So much for that AI funding slowdown

Plus, where did all the young new unicorns go? February 22, 2024 Hi, {NAME}. Got an idea for a generative AI startup? Great, here’s a really big check! Just kidding. But that’s almost how it seems to be going for AI startups lately. [Crunchbase]( data shows both that [funding to AI-related startups has again blown up this month]( and that while few early-stage unicorns were minted last year, [a third of those young new billion-dollar startups came from the generative AI sector](. Plus, here are [five areas where seed investors are active](. 👁️ [Eye On AI: So much for that funding slowdown]( The first three weeks of February saw more than $2.6 billion invested into artificial intelligence startups, including a half-dozen rounds of $100 million or more. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Rounds Raised By Startups Using AI In 2024]( 🦄 [Where did all the young new unicorns go?]( Clearly, the days when you could get a billion-dollar valuation largely based on an interesting startup idea and a good pitch to investors are over. Crunchbase data shows only 29 new unicorns were minted last year after a seed, Series A or Series B round. (One exception? You guessed it: Generative AI startups overperformed in the new early-stage unicorn ranks.) See also: [The Crunchbase Unicorn Board]( 🌱 [5 areas where seed investors are active]( From [construction tech]( to [AI health diagnostics]( to [spacetech]( our data shows seed-stage investors have been funding young startups across an array of fascinating industries. ➕ [Why VCs should set up entrepreneur collectives]( A network of entrepreneurs offering mentorship to portfolio companies gives venture investors a better chance of success. It’s also hugely advantageous to a fund’s reputation and financial standing, argues [Eugene Malobrodsky]( of [One Way Ventures](. 💰 [What those really big seed rounds tell us]( Seed rounds of $5 million or more, once virtually unheard of, have become more common in recent years. Last year alone [Crunchbase]( identified more than 1,500 angel, seed or pre-seed financings that met or exceeded this level. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Seed Rounds Of $5 Million Or More]( 🤝 [Crunchbase announces new partnership with monday.com]( Now, [monday sales CRM]( users can enrich their CRM records with Crunchbase’s best-in-class proprietary company data to quickly identify qualified opportunities and inform outreach. Find out more [here](. Get more with Crunchbase Enterprise Find out more about Crunchbase’s prospecting software that enables your entire team to find the right companies, identify the right people, and connect with the decision-makers who can move deals forward – all in one solution. [BOOK A MEETING NOW]( Recent Investments [Planity]( [45M EUR]( / [Series C]( Planity develops a salon appointment booking platform to offer appointment scheduling services to its customers. Categories: Beauty • Fashion • Lifestyle • Online Portals Founders: [Antoine Puymirat]( [Paul Vonderscher]( Investors: [InfraVia Capital Partners]( (Lead), [Bpifrance Digital Venture]( [Crédit Mutuel Innovation]( [+ 1 more]( [Bioptimus]( [$35M]( / [Seed Round]( Bioptimus is a developer of a universal AI foundation model for biology. Categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Biotechnology Founders: [Eric Durand]( [Felipe Llinares López]( [Jean-Philippe Vert]( [Rodolphe Jenatton]( [Zelda Mariet]( Investors: [Sofinnova Partners]( (Lead), [Bpifrance]( [Cathay Innovation]( [+ 7 more]( [Oula Health]( [$28M]( / [Series B]( Oula Health operates maternity care centers that mix obstetrics and midwifery services. Categories: Health Care • Personal Health • Women's Founders: [Adrianne Nickerson]( [Elaine Purcell]( Investors: [8VC]( [Alumni Ventures]( [Female Founders Fund]( [+ 4 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Niron Magnetics]( $25M / [Venture Round]( [Samsung Ventures]( [AZmed]( 15M EUR / [Series A]( - [Trace Genomics]( $10M / [Series B]( [Ajax Strategies]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Cyanco]( Pending acquisition by [Orica Limited]( for $640M More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Alpha Safety]( [Cader Holdings]( $106M [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( #{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 © 2024 Crunchbase Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Unsubscribe]( from Crunchbase Daily.