TECH

Neko Health’s Series B Funding Surpasses Some Series C Rounds in Size

Welcome to Startups Weekly — your essential weekly recap on the most important happenings in the startup world. Want it delivered to your inbox every Friday? Sign up here.

This week was anticipated to be brief in the U.S., having kicked off with a holiday. However, Inauguration Day kept several founders on their toes, and the subsequent days unfolded a wealth of startup news.

Highlights of the Week in Startup News

Alexandr Wang, co-founder and CEO of Scale AI.
Image Credits:David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty

This week served as a reminder that not every sale is equal, and it’s often insightful to look beyond mere figures. Additionally, one AI decacorn found itself in legal difficulties.

No Divvy: Divvy Homes, the rent-to-own startup backed by a16z, has reached an agreement to sell to a Brookfield Properties division for approximately $1 billion. However, certain shareholders may end up empty-handed.

Beauty Acquisition: Hindustan Unilever, a major player in the consumer goods sector, has made a deal to acquire the Indian skincare startup Minimalist, which is backed by Peak XV, for around $342 million — surpassing the $300 million valuation it aimed for in its previous fundraising efforts.

Significant Discount: The AI-based parking company Metropolis has purchased the computer vision firm Oosto for considerably less than the amount Oosto had raised previously. Formerly known as AnyVision, it lost investors due to its technology’s association with controversial surveillance practices.

Legal Battle: After being valued at $13.8 billion last year, Scale AI now faces its third lawsuit from contractors in 2025, who claim to have endured psychological distress from crafting prompts involving disturbing material. A spokesperson from Scale AI stated that “numerous safeguards are in place.”

Key VC and Funding Developments This Week

Ati Motors robot portfolio
Image Credits:Ati Motors

This week, Series B rounds displayed a wide range of sizes, with some exceeding the typical Series C rounds. For startups not quite ready to go public, the fundraising alphabet offers many options.

Pre-IPO Developments: Data analytics company Databricks has successfully closed a $10 billion Series J equity round, achieving a valuation of $62 billion, along with an additional $5.25 billion in debt financing, with Meta serving as a strategic investor.

From Cat to Unicorn: Neko Health, the Swedish body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek, raised $260 million in a Series B funding round, resulting in a post-money valuation of $1.8 billion.

Funding for Innovation: Lindus Health, a startup with backing from Peter Thiel and Creandum, is transitioning its headquarters from the U.K. to the U.S. and has secured a $55 million Series B round to tackle issues within the clinical trial sector.

Cost-Efficiency Measures: The AI-driven SaaS spend management platform Vertice has raised $50 million in a Series C funding round led by Lakestar, nearing a valuation of $500 million, according to reports.

Indian Robotics Sector: Ati Motors, based in India and specializing in autonomous mobile robots, has obtained $20 million in Series B funding to support its international expansion, particularly as U.S. sales already account for a significant portion of its revenue, aiming to capitalize on the demand for robotics production outside of China.

Emerging Crypto Opportunities: AngelList and CoinList have partnered to introduce crypto special purpose vehicles and crypto roll-up vehicles to enable crypto founders to raise funds using cryptocurrencies, riding the wave of crypto’s resurgence.

Final Thoughts

AI, startups
Image Credits:Getty Images

AI continues to be a hot topic, yet specific subsectors draw more interest from venture capitalists. In an effort to identify the types of AI startups that VCs prefer to invest in this year, TechCrunch compiled insights from a recent survey of 20 enterprise VCs. The key takeaway: focus on companies rather than just features.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *