Good Morning Monday! Let's get rolling with what's new in the startup world. Here is the latest weekly startup stories for you. Have a refreshing week ahead.
16th November, Monday
1. A court decision in favor of startup UpCodes may help shape open access to the law
UpCodes is the defendant in two Continuing Suits filed by ICC, the nonprofit that develops the most widely used Construction codes in America.
2. Gretel announces $12M to make it easier to anonymize data
Gretel, an early-stage startup, needs to change that by making it quicker and simpler to anonymize data collections. Now the company announced a $12 million Series A headed by Greylock. The business has raised $15.5 million. Read more.
3. Undock raises $1.6M to help solve your group scheduling nightmares
Undock is a Chrome extension that allows users to seamlessly see mutual availability across a group. The startup recently closed a $1.6 million seed round with investors. The company plans to launch a full-featured calendar in Q1 of 2021,it include collaborative editing right within calendar events, and embedded video conferencing. Read more.
4. MindTickle raises $100 million led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2
MindTickle, a startup helping hundreds of small and large firms improve their sales through its quasi sales readiness platform, it has raised $100 million in a new funding round a combination of debt and equity. Read more.
17th November, Tuesday
1. Airbnb files to go public
The well-known unicorn one step closer to being a public company. Company filed to go public even after having full of bustle year. Read more.
2. Construction Tech Startups Are Poised To Shake Up A $1.3Trillion Industry
In the Aftermath of COVID-19, sites throughout the Country emptied out, project demand steadily shrank.The lack of tech sophistication on construction sites materially contributes to all round delays. Technology startups are emerging to resolve the issues. Read more.
3. Facebook’s Messenger Kids app redesigned to look more like Messenger
Facebook Messenger Kids app with the goal of making it easier for children to interact with their friends and family, browse and personalize their experience using features like custom chat bubble colours. Read more.
18th November, Wednesday
1. Will Zoom Apps be the next hot startup platform?
Zapps past month the name has been sensibly changed to Zoom Programs. VC Twitter immediately started imagining that Zoom may make the jump from effective video conferencing support to getting a launch pad for startup creation. Read more.
2. Tencent to Invest in Online Education Startup Udemy
Tencent Holdings Ltd-Chinese technology company is a lead investor in a funding round that valued the online education startup Udemy Inc. Udemyhas raised $50 million in a round valuing the company at $3.25 billion before the fresh investments. Read more.
3. IBM is acquiring APM startup Instana as it continues to expand hybrid cloud vision
Instana, which is based in Chicago, an applications performance management startup with a cloud native approach acquired by IBM, which it can give customers a way to manage complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments.. Read more.
4. Tutor marketplace GoStudent takes its Series A to €13.3M with Left Lane Capital and DN Capital
Vienna based E-learning startup GoStudent, has increased the Series A round it raised earlier this year to €13.3 million, a total of €16 milliontill this date. It operates a platform connecting students with teachers worldwide Read more.
19th November, Thursday
1. Biden’s infrastructure plans could boost startups
Joe Biden readies his transition team and sets the agenda for his first 100 days in office, startups could expect to see some motion on long-stalled infrastructure projects which could mean significant boosts to their own enterprise. Read more.
2. Virtual HQs race to win over a remote-work
An increasing number of entrepreneurs in the Valley, when one physical door closes, a virtual one opens. With the Objective of Earning distant work more spontaneous, there are dozens of fresh startups working to make virtual HQs. Read more.
3. S16 Angel Fund launches a community of founders to invest in other founders
S16 Angel Fund to invest in startups globally. Focus is on “founder-in-founder” investments and has already backed five companies under plan. Read more.
4. ZenBusiness snags $55M Series B for its incorporation and growth platform for micro businesses
cAustin Based corporation raised $55 to expand its services. ZenBusiness has been adding financial services to its product suite under the label of ZenBusiness Money. Read more.
20th November, Friday
1. FireEye acquires Respond Software for $186M, announces $400M investment
Respond, which was set up in 2016 acquired by Fireye. a company that helps customers explore and understand security events. , acquisition provides them a quick influx of machine learning-fueled applications. Read more.
2. The unicorn gaming company Roblox joins Airbnb, DoorDash and Affirm in targeting an IPO
Roblox, the child-friendly gaming company, filed to go public. Roblox raised $335.7 million, it has around $810 million in cash and equivalents heading into its IPO. Read more.
3. The fintech unicorn Affirm has filed to go public!
Affirm has filed to go public! The fintech unicorn is large, developing and losing money with time. We're impressed in our very first appearance, took time and discovered that a weakness or two. However, Affirm is going public rather than in bad form. Read more.
4. Transfr raises $12M Series A to bring virtual reality to manufacturing-plant floors
Transfr now announced it has raised $12 million in a round led by Firework Ventures. The money will primarily be used to grow Transfr's catalog of virtual reality simulations. Read more.
5. African fintech startup Chipper Cash raises $30M backed by Jeff Bezos
Chipper Cash was founded in San Francisco in 2018. African cross-border fintech startup, has raised a $30 million Series B funding round. It offers mobile-based, no fee, P2P payment services in seven countries: Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa and Kenya. Read more.
21st November, Saturday
1. Walmart is buying JoyRun assets to add ‘peer-to-peer’ product delivery
Startup has some rather different news to discuss, as it becomes a part of Walmart as Walmart has bought pick assets in an attempt to boost its supply chain.The mega-retailer announced today it has acquired "select assets including the ability, technology platform and IP" by the company, in a bid to incorporate its coequal food and beverage delivery agency into its last-mile logistics. Read more.
2. Kea raises $10M to build AI that helps restaurants answer the telephonic order
Kea has raised $10 million Series A led by Marbruck. Kea is offering technology that should help restaurants to manage orders over the phone, the initial intake with customers, process most routine orders , Read more.
3. A16z is now managing $16.5 billion, after announcing two new funds
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has closed a Set of funds totaling $4.5 billion.The company has raised $1.3 billion to get an early-stage fund focused on consumer, business and fintech. Read more.
4. ORIX invests $60M in Israeli crowdfunding platform OurCrowd
Japan-based financial services group ORIX Corporation, announced that it has made a $60 million strategic investment into the Israeli crowdsourcing platform OurCrowd. the two groups will collaborate to create financial products and investment opportunities for the Japanese and global market, read more.
22nd November, Sunday
1. WhiteHat Jr's founder files $2.6M defamation suit against critic
WhiteHat Jr founder Karan Bajaj, has filed a defamation case against Pradeep Poonia, an engineer who has Openly criticized the firm for its marketing tactics, the quality of the Classes on the platform. Read more.
2. Country Delight raises $25M in Series C round led by Elevation Capital, IIFL AMC
Bengaluru-based home food essential brand Country Delight has raised $25 million Series C funding led by Elevation Capital. Read more.
3. Human Capital: Uber’s Black employee base shrinks
Uber’s Black employee base shrunk despite the company committing to anti-racism and Reddit brought on its second Black board member this year. Read more.
We, at OpenGrowth, are constantly looking for latest news in the startup ecosystem. If you want to share any important news from last week, then do let us know in the comment section below.
News Curated by: Kumar Amritanshu
Amritanshu, a geek, an explorer, traveler and innovative creator by heart. Experimenting with new ideas and exploring innovative technologies are his break-through talent. Endless love for technology and creativity.
