Equity A $60M venture fund with a twist, and more startup-on-startup acquisitions
Apr 10, 2024
Dive into the whirlwind of startup news as we explore a groundbreaking $60M venture fund focused on Africa's growth-stage companies. Discover the strategic acquisition of Multiverse by Searchlight, alongside Guesty's impressive funding round. We unravel the complexities of L1 versus L2 blockchains with Monad Labs and spotlight Cyera's significant capital raise in cybersecurity. The startup landscape is buzzing with high-stakes deals and intriguing developments, making it an exciting time for investors and innovators alike!
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Unicorn Status Difficulty
- Guesty's $900M valuation after raising $130M Series F shows that unicorn status is harder to achieve.
- The company's broad service offerings within the short-term rental niche contribute to growth but don't guarantee a $1B+ valuation.
Startup Acquisitions
- Multiverse, a UK-based unicorn, acquired Searchlight, an AI recruitment startup, for product expansion.
- This acquisition mirrors the Wonderschool-Early Day deal, where larger startups buy smaller companies to enhance their services.
New L1 Blockchain
- Monad Labs raised $225M to build a Layer 1 (L1) blockchain, challenging Solana and others.
- This investment suggests a potential market opening for a new base-layer blockchain, akin to new operating systems competing.