And the largest funding deals this month were ...

Plus, is Seattle’s startup star fading? September 29, 2023 Hi, {NAME}. It may be pumpkin spice season in the U.S., but September didn’t cool down when it came to very large startup funding deals. While the largest deal of all — $2.1 billion — went to [a French manufacturer of low-carbon batteries]( in the U.S. [the largest fundings went to AI, autonomous vehicle and data startups](. Plus, we look at [Seattle’s funding scene]( and [another huge round for an AI platform]( this time at a $2.5 billion valuation. 💰 [September’s top 10 deals: AI, autonomous cars and batteries]( To make the cut for our September list of the largest funding deals to U.S. startups, your company had to raise at least $210 million. ☔️ [Stats show Seattle’s startup mojo is waning]( Seattle startup funding has fallen more than the [already precipitous decline in U.S. venture funding we’ve seen this year](. This begs the question: Is the [Seattle-area decline]( just a reflection of broader trends, or does it point to specific weaknesses in the local startup ecosystem? Related Crunchbase Pro lists: • [Seattle Startup Funding]( • [Washington State Startup Funding]( • [Washington State VC-Backed IPOs Of The Past Five Years]( 🤑 [AlphaSense grabs $150M in busy day for AI funding]( New York-based market intelligence platform [AlphaSense]( raised $150 million in a Series E led by [Bond Capital]( that raised its valuation a whopping 30% from its Series D less than six months ago. AlphaSense’s funding announcement came the same day that China-based AI chip startup [Enflame]( said it raised nearly $274 million. 🤔 [5 interesting deals in September: The Tesla for boats, and more]( Electric boats, AI reminding us to call our mom, and learning how to play pickleball, et al. are just a few of the more interesting under-the-radar funding rounds you may have missed in September. 🚩 [How to spot red flags in your business]( Startup life can be a thrilling journey with huge potential for big rewards, but it’s equally fraught with risks. While you might be tempted to ride by the seat of your pants, consider taking a more quantitative approach to evaluating your company’s health, says startup adviser [Itay Sagie](. He highlights [four metrics that can reveal red flags in your business](. ➡️ [The Billion-Dollar Exits Board: Track IPOs, SPACs and M&A]( Check out [The Crunchbase Billion-Dollar Exits Board]( a curated list of U.S. startup exits — IPOs, SPACs, mergers and acquisitions, and other deals — valued at $1 billion or more, powered by [Crunchbase]( comprehensive data. Recent Investments [Trafigura]( [$500M]( / [Post-IPO Debt]( Trafigura is a commodity trading company that trades and distributes commodities such as metals, minerals, and agricultural products. Categories: Industrial • Mineral • Oil and Gas • Shipping • Supply Chain Management Founders: [Claude Dauphin]( Investors: [Saudi EXIM]( (Lead) [Avalyn Pharma]( [$175M]( / [Series C]( Avalyn Pharma is a biopharma company developing therapies for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory diseases. Categories: Biopharma • Biotechnology • Medical • Pharmaceutical Founders: [Mark W. Surber]( Investors: [Eventide]( (Lead), [Perceptive Advisors]( (Lead), [SR One]( (Lead) [+ 11 more]( [Evozyne]( [$81M]( / [Series B]( Evozyne is a generative AI company that focuses on therapeutic discovery and drug development. Categories: Artificial Intelligence • Biotechnology • Life Science • Medical • Therapeutics Founders: [Andrew Ferguson]( [Jeff Aronin]( [Rama Ranganathan]( Investors: [Fidelity Management and Research Company]( (Lead), [OrbiMed]( (Lead), [NVentures]( [+ 2 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Doceree]( $35M / [Series B]( [Creaegis]( [Slope]( $30M / [Series B]( [Union Square Ventures]( [Valeo Pharma]( $5.0M / [Post-IPO Debt]( [Accord Financial, Inc. (U.S.)]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Kefla]( Pending acquisition by [Lifco]( for Unknown More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [AirX Climate Solutions]( [Gryphon Investors]( Unknown [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [MetaCenter Global Week]( October 17 - 19, 2023 in Orlando MetaCenter Global Week is an innovation conference and exhibition that unites regional and international tech gatherings. Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Oct 13, 2023 [Alchemist Accelerator]( San Francisco Oct 30, 2023 [Aurelia Ventures]( San Francisco [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.