Introducing The Tech CFO Survey 2024 ?? Plus, FF Europe is Back!

This is a summarised roundup of the top stories and insights from the global founder community. ?? Sign up here to receive the full version of Founders News directly in your inbox!

Want to understand what drives the UK’s startup and scaleup CFOs? Discover the latest insights on financial leadership across UK tech companies in The Tech CFO Survey 2024. ?

In this edition of Founders News:

Introducing The Tech CFO Survey 2024!

The Tech CFO Survey 2024 , published in partnership with Harmonic Finance, is packed with cutting-edge insights into the priorities, hurdles, and mindsets of the CFOs behind the UK’s most innovative tech companies. From managing growth to leveraging AI, CFOs are crucial to the successful scaling of today’s tech businesses.?Hear from CFOs and finance leaders about their latest business objectives and future strategies.

Click here to download the report.

Gear Up for FF Europe, Hosted Next Month in Berlin!

We are thrilled to partner with Left Lane Capital to bring you FF Europe x Left Lane Fast Growth Summit on 8-9 October in Berlin. As we bring together founders in Berlin for our third consecutive year, we are excited to announce our upcoming forum for growing tech companies with disruptive models and ambitious goals. Our aim is to empower the next generation of unicorn founders by providing a network, support, and insights to scale businesses across Europe and globally!

If you’re the founder of an ambitious scaleup (post-Series A with at least $10m ARR or $30m funding), a leading European CEO, or a partner at a top venture capital fund ($500m+ AUM), we’d love to hear from you!

Email [email protected] to register your interest.

Tune in to the Bloomberg Stage at FF North America ????

Founders Forum Live is back as we get ready for our 12th FF North America, taking place in New York on 14 and 15 October 2024!?

As we dive into the heart of tech innovation at this invite-only Chatham House event, catch a rare glimpse of the action via livestream.

Head to Bloomberg.com on?15?October to watch the livestream.

Save the date, set your reminders, and get ready to be inspired!

Mars Growth Capital Provides $100m in Debt Financing to Indian Adtech Startup, InMobi

Mars Growth Capital, a joint venture between MUFG and Liquidity Group, has provided $100m in debt financing to Indian adtech startup, InMobi.

This funding represents one of the largest transactions for Mars Growth and highlights its growing presence in India, where it has recently invested in other notable startups such as Zepto and Infra.Market . The investment will support InMobi’s efforts to expand its AI initiatives and explore potential AI acquisitions in preparation for its upcoming IPO.

@Ron Daniel, Co-Founder and CEO of Liquidity Group and CEO of Mars Growth, says the joint venture is focused on fostering growth in the Asian tech ecosystem.

Read the entire story and learn more about Liquidity here.

Opportunities For Your Business ??

• Enter the Franco-British Trade & Investment Awards!

The Department for Business and Trade?is working in partnership with the Franco-British Chamber on their annual trade and investment awards ceremony, where UK-France success stories are celebrated. This year, there is a specific award for AI Adoption, suitable for companies in any sector that are using AI to advance their work.

Click here to enter.

• Calling All Revolutionaries in the Food Industry!?

With rising populations, climate threat, food insecurity, and revolutionary technologies, we should be rethinking how we approach food.?The Future of Food Competition?will offer a vibrant frontier of innovation, addressing some of the world’s most critical challenges and exciting opportunities. The competition will place in London?in November, and?is free for any entrepreneurial mind who can showcase creative ideas to shape the future of food.

Click here to register by 26 September.

FF Community Wrap:

New Launches & Announcements

• Arthur Mensch’s Mistral AI released its latest multimodal AI Model, Pixtral 12B.
• Demis Hassabis’?DeepMind unveiled two new AI systems, ALOHA and DemoStart, to revolutionise robot dexterity and manipulation capabilities.
• Tom Graham’s Metaphysic?resurrected Eminem’s 1999 alter ego, Slim Shady,?at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.
• Francesco Simoneschi’s TrueLayer expanded its partnership with Stripe to power its Pay by Bank feature in the UK.
• Stani Kulechov’s Aave introduced a new EtherFi market to improve weETH/stablecoin liquidity.
• Georgia Stewart’s Tumelo partnered with Proxymity to transform shareholder communications.
• Charlie Bryant’s Zoopla?was announced as the Official Property Partner of England Cricket.
• Sinclair Toffa’s Mural partnered ?with MiniPay to connect businesses and individuals across Africa with instantaneous stablecoin payments.
• Marc Bernegger’s Ayun?opened its flagship clinic in Zurich.
• Tim Houter’s Hardt Hyperloop?completed its first test at the European Hyperloop Centre.
• Jonathan Spry’s Envelop Risk launched ?a services business, Envelop Risk Solutions, to enhance cyber reinsurance capabilities.
• Leon’s Henry Dimbleby launched ?Bramble Intelligence to help advise governments and food companies on health and sustainability policies.

Exits, Raises & Acquisitions

• Islam Shawky’s Paymob raised ?$22m?in a Series B extension round led by?EBRD Venture Capital.
• Martin Migoya’s Globant acquired ?US-based IT services consultancy, Blankfactor.
• Mark Read’s WPP acquired New Commercial Arts to merge with Ogilvy as part of its UK expansion.
• Christian Faes’?LendInvest raised ?an additional ￡500m from JPMorgan.
• Roman Plewka’s Formo raised $61m in a Series B round led by Foodlabs, EQT Ventures, and?Lowercarbon.
• Daniel Saks’ Landbase raised ?$12.5m in a?Seed round led by A*, 8VC, and firstminute capital.

Investor & Corporate News

• InstaDeep’s Karim Beguir invested in a multi-million dollar funding round for Tunisia-based energy company, Wattnow.
• Niklas Zennstr?m’s Atomico raised ?$1.24b?to back European technology firms.
• Tommy Stadlen’s Giant Ventures partnered with Look Up Ventures?to expand their existing investments in the Danish ecosystem.

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