April 25, 2025

{{#if first_name}}Hi, {{capitalizeFirst (lower first_name)}}.{{else}}Hi.{{/if}} With the IPO market still in a slump, startups are increasingly relying on M&A for exits. And while usually this involves a sale to a strategic buyer, the next-likeliest suitor is probably a private equity firm. Over the past five years, private equity firms have spent more than $56 billion in disclosed-price acquisitions of private, venture-backed companies, Crunchbase data shows. Plus, there were no billion-dollar U.S. startup funding rounds last week, but there were lots of good-sized financings for a variety of startups nonetheless.

đź’µ PE firms still snatching up startups amid market turbulence

Acquisitions of U.S. startups by private equity firms spiked in 2024, and so far this year we aren’t seeing signs of a slowdown. There have been 22 acquisitions of seed- or venture-funded private companies already in 2025, Crunchbase data shows.

Related Crunchbase Pro lists:
• Private Equity Acquisitions Of US Startups, Past 5 Years
• US Unicorns

🏆 Top 10 rounds: Chainguard and Supabase lead big week

Last week’s largest U.S. funding deals went to startups working on everything from messaging to fintech, with the biggest round going to a cybersecurity startup.

See also: The Crunchbase Megadeals Board

🌦️ April brings a shower of interesting rounds

A slew of interesting, recently funded startups popped onto our radar this month, and picking the five most fascinating was a challenge. Nonetheless, we take a closer look at a handful of freshly funded startups working on everything from environmental remediation automation to better cancer care.

🤑 These startups are the spendiest acquirers of other startups

Over the past year, at least 423 U.S. venture- or seed-backed companies have sold to other private, VC-funded companies, per Crunchbase data. They included some very sizable deals, too, altogether valued at more than $6.3 billion. For a sense of where the money is going, we curated a list of the largest disclosed-price startup-to-startup acquisitions of the past year.

Related Crunchbase Pro lists:
• Acquisitive Startups
• Largest Startup Purchases Of Other Startups In The Past Year

💼 4 reasons every high-growth startup needs a Founder’s Office

The Founder’s Office, which acts as a bridge between the founders and the rest of the organization, is becoming essential for rapid growth, writes guest author Julio Martínez of Abacum, who shares four reasons why every high-growth startup needs one.

Recent Investments

Electra

$186M / Series B

Electra produces clean iron using low-temperature electrochemistry powered by renewables to decarbonize and transform steel production.

Categories:

Energy • Industrial • Renewable Energy

Founders:

Sandeep Nijhawan

Investors:

Capricorn Investment Group (Lead), Temasek Holdings (Lead), BHP Ventures + 12 more

Dataminr

$100M / Convertible Note

Dataminr is a real-time AI platform that detects early signs of high-impact events and emerging risks.

Categories:

Analytics • Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Information Technology • Risk Management • Software

Founders:

Jeffrey Kinsey, Sam Hendel, Theodore Bailey

Investors:

Fortress Investment Group (Lead)

Anumana

Unknown / Series C

Anumana develops AI-driven ECG algorithms for early cardiovascular diagnosis and care.

Categories:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Health Care • Health Diagnostics • Medical Device

Founders:

Murali Aravamudan

Investors:

Boston Scientific, Matrix, Matrix Capital Management + 2 more

More Fundings

Company Amount / Round Lead Investor
Deepcell Unknown / Venture Round Fifty Years
Mosaic Therapeutics Unknown / Corporate Round Astex Pharmaceuticals
Glasswall Unknown / Private Equity Round PSG Equity
All Recent Funding Activity

Recent Acquisitions

Biryani By Kilo

Pending acquisition by Devyani International Limited for 4.2B INR

More Acquisitions

Company Acquired By Amount
Maza Flex $40M
All Recent Acquisition Activity

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Date Accelerator Location
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