 Streaming platform Spotify announced the acquisition of Chartable and Podsights. So far, the purchase amount remains undisclosed. The announcement follows a recent slew of podcast-related acquisitions by Spotify, including technologies such as Wooshkka, Podz, Findaway, Lockerroom, and Megaphone, as well as popular studios and talent like Gimlet, Parcast, The Ringer, and, most notably, Joe Rogan. More: - Spotify’s recent investments into podcasting technologies and talent reflect a desire to increase ad revenue.
- The company estimates digital audio advertisement will become an $8B industry by 2025, with $2.7B of that share coming from podcasts
- Chartable is a data analytics tool that helps podcasters grow their audiences through promotions and insights into listener data.
- Spotify plans to integrate Chartable into their existing Megaphone suite to assist creators in targeting relevant audiences and, in turn, expanding listenership.
- Spotify intends to help creators monetize their projects through the combination of Chartable with Megaphone. In turn, Spotify hopes to entice more podcasters to join Spotify’s network of podcasts.
- Chartable raised $3.8M over four funding rounds.
- Chartable’s initial investors include The Fund, Lukas Biewald, Jim Young, Greycroft, Naval Ravikant, Initialized Capital, Weekend Fund, Ryan Hoover, and Grand Central Tech.
- Podsights is an ad analytics service acquired by Spotify to better track who is listening to what content.
- The New York-based company, with 40 full-time employees, will continue to operate independently.
- Podsights raised $5.5M over two rounds, with help from investors such as BDMI, Newark Venture Partners (lead), Greycroft, Graham Holdings, Betaworks, Supernode Global, Aglaé Ventures, and Howard Lindzon.
- The venture capitalist firm Greycroft invested in both of Spotify’s most-recent acquisitions, Podsights and Chartable.
| |
The venture firm Thrive Capital closed its eighth fund today at $3B. Recently revealed to have one of the "best batting averages" in unicorn investments, Thrive Capital's portfolio is thriving. The company is estimated to be managing about $16B in assets to date. More: - Thrive's $3B will be allocated using the same metrics as its earlier, seventh fund of $2B.
- $500,000 will be reserved for early-stage startups, and the remaining $2.5B will go to later-stage companies.
- Thrive's portfolio includes big earners like Instagram, Robinhood, Spotify, GitHub, Slack, Hims, Plaid, Ramp, Stripe, and many others.
- One of Thrive's most-substantial investments was $30M to Stripe in 2014. The company's most recent valuation is $95B.
- Glossier, Warby Parker, and Harry's are just a handful of direct-to-consumer companies whose unicorn status was made possible by Thrive's strategic investments.
- Most recently, the firm has invested in Homebound, Kim Kardashian's Skims, and Lattice.
- Founded in 2009 by Joshua Kushner, Thrive's early investors — Jared Kushner (Joshua's brother), Princeton University, Hall Capital Partners, Welcome Trust, and Peter Thiel — helped secure the firm's success.
| |
 A message from SCALE Conversational AI in eCommerce with Flipkart Join Ganapathy Krishnan as he discusses Flipkart’s journey in Conversational AI and how they are innovating to address the eCommerce needs of Indian customers. Register for free to learn: - How Flipkart is innovating to address the eCommerce needs of Indian customers with a customer centric approach
- How Conversation AI can be used to enable customers to shop using regional languages through voice
- Challenges faced and lessons learned with NLP and colloquial expressions
Save your spot today and join us on Thursday, February 24th. Sign up today
| |
Blockchain research and development company PiLab Technology raised $8.4M in Series A. The round was led by two of Korea's leading ventures: Korean Investment Partners and STIC ventures, whose combined investment totaled $5.85M. Founded by two professors in 2017, the research company is best-known for its novel multichain technology "BIFROST," which is anticipated to spearhead future chain technologies and metaverse development. More: - The company will use funds raised to expand its BIFROST technology internationally.
- The most recent fundraising effort follows a successful $3.3M Seed round in 2019.
- As a leader in blockchain research, the company is experimenting with numerous multichain formats:
- It has created multichain "middleware" platforms for Decentralized App developers globally.
- PiLab is also working on expanding the emerging technology of decentralized finance (DeFi).
- PiLab has introduced pioneering DeFi projects like BiFi, BiFi X, ChainRunner, Biport, and an NFT-based Play-to-Earn (P2E) game, Summoner.
| |
Eco-tech company Carrier has launched Carrier Ventures to invest in emerging startups revolutionizing sustainable building and environmentally-friendly cold-chain technologies. The new venture will be led by Jennifer Anderson toward advancing startups whose "healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold-chain technology solutions" will revolutionize the future of sustainability. More: - Carrier Ventures' first investments in AddVolt and OhnConnect are representative of the firm's commitment to sustainability.
- AddVold uses a "plug-in" electric system to avoid fuel use and reduce emissions in refrigerated vans, trucks, trailers, and containers.
- OhnConnect pays consumers to turn off their appliances to reduce strain on electric grids during peak hours.
| |
 A message from ACTIVECAMPAIGN Make the most of your homepage with this free audit worksheet How do you know if your homepage is working for you? We analyzed 115 SaaS websites by hand to discover what makes a homepage successful. Based on that research, we created a free homepage audit worksheet to help you get the most out of your homepage. This worksheet will help you assess your homepage in 5 different areas: - Reporting
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Conversion
- Website Performance
- Technical fixes
Get your homepage Audit here
| |
Sony Ventures Corporation closed its fourth fund at $215M. The Japan-based company will invest the so-called "Sony Innovation Fund 3" in all stages of emerging technologies. Founded in July 2021, the Innovation Fund totaled $520.4M in capital commitments. More: - Superpedestrian, Trupic, and monoAI Technology are a few examples of Sony's recent tech-focused investments.
- During its funding rounds, the transportation robotics company Superpedestrian raised $125M this month, while the verification software Truepic, raised $26M in Series B funding last September.
- Since its inaugural "Sony Innovation Fund" in 2016, Sony has made over 100 investments.
- 40% of all of Sony's investments resulted in the company forming "strategic partnerships."
- The majority of the Japanese company's investments are to startups located in Japan and the U.S., with a few outliers in the EU, Israel, and India.
- The new fund dwarfs Sony's July 2013 "Innovation Growth Fund" of $185M.
| |
Denver-based IBEX Investors introduced a $113M fund for mobility startups. AirFleet and VisionaryAI are two of the firm's newest ventures into pioneering mobility technologies. The news follows an earlier announcement highlighting a four-fold revenue increase from $2.5M to $8.5M in just one year. More: - CEO Justin Borus is expanding the company's geographic sphere.
- Begun in 2003, IBEX's prior $100M was limited to Israeli startups.
- Their new fund will not be limited to Israel-based companies.
- However, while AirFleet is based in Austin, Texas, VisionaryAI is based in Israel, thus continuing the firm's investments there.
- AirFleet's mission is to eliminate wait times for trucks.
- VisionaryAI uses digital imaging to support autonomous vehicles.
- With $1.2B in assets, IBEX is technically an "investment advisor" with dedicated venture capital funds.
- 57% of revenue is from clients, which accounts for 70% of the total.
| |
Quick Hits - Startup tested, enterprise approved. Explore all of your data with no code required. Sigma Computing is cloud analytics for all — not just for some.*
- Gen-Z targeted music therapy app Spoke raised $1.5M in a round led by Ada Ventures.
- Samford, Connecticut-based online health company NourishedRX raised $6M in Seed funding. The round was led by S2G Ventures.
- Spanish-language motorcycle sales app Mundimoto raised €20M in a round led by P101 SGR via Programma 102 and ITALIA 500. The funds will be used to grow the business by hiring new full-time employees.
- Los Angeles' Uni raised $4M in Seed funding to expand its "closed-loop" body care line.
- TurnMedical is a medical device company based out of San Antonio, Texas. Today the company announced it raised $3.8M in funding. No specific investors were mentioned.
*This is a sponsored post.
| |
Upcoming events at Inside: - February 22 - The Future of Tax & Accounting for Crypto, DeFi, & NFTs is here. Are you ready? (Register Here) *
- February 22 - Venturing in VC - Episode #7 with Roy Bahat (Bloomberg Beta) (Register Here)
- February 23 - Need to Know NoCoder: Derya Sousa (Kianda Technologies) (Register Here)
- February 24 - Alternative Investments (Register Here)
- February 24 - Conversational AI in eCommerce with Flipkart (Register Here) *
- February 28 - Inside Investment DAOs with Global Coin Research (Register Here)
- March 10 - NoCode's Impact on the Gig Economy (Register Here)
- March 23 - Need to Know NoCoder: Nichole Bestman (Bubble) (Register Here)
- March 31 - How To Build In Web 3.0 (Register Here)
- April 07 - Blockchain and the Law (Register Here)
- April 14 - Shopping In The Metaverse (Register Here)
*This is a sponsored listing.
| |
 |  | Courtney K. Rawlings is an Inside Analyst living in Los Angeles, California. She has returned to her hometown of LA after spending several years working at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is completing a Ph.D. in Art and Architectural History. While working toward her Ph.D., Courtney has developed an interest in the language and history of the tech industry, including, but not limited to, business, politics, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and podcasting. In fact, she hosts her own podcast Low Culture Boil! |  | | Editor | Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 Ford. | |
| |
| |
Comments
Post a Comment