🕶️ Early investors fight to keep their slice

Six bullets of updates

1. 👾 Epic Games’ CEO vows to fight Apple over "absurd" App Store changes, rekindling their long-standing feud.

2. 💔 Three founders share how they parted ways with previous partners without killing their company.

3. 🗾 Tech folk want the UK's new government to help them secure more funding and access overseas talent.

4. 🔫 What happens if you shoot down a delivery drone? Legal, financial, and safety consequences abound in this growing tech trend.

5. 🛥️ Oshen's tiny autonomous sailboats, backed by Wayve's co-founder, aim to revolutionize ocean research with solar-powered tech.

6. 🍿 Meet Animaj, the French startup taking on Disney and Pixar — with AI applied to the animated film industry.

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Pro-rata power play: VCs fight for their share

Recent trends in VC investing highlight the rising importance of pro-rata rights, which allow early investors to maintain their ownership by buying more shares in later rounds. Increasingly, specialized funds like Alpha Partners, SignalRank, and SaaS Ventures are helping seed VCs exercise these rights despite high costs.

With $9.3 billion raised by VCs in Q1 2024, a significant decline from 2023, the competition for high-stakes deals is fierce, making pro-rata opportunities more critical than ever.

New lead investors often prefer larger allocations, squeezing out pro-rata participants. Founders then face a balancing act—capping dilution while supporting early backers. Pro rata rights ensure continued influence and potential high returns for early-stage VCs.

Read more!

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Startup Events and Deadlines

1. Crash Course in Financial Modeling | July 16 | Webinar

2. Financial Modeling Bootcamp | July 22 | Bootcamp

3. How to close a Funding Round | July 24 | Webinar

4. SaaStock: Dublin | August 14 | Conference

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These companies just raised money

1. 🌍 European Investment Bank Pledges €350 Million to Largest Spanish VC Fund.

2. 🌪️ Madrid-based VC firm Seaya raises €300M climate tech fund as Spain's climate change exposure grows.

3. 📊 Data Analysis Startup Hebbia Locks Up $130M Series B from a handful of big-name investors.

4. 🚧 Norwegian startup secures $3.25M seed funding to revolutionize construction waste management.

5. 🏗️ Spanish construction startup BuildLovers raises a $600K round led by Manutara Ventures.

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Delivery Hero's antitrust troubles: facing a massive fine

Delivery Hero is bracing for a potential €400 million antitrust fine as European regulators ramp up scrutiny on the food delivery giant. The company has revealed that it is currently in discussions with authorities to address these concerns.

This development poses a significant financial risk for Delivery Hero, which has been expanding aggressively across various markets. The fine could impact the company's growth strategy and its competitive position in the sector. 

Is this a signal of the post-pandemic food delivery business difficulties? Read more about the case. 

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This is what you need to know about Startup Funding

This video breaks down everything you need to know about startup funding—from launching your company to Series A, B, C, and D rounds. Slidebean is a venture-backed company, so we’ve been through the trenches and lived to tell the tale. Our day job is helping founders like you navigate this maze. But before we dive in, there’s one critical question you need to answer: Can your startup raise money? Ready to subscribe? 😎