What failed before might succeed now — or fail again — and other startup bets

The article provides a weekly recap of notable developments in the startup ecosystem, highlighting contrarian bets, funding rounds, and new VC funds. Key stories include the emergence of desalination startups focusing on deep-sea reverse osmosis, the rise of local accelerators in Africa as YC reduces its focus on developing markets, and Automattic's acquisition of WPAI to lead WordPress' AI efforts. Notable funding rounds include Archer Aviation's $430 million raise for VTOL aircraft, Upvest's €100 million Series C, and Anybotics' $60 million for industrial robots. Other significant fundraises include Flare's $30 million Series B, Aqemia's $38 million round, and Numia's $3.5 million seed round.

In the venture capital space, the OpenAI Startup Fund raised over $44 million for its fifth SPV, while Dimension Capital closed a $500 million fund for tech and life sciences investments. Tiger Global's 15th fund reported paper losses of over 15%. Lastly, Lead Edge Capital's Mitchell Green expressed concerns about overvalued companies and the abundance of capital, indicating a shift towards buyout-like deals instead of traditional VC investments.

Key takeaways

Desalination startups are exploring deep-sea reverse osmosis, potentially reducing energy use by 30% to 50% compared to onshore methods.
Archer Aviation secured $430 million in funding, bringing its total financing to nearly $2 billion, and formed a partnership with Anduril for defense aircraft.
The OpenAI Startup Fund raised over $44 million for its fifth special purpose vehicle, despite not having OpenAI as an investor.
Lead Edge Capital's Mitchell Green expressed concerns about overvaluation in the market, favoring buyout-like control deals over traditional VC investments.

What failed before might succeed now — or fail again — and other startup bets | TechCrunch

Key takeaways

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