Ten years ago, Cowboy Ventures founder Aileen Lee coined the term “unicorn” to describe startups that reached $1 billion valuation. At the time, there were only 39 startups on the list, but cut to today, where more than 500 companies now live on the list.
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Not only did the number of unicorns boom, but also what they’re focused on shifted: The pendulum swung hard in the direction of B2B startups over the last decade — but the thing with pendulums is that eventually they swing back.
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Number of monthly active crypto devs fell 25% in 2023
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Longtime developers are important to the crypto ecosystem, according to a new report from Electric Capital. Newbies tend to follow the hype and prices, but don’t always stick around when things go bad, which is why there is a need for a core of committed devs.
Northvolt’s $5B debt deal should be a wake-up call for the US battery industry
Image Credits: Northvolt
The fact that battery maker Northvolt has managed to raise $5 billion in debt with the support of state-sponsored lenders should be a stark reminder to the U.S. that it’s beyond time to help build a homegrown battery manufacturer, writes climate reporter Tim De Chant.
Ask Sophie: What visas could work to come to Silicon Valley for customer discovery?
Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch
Dear Sophie,
I’m a founder of a startup in Estonia. I listened to your podcast about the importance of international founders coming to the U.S. to meet collaborators and do customer discovery before expanding in the market. Should I come on a visitor visa? Any other visa options I should consider?
— Eager in Estonia
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A startup pitch is not a presentation and founders must understand the differences
Image Credits: Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch
Startups have limited time to engage their audience, which is why it’s critical for founders to make their pitch persuasive from the start, according to Bill Reichert, a partner at Pegasus Tech Ventures.
Why most GTM slides suck — and how to fix them
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Now that you know how to grab investors’ attention with your pitch, here’s a crash course on making the most of your go-to-market slides.
