Startups Weekly: US companies raised $30B in Q1 2019
In this week's startups newsletter: What's the deal with A16z? Why is Lyft's stock sinking? And what's ahead for the e-scooter industry? ...
In this week's startups newsletter: What's the deal with A16z? Why is Lyft's stock sinking? And what's ahead for the e-scooter industry? ... Less than a decade ago IPOs, acquisitions, and global expansion by African startups were more possibility than reality. March saw all three from the continent’s tech scene. Pan-African e-commerce company Jumia filed for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, per SEC documents and confirmation from chief executive Sacha Poignonnec. In an updated filing, ... Lightspeed Venture Partners and GIC have co-led the investment in ezCater only 10 months after its $100 million Series D. ... Forge, the marketplace for trading private company shares formerly known as Equidate, announced that it will be acquiring custodial trust company IRA Services for a purchase price of $55 million. IRA Services is a trust company that provides custodial services for retirement accounts managed by individuals and mid-to-large sized Institutions. Stripped of financial jargon, the ... The Dakar Network Angels network launched this month, making its first investment in francophone Africa to cleantech venture Coliba. The Ivorian startup—that uses a mobile app to coordinate waste recycling—will receive mentorship and a minimum of $25K in seed funds. The deal is part of Dakar Network Angels’ mission of convening experts and capital to ... This week on Equity: Glossier and Rent The Runway enter the unicorn club and YC debuts 200 startups. ... Lagos based online lending startup OneFi is buying Nigerian payment solutions company Amplify for an undisclosed amount. OneFi will take over Amplify’s IP, team, and client network of over 1000 merchants to which Amplify provides payment processing services, OneFi CEO Chijioke Dozie told TechCrunch. The move comes as fintech has become one of Africa’s most ... Skedulo, a service that helps businesses manage their mobile employees, today announced that it has raised a $28 million Series B funding round led by M12, Microsoft’s venture fund. Existing investors Blackbird and Castanoa Ventures also participated in this round. The company’s service offers businesses all the necessary tools to manage their mobile employees, including ... In the name of getting big quick, it seems like some of the most valuable private tech companies are turning to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as a way to accelerate business growth. So-called “unicorns”—privately-held technology companies which achieve billion-dollar valuations sometime before (or as a direct result of) going public or exiting via M&A—are chomping ... In this week's startups newsletter: Y Combinator president Sam Altman is stepping down, Marie Kondo is raising VC and Munchery has finally filed for bankruptcy. ...Startups Weekly: US companies raised $30B in Q1 2019
Africa Roundup: Jumia files for IPO, OneFi acquires Amplify, FlexClub expands in Mexico
Online catering marketplace ezCater gets another $150M at a $1.25B valuation
Forge acquires IRA Services to expand offering for private company shares
Dakar Network Angels begins startup investments in francophone Africa
Lyft’s IPO is hot, YC demo day, two new unicorns, and what’s Boy Brow?
Nigerian fintech startup OneFi acquires payment company Amplify
Skedulo raises $28M for its mobile workforce management service
To get big faster, younger unicorns start buying startups sooner
Startups Weekly: What’s up with YC? Plus, mobility layoffs and Airbnb’s grand plans