate-focused fund, but will it make a real impact? And what’s up with investors offering marketing credits instead of cold, hard cash?
The Unsaid Truth
Getting acquired by another company is often the endgame for struggling startups. But does it really matter? The founders get a payout, and the buyers get to poach talent – it’s a win-win, right? Think again. In today’s startup world, getting acqui-hired can be a curse in disguise.
Join the conversation and let’s spit some truth bombs! Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
