Selling startups to avoid layoffs isn’t a real option, healthtech’s big rounds, and more - August 26, 2022

August 26, 2022 [Can a sale stave off layoffs? VCs say ‘no’]( Venture capitalists and those who sit on boards say while preserving jobs always is a concern, selling a company in an effort to avoid layoffs is a gambit unlikely to pay off in the long run. We talk to industry watchers. [Aktis Oncology nabs an up round of $84M in extension funding]( Biotech firm Aktis Oncology has closed an $84 million extension round partially funded by large pharma companies like Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis. We take a look at what the up round means for the company and the sector. [Alabama’s Landing rolls up $125M for ‘flexible’ apartment living]( Alabama-based Landing, which offers a subscription model for apartment rentals, raised a $125 million Series C to expand its network. [Mental health startup Alma raises $130M led by Thoma Bravo]( PE firm Thoma Bravo and Cigna’s VC arm (among others) have backed a recent $130 million raise for New York-based Alma, a mental-health startup that assists therapists in managing their practices. [Venture slowdown not prompting more M&A]( With fundraising so difficult and the IPO pipeline dried up, you’d think cash-strapped startups would rush to a safe landing spot in the form of a sale. Instead, M&A activity involving VC-backed startups has fallen since last year, according to Crunchbase data. [Edtech funding drops sharply]( Investors in education technology startups learned a hard lesson this year after spending record sums in 2021. Now they’re paring back. Data shows that funding to U.S. edtech companies is on track to come in at less than half-year ago levels. [Venture investors put billions into nuclear projects]( Nuclear power is having a big year for venture funding, and it’s not just fusion startups that are attracting capital. A Crunchbase analysis of investment in nuclear projects shows companies have collectively pulled in over $3.4 billion this past year. [VCs spent billions on scooters, with little to show for it]( Five years ago, the scooters came. These nimble little vehicles offered riders a quick trip to work or a quick trip to the ER, depending on who you asked. Scooter mania spread worldwide, fueled by more than $5 billion in total funding. Now, many scooter stocks have been tossed aside with Bird just a penny stock. What happened? [11 of the hottest companies to sell to in August]( In the latest edition of The Lead List, we highlight 11 of the hottest high-growth startups with new funding to add to your pipeline. Learn more about these emerging unicorns and find all the information you need to sell to them in August. [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 [Artificial Intelligence companies acquired since 2012]( Acquisitions 935 [Investments in coffee companies in the past 3 years]( Funding Rounds 182 [Meal kit delivery startups]( Identifiers 15 [More Featured Searches and Lists]( [Check out our Crunchbase solutions here]( – prospecting tools made for everyone Recent Investments [Lunar Energy]( [$300M]( / [Venture Round]( Lunar Energy provides clean energy products to deliver home electrification at scale. Categories: Clean Energy • CleanTech • Electrical Distribution • Energy Management • Renewable Energy Founders: [Kunal Girotra]( Investors: [SK Group]( [Sunrun]( [Capital on Tap]( [200M GBP]( / [Debt Financing]( Capital on Tap is a fintech company that provides small businesses with credit cards and a spend management platform. Categories: Credit Cards • Finance • Financial Services • FinTech Founders: [David Luck]( [George Karibian]( [Jan Farrarons]( Investors: [JP Morgan]( [Triple Point Ventures]( [Alma]( [$130M]( / [Series D]( Alma is a membership-based network for mental health care providers. Categories: Health Care • Medical • Wellness Founders: [Harry Ritter]( Investors: [Thoma Bravo]( (Lead), [Cigna Ventures]( [Insight Partners]( [+ 4 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Carbon Direct]( $60M / [Venture Round]( [Decarbonization Partners]( [thirdweb]( $24M / [Series A]( [Haun Ventures]( [Lumachain]( $20M / [Series A]( [Bessemer Venture Partners]( [XYXX Apparels]( 1.5B INR / [Debt Financing]( [Trifecta Capital]( [XYXX Apparels]( 900M INR / [Series B]( [Singularity Growth Opportunities Fund]( [Ultraviolette Automotive]( $10M / [Series D]( [EXOR N.V.]( [Loopworm]( $3.4M / [Seed Round]( [Omnivore]( [Celanese]( Unknown / [Grant]( [Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Zephr]( Pending acquisition by [Zuora]( for $44M More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Schola]( [BrightChamps]( $15M [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [Finance Magnates London Summit (FMLS 2022)]( November 21 - 23, 2022 in London Finance Magnates London Summit (FMLS 2022) brings together senior attendees interested in financial services and FinTech. 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