Why VCs are betting robots will build your next home

Plus, want more runway? Consider your infrastructure costs February 23, 2024 Hi, {NAME}. If you pass by a construction site today, you’re likely to see humans on the roof, nailing shingles, laying brick or rolling paint. Time-travel a few years into the future, however, and there’s a pretty good chance robots will be sharing the workload. Venture investors, anyway, are [betting on a future that includes a lot of robots helping with homebuilding](. Plus, [want more runway? Here’s why you should consider your infrastructure costs](. 🚧 [Why VCs are betting robots will build your next home]( Investors have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to back startups working on construction robotics in recent years. The pitch from startups — that they can save time, money and risk by automating repetitive tasks — seems an easy sell given widespread construction labor shortages and rising building costs. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Construction Robotics Companies Last Funded In 2022-2024]( 👁️ [Eye On AI: So much for that funding slowdown]( The first three weeks of February saw more than $2.6 billion invested into artificial intelligence startups, including a half-dozen rounds of $100 million or more. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Rounds Raised By Startups Using AI In 2024]( 🦄 [Where did all the young new unicorns go?]( Clearly, the days when you could get a billion-dollar valuation largely based on an interesting startup idea and a good pitch to investors are over. Crunchbase data shows only 29 new unicorns were minted last year after a seed, Series A or Series B round. (One exception? You guessed it: Generative AI startups overperformed in the new early-stage unicorn ranks.) See also: [The Crunchbase Unicorn Board]( 📈 [Want more runway? Consider your infrastructure costs]( Like many startup founders, you may find yourself looking to cut costs to extend your cash runway. Before you turn to [layoffs]( consider your infrastructure costs, writes guest author [Alex Flanagan](. 💰[What those really big seed rounds tell us]( Seed rounds of $5 million or more, once virtually unheard of, have become more common in recent years. Last year alone [Crunchbase]( identified more than 1,500 angel, seed or pre-seed financings that met or exceeded this level. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Seed Rounds Of $5 Million Or More]( 🎤 [Report: Analysis of the media, entertainment, and gaming industry]( Between The Eras Tour and Barbenheimer, 2023 was a big year for consumers. Still, venture funding for the media, entertainment, and gaming industry declined. Discover the highs — and lows — of the sector as we break down the data. 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 [Clumio]( [$75M]( / [Series D]( Clumio delivers cloud-based data protection and backup services tailored to enterprise needs. Categories: Cloud Security • Computer • SaaS • Software Founders: [Kaustubh Patil]( [Poojan Kumar]( [Woon Ho Jung]( Investors: [Sutter Hill Ventures]( (Lead), [Altimeter Capital]( [Index Ventures]( [+ 1 more]( [PermitFlow]( [$31M]( / [Series A]( PermitFlow is a construction permit application and management platform for developers and general contractors. Categories: Apps • Construction • Software Founders: [Francis Thumpasery]( [Samuel Lam]( Investors: [Kleiner Perkins]( (Lead), [Altos Ventures]( [Felicis]( [+ 2 more]( [Qloo]( [$25M]( / [Series C]( Qloo develops an AI-based cultural platform to predict consumer taste data and recommendations for companies in various sectors. Categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Consumer Research • Developer APIs • Machine Learning • Personalization Founders: [Alex Elias]( [Jay Alger]( Investors: [AI Ventures]( (Lead), [AXA Venture Partners]( [Eldridge Industries]( [+ 1 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Orkes]( $20M / [Series A]( [Nexus Venture Partners]( [Empowerly]( $15M / [Venture Round]( [Conductive Ventures]( [CLARA Analytics]( Unknown / [Venture Round]( [Nationwide Ventures]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Twill]( Pending acquisition by [DarioHealth]( for $10M More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [The Citizenry]( [Havenly]( Unknown [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [Education 2.0 Conference USA]( March 18 - 20, 2024 in Las Vegas Education Outstanding Leadership Award Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Feb 25, 2024 [ICELab]( Gunnison Feb 28, 2024 [Motor Valley Accelerator]( Modena [More Upcoming Deadlines]( Don’t see your event? Reach out to us at events@crunchbase.com. #{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.