49ers, Chiefs players look to score in venture world, too

Plus, AI semiconductor startup funding stays scarce February 8, 2024 Hi, {NAME}. It’s not just on the football field: The two teams facing off on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII have [players looking to score touchdowns in both the venture and investing worlds](. Plus, despite huge demand for advanced semiconductors — and the huge sums of money and data required to power the AI revolution — venture funding to AI chip startups has been paltry. [Could a highly anticipated IPO change that?]( 🏈 [49ers, Chiefs players look to score in venture world, too]( Some of the Super Bowl’s biggest stars also play the startup investing game. We look at what the likes of [Travis Kelce]( [Patrick Mahomes]( and [Deebo Samuel]( are putting their money behind. 👁️ [Eye on AI: semiconductor startup funding stays scarce]( Investors’ insatiable appetite for everything AI hasn’t exactly extended to the semiconductor startup world, [Crunchbase data shows](. Will a possible IPO from the sector light the fire needed for investors to open their checkbooks? Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Semiconductor Funding To US-Based, VC-Backed Startups]( 🔋 [Top 10: Energy startups power up with huge raises in January]( Massive funding deals to a pair of renewable energy startups led the way for the largest rounds to U.S. startups in January. All told, 13 U.S. companies landed venture rounds of $100 million or more last month. See also: [The Crunchbase Megadeals Board]( 💶 [Does Europe really need more ‘founder-VCs’?]( A common sentiment in the startup world is that Europe needs more founder-VCs — those investors who themselves previously started and operated startups. But guest author [Dan Gray]( argues that’s not necessarily the case, and that there are other things that would benefit the European VC system more. 💸 [Is the IPO market back in business?]( This IPO market will not be like the ones of the past five years, writes guest author [Greg Sichenzia]( a securities lawyer who has counseled numerous companies and investment banks through initial public offerings. Here’s why. Get more with Crunchbase Enterprise Find out more about Crunchbase’s prospecting software that enables your entire team to find the right companies, identify the right people, and connect with the decision-makers who can move deals forward – all in one solution. [BOOK A MEETING NOW]( Recent Investments [NinjaOne]( [$232M]( / [Series C]( NinjaOne serves as an IT platform for endpoint management that enhances productivity, minimizes risks, and lowers overall IT expenses. Categories: Cyber Security • Document Management • Information Services • Software • Software Engineering Founders: [Christopher Matarese]( [Eric Herrera]( [Sal Sferlazza]( Investors: [ICONIQ Growth]( (Lead), [Amit Agarwal]( [Frank Slootman]( [Starship Technologies]( [$90M]( / [Venture Round]( Starship Technologies is a robotics company building fleets of self-driving delivery robots designed to deliver goods. Categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Delivery Service • Food Delivery • Robotics Founders: [Ahti Heinla]( [Janus Friis]( Investors: [Iconical]( (Lead), [Plural]( (Lead) [OTO Capital]( [830M INR]( / [Venture Round]( OTO Capital is a digital commerce and lending platform that provides affordable plans to purchase motor bicycles. Categories: Automotive • Finance • Financial Services • Lending Founders: [Harsh Saruparia]( [Sumit Chhazed]( Investors: [GMO VenturePartners]( (Lead), [9Unicorns Accelerator Fund]( [KL Rahul]( [+ 3 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Tuum]( 25M EUR / [Series B]( [CommerzVentures]( [Colossyan]( $22M / [Series A]( [Lakestar]( [Sea Machines Robotics]( $12M / [Venture Round]( [Emerald Technology Ventures]( [finally]( $10M / [Venture Round]( [PeakSpan Capital]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [HEPACO]( Pending acquisition by [Clean Harbors]( for $400M More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [ZeroFox]( [Haveli Investments]( $350M [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( #{Rails.configuration.daily.cb_url} Discover innovative companies and the people behind them. [Follow Us on Crunchbase]( [View Jobs on LinkedIn]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Like Us on Facebook]( 564 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94104 © 2024 Crunchbase Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Unsubscribe]( from Crunchbase Daily.