Layoffs spike amid second rounds, and where generative AI funding is going - February 3, 2023

February 3, 2023 [January layoffs: Cuts spike as companies conduct second rounds]( A second round of layoffs can be the most unkindest cut of all. More people were laid off in the U.S. tech sector in January than any other month last year, according to Crunchbase data. And most of those layoffs came from companies that had already announced cuts in 2022. So much for “cut once and cut deep.” [Where the money’s going for generative AI]( Human content creators are still on the job, but for how much longer? AI bots and tools are like catnip to prowling investors these days as the pace of funding speeds up. We look at four funding categories where AI is playing an ever-larger role. [January’s 10 biggest rounds: OpenAI begins year with a bang]( Hello, 2023! U.S.-based startups saw five rounds of more than $200 million in January. While the huge ​​[OpenAI]( round grabbed the spotlight, other sectors like health care, cybersecurity and renewable energy all raised big funds as well. [Insight Partners’ dealmaking slows substantially]( This New York-based private equity and growth investor was one of the busiest firms in 2021 and early 2022. But as many large late-stage growth investors pulled back, so did [Insight Partners]( — and quite dramatically as last year wore on. [His football career over, will Tom Brady focus on startup ventures?]( After announcing his retirement (again), [Tom Brady]( has stepped onto a very different field of play. The Super Bowl champion has a small footprint in the venture and startup world with investments in crypto, retail and education, and has co-founded two VC-backed startups himself. [Black History Month 2023: An interview with the founders of BERG]( [Charlie Watkins]( and [Kyle Gise]( the founders and leaders of Crunchbase’s Black Employee Resource Group, discuss the importance of building a safe space for Black employees, hiring diverse candidates and what Black History Month — and Black resistance — means to them. Crunchbase Pro: Searches and Lists Name Type Entries [US-based investors with 100+ deals led]( Investors 90 [U.S. Black and Latine founded companies with last funding at Series A/B]( Companies 184 [Telemedicine companies that have raised funding]( Companies 285 [More Featured Searches and Lists]( [Check out our Crunchbase solutions here]( – prospecting tools made for everyone Recent Investments [LeafLink]( [$100M]( / [Series D]( LeafLink is a wholesale management platform that connects cannabis brands and retailers. Categories: B2B • Cannabis • Marketplace • SaaS • Wholesale Founders: [Ryan Smith]( [Zach Silverman]( Investors: [CPMG]( (Lead), [L2 Ventures]( (Lead), [Nosara Capital]( (Lead) [iwoca]( [45M GBP]( / [Debt Financing]( Iwoca offers credit financing services for small businesses. Categories: Finance • Financial Services • FinTech • Lending • Small and Medium Businesses Founders: [Christoph Rieche]( [James Dear]( Investors: [Pollen Street Capital]( (Lead) [Portside]( [$50M]( / [Series B]( Portside is an aircraft data, reporting, and analytics platform for individual and corporate plane owners. Categories: Aerospace • Air Transportation • Analytics • Software • Transportation Founders: [Alek Strygin]( [Alek Vernitsky]( Investors: [Insight Partners]( (Lead), [I2BF Global Ventures]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [The Exploration Company]( 40M EUR / [Series A]( [EQT Ventures]( [Phantom AI]( $36M / [Series C]( [InterVest Co.]( [ShopUp]( $30M / [Debt Financing]( - [Recurrency]( $22M / [Series A]( [Bessemer Venture Partners]( [Dxcover]( 7.5M GBP / [Series A]( - [klikit]( $5.6M / [Seed Round]( [Wavemaker Partners]( [Fingerprint For Success]( 5.0M AUD / [Seed Round]( [Investible]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Redzone]( Pending acquisition by [QAD]( for $1.0B More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [VESTA Modular]( [McGrath RentCorp]( $400M [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [Miami NFT Week 2023]( March 30 - April 2, 2023 in Miami Join us to learn all about NFTs and network with your online Frens & Web3 communities IRL (In Real Life). Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Mar 13, 2023 [Tastech by Sigma]( San Pedro Mar 31, 2023 [Impacta VC]( Santiago [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 © 2023 Crunchbase Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Unsubscribe]( from Crunchbase Daily.