Due to a phenomenon called semantic enrichment, if you repeat a word or phrase too many times, it can sometimes lose its meaning.
Here's what happened to the unicorn: We wear it like a pair of sneakers for running in the rain, but we're too comfortable to share.
In fact, most of the startups in CB Insights' Unicorn Index are in a bubble, "basically hovering around the $1 billion mark," says Rebecca Schutak.
"How many of these unicorns are left in this calendar year?" Of the 35 investors he interviewed, he found, "many thought the herd was probably already bought."
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"It's not just about maintaining their unicorn status, it's whether they're going to be funded at all costs," says Harley Miller, founder and managing partner of Left Lane Capital.
Clearly, the IPO window has closed. Any startup that wants to survive this downturn needs to raise more money.
I'm sure the hunt is doing its best in a bear market like AR Armadillo and it's a beast for another story. You can get it for free.
My biggest hope is that investors and founders use this era of austerity as an opportunity to create not only wealth, but value.
Thank you very much for reading
Walter Thompson
Editorial Lead, TechCrunch+
@ Your main character
Discover Growth Marketing: How to Start an Email Marketing Campaign
In the third article in a five-part series, growth marketing expert Jonathan Martinez (formerly of Uber, Postmates, and Chime) explains how to create and optimize email campaigns that "move consumers through your funnel and drive conversions."
Martinez predicts the basics of customer segmentation and tipping points in the funnel you're designing. Startups that capture these users back can achieve higher ARR, and every little bit counts.
"It's important to segment users as much as possible because we need to make sure we're sending the right messages to the right users."
It shows the numbers on the global trade slowdown
Image credits : Nigel Sussman/TechCrunch
Venture capital funding will shrink 35% by 2022, according to the CB Insights State of Venture report. While the estimated number of deals has not decreased proportionately, “global risk financing decreased by 19% in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2022,” she said.
"How long it will take to improve is anyone's guess, so we'll be waiting for more information throughout the year," he wrote.
Dear Sofia! What are the quick options for hiring someone for a last-minute reprieve?
Image credits : Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch
Dear Sophia
I am a co-founder of a very early stage startup. My co-founder and I are considering hiring a third co-founder who was recently fired. Currently, the H-1B visa grace period in the US is about to expire.
What are the fastest and cheapest migration options we should consider? What will happen to the possible increase in USCIS filing fees?
- Cautious co-founder
Presentation deck breakdown: Screentel's $1 million presentation floor
Visual collaboration tool Screental says it has more than 40,000 people on its waiting list, but that hasn't stopped its founders from raising a million euros.
Co-founders Ece Kural and Furkan Bayraktar shared their offering with TC+ - click through to see why their value, vision and product plan appeal to investors.
- lid
- Activity Slides, Part 1
- Assignment Slides, Part 2
- Solution Slide Part 1
- Solution Slide Part 2
- Value proposition slide
- User reviews slider
- Pulling slides
- Income information
- Content slide
- User profile slide
- Growth forecast slide
- Vision is lost
- Question slide
- Contact chips
- Application title slide
- Supplement 1: Why Now?
- Appendix 2: Competitive Context
- Appendix 3: Product model and development