The list also included stories on the downturn in VC funding, the decline in seed and Series A funding, and the tracking of $100 million-plus funding deals to U.S. startups. A guest piece on using AI to brainstorm a billion-dollar business idea and the story of Embark Trucks, an autonomous trucking startup that went from a $5 billion valuation to shutting down operations in 16 months, were also among the most-read. The final story was about the global funding slide in 2022 and the prediction of another tough year for startups seeking capital in 2023.
Key takeaways:
- 2023 was a tumultuous year for the startup world, with a surge in AI adoption, the failure of a major bank for startups, and a significant number of layoffs despite a fall in venture funding.
- The Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker and the Crunchbase Unicorn Board were among the most-read stories, highlighting the interest in layoffs and unicorn startups.
- Global venture funding fell by 53% in Q1 of 2023, and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank caused a significant shock to the tech industry.
- Despite the downturn in venture funding, there were still some significant deals, particularly for AI companies, and the use of AI for generating business ideas was a popular topic.