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BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): This is your weekly list of the latest deals and disrupters, insights and trends to keep you up-to-date on the startup scene.
Bolt co-founder Ryan Breslow, who was removed for clashing with investors in 2022, would return to the company as a celebrity CEO of sorts, according to a proposal sent to investors. His potential return is turning heads: In 2022, Breslow claimed that morning yoga, eating “non-toxic” food, “following the energy,” and “daily dancing” allowed Bolt to grow sales by “nearly 10x” under his leadership. [Inc]
Startup shutdowns are on the rise: The number of startups that closed their doors in Q1 this year rose 58% from Q1 of 2023, following a 124% jump from Q1 2022 to Q1 2023. [Axios]
The median time lapse between Series A funding and Series B funding in 2024 was 28 months — by far the longest span since 2012. [Crunchbase]
Former Expedia exec Michael Gulmann is betting on AI to help smaller companies book travel with his new company, Otto, which emerged from stealth this week. The service is designed to quickly facilitate flight and hotel bookings through natural language queries. [Tech Crunch]
Siepe, a Texas-based provider of software and tech-enabled services for private credit and alternative investment managers, raised $30M in Series B funding, led by WestCap. [finsmes]
Ad block recovery startup Admiral has closed a $19M growth equity and debt funding round, led by Harbert Growth Partners. That brings its total capital raised to $28M since 2015. [Ad Exchanger]
Lettuce Financial, a California-based provider of an automated accounting and tax solution for solopreneurs, raised $15M in a Series A funding round, led by Zeev Ventures. [finsmes]
₿ Bitcoin restaking platform SatLayer has raised $8M in a pre-seed funding round co-led by Hack VC and Castle Island Ventures. [The Block]
ModelOp, a Chicago-based provider of AI governance software for enterprises, has raised $10M in a Series B funding round led by Baird Capital. [finsmes]
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Your weekly list of the latest deals and disrupters, insights and trends to keep you up-to-date on the startup scene.
Your weekly list of the latest deals and disrupters, insights and trends to keep you up-to-date on the startup scene.
Your weekly list of the latest deals and disrupters, insights and trends to keep you up-to-date on the startup scene.
Your weekly list of the latest deals and disrupters, insights and trends to keep you up-to-date on the startup scene.