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| 1 | | Malwarebytes announced the acquisition of privacy solutions startup Cyrus Labs for an undisclosed amount. Cyrus works on exploring the dark web and social media for threats specific to individuals. More: - "We firmly believe that data privacy is a human right. Hackers, trackers, location data, and even browsing history are information that individuals should control," said Marcin Kleczynski, co-founder and CEO of Malwarebytes.
- The startup also works on actionable steps for clients in case of attempted identity theft.
- Cyrus Labs' last disclosed round amount was $3.6M in Nov. 2020.
- Previous backers include American Express, 10X Capital, The Fintech Fund, and 1414 Ventures, among others.
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| 2 | | Seattle-based startup Irreverent Labs announced an investment from Samsung NEXT. Founded in 2021, the company first focused on MechaFightClub, an NFT play-to-earn Solana blockchain game; however, Irreverent Labs decided to shut the game down, citing the regulatory environment in the U.S. More: - "The decision to pause the development of the game and focus on the foundation model was a big decision for us as a team. But we believe it was the right decision," said Rahul Sood, Irreverent's co-founder and CEO.
- The startup pivoted toward developing an artificial intelligence model that can generate video from natural language prompts, images, or other video snippets.
- Irreverent joins other startups in the video generation space, including Runway ML and Mobius AI.
- The company last raised $40M through its Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Solana Ventures in May 2022.
Q: Should NFT startups pivot to focus on AI? Or will their original verticals recover? Join the conversation here. | | | |
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| 3 | | Luxury Presence raised $19.2M in a Series B funding round. Bessemer Venture Partners led the round with additional participation from Switch Ventures. More: - The company provides real estate professionals with tools for effective property marketing, content strategy, and engagement on social media platforms.
- Their platform and content management system enable users to create webpages, presentations, and list properties on their expanding home search database.
- The company recently launched Presence Copilot, an AI-powered mobile app offering realtors features for enhanced client collaboration.
- The new funding will support further product development as the company continues to expand its offerings.
- The company has raised a total of $52.5M to date.
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| 4 | | San Mateo's Alef Aeronautics received federal approval for testing its aerial auto prototype in Silicon Valley. The company's electric flying car aims to target speeds of 200 mph, a 110-mile flying range, and a 200-mile road range for the first model. More: - Alef's product is advancing the first electric flying car concept, incorporating 3D-printed parts into the prototype's construction.
- The prototype is constructed from carbon fiber featuring electric motors powered by lithium batteries that rotate eight propellers.
- Alef Aeronautics intends to fly its latest prototype for public exhibition by year-end, with commence production set for 2025.
- Investors include venture capitalist Tim Draper, and the company has raised $3M.
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| 5 | | Zepto, an instant delivery startup, raised $200M at a $1.4B valuation, making it the first startup based in India to reach unicorn status in 2023. The company was valued at $900M after its last round in May. More: - "The high-level elements that people keep throwing — the existence of deep-pocketed competitors, who all is on the cap table, etc. — don't matter. What matters is the basis point by basis point execution and discipline with which you are governing every inch of your supply chain," said Zepto's co-founder and CEO, Aadit Palicha.
- Zepto is aiming at an IPO with a positive EBITDA in 12 to 15 months. Currently, the delivery app is generating over $700M in annualized revenue.
- Indian startups raised $5.46B during the first half of the year.
- A total of 65 startups in India reached unicorn status in 2021 and 2022.
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| 6 | | Australian space startup HEO raised a $8M Series A funding round. The funding was led by Airtree Ventures and included participation from investors such as Salus VC, Y Combinator, and In-Q-Tel. More: - Formerly called HEO Robotics, the company rebranded to HEO to focus on commercial in-orbit inspection and space situational awareness.
- The company specializes in non-Earth imagery, specifically satellite-to-satellite imaging.
- The startup utilizes data from 39 space sensors from partner companies like Satellogic and Axelspace.
- HEO's customer base includes commercial satellite operators and government agencies seeking to enhance space debris understanding, monitor satellite movements, and mitigate potential threats.
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- AI developer platform Modular raised a $100M round led by General Catalyst, with participation from Google Ventures.
- Austin-based QA testing software raised a $7.2M Series A.
- Philadelphia-based precision oncology startup Fore Biotherapeutics raised $75M.
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INSIDE STARTUPS LEADERBOARD (7 DAYS) |
 | Sr. Analyst | | Nicolas S. is a Sr. Analyst at Inside, covering transportation and startup trends. He is an avid map maker and data nerd. Nicolas has worked in the shared-scooter space, as well as advised e-bike and moped startups. Follow him at @MobilityNerd. _______
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Robel Kelkile is passionate about all things tech, venture, and financial education. He has previously served both universities and state governments in their engagement strategy and tracking legislation. | | This newsletter was edited by Vibha Chapparike | |
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