Why are big VCs opening up crypto funds?Venture capitalists over the last year have disagreed over how they should structure their firms to capitalize on a new type of investing that they weren’t really set up to do. VC firms, obviously, hold cash. They own stock in private startups and sometimes in public companies. But VC firms, typically, do not own cryptocurrencies like bitcoin or Ethereum, never mind potential, still-being-built cryptocurrencies. [ Recode ] Houston-Based Mercury Fund Targets $125 Million For Fourth (And Largest) Fund, Per SEC Filing According to an SEC filing posted late this afternoon, Houston, Texas-based Mercury Fund is raising a new venture capital fund, the firm’s fourth. The filing suggests that “Mercury Fund Ventures IV, L.P.” is targeting $125 million for the investment fund, and has hired the firm Bradley Woods & Co. to assist in the fundraising process. [ Crunchbase ] Adelaide startup Fleet Space Technologies announces nanosatellite launch plansYears in the making, Adelaide startup Fleet Space Technologies has announced it is set to launch two nanosatellites before the end of the year in its bid to connect the 75 billion devices expected to be online by 2025. The first nanosatellite is contracted to take off with launch services and mission management provider Spaceflight, on an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), while the second will be part of Spaceflight’s SSO-A mission. This mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, with Spaceflight having a contract to launch a collection of small satellites with SpaceX. [ Startup Daily ] Aaptiv raises $22M from Amazon, Disney and more for its “Netflix for fitness”, now valued over $200MHealth and wellness has been one of the biggest categories for development in the tech industry, with huge range of wearable devices and connected equipment being built to track how we are moving and helping us stay fit. Now, a startup whose app offers users a selection of audio-based, personal-trainer-led workouts that also monitors users as they progress through them, has closed a major round of funding that underscores how software — and specifically apps — are also capitalising on that trend. Aaptiv, which makes what its founder and CEO Ethan Agarwal described to me as “the Netflix of fitness” — providing streams of music-based fitness training on demand — has raised $22 million in funding. [ AVC ] Cylance raises $120 million to grow its AI-powered cybersecurity platform globallyCylance, a cybersecurity startup that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to combat online attacks, has raised $120 million in a series E round of funding led by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities, with participation from other unnamed investors. Founded in 2012 by Stuart McClure, an entrepreneur who sold an Internet security firm to McAfee for $86 million in 2004, Cylance is an endpoint protection platform designed to thwart malware, ransomware, and other forms of advanced threats using AI. Its suite of algorithm-based security protocols essentially inspect networks for weaknesses and shuts them down if any are detected. [ Venture Beat ] The US startup is disappearingHistorically, startups have been the engine of US economy. By creating new jobs and surfacing new ideas, startups play an outsized role in making the economy grow. It’s too bad they are a dying breed. [ QZ ] The Practical Guide That Helped Me Dream (and Led to My Startup Getting Acquired)Entrepreneurs have a tendency to dream either too big, or too small. It usually goes something like this: Either, "What's my plan for the next six months?" with no concept of five years out, or "Five years out, land on Mars!!!!!" with no clear plan of what tomorrow's work is. [ INC ] Why Australia needs a startup salary guideThe psychology of compensation is an interesting challenge we face at Think & Grow when working with both our corporate and high growth customers. Understanding how candidates think about their package is an important first step for companies in building strong and lasting relationships with new employees and ensuring they secure the top talent. [ Startup Daily ] From Hollywood To Silicon Valley, These Women Are Turning A Movement Into ActionIn the recently released Ocean’s 8, the female-led spinoff of the Steven Soderbergh trilogy, a crew of eight women team up to rob the Met Gala. Unlike Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot, which opened in 2016 to internet vitriol and mediocre box office results, the heist movie has been warmly received and has grossed $115.4 million worldwide so far. [ Forbes ] Goldman Sachs Is Investing $500 Million In Female-Led Startups — Will It Work?Goldman Sachs will invest $500 million into companies led, founded or owned by women. The program will also help clients invest directly in private, late-stage companies or provide seed capital for women starting their own funds. [ Fortune ] Chevron’s VC arm launches new $100M fundMicrosoft to acquire machine learning startup Bonsai, fueling AI effortsBeamery closes $28M Series B to stoke support for its ‘talent CRM’ WITH INVESTORS CLAMORING, JVP INCREASES NEW FUND TO $200 MILLIONThis VC Firm Just Gave Two Twenty-Something Investors $20 Million To Find The Next SnapchatWhy is the CEO of high-flying startup Bird selling shares?The evolution of liquidity: Shifting exit strategies for private market investorsNginx lands $43 million Series C to fuel expansionThis health tech start-up refused to take money from VC firms unless they had a female partnerSilicon Valley start-up raises US$40 million to catapult rockets into space — an idea Jeff Bezos once said had ‘all sorts of practical problems’Financial digital advisory startup nets $10m to set up office in SingaporePersonal finance startup SmartAsset raises $28MMetaProp NYC Raises $40M for Second PropTech VC FundBlinkist raises $18.8M for its condensed reading platform for non-fiction booksWomen in NYC Tech: Dana Levin-Robinson of VirtualHealthMaryland’s Immuta raises $20 million to expand its data governance platform in the wake of GDPR |