{"id":663660,"date":"2025-04-18T21:22:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T18:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/startups-weekly-mixed-messages-from-venture-capital\/"},"modified":"2025-04-18T21:22:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T18:22:21","slug":"startups-weekly-mixed-messages-from-venture-capital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/startups-weekly-mixed-messages-from-venture-capital\/","title":{"rendered":"Startups Weekly: Mixed messages from venture capital"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a219351d0d4a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a219351d0d4a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/startups-weekly-mixed-messages-from-venture-capital\/#Most_interesting_startup_stories_from_the_week\" >Most interesting startup stories from the week<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/startups-weekly-mixed-messages-from-venture-capital\/#Most_interesting_VC_and_funding_news_this_week\" >Most interesting VC and funding news this week<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/startups-weekly-mixed-messages-from-venture-capital\/#Last_but_not_least\" >Last but not least<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Welcome to Startups Weekly \u2014 your weekly recap of everything you can\u2019t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday?<\/em><em> Sign up here<\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week brought us mixed messages. A fresh IPO filing, but a bleak outlook for exits overall. New funding rounds, but founders frustrated over lack of capital. And in the midst of it all, some VCs are still finding ways to create liquidity and raising funding for more bullish times.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-most-interesting-startup-stories-from-the-week\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_interesting_startup_stories_from_the_week\"><\/span><strong>Most interesting startup stories from the week<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4000\" height=\"2666\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?w=680\" alt=\"Dylan Field, co-founder and chief executive officer of Figma Inc., speaks during a Bloomberg Technology television interview in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, June 24, 2021. Software design company Figma has raised fresh funding at a valuation of $10 billion, quintupling its price tag since last year. Photographer: David Paul Morris\/Bloomberg via Getty Images\" class=\"wp-image-2537156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg 4000w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=680,453 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=1280,853 1280w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=430,287 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=668,445 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=563,375 563w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=926,617 926w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1233645802.jpg?resize=708,472 708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>David Paul Morris\/Bloomberg \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a week of contrasts, startups exhibited both confidence and insecurity, and even second-time founders weren\u2019t spared from struggles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fearless or not<\/strong>: Design software company Figma filed its confidential paperwork for an IPO, ignoring the fears that made both Klarna and StubHub pause their IPO plans this month following the stock market crash triggered by tariff announcements.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Figma, however, isn\u2019t worry-free: It sent a cease-and-desist letter to fast-rising \u201cvibe coding\u201d rival Lovable over the term \u201cDev Mode.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Frustrated<\/strong>: U.K. founders expressed frustration at the widening gap between funding raised by British startups and their Silicon Valley peers. According to Dealroom, British startups raised just \u00a316.2 billion (<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roximately $21.5 billion) last year compared to the approximate $73.8 billion (\u00a365 billion) raised in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Smashed<\/strong>: Smashing, an AI-powered reading curation app launched last June by Goodreads\u2019 founder Otis Chandler, shut down due to disappointing growth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Suspended<\/strong>: BluSmart, an Indian Uber rival using EVs, apparently suspended service a day after the Securities and Exchange Board of India launched an investigation into Gensol Engineering, which shares its co-founders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Back<\/strong>: One month after reassuming his role as Bolt\u2019s CEO, Ryan Breslow unveiled a new \u201csuper app\u201d that reflects his vision for the fintech company he founded in 2014.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Investigating<\/strong>: Rippling\u2019s efforts to serve Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz have been significantly hindered by the fact that he and his lawyer are now in the UAE, TechCrunch learned. But the company isn\u2019t giving up and is also pushing for Revolut to reveal who paid off Deel\u2019s alleged spy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tailwinds:\u00a0<\/strong>OpenAI is\u00a0reportedly seeking to buy Windsurf for $3 billion. The startup was previously known as Codeium, whose popular AI coding assistant competes with Cursor and the like.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-most-interesting-vc-and-funding-news-this-week\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_interesting_VC_and_funding_news_this_week\"><\/span><strong>Most interesting VC and funding news this week<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1301\" src=\"http:\/\/marshmallow.com\" data-event=\"clickable_image\" alt=\"Marshmallow billboard\" class=\"wp-image-2993808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png 2000w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=150,98 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=300,195 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=768,500 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=680,442 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=1200,781 1200w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=1280,833 1280w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=430,280 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=720,468 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=900,585 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=800,520 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=1536,999 1536w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=668,435 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=576,375 576w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=949,617 949w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Marshmallow_HK_48_Sheet.png?resize=708,461 708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http:\/\/marshmallow.com\" target=\"_blank\">Marshmallow <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">(opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a> under a  license.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week brought us funding <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> that\u2019s hinting at better days ahead, with increased valuations and bigger funds that may no longer be the exception.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Growing<\/strong>: Marshmallow, a British insurance startup, raised $90 million in equity and debt at a valuation slightly above $2 billion. Focusing on customers left out by traditional insurers, it boasts a million drivers insured and a profitable annual revenue run rate of $500 million.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hammered win<\/strong>:\u00a0Hammerspace, a company that helps clients like Meta use their unstructured data, raised $100 million in funding to expand its business. The valuation is above $500 million, according to sources.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>New chapter<\/strong>: Chapter, a Medicare advisory startup co-founded by former U.S. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, raised a $75 million funding round at a $1.5 billion valuation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Phantom limbs<\/strong>: Austin, Texas-based Phantom Neuro raised $19 million to fund the next stage of development of its product, a subdermal wristband-like device that lets amputees control prosthetic limbs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Resilient<\/strong>: Conifer, a startup whose electric hub motors don\u2019t require rare earth elements, secured a $20 million seed round from deep tech investors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sunny days<\/strong>: Arnergy, a clean tech startup backed by Bill Gates\u2019 Breakthrough Energy Ventures, locked down a $15 million <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Series<\/a> B extension to expand solar access in Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bullish<\/strong>: Peter Thiel\u2019s Founders Fund completed the raise of its third growth fund. Closing at $4.6 billion, it is a big step up from its previous $3.4 billion growth fund \u2014 which could be another sign that the market has gone from bearish to bullish again.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-last-but-not-least\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Last_but_not_least\"><\/span><strong>Last but not least<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4000\" height=\"2400\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?w=680\" alt=\"Hans Swildens of Industry Ventures\" class=\"wp-image-2300222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg 4000w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=150,90 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=300,180 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=768,461 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=680,408 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=1200,720 1200w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=1280,768 1280w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=430,258 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=720,432 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=900,540 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=800,480 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=1536,922 1536w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=2048,1229 2048w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=668,401 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=625,375 625w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=1028,617 1028w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hans-wide.jpg?resize=708,425 708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Industry Ventures<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VCs need liquidity, and they often know how to find it even when there are no IPOs in sight. In the latest episode of StrictlyVC Download, Industry Ventures CEO Hans Swildens broke down the way in which firms are navigating this issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/04\/18\/startups-weekly-mixed-messages-from-venture-capital\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Startups Weekly \u2014 your weekly recap of everything you can\u2019t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week brought us mixed messages. A fresh IPO filing, but a bleak outlook for exits overall. New funding rounds, but founders frustrated over lack of capital&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":663661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/GettyImages-1248425896.jpg?resize=1200,801","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[28340,74839,17318,88571,70917,151824,67874,71745],"class_list":["post-663660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-europe","tag-fundraising","tag-india","tag-newsletters","tag-startups","tag-startups-weekly","tag-united-states","tag-venture-capital"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=663660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/663661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=663660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=663660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=663660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}