Secondary project activity has ebbed and flowed over the past few months, after a particularly busy summer. But 2024 could see investors return for good, says Rebecca Szkotak.
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“The buyer universe for IPOs expands quite a bit when you have an efficient market for IPOs. The list of investors who have become interested in secondaries expands to include those interested in public markets,” Caplight CEO Javier Avalos told her.
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“Mega deals” could inflate overall AI funding numbers
![Digital image of a gold air balloon in the shape of a dollar sign inflated using a pump and flies upwards on a white background.](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1403606692.jpg)
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Funding for AI-related startups topped $68.7 billion in 2023, but “mega deals” may inflate those numbers. In the third quarter, total venture capital funding in this area was approximately $22.1 billion. But after subtracting the mega deals of major technology companies, the total comes out to about $15.1 billion. As Kyle Wiggers writes: “Is it possible that venture capital firms, initially swept up in the generative AI hype, have started to run low and/or become wary of the risks of the technology?”
Twilio may actually deserve the attention of activist investors
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Twilio’s stock price fell after it laid off employees this week amid major uncertainty. In February, CEO Jeff Lawson announced that he would split the business into two divisions, with Elena Donio appointed to head up data and applications. However, during the third quarter earnings call, the company announced that Donyo would be stepping down from his position. And this does not even take into account the price of tank stocks.
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Ask Sophie: Does the H-1B visa require founders to give up stock and control?
![A lone figure at the entrance to the maze fence holding an American flag in the middle](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/dear-sophie-immigration-maze-3.jpg)
Image credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch
Dear Sophie,
I am currently in the United States working for an employer on an H-1B visa. I’ve been wanting to start my own company, but I’ve been promoting my O-1A accomplishments because I’ve read in your previous columns over the years that taking an H-1B to a startup comes with a lot of downsides for startup founders, including giving up control and rights. Property. How has that changed now?
-Founder of the future
Why layoffs happen in December, and how to deal with them compassionately
![The image of workers walking in and out of doors represents tech layoffs in 2023](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/layoffs-e1684946575831.jpg)
Image credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch
If you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of having to lay off workers in December, TechCrunch reporter Haje Jan Kamps has some tips on how to do so with compassion.