U.S. startup investors retreat from China

Plus, VCs still stepping up for shoe startups August 11, 2023 Hi, {NAME}. Yeah, those glossy black five-inch [Louboutins]( look hot — until you’re stumbling onto the subway, unable to take one more step in your aching feet. If you’re firmly in the comfy-shoes-only zone, you’re not alone: Across startupland, the route to footwear funding starts and ends with comfortable feet, [Crunchbase]( data shows. We look at the many [footwear startups getting sizable funding]( even in this down market, and some of their, um, interesting shoe creations. 🇨🇳 [In 4 charts: US startup investors retreat from China]( U.S. President [Joe Biden]( signed an executive order this week aimed at curbing American investment into Chinese companies working on technologies like semiconductors and AI that could pose national security risks. But Crunchbase data shows that, at least when it comes to venture investment, the Red Dragon is doing OK. While U.S. venture capitalists have pulled back, their Chinese counterparts continue to fund domestic startups. 👟 [Investors still stepping up for shoe startups]( [Crocs]( is a $6.5 billion company. [Birkenstock]( the hippie staple-turned-Barbie-meme, is reportedly eyeing an IPO at a valuation over $8 billion. And VCs are taking notice: Over the past year, venture investors have stepped up funding to an array of foot-focused upstarts pitching everything from 3D-printed, custom shoes to chic sneaker marketplaces to vegan high-tops. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Footwear Startups That Raised Funding In 2023]( 💻 [HR tech falls out of favor with investors]( In 2021, investors were [throwing wads of cash]( at HR-related startups that helped companies manage their remote workforces better. That infatuation has certainly worn off: the second quarter of 2023 was the slowest in the sector for venture dollars in three years, [Crunchbase]( data shows. Related Crunchbase Pro query: [Funding To VC-Backed HR Tech Startups]( 🥾 [Bootstrap? Sell? Something else? How to survive a cash crunch]( Hey, startup founders, we get it. Things are tough out there. Revenue multipliers [have deflated](. VCs are [holding tight]( to their wallets, especially if your company isn’t profitable. But there are ways to get your company through a cash crunch in this crummy market. Let’s discuss three of them. [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]( Recent Investments [Flywire]( [$256M]( / [Post-IPO Equity]( Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company that simplifies complex payments for its clients and their customers. Categories: Financial Services • FinTech • Payments • Service Industry • Software Founders: [Iker Marcaide]( [Moove]( [$66M]( / [Private Equity Round]( Moove is a technologically integrated vehicle financing platform for mobility entrepreneurs. Categories: Automotive • Financial Services • FinTech Founders: [Jide Odunsi]( [Ladi Delano]( Investors: [Mubadala]( (Lead) [Innoviz Technologies]( [$65M]( / [Post-IPO Equity]( Innoviz develops LiDAR sensors and perception software for autonomous vehicles. Categories: Automotive • Autonomous Vehicles • Manufacturing • Sensor • Software Founders: [Amit Steinberg]( [Omer David Keilaf]( [Oren Buskila]( [Oren Rosenzweig]( [Zohar Zisapel]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Merus]( $150M / [Post-IPO Equity]( - [Weights & Biases]( $50M / [Venture Round]( [Daniel Gross]( [Credgenics]( 4.1B INR / [Series B]( [Accel]( [Serve Robotics]( $30M / [Venture Round]( [NVIDIA]( [General Fusion]( 34M CAD / [Series F]( [BDC Capital Corporation]( [Veza]( $15M / [Venture Round]( [Capital One Ventures]( [Moove]( $10M / [Debt Financing]( [BlackRock]( [Baskit]( $500K / [Seed Round]( [Korea Investment Partners]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Avid Technology]( Pending acquisition by [Symphony Technology Group]( for $1.4B More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Weekly10]( [LMS365]( 4.5M EUR [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [Blockchain Economy Summit London]( January 1 - 1, 2024 Blockchain Economy Summit is a blockchain conference network bringing together the key players of the crypto industry. 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.