SA国际传媒

Welcome to the SA国际传媒 News Weekend Update. An email form of this post went out Saturday morning. Happy reading!

It was a week of scooters, startups born out of the failures of others, and Softbank. Whatever summer slowdown the venture world used to entertain now seems firmly pass茅. This late in the unicorn era, there are no reins.

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Given the pace of news that鈥檚 coming out, we wind up covering many positive market indicators (new rounds and the like). But piggy-backing off an earlier column this week, it鈥檚 important to keep an eye on what could go wrong.聽Tap here to find out what has us worried.

In funding news, we pored over several nine-figure rounds, including insurance unicorn聽Hippo scoring $100 million聽(it鈥檚 now a unicorn) and聽China-based ride-hailing company Didi raising six times as much. Gusto, formerly ZenPayroll, also聽raised $200 million to help power SMB HR.

Fintech, one of our favorite sectors, raised frugal and lavish rounds this week. Stackin鈥� picked up聽$4 million to text users advice聽on how to be better with their money. In contrast, MoneyLion raised聽$100 million in a Series C, and Robinhood raised a huge聽$323 million Series E.

In news that could help all of us: Tile,听which helps users track items like their phone and keys, raised $45 million. In news that could鈥檝e helped Anki a few months ago: Freedom Robotics raised $6.6 million聽to make it easier and cheaper to be a robot startup.

Looking ahead, the funding landscape, especially for late-stage firms, is very bright聽given that Vision Fund 2 is a go.聽(What鈥檚 up with the Microsoft money?) Threshold also聽has new money to invest, and聽WeWork鈥檚 IPO is coming sooner than expected.

础濒蝉辞,听a growing share of global VC funding is going to the United States聽at the expense of China. Reminder, China鈥檚 share of the worlds supergiant rounds鈥攙enture rounds of $100 million or more鈥�has fallen from its leading position to third place.

All that and here鈥檚 a scooter story聽concerning a retreat, and one more聽that鈥檚 a bit more positive.

Ending on a note beyond the numbers: We chatted with Elizabeth Ashford for Proust Goes Tech this week. Just wait until you get to the part about聽how an anesthesiologist with pennies taped to his shoes inspired her.

Until next week,

Natasha (,听) and Alex (,听)

笔.厂.听.

Actual conversation I had today:

Me: what are you in SF for?

Friend from DC: work, but also going to see [friend] and help him build a deck

Me: oh, I didn鈥檛 know [friend] started a company!

FfDC: WTF you鈥檙e the second person today who thought that…….He鈥檚 building a porch.

鈥� Austin Petersmith (@awwstn)

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