How optimistic is a16z? What its deal numbers show

Plus, using AI to brainstorm your next business idea October 26, 2023 Hi, {NAME}. Last week, the venture capitalist [Marc Andreessen]( published “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto,” an unapologetic, 5,000-word declaration proclaiming technology to be the cure-all — not the cause — for the world’s ills. But how optimistic is his firm, [Andreessen Horowitz]( really? We dive into the firm’s investments in the past year to see how it stacks up with other technology investors. 🤑 [How optimistic is a16z? What its deal numbers show]( [Andreessen Horowitz]( — known for its bets on then-startups such as [Facebook]( [Instagram]( and [Airbnb]( — has slowed its investment pace significantly in recent quarters, [Crunchbase data shows]( signaling that it’s not as bullish in the current market as it’s been in the past. At the same time, while a16z has pulled back, it still far outpaces other big firms such as [Sequoia Capital]( and [Lightspeed Venture Partners]( and even large growth players like the [SoftBank Vision Fund]( and [Tiger Global](. Let’s take a look. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Andreessen Horowitz’s 2023 Investments]( 📦 [VCs stop supplying cash to supply chain startups]( By both investment totals and round counts, 2023 is on track to be the most sluggish environment for supply chain startups in years. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Supply Chain Management Funding]( 🧠[Can AI brainstorm your next billion-dollar business idea?]( Can [ChatGPT]( or another AI tool dream up the next billion-dollar business idea? Business strategist [Dan Kraemer]( who’s worked with brands such as [Nike]( and [FedEx]( to help them create new products from scratch, says he thinks AI can — and will — invent the next [Airbnb](. Here’s how. 🩺 [Asthma-focused startups get VC attention]( Venture investors have long been keen backers of startups working on treatments for asthma and other respiratory ailments, and lately, it looks like activity is scaling up further. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Funded Startups Focused On Asthma And Respiratory Illness]( 🏭 [Startups get creative when it comes to stowing carbon]( What should we do with all the excess carbon in our atmosphere? Perhaps we could bury it deep underground, or shove it into the ocean, almost like a giant carbon sink. Looking at the [many funded startups in the carbon removal space]( such ideas aren’t abstractions. Rather, they describe several business models around carbon removal that have collectively pulled in hundreds of millions of dollars from investors this year alone. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Carbon Removal-Focused Funded Companies]( [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 [Aon]( [$1.0B]( / [Post-IPO Debt]( Aon is a global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human resources solutions, and outsourcing services. Categories: Consulting • Professional Services • Risk Management Founders: [Pat Ryan]( [W. Clement Stone]( Investors: [Citibank NA]( (Lead) [Commonwealth Bank of Australia]( [1.2B AUD]( / [Post-IPO Debt]( Commonwealth Bank of Australia offers a wide range of financial and investment services to individuals, businesses, and government entities. Categories: Banking • Finance • Financial Services • Wealth Management [IDEAYA Biosciences]( [$118M]( / [Post-IPO Equity]( IDEAYA Biosciences is an oncology-focused biotechnology company that develops therapeutics for patients with genetically-defined cancers. Categories: Biotechnology • Health Care • Therapeutics Founders: [Jeffrey Hager]( [Yujiro S. Hata]( [Perplexity AI]( [Unknown]( / [Venture Round]( Perplexity AI is an AI-chat-based conversational search engine that delivers answers to questions using language models. Categories: Artificial Intelligence • Search Engine • Software Founders: [Andy Konwinski]( [Aravind Srinivas]( [Denis Yarats]( [Johnny Ho]( Investors: [IVP]( (Lead) More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Adlumin]( $70M / [Series B]( [SYN Ventures]( [Censys]( $50M / [Series C]( [Decibel Partners]( [Censys]( $25M / [Debt Financing]( [Silicon Valley Bank]( [Cogito]( Unknown / [Venture Round]( - [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Texts]( Pending acquisition by [Automattic]( for $50M More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Siklu]( [Ceragon Networks]( $15M [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [Global AppSec DC 2023]( October 30 - November 3, 2023 Global AppSec DC 2023 is an event for private and public sector infosec professionals. 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.