Stay informed with our newsletter.
.webp){kind=spacer}
EN
Big Tech companies are significantly expanding their influence by acquiring promising startups and making strategic investments. This move enables them to diversify their portfolios, enhance innovation, and stay ahead in the competitive tech landscape. By backing emerging companies, these tech giants aim to strengthen their capabilities in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and new digital technologies, fostering growth and shaping the future of the industry.
With tech IPOs still rare in the U.S., mergers and acquisitions (M&As) were the focus of exit news this week, alongside one new startup to monitor.
Going public: Blaize, an AI chip startup founded by Intel engineers in 2011, went public on Tuesday after announcing plans to do so via a SPAC the day before.
Acquisition plans: Amazon is set to acquire Indian BNPL startup Axio for over $150 million, strengthening its financial services presence in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Car sales: eBay intends to acquire Caramel, a startup that assists in completing car transactions, after previously acquiring Cargigi and Motors.co.uk.
Moody’s acquisition: Moody’s agreed to acquire geospatial AI startup Cape Analytics, allowing it to create a property database for delivering local risk insights to insurance clients.
AGI ambitions: François Chollet, a renowned AI researcher, and Mike Knoop, co-founder of Zapier, launched Ndea, an AI lab aiming to develop and operationalize artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Big raise: Colossal Biosciences secured $200 million in Series C funding at a $10.2 billion valuation, with the ambitious goal of resurrecting the woolly mammoth and other extinct species.
Space growth: Loft Orbital, a space infrastructure startup, raised $170 million in Series C funding to further accelerate its development.
AI avatars: Synthesia, a British AI startup, raised $180 million in Series D funding to develop avatar-based video technology, reaching a $2.1 billion valuation.
Biotech AI: Bioptimus, a French AI startup, raised $41 million to develop an AI model for biology, focusing on biological applications.
Fintech for healthcare: Berlin-based Nelly raised $51 million in Series B funding to help medical practices transition to digital workflows.
Quantum leap: SEEQC, a quantum computing startup, raised $30 million to advance its chip technology and accelerate its commercial rollout.
Intel’s spin-off: Intel announced plans to spin off its corporate venture arm, Intel Capital, into an independent fund in 2025, with Intel as the anchor investor.
Founders’ investment program: Powerset, co-founded by Jake Zeller, will give five to 10 founders $1 million to invest in other startups.
Nvidia’s latest investment: Nvidia added MetAI, a Taiwanese company developing AI-powered digital twins, to its growing list of startup investments.
For questions or comments write to writers@bostonbrandmedia.com
Source: techcrunch
.avif)
