AI Superintelligence is closer than we think–just ask OpenAI. Plus, Goldman Sachs’ risky bet, and exciting new deals!
It's not just HOT outside these days....Check out today's edition!
Welcome to Issue #18 of Startup Deal Desk!
Here’s what you can expect in today’s edition:
AI Superintelligence is closer than we think, billionaire investor opens new US fund, telepathy and brain control of Tesla bots
Goldman Sachs’ risky bet, US AI startups that raised $100M+ in 2024, and AI is not the cure for a slow VC market
3 exciting open deals: Virtual Storefronts, Nadine West, Innovative Billboards
and much more!
Keep reading to see the latest deals, news and trends 👇.
And don’t forget to subscribe!
We’re closer to an AI Superintelligence than we think - OpenAI unveiled they’re on level two in a set of five on the path to reach AI general intelligence that can do the work on an entire organization – capable of outperforming humans.
Billionaire investor Ackman opens new US fund - The new Pershing Square USA Ltd. fund will offer quicker access to capital than traditional hedge funds with no management fees for the first year after the fund's IPO and no performance fees ever.
Telepathy and brain control of Teslabots - Neuralink will double the bandwidth of its devices with more accurate placement of the threads, allowing disabled patients to scratch or feed themselves, and communicate with any device via bluetooth.
A risky bet in Goldman Sachs’ fund finance unit - The fund finance unit is part of the bank's efforts to put the Wall Street bank back on a sustainable growth path after an ill-fated foray into consumer businesses, where the bank lost billions of dollars.
US AI startups that raised $100M or more in 2024 - US startups raised two billion-dollar rounds and 64% of all the $100M+ rounds that happened globally in H1 2024, with the latest being Hebbia’s $130M round and Skild AI’s $300M round.
Why AI is not the cure for a slow VC market - Although the US VC market is stabilizing, inflation and high interest rates persist. Deal value in Q2 surged to an eight-quarter high, but 26% came from just two AI companies: CoreWeave and xAI.
Virtual Storefronts: Empowering local businesses online - The platform offers website solutions, local SEO and virtual storefronts that allow small businesses, mom-and-pop shops and non-chain businesses to become competitive in the digital space. Projected subscriptions to reach 540K and total revenue of over $208M by 2029.
Meet the founder and learn more about Virtual Storefronts here.
Nadine West provides personalized styling for the everyday woman - A personal styling service that sends busy moms a curated, affordable outfit to their doorstep every month. Customers get paired with a personal stylist based on their tastes and preferences to get the clothes they want and return what they don't.
Learn more about Nadine West and connect with the founder here.
How Innovative Billboards is pioneering billboard tech - The company’s "Billboard in a Box™" technology includes a scrolling mechanism capable of displaying up to 12 ads and a quick 1-second scroll. It reduces costs by 40% compared to LED billboards and uses 1/10 of the electricity, slashing energy consumption by a remarkable 90%.
Connect with the founder and find out more about Innovative Billboards here.
Are you a startup founder or VC fund looking for an opportunity to shine? Reach out here and introduce yourself!
Element Biosciences raises over $277M in funding - Led by Wellington Management, the capital will fund the current commercialization of its Aviti benchtop genomic analyzer as well as the upcoming launch of its next-generation Aviti24 system.
Standard Bots raises $63M in funding - With support from General Catalyst, Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, and Samsung Next, Standard Bots is bringing to market software and hardware engineered for next-gen AI robotics arms.
Regard raises $61M in Series B funding - With the latest round led by Oak HC/FT, the digital health startup wants to help physicians save time and increase the accuracy of diagnosis by analyzing patients’ health data using AI.
VCs on the road to recovery – staffing is not - VC firms are still trimming the fat, and high levels of turnover reported in 2023 have continued in 2024. Last week, Index Ventures cut five out of nine of its dealmakers in San Francisco.
Google close to its biggest acquisition ever - Google owner Alphabet is in advanced discussions to buy fast-growing cybersecurity startup Wiz for roughly $23B. However, terms of a potential deal have not been finalized and talks could still collapse.
Most active investors increase deal activity in Q2 2024 - Khosla Ventures ranks as a most active post-seed investor and most rounds led or co-led. Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz and Accel made all the rankings.
✅ The best low-cost vanguard ETF to invest $1000 in
✅ Why you should avoid Wall Street’s newest stock-split stock
✅ Should you buy ultra-high-yield AGNC investment while it’s below $10?
Thank you for sticking until the end! Subscribe to Startup Deal Desk to get the latest deals, news, and trends in investing, startups, tech and finance straight in your inbox.
Make sure to check out Virtual Storefronts, Nadine West and Innovative Billboards if you’re looking for promising investment opportunities.
Are you a startup founder or VC fund looking for an opportunity to shine? Reach out here and introduce yourself!
Huge thank you to ThinkFISH for powering this newsletter. Funding is hard, ThinkFISH makes it easy.
Until next time!