Two times/week

Dealmaker

By The Information Staff

Venture capital is at a crossroads. Reporters Cory Weinberg and Natasha Mascarenhas tell you what’s coming next, who’s winning—and who’s losing—in the high-stakes world of startup investing.

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Recent Editions

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Dealmaker

CoreWeave’s IPO Prep Kicks Into Gear; Is SpaceX’s Valuation Rational?

By Cory Weinberg · Dec 10, 2024 3:21pm PST
The big venture-backed initial public offering this week is a bit like meat and potatoes—it’s filling but not all that exciting. ServiceTitan, the Bessemer and Battery Ventures-backed software seller to electricians and plumbers, is expected to price its IPO Wednesday and begin trading on Nasdaq on Thursday with a market capitalization somewhere... The big venture-backed initial public offering this week is a bit like meat and potatoes—it’s...
Tomasz Tunguz. Photo via Flickr/Collision.
Dealmaker

Why One Enterprise Investor Is Newly Exuberant on Crypto

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Dec 5, 2024 3:26pm PST · 2 comments
Silicon Valley’s holiday party season is in full swing. But instead of having endless conversations about artificial intelligence, I’ve been bombarded by venture capitalists with renewed excitement for cryptocurrency startups. To sum up the mood: One startup founder made a toast when Bitcoin crossed $100,000 on Wednesday. Investor Tomasz... Silicon Valley’s holiday party season is in full swing. But instead of having endless...
When Databricks Will Be As Big as Snowflake; A Sleeper Fintech IPO Candidate
Dealmaker

When Databricks Will Be As Big as Snowflake; A Sleeper Fintech IPO Candidate

By Cory Weinberg · Dec 3, 2024 3:42pm PST · 2 comments
Ali Ghodsi is taking aim at giants. The Databricks CEO is no longer just sniping at $60 billion competitor Snowflake, but has ambitions for his company to be as big as $300 billion Salesforce, according to Jon Victor’s profile on the everywhere-at-once computer science professor. Reading the piece, I couldn’t help but think about the... Ali Ghodsi is taking aim at giants. The Databricks CEO is no longer just sniping at $60 billion...
Michelle Volz. Photo via Andreessen Horowitz.
Andreessen Horowitz ‘Dynamism’ Partner to Launch Solo Fund
By Natasha Mascarenhas · Nov 26, 2024 3:18pm PST
Michelle Volz. Photo via Andreessen Horowitz.
Dealmaker

Andreessen Horowitz ‘Dynamism’ Partner to Launch Solo Fund

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Nov 26, 2024 3:18pm PST
More new venture managers are trying to raise new funds, bucking a slump in venture capital fundraising. The latest: Michelle Volz, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz on the American Dynamism team, is leaving the firm and raising her own fund to invest in the same type of startups, according to a person with direct knowledge of the fundraising... More new venture managers are trying to raise new funds, bucking a slump in venture capital...
Together AI, Lambda Extend Funding Rush; Singapore to Back Wiz
Dealmaker

Together AI, Lambda Extend Funding Rush; Singapore to Back Wiz

By Natasha Mascarenhas and Sri Muppidi · Nov 21, 2024 4:47pm PST
We’ve spent more than a year covering back-to-back financings of artificial intelligence startups. There’s no sign that trend is letting up, at least for startups that compete with major cloud providers by renting out servers with chips made by Nvidia, whose quarterly earnings report this week showed the AI party is still going strong.Together... We’ve spent more than a year covering back-to-back financings of artificial intelligence...
Dealmaker Newsletter
Reporters Cory Weinberg and Katie Roof tell you what’s coming next, who’s winning—and who’s losing—in the high-stakes world of startup investing.
By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy
Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi and ServiceTitan CEO Ara Mahdessian. Photos via Flickr and ServiceTitan.
Dealmaker

Databricks’ $8 Billion Ask; ServiceTitan IPO Winners

By Cory Weinberg · Nov 19, 2024 3:00pm PST · 2 comments
Good afternoon from Las Vegas, where I’m writing this newsletter from a hotel room with a Strip view of the Encore, the hotel where bankers, investors and tech executives will slide from meeting to meeting at Goldman Sachs’ annual private tech confab. Say hi if you’re there. (I’ll be one of the many bald guys roaming around, but I’m younger than... Good afternoon from Las Vegas, where I’m writing this newsletter from a hotel room with a Strip...
Forward's CarePod. Photo via Forward.
Dealmaker

The Unicorn Hangover Lingers; Ben Horowitz’s Post-Election Sniping

By Natasha Mascarenhas and Jon Victor · Nov 14, 2024 3:46pm PST
Another day, another multibillion-dollar valuation for a generative AI startup! Today it’s Synthesia, a video-generation startup that’s near a $2 billion price tag in a round led by New Enterprise Associates, we scooped Thursday. Given the firehose of AI deals, it’s easy to forget that plenty of startups aren’t as lucky – and could be... Another day, another multibillion-dollar valuation for a generative AI startup! Today it’s...
Photo via Getty
An Inside Round for Accel; What's Next for Databricks
By Cory Weinberg · Nov 12, 2024 3:21pm PST
Photo via Getty
Dealmaker

An Inside Round for Accel; What's Next for Databricks

By Cory Weinberg · Nov 12, 2024 3:21pm PST
Venture capital firms have a lot of money to invest but relatively few maturing startups have proven their worth. So firms are doubling down on the startups they see as winners—which is sending valuations soaring, sometimes in just a few months.The latest example: Cyera, a cloud cybersecurity firm, is finalizing a deal to raise new funding from... Venture capital firms have a lot of money to invest but relatively few maturing startups have...
J.D. Vance. Photo via Getty
Dealmaker

A Venture Capitalist Heads to the White House

By Kate Clark · Nov 7, 2024 3:00pm PST
A venture capitalist is stepping into one of the highest offices in the U.S.—the vice presidency—but whether he’ll be a friend or foe to Silicon Valley is still unclear. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance should know what helps startups and their investors, thanks to his five years working in venture capital. During that time, he made early-stage... A venture capitalist is stepping into one of the highest offices in the U.S.—the vice presidency—...
NVCA President, Bobby Franklin. Photo via YouTube/NYSE.
Dealmaker

Venture’s Presidential Agenda; Sarah Guo’s Next Fund

By Kate Clark · Nov 5, 2024 3:26pm PST
Silicon Valley venture capitalists are at odds over who they want to win this presidential race, but there is growing consensus on the need for the next president to replace Lina Khan as head of the Federal Trade Commission. Such a change, venture capitalists hope, could lead to more acquisitions and reinvigorate venture capital investments.“... Silicon Valley venture capitalists are at odds over who they want to win this presidential race,...
Dealmaker Newsletter
Reporters Cory Weinberg and Katie Roof tell you what’s coming next, who’s winning—and who’s losing—in the high-stakes world of startup investing.
By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy
Photos via Shutterstock
Dealmaker

Why Nvidia Could Back XAI

By Kate Clark and Natasha Mascarenhas · Oct 31, 2024 1:03pm PDT · 2 comments
Few are as skilled, and quick, as Elon Musk at raising capital—billions of dollars, no less. But if there’s one constant in Musk’s fundraising strategy, it’s that he often changes the details of a round at the last minute. Take the latest process to raise money for his 18-month-old artificial intelligence startup, xAI. Representatives of... Few are as skilled, and quick, as Elon Musk at raising capital—billions of dollars, no less. But...
Participants at the 2024 Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh today. Photo via Getty.
At ‘Davos in the Desert,’ It’s ‘AI or Die’
By Kate Clark · Oct 29, 2024 3:00pm PDT
Participants at the 2024 Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh today. Photo via Getty.
Dealmaker

At ‘Davos in the Desert,’ It’s ‘AI or Die’

By Kate Clark · Oct 29, 2024 3:00pm PDT
Few conferences are able to gather a more powerful group of finance and tech moguls than Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which sponsors the annual Future Investment Initiative, also known as “Davos in the Desert.” This year’s conference, held this week in Riyadh, has so far featured Elon Musk, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, Ben Horowitz,... Few conferences are able to gather a more powerful group of finance and tech moguls than Saudi...
HRZ Han River co-founder Chris Koh. Photo via HRZ Han River.
Dealmaker

Coupang Co-Founder’s $100 Million VC Fund Wants to Fund the ‘Korea Graph’

By Kate Clark · Oct 24, 2024 3:00pm PDT
New venture capitalists are climbing a wall of skepticism when they raise new funds, particularly as they compete with established firms like General Catalyst, which just raised $8 billion. Even veterans of some of the most successful startups are finding it tough.That was the case for Chris Koh, co-founder of Korean e-commerce giant Coupang. He... New venture capitalists are climbing a wall of skepticism when they raise new funds, particularly...
Stripe CEO and co-founder, Patrick Collison. Photo via Getty.
Dealmaker

Stripe’s Crypto Deal Provides Momentary Relief to Investors

By Kate Clark · Oct 22, 2024 3:15pm PDT
Stripe’s announcement that it was buying cryptocurrency payments startup Bridge delivered a dose of optimism to venture capitalists this week. The deal is poised to become the largest-ever crypto acquisition and punctuated a particularly dreary market for mergers and public offerings.The purchase values the two-and-a-half-year-old company at... Stripe’s announcement that it was buying cryptocurrency payments startup Bridge delivered a dose...
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo via Adobe.
Dealmaker

General Catalyst Plans First Investment in Saudi Arabia

By Kate Clark and Natasha Mascarenhas · Oct 17, 2024 1:11pm PDT
General Catalyst is swiftly widening its global footprint. On the heels of acquiring two smaller venture firms in India and Germany, the firm plans to lead an investment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based financial technology startup Lean Technologies, according to a person with direct knowledge of the firm’s investments.The deal would represent... General Catalyst is swiftly widening its global footprint. On the heels of acquiring two smaller...
Dealmaker Newsletter
Reporters Cory Weinberg and Katie Roof tell you what’s coming next, who’s winning—and who’s losing—in the high-stakes world of startup investing.
By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy
Photo via Adobe
Five Red Flags Hanging Over Venture Capital
By Kate Clark · Oct 15, 2024 3:20pm PDT · 2 comments
Photo via Adobe
Dealmaker

Five Red Flags Hanging Over Venture Capital

By Kate Clark · Oct 15, 2024 3:20pm PDT · 2 comments
The artificial intelligence boom has provided a nice distraction from the reality of the venture capital industry, where cracks beneath the surface continue to grow. The latest edition of PitchBook’s quarterly report on the venture business paints a concerning portrait and offers a bleak projection: “the dam created by the headwinds of high... The artificial intelligence boom has provided a nice distraction from the reality of the venture...
Elad Gil. Photo via Getty
Dealmaker

Elad Gil’s Latest AI Bet Is in Health

By Kate Clark and Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 10, 2024 4:14pm PDT
The boom in artificial intelligence funding has extended into the healthcare sector, where startups are developing generative AI tools to improve patient care.Abridge, a six-year-old startup that uses AI to transcribe doctors’ conversations with their patients, is raising $250 million at a valuation of $2.5 billion before the investment,... The boom in artificial intelligence funding has extended into the healthcare sector, where...
Photo via Getty
Dealmaker

VC Investors Are Excited About Prediction Markets (Again)

By Yueqi Yang · Oct 8, 2024 3:30pm PDT · 1 comment
At the end of the last decade, one of the early ways investors and founders thought they could harness blockchain technology was to run prediction markets. Proponents believed blockchain would help ensure payouts to winners, without the need to find a bookie and argue over results. Those efforts largely failed because those sites were... At the end of the last decade, one of the early ways investors and founders thought they could...
Photo via Getty.
Dealmaker

Will OpenAI’s Investor Terms Hurt Anthropic—or Help It?

By Kate Clark · Oct 3, 2024 3:22pm PDT · 1 comment
It’s reasonable to ask that your VC backers not fund your greatest competitors. In the past, avoiding such rival investments was the norm! Still, OpenAI’s private request of its backers, that they avoid investing in other artificial intelligence model makers, stands out. Increasingly investors have been funding rival AI businesses as a way to... It’s reasonable to ask that your VC backers not fund your greatest competitors. In the past,...
Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.
SoftBank Finally Gets Its Piece of OpenAI
By Kate Clark · Oct 1, 2024 3:00pm PDT
Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.
Dealmaker

SoftBank Finally Gets Its Piece of OpenAI

By Kate Clark · Oct 1, 2024 3:00pm PDT
The internet didn’t hold back in mocking OpenAI and SoftBank in response to my scoop on SoftBank’s Vision Fund investing $500 million at a $150 billion pre-investment valuation in the ChatGPT developer. The commentators quickly interpreted the Japanese telecom giant’s participation in the financing as a sign that the artificial intelligence... The internet didn’t hold back in mocking OpenAI and SoftBank in response to my scoop on SoftBank’...