Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. This is Equity Monday, our weekly kickoff that tracks the latest private market news, talks about the coming week, digs into some recent funding rounds, and mulls over a larger theme or narrative from the private markets.
You can follow the show on Twitter here, and I also tweet. Sorry that the show is so delayed today; it’s utterly my fault. Regular service returns Wednesday, and we’ll make sure to not be late on a Monday again this year!
What We Got into On The Show
Tech shares are falling in America in a larger domestic selloff — but once again we’re seeing high-valued technology stocks lose the most ground. Software companies are having a particularly rough morning.
The Facebook Whistleblower Situation
The Facebook whistleblower situation remains the biggest news item in the technology world this morning, dominating aggregators and conversation. Precisely what comes next isn’t clear, I reckon, but Facebook shares haven’t lost enough ground yet to be a worry for the firm; that could change with another few days’ declines, however.
Other News of Note
Apple’s epic gaming profits are being analyzed by investors. New AI guidelines from China are raising eyebrows. And data concerning just how much money semiconductor startups are raising is sparking debate about whether it’s enough.
Recent Funding Rounds
Byju’s raised $300 million, this time at an $18 billion valuation. Its upcoming IPO will help set the tone for global edtech valuations.
Ladder raised $100 million, proving that the insurtech market is still active. Sure, shares of public insurtech startups have taken a pounding in recent quarters, but there’s still plenty of private capital ready to make bets on the market.
And the Vision Fund 2 is even more Vision Fund-y than we anticipated!
Upcoming IPOs and Global EdTech Valuations
Byju’s upcoming IPO will be an important milestone for global edtech valuations. The company has raised a significant amount of capital in recent years, and its valuation has been increasing steadily.
As TechCrunch reported earlier, Byju’s had raised $5.6 billion from investors, including the private equity firm Silver Lake and the Chinese conglomerate Tencent Holdings. With this latest funding round, the company’s valuation has reached an impressive $18 billion.
Insurtech Market Still Active
Ladder’s $100 million raise is a significant development in the insurtech market. While public insurtech startups have been facing challenges in recent quarters, private capital continues to flow into the space.
This suggests that investors are still bullish on the potential of insurtech companies to disrupt the traditional insurance industry. And with the likes of Ladder leading the way, it’s clear that there’s still plenty of room for innovation and growth in this sector.
Vision Fund 2: A New Era of Venture Capital
The Vision Fund 2 is an exciting development in the world of venture capital. With a significantly larger fund size than its predecessor, the Vision Fund 2 is poised to make some big bets on promising startups.
As we reported earlier, the Vision Fund 2 has already invested in several high-profile companies, including the electric vehicle startup Rivian and the AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this week’s Equity Monday was all about the latest developments in the private markets. We discussed the Facebook whistleblower situation, Apple’s gaming profits, new AI guidelines from China, and the Vision Fund 2.
We also talked about Byju’s upcoming IPO and its implications for global edtech valuations. And we highlighted Ladder’s $100 million raise as a testament to the insurtech market’s resilience.
Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you on Wednesday!
Subscribe to Equity
Equity drops every Monday at 7:00 a.m. PST, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:00 a.m. PST, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and all the casts!