New dating apps get love from investors, who's going public via SPAC, top 10 rounds, and more - February 14, 2022

February 14, 2022 [10 biggest rounds of the week: $935M raise leads the way]( The biggest winner among startups globally last week was a supply chain tech company that received a nearly $1 billion round. While it’s not surprising to see investors pour money into the supply chain sector, an adtech company raking in more than a quarter-billion dollars is slightly out of the ordinary. [For love and money: VCs back a new generation of dating apps]( A decade after apps like Tinder and Hinge ushered in the popularity of mobile-first online dating, venture investors are now starting to back a new crop of startups that aim to help people find romantic connections in new mediums—from audio-based platforms to meme-based datings apps—Crunchbase data shows. [Even as IPO market sputters, these startups are going public via SPAC]( Public market volatility has largely put a pause on the U.S. IPO market this year, but a handful of startups are still aiming for Wall Street debuts via an alternate path: mergers with SPACs. Follow along as we track the venture-backed startups that have completed mergers with blank-check acquirers so far in 2022. [Why more VCs may want to back your bootstrapped company]( More than 1,000 startups in the Crunchbase database appear to have been bootstrapped without outside funding for years before taking venture or angel investment last year. Although bootstrapped businesses don’t always fit the traditional Silicon Valley mold, some VCs are looking to invest in these companies—and some of those businesses are considering offers of outside capital. We look at the pros and cons of each model. [Funding to supply chain startups surges]( Funding to supply chain startups last year almost doubled to $11.3 billion. The numbers show not just the effects of a pandemic that shocked every aspect of the supply chain, but a building acceptance of tech in an industry known to run on pen, paper and spreadsheets, experts say. [Why ‘upskilling’ is attracting billions in venture funding]( Amid what some economists are calling The Great Resignation, we’ve seen a boom in global investment to startups developing tools and platforms focused on upskilling and reskilling workers. [I’m married to my co-founder. Here’s how we run a startup together.]( Spouses and startups can co-exist beautifully, as long as the partners take steps to maintain the health of their personal and professional relationships. Shanea Leven, who co-founded CodeSee with her husband Josh, shares some guidance to minimize both personal and professional complications that may arise. [Incubeta’s Zoe Hall on building effective working environments]( Zoe Hall, the CSO of [Incubeta U.S.]( is responsible for driving technological innovation and advancement across the company’s adtech services. In this Q&A, Hall describes how she navigates the rapidly changing adtech market and how to find the right connections to succeed. [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 [Benchmark's seed, series A/B investments since Snap]( Funding Rounds 101 [Canaan Partners investments]( Funding Rounds 691 [Data Collective portfolio]( Companies 271 [More Featured Searches and Lists]( [Check out our Crunchbase solutions here]( – prospecting tools made for everyone Recent Investments [Cazoo]( [$630M]( / [Post-IPO Debt]( Cazoo is an online used car marketplace designed to transform the way people buy, finance, or rent used cars. Categories: Automotive • Car Sharing • E-Commerce • Rental Founders: [Alexander Edward Chesterman]( Investors: [Viking Global Investors]( (Lead), [D1 Capital Partners]( [Mubadala]( [+ 1 more]( [Twist Bioscience]( [$250M]( / [Post-IPO Equity]( Twist Bioscience is a synthetic DNA production for specialty chemical compounds and drug development. Categories: Biotechnology • Chemical • Health Care • Life Science Founders: [Bill Banyai]( [Bill Peck]( [Northspyre]( [$25M]( / [Series B]( Northspyre provides a project delivery solution for real estate teams. Categories: Assistive Technology • Information Technology • Project Management Founders: [William Sankey]( Investors: [CRV]( (Lead), [Craft Ventures]( [Des Traynor]( [+ 1 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [deepdub]( $20M / [Series A]( [Insight Partners]( [Insify]( 15M EUR / [Series A]( [Accel]( [Neo.Tax]( $10M / [Series A]( [Infinity Ventures]( [Clare]( $8.0M / [Series A]( [Pendulum Holdings]( [Altigreen Propulsion Labs]( 502M INR / [Series A]( [Reliance New Energy Solar]( [Manatal]( $5.1M / [Seed Round]( [Surge]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [MX TakaTak]( Pending acquisition by [ShareChat]( for $700M More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Siemens Logistics - mail and parcel business]( [Korber AG]( 1.1B EUR [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Feb 15, 2022 [METABRIDGE]( Kelowna Mar 1, 2022 [Aentor]( Faridabad [More Upcoming Deadlines]( Don’t see your event? 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