Mark Volchek

Your last weekly space news round-up of 2024 🚀 Featuring stories: 💰 ICEYE closed a $65M extension to the existing growth funding round for a total of $158M raised in 2024 - the funding round extension included participation from funds managed by Solidium Oy, BlackRock, Seraphim, Plio Limited, and Christo Georgiev. 🌡️ SatVu, a global leader in climate technology, has secured £20 million in strategic funding, to expand high-resolution thermal imaging. 🛰️ SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink is projected to reach $11.8 billion in revenue next year, driven by strong consumer demand and growing U.S. military contracts. 📈 Space Markets: The Year in Review from Payload 👉 Of the 15 largest space startup funding deals this year, five came from US startups, five were Chinese companies, four were European firms, and one was from an Australian business. 🌌 Commercial space station developer Vast has signed a deal with SpaceX for two private astronaut missions to the International Space Station, pending NASA approval. https://lnkd.in/evUcpr92

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Top B2B Tech Private Company Fundraises Last Week 💰 ➤ Miami-based AI bookkeeping startup, finally, raised $200 million in funding ➤ InMobi raised $100 million from Mars Growth Capital for AI acquisitions. ➤ Spotter raised over $7 million to support creators with AI tools. Top B2B Tech Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships 🫱🏻‍🫲 ➤ Deloitte partners with NVIDIA and Oracle to accelerate GenAI solutions with AI Factory. ➤ Vodafone Qatar partners with Microsoft to drive digital transformation through Azure and AI. #AI & #Robotics were the focus areas for B2B funding.

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AI-first construction tech startup mbue raised $1.8M in pre-seed funding, with notable investors such as Techstars, Geek Ventures, and more. Led by CEO Jean Pierre Trou and CTO Dave DeCaprio, mbue leverages AI to help architects and builders instantly review architectural drawings, helping to reduce time, cost, and liability in the construction process. Read more about how this funding will expand their platform and enhance their customer support in the article by FinSMEs. https://lnkd.in/eS-SdnNR #AI #ArtificalIntelligence

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Exciting news! We just sent out the inaugural newsletter for Future Frontier Capital, our pre-seed venture fund backing frontier tech startups. As I hit "send," I realized how launching FFC parallels the path of the founders we support. Starting FFC has required the same passion, perseverance, and self-belief that drive entrepreneurs. Just like a startup, getting a VC fund off the ground demands relentless hustle—building the brand, perfecting the pitch, and networking tirelessly. There are constant challenges that test your resolve and endless hours of unglamorous work behind the scenes. And perhaps most daunting - the self-doubt, wondering if you're crazy for attempting something so bold. Pushing through that negative self-talk requires unshakable faith in your mission. Raising this VC fund reminds me of starting our IP strategy and patent analytics firm two decades ago. It’s a powerful reminder of the perseverance, creativity, and resilience needed to turn an ambitious idea into reality. This experience makes us more empathetic partners, ready to support the founders we back. Our work is just beginning, and this inaugural newsletter underscores our commitment to supporting frontier tech startups every step of the way. #startups #VentureCapital #EmergingManagers #Entrepreneurship #InnovationMindSet

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🔖 Reading today on Around Startups DPIIT, Stride Ventures partner to support startups in their funding requirements https://lnkd.in/efq-NYZd Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin poised for first orbital launch next week https://lnkd.in/ez-M8WsX OYO raises $65 Mn from Ritesh Agarwal’s Redsprig Innovation https://lnkd.in/gU6Hkrnb Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [30 Dec - 04 Jan] https://lnkd.in/e4hYqC2a SNITCH’s FY24 Revenue Zooms 2.3X To INR 243 Cr https://lnkd.in/eBpRc6dX Exclusive: Reliance Retail Writes Off $200 Mn Dunzo Investment https://lnkd.in/eNYPXjqb Zepto Gearing Up To File Its IPO Draft Papers In March-April: Report https://lnkd.in/e3N5tF_7 These fintech companies are hiring in 2025 after a turbulent year https://lnkd.in/g6J2GmtH GCC Joins Musk’s AI Dream: xAI Gets a Middle Eastern Boost https://lnkd.in/eab9qc8P Generative AI funding reached new heights in 2024 https://lnkd.in/eYrUfnSX

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Cloud AI Startup Vultr Raises $333 Million at $3.5 Billion Valuation 🚀 #AMD and #LuminArxCapital have teamed up to fund cloud startup Vultr, injecting $333 million in a growth round that values the company at $3.5 billion. 🔍 Key Highlights: - Vultr will use the funding to expand its GPU inventory—the backbone of AI models. - AMD aims to position its MI325X AI chips as Vultr's "preferred" hardware, challenging Nvidia's dominance. - Vultr’s AI cloud service is set to become its largest business segment, marking a shift from traditional cloud computing. This investment signals AMD’s growing ambitions in the AI space and underscores the intense demand for AI infrastructure.

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In our newest blog post, Nine Four Ventures General Partner Kurt Ramirez shares some of his thoughts on the current environment of startup shutdowns and valuation resets, and if these are natural consequences of an earlier period of frothy investment and easy money. Some key points are around how:  ·        Startup failures are common and expected, especially after a period of high funding.  ·        The recent increase in shutdowns should be viewed relative to the outsized number of startups funded in the boom years of 2020 and 2021 and reaching their make-or-break moment now.  ·        Some of these startups may have been funded based on unrealistic expectations of future growth, leading to valuation drops. Read the full post on our site, Substack, or by clicking below to learn more. Please reach out with any questions or comments on trends, companies, or anything else. https://lnkd.in/dZm6vfis Cc Jeffrey Elowe, Kurt Ramirez, Paul La Londe, Sophia Ghadamian Kier, Avi Pradhan #VentureCapital #Startup #Valuation #Tech

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Led by Anduril, defense tech funding sets a new record this year | TechCrunch https://buff.ly/4129kts Anduril, a leader in defense technology, has driven defense tech funding to an unprecedented high this year. Investments in this sector have surged, reflecting a growing interest in advanced military solutions and cutting-edge innovations. This milestone underscores the increasing importance of tech-driven defense initiatives in modern security strategies. As global tensions rise, there's a notable shift towards integrating AI, robotics, and autonomous systems into defense operations. The record-breaking funding highlights the critical role technology plays in national and international security landscapes. #DefenseTech #InnovationInSecurity

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AST SpaceMobile Stock Surges, Hits $5.6B Market Cap 🛰 Huge news from AST SpaceMobile as share price jumped another 18% yesterday, bringing its year-to-date market gains to a staggering 326%. The company’s market cap now sits at $5.6B, ranking it among the highest-valued space businesses in the world after SpaceX. AST SpaceMobile Stock Surges, Hits $5.6B Market Cap - Payload (payloadspace.com)

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🎙️ On the latest episode of Embracing Erosion, Devon was joined by Alex Pattis, General Partner at Riverside Ventures and founding team member of Hampton. Alex is also the co-founder of Last Money In Media, a leading VC newsletter that explores Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) within the Venture Capital ecosystem. As a prominent advocate for the SPV investment format over the traditional VC fund model, Alex brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. This episode dives deep into: 🌟 How to scale a company from concept to a 9-figure exit 🔄 Breaking away from the traditional consulting model and applying product approaches ⏩ The importance of iterating quickly and often with messaging 💸📈 Key signals to watch when investing in startups Don't miss this insightful conversation. Listen now 👉 https://lnkd.in/gEKv5ghE #VentureCapital #SPVs #StartupInvesting #ProductMarketing

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🚀 Exciting times in the tech and defense industries! Ares Industries, the first defense startup backed by Y Combinator, is making bold moves. 🌟 🔹 Innovating Defense: Ares Industries is currently developing low-cost cruise missiles, promising capabilities sought by the Department of Defense, at a fraction of the current size and cost. 🔹 Strategic Developments: With prototypes already tested in the Mojave Desert, Ares plans its first delivery by mid-2025. Y Combinator's move to back defense technologies marks a significant pivot, inspired perhaps by YC CEO Garry Tan's background at Palantir. 🔹 Market Implications: The entry of startups like Ares Industries into defense tech could potentially revolutionize the sector, offering more agile and cost-effective solutions, and possibly reshaping market dynamics, particularly for small businesses and startups in this space. 👉 For startups struggling to keep up with engineering demands, this exemplifies the importance of innovation and efficiency. Staying ahead in technology not just opens up new ventures but also pushes the boundaries of what's possible in traditional sectors. # How can your business leverage emerging technologies to disrupt conventional markets? Feel free to share your thoughts below! 🗨️ 🔗 For more details on this development: https://lnkd.in/daRZkHTm #Startups #Technology #Innovation This post was generated by an AI. Please contact us for more information.

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If you enjoyed our first blog on the metrics that matter for Verticalized SaaS then don't miss on the Part II of the series where my colleagues Devraj Hom Roy and Matt Schaar discuss the strategic and operational choices to improve these operational indicators. https://lnkd.in/g5QkCrcH

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As startups face higher interest rates and fundraising hurdles, venture debt remains a flexible, non-dilutive option for maintaining growth momentum. PitchBook’s Q3 2024 Venture Monitor shows that venture debt continues to play a vital role for startups navigating today’s challenging market conditions. Deal activity in venture debt is on track for a stronger performance this year, with total deal value reaching $34.7 billion so far. Late-stage and venture-growth companies account for nearly 75% of all debt raised, but we continue to see a need for the strategic use of debt by capital-intensive ventures at all stages. Download the full report from PitchBook here: https://lnkd.in/g-bEHTqC

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🔋 #TodayinVC - All of the biggest deal announcements in venture capital - August 13th, 2024. Sourced from Litquidity's Exec Sum. 💰 Fundraising Announcements: - UptimeAI Inc., an AI-based plant monitoring software, raised a $14M Series A led by WestBridge Capital (PRN)  - Battery performance tech startup Gaussion raised a $12M Series A led by Autotech Ventures (EU)  - Indian EV charging startup Kazam raised an $8M Series A3 led by Vertex Ventures (TC)  - Cross-border payments platform Conduit raised a $6M seed extension from Helios Digital Ventures (TC)  - Ragie.ai, a fully managed RAG-as-a-Service, raised a $5.5M seed round led by Craft Ventures, Saga VC, and more (PRN) Congrats to all - what #startups do you have your eyes on? 👀 Follow Today in VC for daily #venturecapital news! 📆

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Just finished reading "The Next Giant Leap" by Space Capital - a pioneering VC investing in the emerging Space Economy. The report speaks to how SpaceX’s Starship is more than just the most powerful rocket ever built—it is poised to reshape the global space economy in profound ways. With its immense payload capacity, reusable design, and lower cost per launch, Starship will unlock entirely new industries and transform existing business models. But how should industries and businesses evolve to align with this paradigm shift? 📈 Rethinking Business Strategies & Supply Chains - For businesses, Starship represents an era of mass-production over precision engineering. This means moving away from the focus on mass efficiency toward cost-effective, redundant, and scalable production. - In terms of supply chains, this opens opportunities for new players in manufacturing, materials, and space components. The demand for off-the-shelf parts and non-aerospace suppliers will rise dramatically. 💡 New Use Cases & Opportunities   The opportunities Starship unlocks go beyond launching satellites. - In-space manufacturing of high-value products like pharmaceuticals and advanced materials that cannot be created on Earth. - Mega-constellations of satellites for global broadband, expanding on what Starlink has already begun. - In-orbit assembly and servicing, allowing for larger space structures like telescopes or even habitats to be built in orbit, radically reducing costs. - Lunar infrastructure and resource extraction will become more viable, paving the way for sustainable human presence on the Moon and, eventually, Mars. 📊 What Should Businesses Do Now?   1. Embrace Redundancy & Scale – Instead of focusing on one-off, high-cost solutions, businesses should embrace redundancy and mass production.    2. Simplify Design – With Starship’s payload capacity, there is less pressure to optimize for mass efficiency. Simplified, scalable designs will allow for faster production and iteration cycles, akin to how SpaceX rapidly tests and evolves Starship itself. 3. Develop Strategic Partnerships – Collaborating with forward-thinking space startups, suppliers, and even non-aerospace sectors will be essential to capitalize on the opportunities Starship provides. 🌌 A New Era of Innovation   Starship will democratize access to space, lowering the barriers for businesses to create and scale. The next decade will witness breakthroughs in scientific exploration, energy production, and in-space transportation that we can only begin to imagine today. #SpaceEconomy #Starship #Innovation #SupplyChain #Manufacturing #SpaceTech #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfSpace https://lnkd.in/gNdbwXdq

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