Startups race to serve freelance and contract workers, adversity brings strength, and more - September 16, 2022

September 16, 2022 [More startups scale up to serve freelance and contract workers]( Freelancers and contract workers now make up a vast and growing portion of the labor force, offering startups new opportunities to make big bucks. Businesses serving these workers have collectively raised nearly $2.5 billion to date. We take a look at the data. [Adversity in difficult times brings strength]( It takes a specific mindset to prosper during times of crisis, when capital is scarce. Founders must confront the risks, make the decisions and face the consequences. Here’s how to come out of a market downturn stronger than ever. [Figma’s VCs win big with Adobe’s $20B M&A deal]( Adobe agreed to acquire collaborative design platform Figma for $20 billion in cash and stock, in what looks to be the largest purchase of a U.S. private, venture-backed company this year. Who are the deal’s biggest winners? [Aptos Labs quadruples valuation in 6 months—report]( The money just keeps flowing to Web3 infrastructure firm Aptos Labs this year. A new, undisclosed strategic investment from Binance Labs quadruples the startup’s valuation to more than $4 billion. [Galvanize Therapeutics raises $100M]( Biomedical platform Galvanize Therapeutics raised a $100 million Series B led by Fidelity Management and Research Co. The funding will help commercialize Galvanize’s electric field energy platform to help treat cardiac arrhythmias, symptoms of bronchitis and solid tumors. [Startup investment in Congo, Iraq, Uganda, Bangladesh? You bet.]( Startup entrepreneurship and investment is a famously risky business, and founders and VCs overwhelmingly prefer business-friendly countries. But as new investment spreads throughout the globe, countries known as dangerous and difficult places for startups have come into play. With the help of World Bank and Crunchbase data, we look at four unexpected places where startup funding is on the rise. [Meet August’s new emerging unicorns]( In August, six companies joined the [Crunchbase Emerging Unicorn Board]( a curated list of companies valued above $500 million but less than $1 billion. Customer engagement and B2B fintech startups lead the way. [How to overcome sales objections]( Hearing “no” over and over again can take a toll on anyone, and as a salesperson, you’re probably used to hearing “no” in all its forms. So, how do you overcome sales objections? In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to overcome sales objections, share tips on how you can respond to prospects, and help you build a solid sales objection strategy. [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 [Companies acquired by WeWork]( Acquisitions 17 [Wealthfront's Career Launching Companies 2019]( Identifiers 156 [Series D funding in the last year]( Funding Rounds 488 [More Featured Searches and Lists]( [Check out our Crunchbase solutions here]( – prospecting tools made for everyone Recent Investments [Power Finance]( [$300M]( / [Debt Financing]( Power Finance is a fintech company that helps retailers connect with their customers, starting with embedded banking experiences. Categories: Credit Cards • Financial Services • FinTech Founders: [Andrew Dust]( [Randy Fernando]( [Fazz]( [$75M]( / [Series C]( Fazz enables businesses to send and receive payments, grow their capital, and get funding. Categories: Banking • Financial Services • FinTech • Lending • Payments Founders: [Hendra Kwik]( [Jefriyanto Guang]( [Ricky Winata]( [Tianwei Liu]( [Victor Liew Jia Hao]( Investors: [ACE & Company]( [B Capital Group]( [DST Global]( [+ 7 more]( [Ethic]( [$50M]( / [Series C]( Ethic operates as a tech-driven asset manager that powers the creation of investment portfolios. Categories: Database • Financial Services • FinTech • Sustainability Founders: [Doug Scott]( [Jay Lipman]( [Johny Mair]( Investors: [Jordan Park]( (Lead), [Kapor Capital]( [Nyca Partners]( [+ 4 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [CYREBRO]( $40M / [Series C]( [Elaia]( [Kojo]( $39M / [Series C]( [Battery Ventures]( [Dig Security]( $34M / [Series A]( [SignalFire]( [MAJORITY]( $30M / [Series B]( [Valar Ventures]( [Morpheus Space]( $28M / [Series A]( [Alpine Space Ventures]( [Fazz]( $25M / [Debt Financing]( [Lendable]( [New York Shipping Exchange]( $25M / [Series B]( [Collate Capital]( [Power Finance]( $16M / [Seed Round]( [Anthemis Group]( [MAJORITY]( $7.5M / [Debt Financing]( - [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Figma]( Pending acquisition by [Adobe]( for $20B More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Softgel Healthcare]( [Everstone]( Unknown [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [NVIDIA GTC 2022]( September 19 - 22, 2022 NVIDIA GTC 2022 is a technology conference for the era of AI and the metaverse. Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Dec 1, 2022 [StartX]( Cape Town Dec 31, 2022 [Upward]( New York [More Upcoming Deadlines]( Don’t see your event? Reach out to us at events@crunchbase.com. #{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 © 2022 Crunchbase Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Unsubscribe]( from Crunchbase Daily.