Welcome to Startups Weekly your weekly recap of everything you cant miss from the world of startups.
Desire it in your inbox every Friday? Register here.Some startups accrued value at warp speed today, and we got confirmation that defense tech is red hot.Most fascinating start-up stories from the weekImage Credits: Kelly Sullivan/ Getty ImagesMany start-up stories this week happened in Y Combinators orbit in some way.
Israel once again lived up to its Start-Up Nation reputation.That was fast: No-code website-building platform Wix acquired 6-month-old, bootstrapped vibe-coding start-up Base44 both Israeli companies for $80 million in cash.That was quick, too: In just three months, Ramps appraisal jumped to $16 billion following its Series E, up from $13 billion when the invest management startup did a secondary sale previously this year.Friends and foes: New details emerged on Metas $14.3 billion offer to get 49% of start-up Scale AI, including a possible dividend payout.
We also found out that OpenAI was dropping Scale AI as an information supplier following the deal.Frenemies: The U.S.
Department of Defense awarded an agreement worth up to $200 million straight to OpenAI, which could further strain the startups relationship with Microsoft.ICYMI: Out of all the groups providing at YCs current Spring 2025 Demo Day, here are 11 startups that investors have actually been talking about.Didnt happen: People are also still talking about the police shutting down the YC Demo Day after-party that controversial AI startup Cluely attempted to toss; or as its CEO informed A Technology NewsRoom, the most legendary celebration that never ever happened.Most fascinating VC and funding news this weekHelsingImage Credits: HelsingMost moneying news was driven by either defense tech, AI, or both, but there were also some surprises.
Plus, one VC firm is intending high for its next fund.Good instinct: Applied Intuition, a business making software for autonomous cars, protected a $600 million Series F and tender deal at a $15 billion valuation.New tune: Munich-based defense tech start-up Helsing closed a 600 million financial investment led by Prima Materia, the VC company of Spotifys founder Daniel Ek, which valued Helsing at 12 billion.New unicorn: Israeli observability start-up Coralogix became a unicorn after raising a $115 million Series E, which it will utilize to double its headcount in India, where 100 of its 550 staff members are presently based.Toldja: Mach Industries, a 2-year-old defense tech startup, verified having raised a $100 million round of financing led by Khosla Ventures and Bedrock at a $470 million valuation.Money streams: Aspora, a startup formerly referred to as Vance and focused on assisting in remittances from the Indian diaspora, closed a $50 million Series B co-led by Sequoia and Greylock at a $500 million valuation.Change of heart: Sword Health, an AI-powered digital health start-up that started as a virtual physical therapy option, secured $40 million at a $4 billion assessment in a financing round led by returning financier General Catalyst.
It also pressed back its IPO plans to at least 2028.
Multiplier impact: Multiplier Holdings revealed having actually raised $27.5 million throughout seed and Series A rounds after joining the growing trend of purchasing legacy service organizations in its case, accounting companies and scaling them with AI.Stock where you store: Grifin, a start-up whose app helps users purchase stock from brands they shop at, such as Walmart, protected $11 million in a Series A round.Out of Sweden: Polar, a payment facilities platform for designers and AI-first companies, raised a $10 million seed round led by Accel.
Its CEO formerly co-founded Tictail, which was obtained by Shopify in 2018.
Bullish: Global VC Endeavor Catalyst is seeking to raise $300 million for its 5th fund.
This would be its biggest yet, as it looks to deepen its bet on fast-growing startups in emerging markets.Last however not leastImage Credits: Alexa von TobelAn early financier in Chime, founder-turned-VC Alexa von Tobel is all set for Fintech 3.0.
The next wave of development wont come from superficial tweaks however from fundamental deep product reinvention tools that fulfill the requirements of a changing economy and a more diverse, digitally native population, she informed A Technology NewsRoom in an interview.