INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Hello and welcome back toEquity, TechCrunch venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.
This week
was a bit different than usual
First, we managed to come close to our old time target (20 minutes) instead of our regular length (30 minutes)
And, second, Alex is coming back to TechCrunch starting next week!
Expect more Equity and, from Alex, writing for Extra Crunch
But don&t worry, we&ve got you covered
If you aren&t an Extra Crunch subscriber yet you can use the code &EQUITY& and save a bundle
(Woo!)
That done, let dig into the news that Kate and Alex discussed, starting with Harlem Capital $40.3 million new fund.The New York-based
outfit has a focus on investing in minority entrepreneurs, who receive significantly less than their white male counterparts
This is one of the largest funds with a diversity mandate to date, and that something to be stoked about.
Next we turned to Mike Cagney&s
canny fundraising ability
The former SoFi CEO, ousted for bad behavior, is putting together another huge funding round for his startup, Figure Technologies
The expected $103 million round comes after the company raised $120 million before.
With more than $50 million raised of the more than $100
million it expects, covering Figure is partially a financial story
However, due to Cagney part in the project, it also a story of how fast money forgives.
Pivoting to Europe, Kate and Alex chewed into the
latest report on European venture capital, pulling from Atomico and Forbes
The headlines are pretty simple: There are more EU-based unicorns than ever, more money invested in the region and the money is mostly
finding male hands.
Disappointing diversity metrics aside, it an encouraging set of metrics for a region that has long found itself left to
the side when major startup markets are discussed.
And finally, Alex wanted to talk about two impending U.S.-listed technology IPOs
Coming in the wake of the WeWork fiasco and sporting similar share prices but divergent growth profiles, the debuts of Bill.com and Sprout
Social are events.
Equity drops every Friday at 6:00 am PT, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.
