#startup-acquisition

#startup-acquisition

I was raised by entrepreneurs, but I never wanted to be one. Instead, I saw myself in a big corner office in the city. I started climbing the corporate ladder, but being laid off twice showed me that a corporate career wasn't as secure as I thought. I started freelancing, and soon opened a marketing agency called No Subject. We focused on events and influencers, back when we were still calling them bloggers.

Tradespace, the San Francisco-based AI-powered intellectual property management platform, has acquired Paragon, an AI patent-drafting startup founded by three Princeton University computer science students. The acquisition, Tradespace says, makes it the first AI-powered platform to support the complete IP lifecycle, from initial invention disclosure through patent drafting, prosecution, portfolio management and commercialization. The deal brings together two companies with complementary missions around democratizing access to patent protection.

NetApp has filed a federal lawsuit against former Chief Technology Officer Jón Thorgrímur Stefánsson. The company alleges that during his employment, he used confidential information to establish a competing startup, which was acquired by rival VAST Data shortly after his departure. According to NetApp, the fact that VAST Data bought the startup Red Stapler shortly after its founding does not change the fact that VAST is not accused of involvement. The claims focus exclusively on the actions of Stefánsson and a few former colleagues.

According to the filing, Javice's team of lawyers across five law firms have billed JPMorgan approximately $60.1 million in legal fees and expenses, while Amar's lawyers have billed the bank roughly $55.2 million in fees. In total, the bank alleges Javice and Amar's lawyers have racked up legal fees of $115 million, with one law firm receiving $35.6 million in reimbursements alone.

Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer is closing the doors on her consumer software startup Sunshine, and is selling the company's assets to her new AI startup, Dazzle. The news was first reported by Wired, which cited an email sent to Sunshine's shareholders. Dazzle is setting out to build an AI personal assistant, the report cited anonymous sources as saying, and added that all of Sunshine's employees will move to the new company.

Tim Chen, solo VC at his firm Essence VC, just closed his fourth fund, a fresh $41 million, without even trying. Limited partner investors (LPs) were so eager to invest, they pre-empted it, he told TechCrunch. He hadn't even time to generate a pitch deck. True, $41 million might not sound like much in this age of multi-billion venture firms and solo VCs like Jack Altman (who just raised his second giant fund, at $275 million).

In 2014, Snapchat acquired our startup, Scan, for $54 million, back when QR codes were still relatively new. Most people hadn't tried them, and phones didn't support them natively. The technology was promising, but the experience wasn't, so it sat behind a clunky UX. We removed that friction and made QR codes easier to create, scan and deploy, which led to quick adoption.

Putnam's path from that breakthrough Disrupt moment to today is a story of very smart timing. Mirror, the connected fitness device that brought boutique workout classes into homes, launched just as the pandemic created unprecedented demand for home fitness solutions. The timing proved so prescient that Lululemon acquired the company for $500 million just two years after its Disrupt debut. Now Putnam is betting on another cultural shift - the growing desire to disconnect from screens and reconnect with family and friends in person.

Landbase Inc., with its agentic AI platform and the acquisition of Adauris, aims to revolutionize inbound marketing using artificial intelligence, significantly enhancing lead generation and outreach.

According to an email The Information viewed, employees were given until August 10 to decide whether they want to take the buyout, which amounts to nine months of salary. Those who choose to stay are reportedly required to spend six days at the office and clock 80+ hour weeks - draconian conditions that have become table stakes among workers at top AI firms.