{"id":47168,"title":"FoundersGrid Weekly News Round Up, 8th February 2019","publisher":"Share Talk","author":"sharetalk","published":"2019-02-08T13:14:05+00:00","modified":"2019-02-08T13:14:05+00:00","canonical_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/foundersgrid-weekly-news-round-up-8th-february-2019/","markdown_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/foundersgrid-weekly-news-round-up-8th-february-2019.md","json_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/foundersgrid-weekly-news-round-up-8th-february-2019.json","category":"Fintech","categories":["Fintech","FoundersGrid"],"tags":["FoundersGrid","news","Round Up","Weekly"],"featured_image":"https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stencil-Google-Chrome-2023-04-19-at-2.47.43-PM.jpeg?fit=1231%2C615&quality=89&ssl=1","format":"news","language":"en-GB","content":"In the past two weeks, Spotify has acquired two podcast startups (Gimlet Media and Anchor) for more than $300M, and it has plans to expand into the space even more via half a billion dollars in acquisitions over the coming year.\n\n|   |\n| --- |\n| [Reddit is raising a monster $150M round of funding](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=1bb3863cdd&e=c219312d81) Online news aggregator Reddit has just raised an unprecedented $150M of funding in a round led by Chinese online gaming giant Tencent, which now values the startup at nearly $3B and gives it a much-needed injection of cash to continue developing its platform. [Check out this overview of a clean standard Series A term sheet](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=dabc1d4c6e&e=c219312d81) This guide from Y Combinator explains how to draft a clear and easy to read Series A term sheet, as well as how to evaluate such documents from both the investor and founder perspective – and it even includes a free template to use as well. [Welcome to the age of surveillance capitalism](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=0e3c385951&e=c219312d81) Social networking startups spent the past decade building massive networks, and now they’re beginning to wrestle with the ethical concerns inherent in their business model – and experts are predicting that this era of soul-searching is set to usher in a new age of surveillance capitalism. [Kai-Fu Lee on China’s tech-fueled race to the future](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=f93db103f3&e=c219312d81) In this podcast, AI expert Kai-Fu Lee speaks at length with the New Yorker on China’s startup ecosystems, and how they’re helping the country leapfrog the US in terms of technological innovation and raw computing power. [Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is planning a China comeback](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=8904215848&e=c219312d81) After exiting the China market when Uber was acquired by Didi in the country, former CEO Travis Kalanick is reportedly plotting a return to China with a shared kitchen startup set to launch in some of its biggest cities. [Defining the Peskin Ratio, and why some scooter networks fail](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=75b9355d38&e=c219312d81) What success looks like for scooter-sharing business models is still a matter of debate, but in this piece, Nick Abouzeid dives deep into the Peskin Ratio, and why it’s the key to understanding scooter networks better. [Spotify is spending an additional $500M on podcast acquisitions](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=b50ccf2393&e=c219312d81) In the past two weeks, Spotify has acquired two podcast startups (Gimlet Media and Anchor) for more than $300M, and it has plans to expand into the space even more via half a billion dollars in acquisitions over the coming year. [These are the next neurotech startups worth keeping your eye on](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=8efa63b58a&e=c219312d81) Neurotech startups are getting funded faster than ever, and VCs are now pouring billions of dollars into the sector. This roundup from CB Insights explains which startups have received the most funding to date, and which are well-positioned for success in the year ahead. [How VCs negotiate: 8 skills top founders master for startup fundraising](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=76cb3529a3&e=c219312d81) All founders are aware that fundraising is a key skill to hone when building a new startup, but it’s much harder than it appears. This is a great breakdown of the key fundraising skills every founder should learn, told from a VC perspective. [This is a great AMA with Mitchell Hashimoto, Founder ](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=4151dd6cc0&e=c219312d81)[and](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=f7437c760b&e=c219312d81)[ CTO of ](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=de24403f67&e=c219312d81)[HashCorp](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=10b25ffefd&e=c219312d81) In this interview, Hashimoto explains how his remote-first team has scaled its open-source development and security platform and helped dozens of businesses around the world do infrastructure automation. |\n\n|   |\n| --- |\n| **COMMUNITY NEWS** - Google is launching Search for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies. [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=e2065380a7&e=c219312d81) - These 47 red hot startups became unicorns last year.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=ef2dfb108e&e=c219312d81) - Start securing your startup for free with DeployWorks.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=2a5241492d&e=c219312d81) - 136 Places to post your startup.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=f9bc2c0001&e=c219312d81) - Four key product principles from WeChat’s creator.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=0a81f4bfbe&e=c219312d81) - After a founder’s sudden death, one crypto exchange can’t access more than $190M in funds.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=aa793a99da&e=c219312d81) - Self-driving truck startup Ike has raised a $52M Series A.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=b3a27aed27&e=c219312d81) - The Fundraising Bible – How to raise money for your startup.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=07a5495f35&e=c219312d81) - Vinli has landed $13.5M in Series B funding to expand its vehicle data platform.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=ae0060cf94&e=c219312d81) - Scroll is acquiring news aggregator Nuzzel.  [Link](https://foundersgrid.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c68e48c86ce2c4755f0a5a987&id=741a45a034&e=c219312d81) |\n\n \n\nCopyright © 2019 FoundersGrid. All rights reserved.\n\n "}