Major players aren't unbeatable

This Indian startup is proving just that and more!

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Arturo Pardo & Lucila Sarquis
January 25, 2024

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The Oscar nominations have been revealed, and Oppenheimer leads the pack as the most-nominated film of the year, closely followed by Poor Things 🎬

In the business world, Meesho, an Indian startup, outpaces giants like Flipkart and Amazon, setting an inspiring example for emerging players 💪🏽

Meanwhile, Gulf countries have quintupled their investment in European startups 🇪🇺 since 2018, signaling a significant and ongoing trend, don't miss out on the opportunities unfolding!

Keep reading for more updates! 👇

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Six bullets of updates

  1. 💻 New fund!- Former Xerox execs launched Myriad Venture Partners, a new fund aimed at AI, clean tech, and B2B software startups.

  2. 🇬🇧 New UK regulations may lead to a 90-100% drop in women angel investors, affecting startup diversity.

  3. 🌍 2023 saw VC investments in African startups drop by up to $3.6B, but funding diversifies into emerging hotspots.

  4. 🚘 Vroom hits brakes on used car e-commerce, pivoting to auto financing and AI, and axing 90% of its workforce.

  5. 📱Klarna dives into the subscription market with $7.99/month 'Klarna Plus', offering users double rewards points and more discounts.

  6. 🔽 Challenging times ahead for Fintech, with a 65% drop in deal value in Europe and interest rates looming, says VC firm Creandum.

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Who’s facing the E-commerce giants in India? It’s a startup!

If you haven't paid attention to the name Meesho, now might be a good time to do so. The Bengaluru-based company, dedicated to online commerce, boasts over 120 million monthly active users. Its performance is so promising that it is currently outpacing the growth of major players in the business 🤯 Its year-over-year growth in the country was 32%, surpassing that of Flipkart (21%) and Amazon (13%).

But how? Here are just a few hints:

✅ Prioritizing small cities with demographic characteristics that other competitors haven't considered (these locations represent +50% of its sales).
✅ Focusing on a mass-market customer base that recognizes its added value.
✅ Opening doors to small sellers who also benefit from zero commissions.

The outlook is optimistic, and Meesho's example can encourage those hesitant to emerge when facing dominating Goliaths in the neighborhood. Meesho is valued at nearly $5 billion and has the support of Meta, SoftBank, Fidelity, B Capital, and Prosus.

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Startup Events and Deadlines

  1. Pitch Deck Design | February 13, 2024 | Online

  2. SaaSiest Sweden | February 22 | Sweden

  3. SaaS Open | March 3, 2024 | Austin

  4. World Summit AI Americas | April 24, 2024, Montreal

  5. TechCrunch Early Stage | April 25, 2024 | Boston

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These companies just raised money

  1. 🛡️ Identity security startup Silverfort raises $116M, reaching a $1B valuation while signing up customers at a rate of 100 per quarter.

  2. 🧑🏿‍⚕️ Healthtech startup Forta Health raises $55M to democratize healthcare access using AI, starting with autism treatment.

  3. 🚜 Israeli startup Bluewhite secures $39M to turbocharge its robots-as-a-service for autonomous tractors, now valued up to $300M.

  4. 🔒 Clerk, the user-authentication startup, secures $30M in Series B and plans a strategic partnership with Stripe, aiming to expand.

  5. 🍔 Burger-grilling bot Aniai cooks up a $12M raise and plans to serve 500 pre-orders by Q1 2024, automating up to 80% of restaurant roles.

  6. 📷 Artisse rakes in $6.7M seed funding for its AI photo app, turning selfies into hyper-realistic images for pro-like snaps!

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The world is looking towards the Gulf

When seeking investors, some are turning their gaze directly toward Gulf countries. Cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dhahran, and Doha are becoming increasingly attractive destinations for those searching for abundant capital.

A Sifted overview asserts that since 2018, Gulf countries' investment has increased almost fivefold in total funding for European startups at various fundraising stages. What stands out is that these are significant investments, as two-thirds of this invested capital went into financing rounds of over $100 million.

In 2023, the total investment from Gulf countries in European startups amounted to $3 billion. Does it seem like a clear trend? Check out who were the most active investors 💸

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Pitch (perfect) designs

Our Pitch Deck Design package will bring your deck to a new level that will wow everyone you present it to, and you can have it in 4 business days. Think about it: you could have a beautiful pitch deck before the end of next week if you book now! 🎯 Last year, companies raised $300+ million with our decks!

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More than a movie - Let’s revisit Oppenheimer’s Town

Oscar nominations announcement 🍿 reminded us that we visited Los Alamos, New Mexico, where J. Robert Oppenheimer gathered some high-level colleagues to develop the atomic bomb. The location is still running today, and most of its population is scientists. Don’t forget to subscribe!