V2 Markets

Utah continues to be a hotbed of innovation re-earning its title of Silicon Slopes. As part of the Silicon Slopes ecosystem in Utah, it is exciting to see the cities in The Valley repeatedly highlighted in publications like Business Insider as cities to watch. We cannot wait for the next Utah Unicorn. https://lnkd.in/gMr2bH3R #siliconslopes #startups #venturecapital

??Announcing the finalists for the pitch competition on Monday!?? Out of ~100 applicants for the $125k pitch competition, Wendal, the AI analyst of Connetic Ventures, has narrowed it down to 5 finalists! ?? Mindsmith (Ethan Webb) - eLearning authoring tool that uses generative AI to turn the eLearning development process from hundreds of hours to minutes. ?? Neighborbrite (Luis Benavides) – AI-powered home services marketplace that helps homeowners create beautiful designs and landscapers close more deals, faster. ?? Stagetime (Jennie Moser) - An online network where artists, agents, and artistic administrators, maintain relationships by engaging with industry connections and showcasing their media ?? V2 Markets (Jake Gallagher) – Industry-leading venture marketplace to buy or sell shares in private companies. ?? Verdi AI – (Brad Romney) AI co-pilot for product teams, allowing them to move faster and make smarter bets. Congrats to the finalists! Thanks to Connetic Ventures for the $100k first prize investment and Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity for the $25k second prize! Alecia Hart and Brad Edison Bonham And thanks to our partners/judges! Frame VC Kickstart Fund Mercato Origin Ventures Philo Ventures Signal Peak Ventures Utah's Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets for the first time in 2024 at the end of January. In its final three meetings of 2023 (Sept, Nov, Dec), the Fed opted to hold rates steady at 5.25%-5.50%. Many are anticipating the Fed to start reducing rates this year which could have a significant impact on capital markets and the 2024 IPO Outlook. Stay tuned! #venturecapital #privatemarkets #startups #IPO

As we look towards potential IPOs of 2024, V2 Markets wanted to examine how the “headline” IPOs from 2023 fared at the end of their first year. IPO Class of 2023 Year-End Recap: ---Klaviyo (KVYO) stock price is still in the red since IPO in September.? Looking back on the major SaaS IPOs of 2023 doesn’t fill the heart with optimism for 2024.? After a one or two day bump after initial trading the share price peaked in the $34 range and hasn’t been back up there since.? The VC world is watching with bated breath for any indication from the IPO class of 2023 that the climate is good to go public.? Time will tell… ---Instacart (CART) has not returned to its IPO price of $30 and is hovering in the low to mid $20’s.? Revisiting one of the most easily recognized IPO names of the 2023 class seems disappointing.? After going public in mid October of last year and a weak earnings call in November Instacart's IPO success is struggling facing outside competition and unfriendly labor regulations. ---BIRKENSTOCK (BIRK) Is generally flat from its IPO in October which relative to the other members of the 2023 IPO class is impressive. After a disappointing first month and a half on the NYSE the centuries old company has rebounded to trade roughly even with its IPO price of $41. This is in stark contrast to other companies that IPOed in 2023 who are trading well below their initial price. Credit where it’s due! ---Arm (ARM) seems to be the valedictorian of the 2023 IPO class. The chip manufacturer had a lackluster few months of public trading but has since surged on the tail of growth in the AI market and subsequent strong earnings.? Arm had the largest market cap of any of the other 2023 IPO names so it is encouraging to see asset flows in this volume. https://lnkd.in/gc5btaHJ ---CAVA (CAVA) has been a small but noteworthy success story of the 2023 IPO class.? While it has a modest market cap of $5B or so the company has been declared a success reaching about 2x its summer IPO price of $22.? Importantly the company's share price has survived the employee shareholder lockup period.? In a news cycle dominated by tech, SaaS and ai it’s encouraging to see a traditional business model finding success. #venturecapital #privatemarkets #startups #ipo

To start 2024, V2 Markets is highlighting some of the top venture stories that dominated headlines in December 2023. OpenAI reportedly exceeds $1.6B ARR Figma - Adobe Merger Canceled Canva - Crosses 170M monthly users and in talks to complete tender offer D2iQ & Hyperloop One Shut Down Bolt lays off 29% of Staff SpaceX has rival in BLUE ORIGIN and Cerberus attempting to buy competing United Launch Alliance (ULA) Thanks to our sources at The Information, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg! Links in the comments. #venturecapital #privatemarkets #startups #m&a

If you're a Non-Founder follower of V2 Markets, take a second to follow Alicia Thomas & The Non-Founder Crew for insights on how to maximize your time at a startup! Alicia sat down with Gareth from V2 to talk about selling private stock on the secondary market --- Full interview in the link below #privatemarkets #venturecapital #startups