R136 Ventures

growth-positive

Data science startup Explorium has closed a $75 million series C funding round, bringing its total investment to over $127 million. The company has doubled its customer base and more than quadrupled its revenue since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Explorium plans to significantly increase its workforce in Israel and the U.S. this year. The CEO stated that the pandemic has made the world more efficient, and the company has been able to sell to massive companies without meeting them. Explorium aims to become the platform for searching data and helping analysts and data scientists find the best resources for their analysis processes. The companys External Data Platform analyzes data models and provides relevant signals to improve analytics and machine learning.

growth-positive

Israeli startups are seeking additional cash reserves due to the coronavirus pandemic and are willing to give up more equity in their companies. Victor Orlovski, the founder of Fort Ross Ventures, stated that entrepreneurs are looking to raise twice as much cash as before while diluting their own stake in the company. Fort Ross Ventures is actively looking for more startups to invest in and is particularly interested in fintech, property technologies, software enterprises, deep-tech, cloud computing, and tech-enabled startups. The firm has previously invested in Israeli startups such as Tufin Software Technologies, eToro Group, ThetaRay, Kryon Systems, and Dynamic Yield. Fort Ross Ventures raised $235 million in commitments for its second fund, with $110 million yet to be invested.

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The article discusses productivity tips for working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the importance of structure, minimizing distractions, and finding motivation. The tips include being proactive about daily life distractions, working outside, listening to music in different languages, making to-do lists, and relying on team communication. The article also mentions that 95% of Americans support some form of paid sick and family leave for workers affected by coronavirus. The date of the event described in the article is not provided.

growth-negative

Airbnb and Uber executives have been lobbying for financial relief for contract workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate has passed a draft for a $2 trillion emergency aid bill that includes benefits for gig economy workers, such as small-business loans and unemployment insurance. However, the language of the draft may exclude small technology companies and venture-backed businesses from accessing loans. Airbnb has deviated from its existing policy by allowing full refunds on cancellations due to the pandemic, but hosts are bearing the economic burden. The stock market decline has also impacted mergers and acquisitions, with many deals not closing. Tax planning company Intuits acquisition of fintech Credit Karma, valued at $7.1 billion, has seen a 22% drop in Intuits shares. The article also provides updates on various venture deals, private equity transactions, and investments.