- Foundry Technologies is in talks to raise money at a valuation of $350 million, a significant increase from its previous valuation of $50 million.
- The increase in valuation highlights the trend of hot companies in the AI sector raising money at rapidly escalating valuations.
- Foundry is one of many AI startups that have experienced a meteoric rise in valuation this year.
- The company plans to rent servers to companies for running AI software.
- The risky pandemic-era fundraising trend of rapidly increasing valuations in short periods of time has returned.
Main topic: Vietnam internet company VNG Corp's plan to raise $150 million through a U.S. stock market listing.
Key points:
1. VNG Corp aims to raise $150 million through a U.S. stock market listing.
2. The company is targeting a trading debut at the end of September or October.
3. VNG Corp's IPO proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, repayment of outstanding borrowings, and donations.
Main topic: AI startup Modular raises $100 million in funding round.
Key points:
1. Modular has raised $100 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst, with participation from Google Ventures, SV Angel, Greylock, and Factory.
2. The company did not disclose the valuation at which it raised capital, but a report by The Information put it at $600 million.
3. Modular aims to provide a more affordable alternative to AI development for enterprises through its software, bypassing the need for expensive chips from tech companies like Nvidia.
Five crypto and blockchain-based companies raised a total of $24 million this week, with notable fundraises including $13 million for bitcoin mining company Nodal Power and $5 million for crypto lender Maple Finance.
British semiconductor designer Arm Holdings is planning a multibillion-dollar initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in the US, aiming to raise between $8 billion and $10 billion with a valuation of $60 billion to $70 billion, positioning itself as one of the biggest IPOs of 2023.
Instacart plans to raise about $594 million in its upcoming IPO by offering 22 million shares at an estimated price of $26 to $28 per share, with a market capitalization of about $8.9 billion.
Artificial intelligence and analytics firm Databricks has raised over $500 million in a Series I funding round, including strategic investor Nvidia, as it prepares for an anticipated IPO and expands its partnership with Nvidia to focus on generative AI. The fundraising round values Databricks at $43 billion and positions it as the eighth-most valuable private company globally. The company is closely monitoring the IPO market but will not be quick to go public, waiting for the macro environment to stabilize.
UK chip designer Arm Holdings returned to the stock market with a successful IPO, raising $4.87bn and boosting its market value to over $60bn, driven by investor confidence in the company's growth potential in artificial intelligence (AI).
Despite a "soft open" in IPOs, the equity capital markets have seen an increase in transactions this year with high-profile IPOs collectively raising $6 billion, according to Goldman Sachs' Lizzie Reed.
AI startup Anthropic is reportedly in talks with investors, including Google, to raise an additional $2 billion in funding at a valuation between $20 billion and $30 billion, just weeks after securing a $4 billion investment from Amazon. Meanwhile, rival OpenAI is said to be considering selling shares at a staggering $90 billion valuation, a significant surge from its valuation of $29 billion just a few months ago. Other AI startups, such as Character.AI and Prins AI, are also seeking significant valuation jumps in their funding rounds.
Global venture funding in Q3 2023 reached $73 billion, marking a slight increase from the previous quarter but a 15% decline compared to the same period in 2022, with seed and early-stage funding continuing to decline while late-stage funding increased, particularly in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, AI, electric vehicles, and sustainability. The IPO markets also showed signs of easing, with two venture-backed startups going public in September for the first time in 18 months. Additionally, AI companies raised over $10 billion in Q3, and late-stage funding saw growth outside of North America, particularly in Asia and Europe. However, the global funding slowdown persisted, with a 42% decline year over year in the first three quarters of 2023.
German sandal maker Birkenstock has raised $1.48 billion in its initial public offering (IPO), valuing the company at over $9 billion, as it aims to expand its business in Asia and the United States.
The IPO market has seen a resurgence in the second half of 2023, driven by an AI rally, moderating inflation, and stable interest rates, with companies like Arm Holdings, Instacart, and Klaviyo leading the way and providing insights into emerging trends in the semiconductor, AI, and SaaS sectors. Profitability and revenue diversification are important for the success of upcoming listings, and companies that can meet these demands and provide exposure to the AI ecosystem are likely to be the next wave of IPO winners.
Chinese AI startups Baichuan has raised $300 million in financing from Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi, and other investors to compete with giants like Microsoft and OpenAI in developing generative AI models.
