Who got funded? 💎
From Seed to Series D
Welcome back to Top Startups! While there’s a hiring freeze across Big Tech, fast-growing startups with lean teams are still actively hiring.
This week, we’re trying a theme: most exciting startups in commerce 🛍️. Any of these catch your eye, let me know and I can intro you 👋:
Skio | SaaS | 💸 $3.7M Seed from YC | 20 employees
What they do: Help brands on Shopify sell subscriptions
What I like: Surpassed $1.5M ARR in year 1; sweet spot for joining because it’s unlocked product-market-fit but early enough for huge upside; strong early team from Facebook, Shopify, Figma
Disco | E-Commerce | 💸 $20M Series A from Bessemer, Shopify | 50 employees
What they do: Build tools that help brands reach more customers at lower cost
What I like: $1B in transactions over its network in year 1; 30-50% lower cost of acquisition vs. FB and IG by helping brands cross-sell; Shopify made it easy to start an e-commerce brand, Disco makes it easy to grow
Whatnot | Marketplace | 💸 $260M Series D from A16Z, YC | 300 employees
What they do: Livestreaming marketplace to buy and sell verified products
What I like: Marketplaces are notoriously hard to start and famously valuable when built; buyers and sellers flock to the action, and when it comes to live shopping, Whatnot has taken over; it’s been the fastest growing US marketplace for 2 years (!) in a row; gives early Twitch vibes with a shopping twist
Some more goodies: referrals to top startups 🤝, salary & equity data 💰
📌 One more thing….
I’ve helped people negotiate an extra $2M and counting. Today, I’m launching the Startup Negotiation Playbook — works even without competing offers. NGL, this is probably the highest-ROI thing I’ve ever put out.
Get early-bird spots before price goes up 🔥
Get weekly list of newly funded startups, and option of referrals to top startups:
Thanks for tuning in,
-Linda