Crypto funding falls amid drama, US firms cope with the Great Return, and more - July 15, 2022

July 15, 2022 [Crypto funding falls during bumpy first half of year]( It’s been a brutal year for crypto. Investment in VC-backed crypto companies slowed from a record $12.5 billion during H1 2021 to about $9.3 billion this year. In fact, with cryptocurrency values plummeting, stablecoins collapsing and bankruptcies left and right, the news isn’t that funding fell this year, it’s that it didn’t fall more. Clearly, large VC firms still see big opportunities ahead as the market matures. [An American shift from the Great Resignation to the Great Return]( Well, all that remote work couldn’t last forever. As pandemic restrictions ease further this year, more workers are returning to the office, voluntarily or not. Discussion and debate continues to swirl around the topic, and companies must balance their expectations with workers’ needs and preferences. [Monolith raises $300M+ to cut fossil fuel dependency]( This 10-year-old clean energy startup from Nebraska now has plenty of fuel to drive toward a cleaner future. Monolith’s technology produces hydrogen to power electricity, heat and cars as well as carbon black for tire products. [Crypto lending platform Celsius files for bankruptcy]( Battered by an icy crypto market, Celsius Networks filed for Chapter 11 protection after suspending its cryptocurrency transfers and withdrawals. The New Jersey company follows crypto app startup Voyager Digital and crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital this month in seeking shelter in the bankruptcy courts. [Stripe reportedly lowers internal valuation]( The payments company slashed its internal valuation of its shares by 28%, according to The Wall Street Journal. In March 2021, Stripe’s glossy $95 billion valuation made it the world’s fifth most valuable private company and a prospective IPO darling. Will these new internal numbers dull its prospects? [Latin American startup investment shrank sharply in Q2]( Last year, Latin America was the fastest-growing region in the world for venture capital investment. This year, it may be on track to be the fastest-shrinking one. Venture investment to Latin American startups totaled just $2.3 billion in the second quarter of 2022, per Crunchbase data. That represents a drop of more than two-thirds from the year-ago quarter. [Why are tech companies being hit so hard by the downturn?]( The last couple of months have been rough for both public and private tech companies. And while late-stage startups have been hit the hardest by layoffs, according to a Crunchbase News analysis, it seems like public tech companies are starting to ramp up layoffs as well. [A day in the life of a successful SDR]( Looking to jump-start your career as an SDR? Here is everything you need to know before starting your career in sales including essential skills, daily routine and salary potential. Senior Director of Sales Development at [6sense]( [Ernest Owusu]( also shares advice on how to succeed in the role. [Crunchbase ROI Calculator]( [See the number of new accounts Crunchbase can add to your funnel with our advanced prospecting ROI calculator powered by Crunchbase data.]( [Calculate]( Crunchbase Pro: Searches and Lists Name Type Entries [Healthcare companies acquired in the last 6 months]( Acquisitions 1006 [Privacy and security investments in the past year]( Funding Rounds 1161 [Fitness Startups]( Funding Rounds 771 [More Featured Searches and Lists]( [Check out our Crunchbase solutions here]( – prospecting tools made for everyone Recent Investments [Merlin Labs]( [$105M]( / [Series B]( Merlin Labs develops hardware and software solutions that deliver the capability for aircraft to fly useful missions autonomously. Categories: Air Transportation • Information Technology • Software • Transportation Founders: [Matt George]( Investors: [Baillie Gifford]( (Lead), [Snowpoint Ventures]( (Lead), [First Round Capital]( [+ 2 more]( [Bishop Fox]( [$75M]( / [Series B]( Bishop Fox delivers offensive security solutions to protect dynamic attack surfaces. Categories: Cloud Security • Consulting • Cyber Security • Network Security • Penetration Testing Founders: [Francis Brown]( [Vincent Liu]( Investors: [Carrick Capital Partners]( (Lead) [NutriSense]( [$25M]( / [Series A]( NutriSense is a health and wellness platform that monitors blood glucose levels in real-time with CGM and a tracking app. Categories: Fitness • Health Care • Machine Learning • Real Time • Wellness Founders: [Alex Skyrl]( [Dan Zavorotny]( [Kara Collier]( Investors: [1315 Capital]( (Lead) More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [incident.io]( 24M GBP / [Series A]( [Index Ventures]( [Aquabyte]( $25M / [Series B]( [Softbank Ventures Asia]( [Uplevel]( $20M / [Series A]( [Cota Capital]( [what3words]( 5.0M GBP / [Equity Crowdfunding]( - [Inworld AI]( Unknown / [Non Equity Assistance]( [Disney Accelerator]( [Obsess]( Unknown / [Non Equity Assistance]( [Disney Accelerator]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [GD Towers]( Pending acquisition by [DigitalBridge Group]( for 18B EUR More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [ironSource]( [Unity]( $4.4B [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Aug 14, 2022 [Investing In Innovation Africa]( Unknown Aug 31, 2022 [EY Startup Academy]( Frankfurt [More Upcoming Deadlines]( Don’t see your event? 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