Big Ideas in Tech 2024

This week, a16z dropped their Big Ideas in Tech 2024 article, which crowdsourced ideas from 40 of their partners. Founders looking to raise should definitely pay attention…I’ll explain why below.

In personal news, I’ve dived headfirst back into startup land. I just couldn’t stay away. I’ll continue to send this newsletter each week but won’t be taking on any more clients for my fundraising services (I’ll still be giving free advice though, so you can always send me an email).

My new startup operates at the intersection of AI and Healthcare, so if you’re a founder in either of those spaces, I’d love to hear from you.

Big Ideas in Tech 2024

VCs the world over look to a16z to understand what’s hot. While some investors delight in telling anyone who’s half-listening how contrarian they are, VC is a very trend-led business. That’s not because VCs aren’t capable of making their own mind up, it’s because of incentives.

As most VC-funded startups require multiple rounds of capital, early-stage investors need confidence that the startups they fund will be able to secure future investment from later-stage investors. It pays to know what other investors are thinking, and the easiest way to do that is to think in trends.

Founders should read this article so they can tell the narrative that’s most likely to get them funded. I’m not suggesting a 180-degree pivot, but if you’re able to explain what you do and why you do it in a way that ties into overarching trends, you’re more likely to have a successful raise.

The article covers big ideas in:

• American dynamism

• Bio + Health

• Consumer Tech

• Crypto

• Fintech

• Gaming

• Growth-stage Tech

• Infra + Enterprise

You can read it here.

This week in fundraising

Here are 8 startups that announced their new rounds this week:

1. iPeakoin - Crypto and Finance - $10,000,000 
   This three-year-old Singapore startup is bridging traditional finance and the crypto industry by providing a crypto wallet for enterprises and cross-border payment services. ZhenFund led the Series A round.
   

2. Picklebet - Sports and Esports Betting - $10,000,000 
   A nine-year-old startup based in Brisbane, Australia, Picklebet's betting platform includes traditional sports and esports. The Series A round was led by Discerning Capital, with contributions from Drive by DraftKings, Manifest Investment, and former Hollywood exec Jeff Sagansky.
   

3. Valid8 Financial - AI and Financial Investigations - $8,500,000 
   Based in Boulder, Co., and Seattle, Valid8 Financial, a nine-year-old startup, uses AI to analyze data for financial matters and white-collar crime investigations. The Series A round was led by Silverton Partners, with involvement from Touchdown Ventures, First Trust, CPA.com, and Capital Midwest.
   

4. Joon - Tele-Therapy - $6,000,000 
   Joon, a four-year-old startup from Seattle, conducts tele-therapy sessions with young patients. The funding round was supported by previous investors PSL Ventures and Route 66 Ventures.
   

5. Mtor - Online Auto Parts Marketplace - $2,800,000 
   An Egyptian startup, Mtor, just 1.5 years old, operates an online marketplace for auto parts. The pre-seed funding round was led by Algebra Ventures, with participation from Dutch Founders Fund, Aditum Ventures, and LoftyInc Capital.
   

6. Bujeti - Spend Management Platform - $2,000,000 
   Bujeti, a two-year-old startup from Lagos, Nigeria, has developed a corporate card and spend management platform for African SMBs. The seed round was led by Y Combinator, with Entrée Capital, Voltron Capital, Unpopular VC, and Kima Ventures also contributing.
   

7. GameTree - Gaming Communities - $1,700,000 
   An American and Ukrainian startup, four years old, GameTree focuses on creating inclusive gaming communities. The seed round included Corazon Capital, Full Stack Ventures, Goodwater Capital, 32-Bit Ventures, and Expert Dojo.
   

8. Hyme Energy - Green Energy Storage - $8,600,000 
   Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, two-year-old Hyme Energy works on technology for storing power from green energy sources. Heartland, Nordic Makers, and North-East Venture were among the previous backers who invested in this round.

My funding spreadsheet now has 169 startups that recently announced early stage raises. If you’d like a copy, just follow the steps below to refer a friend to subscribe to this newsletter.

Have a great weekend.

Nelson