The number of venture-funded startups getting acquired last year came in at the lowest level in three years, according to Crunchbase data. Of the around 650 deals done, they were also on the smaller size with a median deal size of $30 million, versus $40 million in 2022.
BioCurie co-founder Irene Rombel was the only female CEO on stage when the company became one of the seven startups winning the inaugural Cure Xchange Challenge. BioCurie is developing digital twins that can run through millions of experiments to help gene therapy developers and manufacturers optimize formulations, and winning the challenge gave the startup access to seed funding and a one-year residency at Cure's incubator.
Ema is a startup that just came out of stealth mode with plans to create an AI employee, says CEO Surojit Chatterjee. "Such a product would help automate mundane tasks for employees and allow more time for strategic work," Chatterjee says.
AI-as-a-service providers can help organizations with a cost-effective and speedy way to tap AI and stay ahead of competitors with scalability and access to experts. There are drawbacks to relying on AIaaS, including lack of customization and security concerns tied to using a third-party provider.
Being able to receive feedback and apply it objectively is a key skill for entrepreneurs, writes Voyagu founder Ivan Saprov. To do so you need to segment your customers and actively look for negative feedback, Saprov writes.
Marketers must incorporate human checks and balances and other guardrails while being transparent and mindful of context and potential for misinterpretation when using AI, say experts. Gartner analyst Andrew Frank suggests brands rely on AI for one primary purpose, such as generating recipes or specific product content, while Slalom Consulting's Rio Longacre notes that taking shortcuts can easily lead to trouble.
Startups looking to find growth or pivot opportunities with no data can still find guidance by using leading indicators and practicing associative thinking, writes Dartmouth College professor Scott D. Anthony. "Seeking weak signals, experiencing tomorrow today, and practicing associative thinking can allow executives to spot tomorrow's disruptions today -- and develop creative strategies to turn potential threats into opportunities," Anthony writes.