ICYMI News Roundup
November ecosystem highlights — startups, venture trends, M&A moves, and must-watch interviews.
Another week, another roundup of recent tech news — let’s dive in. But first:
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What has been happening across tech these past few weeks?
The startup ecosystem is evolving so much (and fast)
The startup ecosystem is shifting fast. The AI bubble is in full swing, $100M ARR is the new badge of honor over unicorn status, CEOs are stepping down, new VC funds are emerging, and acquisitions are heating up.
To help you make sense of it all, we’ve rounded up the most talked-about startup stories from the past month — broken down into these categories:
🗝️ Read of the week
🔍 Top tech news
💰 Startup funding news
👀 New VC funds
🤝 People on the move
🎤 Must watch interviews
Let’s dive in 🚀
🗝️ Read of the week
Meet 90+ creators shaping the future of tech media. Discover what they’re building, why it matters, and how you can connect with the innovators redefining how we consume information.
🔍 Top tech news
Former Salesforce CEO, Bret Taylor’s company, Sierra crosses $100M ARR in under two years!
Revolut valued at $75 billion in latest share sale!
Anthropic releases Opus 4.5 with new Chrome and Excel integrations!
Kalshi’s valuation jumps to $11B after raising massive $1B round.
Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun to leave Meta and start new AI research company.
Jeff Bezos creates AI start-up where he will be co-chief executive.
AI startup Cursor raises a $2.3 billion funding round at a mighty $29.3 billion valuation.
Lovable hits $200M ARR just 12 months after launch.
OpenAI has launched group chats in ChatGPT.
OpenAI rolls out shopping research tool on ChatGPT in time for Black Friday
X begins rolling out the ‘About this account’ feature to users’ profiles creating greater transparency!
💰 Startup funding news
a16z leads $21M Series A into AI-native tax compliance software Sphere.
Agentio secures $40M from Forerunner as it scales its creator marketplace beyond YouTube.
AI startup Model ML raises $75 million to take junior bankers grunt work.
Emm raises $9M seed to create one of the world’s first ‘smart’ menstrual cups.
AI PowerPoint-killer Gamma hits $2.1B valuation, $100M ARR, founder says.
Onepot AI raises $13M to help make chemical drug creation easier.
Momentic raises $15M Series A led by Standard Capital.
AI accounting startup Maxima raises $41 million in Kleiner Perkins-backed round.
Giga raises $61 million to expand enterprise voice AI, starting with DoorDash.
👀 New VC funds
Norrsken has closed a new €57m fund to back early-stage European startups focused on the sustainability and resilience of the continent.
Inception Fund launches €21 million micro fund to back new Nordic AI founders.
Firgun Ventures Launches $250 Million VC Fund to Invest in Quantum, Announces First $70 Million Close.
Watchfire Ventures launches Fund III targeting $150m.
Remagine Ventures raises $25M for second fund.
Ventures Platform, one of Africa’s most active early-stage investors, has raised another $64M.
🤝 People on the move
The marketing guru, Shernaz Daver who helped turn Khosla Ventures into an AI powerhouse is moving on.
Former MrBeast content strategist is building an AI tool called Palo for creator ideation and analytics. The company has raised $3.8 million in funding from Peak XV’s (formerly Sequoia India) Surge, with participation from NFX and individual investors.
🎤 Must watch interviews
The Harsh Truth About Building a Startup in the AI Era | Anish Acharya.
The AI Version of You Will Outperform You — Emad Mostaque.
How Solana Survived When Most Other Coins Fell | Anatoly Yakovenko.
This Is How AI Will Reshape Startups Forever | Henry Ward, Co-Founder of Carta.
Spotify’s Early Investor Shares His Blueprint for Outlier Founders | PJ Pärson (Northzone).
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