Two times/week

Dealmaker

By The Information Staff

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.

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Recent Editions

Photo by Calm.
Dealmaker

Calm Lures Strategic Partners With Cheap Stock

By Abubakar Idris · May 23, 2024 4:38pm PDT
Consumer startups aren’t getting a lot of attention from venture capitalists these days, except if they’re powered by artificial intelligence. (More on that later.) That disinterest has made it particularly challenging for VC-backed startups wrestling with a slowdown in consumer demand after a spike during the pandemic. One path forward:... Consumer startups aren’t getting a lot of attention from venture capitalists these days, except...
Jason Warner, co-founder of Poolside AI. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Dealmaker

AI Startup Poolside Wants a $2 Billion Valuation

By Kate Clark · May 21, 2024 4:00pm PDT
Another day, another deal. Artificial intelligence startup Poolside is raising more capital from investors and wants a valuation of around $2 billion, according to a person briefed on the deal. The startup, which was co-founded by former GitHub CTO Jason Warner, is developing a specialized large-language model to automate coding. It’s... Another day, another deal. Artificial intelligence startup Poolside is raising more capital from...
Photo by Getty
Dealmaker

The Year of Venture Capital Breakups

By Kate Clark · May 16, 2024 3:05pm PDT · 1 comment
This is turning into the year of venture capital breakups.First, two high-profile splits announced last year became official in 2024. At Tiger Global Management, private investments chief Scott Shleifer moved into an advisory role at the firm led by Chase Coleman. And Neil Shen’s Sequoia Capital China (now HongShan) officially split from... This is turning into the year of venture capital breakups.First, two high-profile splits...
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Middle East Money Takes a Round Trip
By Kate Clark · May 14, 2024 3:00pm PDT
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Dealmaker

Middle East Money Takes a Round Trip

By Kate Clark · May 14, 2024 3:00pm PDT
In the world of artificial intelligence, startups are raising heaps of cash from cloud and chip providers like Google and Nvidia. It’s a great deal for the big tech companies. The startups are also their customers, so much of that capital cycles back as revenue, a phenomenon some critics have dubbed “round-tripping.”A similar dynamic is... In the world of artificial intelligence, startups are raising heaps of cash from cloud and chip...
Elon Musk at the Milken Institute's Global Conference on Monday. Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images.
Dealmaker

Great—More Money for Musk

By Kate Clark · May 9, 2024 3:09pm PDT · 9 comments
Elon Musk is raising $6 billion for xAI, maker of Musk’s “anti-woke” artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, in a deal set to close Friday, according to our sources. The startup’s first outside funding values xAI at $18 billion, remarkable for a year-old company. It’s a reminder of what’s wrong with venture capital. The massive round has come... Elon Musk is raising $6 billion for xAI, maker of Musk’s “anti-woke” 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
Photo via Adobe Stock
Dealmaker

‘If Not Now, When?’: Late-Stage Investors Open Their Wallets

By Kate Clark · May 7, 2024 3:01pm PDT
Venture capitalists are getting comfortable writing big checks again, judging by April deal activity. The lingering panic that’s occupied the private tech markets for the past two years is subsiding, investors say, due to the stock market’s rebound and because these larger investors are fed up  with hoarding cash. So, despite the slow... Venture capitalists are getting comfortable writing big checks again, judging by April deal...
The Dubai skyline. Photo via Adobe Stock.
Dealmaker

The Startup Scene in Abu Dhabi and Dubai is Bustling

By Kate Clark · May 2, 2024 3:00pm PDT · 2 comments
I just landed back in New York after spending the past week in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, two important cities in a region undergoing a remarkable transformation into a global tech hub.Government initiatives are propelling those changes, and those efforts seem to be paying off. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has become an... I just landed back in New York after spending the past week in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, two important...
Photo via Getty Images.
More VC Firms Are Investing in AI Rivals
By Natasha Mascarenhas · Apr 30, 2024 3:22pm PDT · 1 comment
Photo via Getty Images.
Dealmaker

More VC Firms Are Investing in AI Rivals

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Apr 30, 2024 3:22pm PDT · 1 comment
Does it make sense to back rival language model companies Anthropic and OpenAI (and Cohere and Mistral)? Some investors seem to think so, taking an approach to startup investing that looks a little like buying an index fund with an array of tech stocks.Last week my colleagues and I broke the news that Sequoia Capital was among the investors in a... Does it make sense to back rival language model companies Anthropic and OpenAI (and Cohere and...
Rubrik CEO, Bipul Sinha. Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Dealmaker

A VC Lesson From the ‘Rodney Dangerfield of SaaS’

By Cory Weinberg · Apr 25, 2024 5:53pm PDT
Venture capitalists should try this fun game at their next (increasingly alcohol-free) game night: artificial intelligence funding mad libs.[VC fund 1] and [VC fund 2] lead funding round for [number]-year-old [type of AI startup], founded by professors at [name of university], at a $[some-billion] valuation.This week, that formula would have... Venture capitalists should try this fun game at their next (increasingly alcohol-free) game...
Anton Levy of General Atlantic at The Information's Private Capital Conference earlier this month. Photo by Nicole Pereira.
Dealmaker

ByteDance Investors’ Waiting Game

By Natasha Mascarenhas and Laura Mandaro · Apr 23, 2024 4:31pm PDT
Most venture capitalists often see themselves as long-term investors. Those who backed ByteDance, the world’s most valuable venture-backed company, have had plenty of opportunity to test that credo. After pouring $8 billion into TikTok’s parent company, and sometimes buying more shares from other shareholders, these investors have seen the... Most venture capitalists often see themselves as long-term investors. Those who backed ByteDance,...
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 Lacework.
Dealmaker

Lacework’s Fire Sale Tarnishes Sutter Hill’s Incubation Strategy

By Kate Clark · Apr 18, 2024 3:40pm PDT
Cybersecurity company Lacework is in talks to sell to its competitor, Wiz, for between $150 million and $200 million, a fragment of its 2021 valuation of $8.3 billion, Cory and Aaron report. It’s a painful ending for the investors that poured nearly $2 billion into the 9-year-old startup, as well as the employees, who were hoping for a much... Cybersecurity company Lacework is in talks to sell to its competitor, Wiz, for between $150...
Photo via Shutterstock.
A Fresh Sign Creator Startups Haven’t Hit Bottom
By Kate Clark · Apr 16, 2024 3:08pm PDT
Photo via Shutterstock.
Dealmaker

A Fresh Sign Creator Startups Haven’t Hit Bottom

By Kate Clark · Apr 16, 2024 3:08pm PDT
These days, when I think of startups in the “creator economy,” a subsector propelled by the rise of TikTok and influencers, I think of pricey disappointments like Cameo and Clubhouse, or one of several smaller ventures that shuttered in recent months. And I struggle to come up with any big winners, beyond giants like ByteDance and Instagram,... These days, when I think of startups in the “creator economy,” a subsector propelled by the rise...
Photo via Adobe Stock.
Dealmaker

Investors Circle ‘Most Hated’ Fintech and E-Commerce Sectors

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Apr 11, 2024 3:51pm PDT · 1 comment
The fintech and e-commerce sectors, two of the hardest hit by the end of the venture capital funding boom, are still showing plenty of carnage. Some investors say it’s the perfect time to go bargain hunting. At the end of 2022, fintech was “probably the most hated area and probably lending within that [sector], and we actually have a couple... The fintech and e-commerce sectors, two of the hardest hit by the end of the venture capital...
Anton Levy, co-president, General Atlantic, left. Philippe Laffont, founder Coatue Management, right. Photos by Nicole Pereira.
Dealmaker

General Atlantic Sees Value in Chinese Startups; Coatue Tries to Avoid AI Exuberance

By Abubakar Idris · Apr 9, 2024 3:14pm PDT
The stock market is near a record high. Six public tech companies are worth more than $1 trillion. Even bitcoin has made a comeback! But the titans of private capital aren’t over the moon with optimism yet. That may be because they’re still working through the hangover of the zero-interest-rate funding boom in their own portfolios. “... The stock market is near a record high. Six public tech companies are worth more than $1...
The Kuwaiti Fund Promising a Shortcut to Sovereign Wealth
Dealmaker

The Kuwaiti Fund Promising a Shortcut to Sovereign Wealth

By Kate Clark · Apr 4, 2024 3:00pm PDT
We know that many of Silicon Valley’s investors are desperate to tap into the Middle East’s plentiful capital reserves. Less discussed are the hurdles Middle Eastern investors face while trying to land stakes in Silicon Valley’s best startups.A new fund wants to help both sides. Fahad AlSharekh, vice chair of Kuwaiti asset manager Kamco Invest,... We know that many of Silicon Valley’s investors are desperate to tap into the Middle East’s...
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
Sam Bankman-Fried at Manhattan Federal Court on June 15, 2023. Photo by Getty Images.
Crypto’s New Beginning; Seed Valuations Rise 25% From 2021
By Kate Clark · Mar 28, 2024 3:04pm PDT
Sam Bankman-Fried at Manhattan Federal Court on June 15, 2023. Photo by Getty Images.
Dealmaker

Crypto’s New Beginning; Seed Valuations Rise 25% From 2021

By Kate Clark · Mar 28, 2024 3:04pm PDT
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years by a federal judge after he was found guilty of seven counts of criminal fraud. Facing a possible 110 years, he got off easy; the crypto industry, however, did not. The yearslong saga tarnished crypto’s reputation among institutional investors and sparked an exodus of capital. ... Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years by a federal judge after he was...
Mustafa Suleyman. Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Dealmaker

Microsoft’s Maneuver; Andreessen Horowitz Preps Its Multiplexer Fund

By Kate Clark · Mar 21, 2024 3:04pm PDT
It’s been a busy week. Reddit went public Thursday, marking a rare initial public offering after a two-year winter for new listings. Shares jumped 48% in its first day trading, earning the company a market cap of over $9 billion.That’s a promising sign for IPO-ready, aging unicorns, and good news for Reddit’s backers, especially Condé Nast... It’s been a busy week. Reddit went public Thursday, marking a rare initial public offering after...
TikTok's Culver City, California office. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
Dealmaker

Why TikTok’s Own Investors Won’t Defend It; A Robotics Renaissance

By Kate Clark · Mar 14, 2024 3:00pm PDT · 1 comment
Legislation headed for the Senate that could ban TikTok is putting some U.S. venture capitalists in an uncomfortable position. Those with stakes in TikTok’s parent ByteDance could lobby in support of TikTok, prioritizing future returns. Or they could stay quiet, protecting both their relationships with policymakers and their reputations, as the... Legislation headed for the Senate that could ban TikTok is putting some U.S. venture capitalists...
TS Anil, CEO of Monzo. Zed Jameson/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Dealmaker

What Monzo’s Monster Fundraise Says About Fintech

By Abubakar Idris · Mar 7, 2024 3:55pm PST · 2 comments
For much of the past year, most articles about fintech startups have sounded alike: A once high-valued startup struggles to live up to its lofty valuation after interest rates spike, making it difficult to fund expansive growth plans. (I wrote about one, Chipper Cash, earlier this week.) But an announcement from a U.K. neobank has offered a... For much of the past year, most articles about fintech startups have sounded alike: A once...
Photo: Barry Winiker/The Image Bank via Getty
Venture Capital Has Never Felt More Polarized
By Kate Clark · Feb 29, 2024 5:22pm PST · 1 comment
Photo: Barry Winiker/The Image Bank via Getty
Dealmaker

Venture Capital Has Never Felt More Polarized

By Kate Clark · Feb 29, 2024 5:22pm PST · 1 comment
Venture capital leaders flew to Los Angeles this week for the annual Upfront Summit, a two-day conference featuring investors, founders and a smattering of celebrities like Lady Gaga. The energy was high and the references to the painful VC correction that pummeled valuations and knocked out VC firms were rare. The downtown is over, apparently!... Venture capital leaders flew to Los Angeles this week for the annual Upfront Summit, a two-day...