4D cardiac imaging, India blocking cryptos, the New York Times suing OpenAI and Microsoft, and many more...
What's Up Tech? #163
Welcome to our 163rd newsletter, written with 🖤 by Grégoire Loisance, Filippo Marchesin, and Justine Pelisson.
Welcome 2024! We wish you a Happy New Year - full of good health, love, and professional fulfilment! 🌟🪩
Fundraisings from last week with Podimo, LUMA Vision, and Bizay
News from last week with the Indian cryptocurrency boycott, the New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, and Anthropic’s ambitious future fundraising
Internships & Job offers of the week
Enjoy the read! 🌞
🎙Podimo raised €44M to become Europe’s leading podcast and audiobook platform (🇩🇰)
Copenhagen-based Podimo, known for offering local content, ad-free podcasts as well as audiobooks, all with a personalized experience based on a mix of human and AI recommendations, just raised €44M. Podimo plans to use the funding to fuel global expansion, enhance its product offerings, and strengthen sustainable monetization for creators. 📚
With a strong growth fueled by an 80% increase in subscribers over the last year, a 2x revenue over the past two, and a solid engagement thanks to an average of 20+ hours of streamed content per user each month, Podimo is poised to solidify its position in the spoken audio entertainment ecosystem.🎧
Denmark’s Open Podcast Platform Podimo Raises €44M, Sets Sights on Profitability
🎞 LUMA Vision secured $22M for revolutionary cardiac imaging platform (🇮🇪)
LUMA Vision, the Dublin and Munich-based developer of a 4D cardiac imaging platform, just raised $22M in a Series A. The funds will support FDA clearance, US commercialization, and advance its VERAFEYE platform for cardiology and beyond. 🔍
LUMA Vision's innovative VERAFEYE platform uses advanced technology, including a catheter sensor, digital imaging, and deep learning, to provide high-resolution, real-time 4D imagery of the heart, aiding cardiologists in precise and personalized therapy for conditions like atrial fibrillation and cardiac valve replacement. 🫀
Dublin and Munich-based LUMA Vision raises €20M to Advance Cardiac Imaging Technology
🌐 Bizay secured €18M to fuel the digitization of the customization industry (🇵🇹)
Bizay, a Lisbon-based leading merchandising, packaging and apparel customization company, secured a €18M . With an innovative supply chain, Bizay efficiently produces customized merchandise, disrupting the industry. 🛍
Bizay aims to digitize the €800B customization industry, offering up to 50% savings with its batching technology. Despite no production facilities, the company achieved 50% top-line growth through external partnerships. 💸
The funds will support product development and US expansion, targeting SMEs and the creator economy. This strategic move into the US market signals growth and market leadership, as the demand for personalized products continues to soar. 🗝
The Rise Of Bizay: Lisbon Startup Raises $19M To Expand Customized Merchandise Production
⛔️ India takes steps to block Binance, Huobi, and other global crypto exchange URLs
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), operating under the Indian Finance Ministry, has issued a show cause notice to 9 cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance and Huobi, and requested to block these exchanges' URLs within India. This action comes as a result of alleged non-compliance with Indian anti-money laundering regulations. ⚖️
🤛 NY Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for infringing copyrighted works
The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging the unauthorized use of millions of their articles to train chatbots. The Times asks to “destroy” models and training data containing the offending material and to be held responsible for “billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages” related to the “unlawful copying and use of The Times’s uniquely valuable works.” 🗑
The New York Times wants OpenAI and Microsoft to Pay for Training Data
💰 AI Startup Anthropic aims for $750M funding at $18B valuation
Generative AI startup Anthropic, who already raised $7.6 billion from investors including Google and Amazon, is reportedly in talks to raise $750 million in fresh capital in a deal that would value it upwards of $18 billion. Anthropic has around 300 employees and was aiming for $200 million in annualized recurring revenue as of October. 📈
Anthropic Reportedly In Talks To Raise $750M At $18B-Plus Valuation
Internships
VC Analyst - PointCo (Paris)
VC Analyst - Airbus Ventures (Toulouse)
VC Analyst - SuperSeed Ventures (London)
Jobs
Venture Analyst - Costa Norte & Company (Berlin)
Investment Associate - The Green Recruitment Company (Berlin)
Investment Analyst - Adams Street Partners (London)
👉 If you’d like to discover more offers, you can check our job board just here or fill this form to submit a new one.
You can also read more about baby vc on our website and follow our updates on LinkedIn, or directly reach out to us at hello@baby-vc.co! 🤝
The whole baby vc crew 🖤