Meta-what? The startups and money of the metaverse, and more - November 16, 2021

November 16, 2021 [Meta-what? The startups and investors making the metaverse]( When Facebook-turned-[Meta]( announced its new focus on building the metaverse, mixed reactions abounded. Is this really new? What does it mean? And most notably from the Crunchbase perspective, which startups and investors have already been active in the space? We take a look. [PathologyWatch lands $25M for AI-driven dermatology]( Dermatology platform [PathologyWatch]( raised $25 million in its Series B financing round. The Salt Lake City-based startup’s platform combines laboratory information systems, scanners and technology to securely view medical slides digitally. The result is a more “democratized” health care operation, its leaders and investors say. [The rise of insurtechs doesn’t have to be a disruption story]( While insurance is an industry ripe for disruption and technological advancements, stiff competition doesn’t always have to be the case, writes [Breeze]( CEO and co-founder [Colin Nabity]( in this guest commentary. [Podium picks up $201M, Casper to be acquired]( Lehi, Utah-based [Podium]( developer of a communications platform for businesses to interact with local customers, reportedly raised $201 million in fresh financing led by [YC Continuity](. In other news, Mattress company [Casper]( said Monday that private equity firm [Durational Capital Management]( will acquire the company, less than two years after its IPO. [Funding for biotech boomed during COVID, but could the bubble burst?]( Investments into venture-backed startups in biotech and health care is on pace to double this year compared to 2019, Crunchbase data shows, with well over $100 billion invested in the space already in 2021. But some in the industry, even if they’re not worried that a bubble will pop, are wondering how to chart their future in a post-pandemic world. [Ohio—yes, Ohio—sees its VC funding take off]( Ohio-based startups have raised more than $2.2 billion in venture funding so far this year, per Crunchbase data. That’s more than double the sum raised in all of 2020, and marks the highest statewide funding total to date. It’s not just a few standout deals driving the explosion, either: Funding is up across stages and the state is starting to produce a few big-ticket exits. [4 ways to find and engage hyper-targeted sales leads with Crunchbase]( Finding hyper-targeted sales leads (leads who are highly likely to convert) doesn’t have to be complicated. In this article, we’ll dive into four simple ways Crunchbase can help you easily identify hyper-targeted leads based on your ICP. [Keep up with the Crunchbase News Briefing]( To keep up on breaking news throughout the day, check out the Crunchbase News Briefing. This continuously updated daily feature on our main news site has summaries of notable funding announcements, IPOs, M&A, and other happenings in the startup world. [Enhance Your Sales Team’s Prospecting]( [Crunchbase Enterprise is an all-in-one prospecting solution. Download this product overview sheet to learn how to close more deals without the headache.]( [Download Now]( Crunchbase Pro: Searches and Lists Name Type Entries [Venture-backed fantasy sports companies]( Companies 182 [Seed and early stage venture investments in recruiting companies in the past 2 years]( Funding Rounds 448 [Agriculture investments in the last 6 months]( Funding Rounds 399 [More Featured Searches and Lists]( [Check out our Crunchbase solutions here]( – prospecting tools made for everyone Recent Investments [Podium]( [$201M]( / [Series D]( Podium is a customer communication platform for businesses who interact with customers on a local level. Categories: Collaboration • Consumer Reviews • Messaging • Software Founders: [Dennis Steele]( [Eric Rea]( Investors: [Y Combinator Continuity Fund]( (Lead), [Accel]( [Album VC]( [+ 6 more]( [Amazon Seller Services]( [15B INR]( / [Corporate Round]( Amazon Seller Services operates a marketplace that helps sellers to sell their products online in India and internationally. Categories: E-Commerce • Marketplace • Shopping Investors: [Amazon Corporate Holdings]( (Lead) [Cyclone Robotics]( [957M CNY]( / [Series C]( Cyclone Robotics is a software technology company that offers robotic process automation software and solutions. Categories: Artificial Intelligence • Robotics • Software Founders: [Yuguang Vincent Gao]( Investors: [CMC Capital Group]( (Lead), [Goldman Sachs]( (Lead), [DCM Ventures]( [+ 5 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [ThoughtSpot]( $100M / [Series F]( [March Capital]( [Pigment]( $73M / [Series B]( [Greenoaks]( [Netography]( $45M / [Series A]( [Bessemer Venture Partners]( [Telio.vn]( 510B VND / [Series B]( [VNG]( [Plentina]( $2.2M / [Seed Round]( [TMV]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Distell Group]( Pending acquisition by [Heineken]( for $2.5B More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Namibia Breweries]( [Heineken]( 1.3B EUR [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( #{Rails.configuration.daily.cb_url} Discover innovative companies and the people behind them. [Follow Us on Crunchbase]( [View Jobs on LinkedIn]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Like Us on Facebook]( 564 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94104 © 2021 Crunchbase Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Unsubscribe]( from Crunchbase Daily.