Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week

Upcoming Events & Navigating the Funding Journey: Beyond Series A & The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

Author

Mariane Bekker
June 30, 2024

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AI Agents 2.0 Hackathon by MultiOn & AgentOps [I’m Co-hosting]

Saturday July 20 - Sunday July 21

​Attention Gen AI developers and hackers! We're thrilled to invite you to the era of Agents 2.0 - reliable, observable & safe agents 🔥

​Join us for a two-day long AI hackathon hosted by MultiOn & AgentOps to discover what is now possible using Agents and build the future of AI!

Thursday July 18, 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Join AWS, Hubspot, Silicon Valley Impact, & DuploCloud for an AI panel discussion and an evening of networking and knowledge sharing.

If you’re an AI Founder, RSVP Here for free: https://lu.ma/pqlvaotf

Happy 4th of July!

Networking events are a great way to meet fellow founders and investors. Here are events happening in San Francisco this week for founders.

🗓️ Monday, July 1

👉 SF#TechWeek Nostriches and Bitcoiners Meetup in SF (12:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join YakiHonne for discussions on Bitcoin and decentralized communication.

👉 AI Investors & Networking (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Networking with leaders and investors in AI and ChatGPT.

👉 Just Go Grind: SF Startup Community Coffee Meetup (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Casual meetup with founders and investors, featuring coffee and bagels.

🗓️ Tuesday, July 2

👉 GenAI Observatory (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Explore advancements in Generative AI with industry leaders.

🗓️ Thursday, July 4

👉 Alameda 4th of July Parade (10:00 AM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Alameda
💬 The longest parade in the nation, featuring over 170 entries.

👉 4th of July Parade & Fireworks @ Sausalito (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM)
📍 Sausalito
💬 Parade, live music, and fireworks, free and open to the public.

👉 4th of July Chili Cook Off and Summer Festival (11:00 AM - 3:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Enjoy chili tasting, live music, and games for kids.

👉 4th Of July Picnic - Tech Detox (11:30 AM - 3:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Picnic at Mission Dolores, bring your own chairs and blankets.

👉 Foster City 4th of July Celebration (12:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 San Mateo
💬 Pancake breakfast, parade, kids play zone, and fireworks.

👉 Annual 4th of July Family Day @ Oakland Hills (12:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 Oakland
💬 Community activities, games, and Jamaican food in Joaquin Miller Park.

👉 A Red, White & Band Independence Day Celebration of American Music (1:00 PM - 2:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Celebrate American music with a live band performance.

👉 Fourth of July Pub Crawl & Hot Dog Eating Contest - San Francisco (4:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Pub crawl and hot dog eating contest, dress in your best Fourth of July outfit.

👉 4th of July Community Celebration @ Santa Clara (4:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 Santa Clara
💬 Family-friendly event with food trucks and a picnic atmosphere.

👉 Fourth of July 2024 - Fireworks Sail on San Francisco Bay (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 Sausalito
💬 Fireworks sail aboard Schooner Freda B, with views from the bay.

👉 Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular at Shoreline (7:00 PM - 11:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 SF Symphony concert followed by a fireworks display.

👉 4th of July Fireworks @ Pier 39 (9:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Fireworks from barges on the Bay, visible from Pier 39.

🗓️ Friday, July 5

👉 Founder Financial Modeling Workshop (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Workshop on building financial models for startups.

👉 Friday Founder's Gatherings (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Networking with tech startup founders.

🗓️ Sunday, July 7

👉 Stern Grove Festival with the SF Symphony (1:30 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Outdoor music festival featuring the SF Symphony.

Intercom for Startups

Join Intercom’s Early Stage Program to receive a 90% discount.

Get a direct line to your customers. Try the only complete AI-first customer service solution.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, my “Women in Leadership” series is back and we have a packed house of insight.

In the studio is Marylene Delbourg-Delphis, author of the new book, Beyond Eureka: The Rocky Roads to innovating, Foreword by Guy Kawasaki. Marylene is one of the first European women to have founded (with Guy Kawasaki) a technology company in Silicon Valley, and later went on to be the CEO of three additional companies in succession; and has helped over 30 companies as a "shadow" CEO, board member, and strategy advisor. She holds a PhD, and earned minors in mathematical logic and history of sciences. In 2018, she was awarded the Legion of Honor, and in 2023, she received the Woman Leadership Award Woman Leadership Award, issued by French-American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco.

We'll also hear from Heather Hochrein, Founder and CEO of EVmatch. Heather brings 14 years of clean energy deployment, workforce development, and policy experience. She is deeply committed to creating an equitable and accessible clean energy economy. Heather has held senior level roles as an energy efficiency program implementer with Oakland-based Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

Also with us is Janet Gehrmann, Co-founder of Scoop Analytics, Inc., who just completed a $3.5M seed raise. At Scoop Analytics, Janet is on a mission to eliminate the technical barriers that hinder folks in revenue operations, marketing operations, and finance operations, enabling them to seamlessly gather, manipulate, and analyze core business data without the need for IT support or advanced technical skills. Their innovative solutions empower non-technical users to tell compelling data stories and make data-driven decisions with ease. Janet holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a Biochemistry degree from Middlebury College.

Follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/05Pzjl68TKjfrtuRcxUbNh

By Mariane Bekker

Navigating the post-seed funding journey can be complex. Here’s a look at the stages after Seed, packed with important insights for early-stage founders:

🌱 Series A: Building the Foundation

Goal: Scale operations and expand market reach.

Funding Source: Venture Capital Firms.

Amount Raised: Typically $3M - $15M.

Milestones: Revenue growth, market penetration, team expansion, product enhancements.

Insight: Establish strong KPIs and metrics to attract investors and ensure sustainable growth.

🌿 Series B: Scaling Up

Goal: Further expand market presence and operations.

Funding Source: Venture Capital Firms.

Amount Raised: Typically $15M - $50M.

Milestones: Significant revenue growth and solidify your business model.

Insight: Strengthen your customer base and consider international expansion.

🌳 Series C: Market Expansion

Goal: Strengthen market position and explore new opportunities.

Funding Source: Late-stage VCs, Private Equity.

Amount Raised: Often $50M+.

Milestones: Product diversification and strategic partnerships.

Insight: Enhance scalability and operational efficiency.

🌲 Series D: Maturity and Optimization

Goal: Optimize operations and prepare for exit strategies.

Funding Source: Late-stage investors, Private Equity.

Milestones: Maximize efficiency and explore acquisition or market dominance.

Insight: Fine-tune your business model for sustainability.

🌴 Series E and Beyond: Final Preparations

Goal: Finalize growth and consider exit options.

Funding Source: Late-stage investors, Private Equity.

Milestones: Market saturation, potential profitability, and strategic growth.

Insight: Prepare for public offering or acquisition, focusing on long-term viability.

🚀 IPO or Acquisition: The Exit

Goal: Provide liquidity for investors and founders.

Funding Source: Public markets or acquiring companies.

Milestones: Successful public offering or strategic acquisition.

Insight: Ensure your business is attractive to public investors or potential buyers.

Understanding these stages is essential for effective planning and strategic growth. As you progress, these insights can guide you toward achieving long-term success. 💪🚀

The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

Last week saw a huge surge in startup funding, with several companies securing nine-figure investments, and five of them surpassing the $200 million mark. Looking ahead, the upcoming short week is unlikely to match these colossal funding rounds, so anticipate a quieter period in terms of dollar figures over the next seven days.

1. Sila Nanotechnologies

  • Sector: Battery

  • Funding: $375M

  • Details: Alameda, California-based Sila, a next-generation battery materials company, raised a $375 million Series G led by existing investors Sutter Hill Ventures and T. Rowe Price Associates. The funding will support the completion of their Titan Silicon anode material plant in Moses Lake, Washington, scheduled for Q1 next year. Founded in 2011, the company has raised $1.4 billion.

2. Formation Bio

  • Sector: Biotech

  • Funding: $372M

  • Details: New York-based Formation Bio, an AI-enhanced pharma company, closed a $372 million Series D led by a16z. The startup integrates large language models and AI applications to accelerate drug development and clinical trials. Founded in 2013 (originally as TrialSpark), the company has raised $528 million.

3. CData Software

  • Sector: Data Integration

  • Funding: $350M

  • Details: Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based CData Software raised a significant $350 million growth round led by Warburg Pincus and Accel. The company specializes in data products and connectivity solutions for accessing live data from various applications. Founded in 2016, CData has raised $510 million.

4. (tied) Creatio

  • Sector: Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

  • Funding: $200M

  • Details: Boston-based Creatio achieved unicorn status with a $200 million round led by Sapphire Ventures. The funding will aid global expansion and enhance revenue growth through its no-code platform for automating CRM and enterprise workflows, incorporating generative AI. Founded in 2014, Creatio has raised $268 million.

4. (tied) Foodsmart

  • Sector: Healthcare

  • Funding: $200M

  • Details: San Francisco-based Foodsmart raised $200 million led by TPG’s The Rise Fund. The company provides a telenutrition and food benefits management platform, addressing chronic disease and food insecurity. Founded in 2010, Foodsmart has raised nearly $315 million.

6. Sidecar Health

  • Sector: Healthcare

  • Funding: $165M

  • Details: El Segundo, California-based Sidecar Health closed a $165 million Series D led by Koch Disruptive Technologies. The startup offers major medical coverage plans without prior authorizations or network restrictions, promoting accessible and affordable healthcare. Founded in 2018, Sidecar Health has raised $328 million.

7. EvolutionaryScale

  • Sector: Biotech

  • Funding: $142M

  • Details: New York-based EvolutionaryScale raised a $142 million seed funding led by Daniel Gross, Lux Capital, and Nat Friedman. The startup develops large language models for creating novel proteins, potentially accelerating drug discovery and other applications like plastic decomposition.

8. Etched.ai

  • Sector: Semiconductor

  • Funding: $120M

  • Details: San Francisco-based Etched.ai secured $120 million led by Positive Sum and Primary Venture Partners. The startup specializes in transformer-specialized AI chips, partnering with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to produce more energy-efficient chips for AI applications.

9. Bright Machines

  • Sector: Manufacturing

  • Funding: $106M

  • Details: San Francisco-based Bright Machines raised $106 million in a Series C led by BlackRock-managed funds. The company develops software-defined manufacturing solutions to automate production processes. Founded in 2018, Bright Machines has raised over $400 million.

10. (tied) Hebbia

  • Sector: Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Funding: $100M

  • Details: New York-based Hebbia raised nearly $100 million in a Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz. The startup uses generative AI to search large documents and provide answers efficiently. Founded in 2020, Hebbia has raised over $130 million.

10. (tied) LanzaJet

  • Sector: Fuel

  • Funding: $100M

  • Details: Chicago-based LanzaJet raised $100 million in growth equity, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group among the investors. The company focuses on sustainable fuels technology to reduce global carbon emissions.

CEO, Founders Bay

Hi! I'm Mariane Bekker, a tech executive with over a decade of experience building high-performing engineering teams at leading startups such as New Relic and Mindbody. I've led engineering through 5 acquisitions and 1 IPO. 

I recently founded Founders Bay, a venture studio for early-stage founders with a mission of empowering women founders to grow their startups. Learn more: www.foundersbay.com