Uncategorized

The recent release of DeepSeek-R1, a new AI model from the Chinese firm DeepSeek, has sent shockwaves through the AI industry and stock markets alike. DeepSeek’s breakthrough potentially signals the end of the “AI pixie dust” era, where inflated promises and unsustainable investments have propelled the industry to record highs. Stock Market Reverberations The unveiling […]

Understanding the journey to a successful exit requires patience, strategy, and a deep awareness of the factors that can extend the timeline far beyond initial expectations. With only a tiny percentage of early-stage companies achieving a meaningful exit within the first five years, the path to success is often longer and more complex than founders

Raising Series A funding has become increasingly challenging in the current venture capital landscape. According to recent research from Carta, for companies that raised their seed rounds in H1 2022, only 13% have made it to Series A across six industries. This is significantly down on prior years. What once seemed like a predictable progression

Wayve, a UK-based autonomous driving startup founded in 2017, recently secured over $1 billion in Series C funding, led by SoftBank with backing from Nvidia and Microsoft. This investment, unprecedented for a European AI startup, signals strong confidence from investors and surpasses Mistral’s €385 million funding in December 2023 and Aleph Alpha’s $500 million raise

In the evolution of business methodologies, few stories are as compelling as the transformation of Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing principles into the backbone of today’s startup success. Toyota’s manufacturing mastery, with its relentless focus on efficiency, quality, and customer value, has not only revolutionised the automotive industry but also laid a foundational framework for the entrepreneurial

Last September, Déjà Partners shared our reservations about the long-term value of Arm, the British chip designer, as it debuted on the Nasdaq with a valuation that raised eyebrows… Fast forward to today, Arm’s share price has not just grown—it has skyrocketed, soaring over 50% in the last couple of days and doubling the company’s

The “Magnificent Seven” – Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla – are more than just the most valuable companies in the stock market. They are trailblazers in key technology sectors like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, online gaming, and hardware and software innovation. This article, written by the team at Déjà Partners, explores their

German AI startup Aleph Alpha has seemingly found its own “magic money tree” as it celebrates the successful closure of a remarkable Series B funding round, securing an impressive $500 million in investment… The round drew support from a diverse consortium of seven new investors, in addition to enthusiastic participation from existing investors who have

In the dynamic world of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing, Graphcore, a British semiconductor company founded in 2016, emerged as a beacon of promise against industry behemoths like Nvidia. By introducing its innovative Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU) technology, Graphcore aimed to rewrite the norms of the AI hardware segment… However, Graphcore now stands at

In the tech landscape dominated by industry giants, ensuring startups have access to artificial intelligence is essential. Recent developments suggest that open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) could revolutionise the field, providing startups an unparalleled opportunity to harness AI innovation… In the article below, written by the team at Déjà Partners, we explore how open-source initiatives

Financing often poses a significant challenge for startups. The process of securing funds from investors, who are willing to back a startup’s vision and take a risk, can be complex. This article introduces Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), a type of investment contract designed to make the process considerably more straightforward… SAFEs were introduced

Over the past few years, the investment landscape, especially in Europe, has been evolving dramatically with the rise of deep tech startups, which are driving a new wave of innovation and attracting substantial interest from venture capital firms and corporate investors alike… Deep tech involves building upon significant scientific or engineering breakthroughs to develop innovative

OpenAI’s introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022 marked a significant milestone in the field of artificial intelligence. With its astonishing ability to provide human-like responses, ChatGPT has the potential to transform and even replace certain jobs in the near future… In March 2023, OpenAI published a working paper titled “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look

As an entrepreneur, one of the most critical aspects of starting and growing a business is securing funding. Funding rounds refer to the phases through which businesses attract investments. Each round of funding plays a unique role in the evolution of a startup, from the ideation phase to initial public offering (IPO), and eventually, becoming

The world is witnessing an explosive AI boom, and Nvidia (NVDA) is leading the charge with a triumphant 28% surge in shares on the 25th May and a valuation exceeding one trillion dollars. This monumental achievement places Nvidia in an exclusive club of US publicly traded companies – a club that includes tech titans such

Venture Capital firms are constantly on the lookout for the next big thing, and startups with an innovation mindset are often the ones that catch their attention… Startups with an innovation mindset are seen as forward-thinking entities capable of disrupting markets and creating new ones. They continually strive to generate novel products, services, or business

As an entrepreneur, pitching your business idea to a venture capital (VC) firm can be an exciting, yet daunting experience. You may have spent weeks or months crafting the perfect pitch deck, practicing your delivery, and researching the firm’s investment portfolio to ensure that you’re well-prepared. However, after presenting your business idea, there is one

The downfall of Silicon Valley Bank is especially troubling because it was the self-described “financial partner of the innovation economy.” The bank, founded in 1983 and based in Santa Clara, California, was deeply entangled in the tech ecosystem, providing banking services not only to a large number of venture-backed technology businesses but also to institutional

Starting a new business is exciting, but it can also be a daunting task, especially when it comes to building a user base. Many startups struggle to gain traction and attract early adopters, often because they haven’t fully grasped the nuances of user acquisition and retention. However, there are some lessons that can be learned

5: the number of days it took ChatGPT to reach one million subscribers since launching in November 2022. 100,000,000,000: the $100 billon dollar drop in the valuation of Alphabet yesterday after its new artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, Bard, made an error in a promotional video… Since launching ChatGPT, it has become the fastest internet application to

As a CEO, your primary responsibility is to lead your organisation to success. But in order to do that, you need the resources to make it happen. That’s where fundraising comes in. Mastering fundraising techniques is a crucial skill for any CEO, and can be the secret weapon that propels your company to new heights…

History tells us that downturns are a time of creative destruction. A downturn in the economy forces companies to find new ways of doing things, to be more efficient, and to find new markets. A downturn also offers opportunities for new companies and entrepreneurs to enter the market with innovative ideas and solutions… The tech

With such a huge wave of low-cost capital over the last decade, and an influx of new players into the venture ecosystem, many venture capital firms will admit that their market became dysfunctional with compressed due diligence, extremely risky investments, and an appetite for deals at almost any price… Focusing solely on the US venture

At Déjà Partners, we get to meet with a lot of entrepreneurs who are looking for advice on how they can find success with funding, scaling and building a successful business. During those discussions, we are presented with all kinds of numbers, measures and metrics that illustrate the potential of each and every startup venture…

Many people have great ideas, but few have what it takes to turn those ideas into successful businesses… Entrepreneurs are a special breed of people who are driven by a unique combination of factors. For some, the challenge of building something from scratch is incredibly motivating. Others are driven by the desire to be their