Intro

In this week’s Startup Pulse, we go deep on a couple news topics: layoffs and HubSpot Spotlight. We’ll save talking about TikTok for another week, though it looks like ByteDance would rather shut TikTok down in the US than sell it.

News Pulse

• HubSpot released their first Spotlight - covering their Spring 2024 edition of updates, releases and innovation. They have announced over 100 features and updates, as well as covering topics in their Service Hub, Content Hub, Commerce Hub, and of course, HubSpot AI. I’ve used some of the AI features myself and they are not gimmicky, save me and teams I work with a lot of time. Check the Spotlight out for specifics!

• A handful of companies publicly announced redundancies in the last week, however exact numbers are TBC - though the number of US workers in the tech sector is estimated to be over 50,000 in 2024 alone. After a lot of anti-tech media in the first quarter of 2024, we’ve not seen as many articles or talk about what life is like in tech currently. The trackers I have setup for tech layoffs also aren’t pinging as often either - maybe the tide is moving in our favour once more?

Fundraising Pulse

• Sorted has raised £1.65m seed for their AI-powered solution for waste management; namely sorting recyclables. With current clients in UK & France, they’re looking to use the funds to expand their reach and client base.

• Also based in the UK, Skyports have closed a £88.6m Series C - congrats! The first half the business - Skyports Infrastructure, who recently signed a tripartite with the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai and Joby Aviation for the launch of air taxi services in Dubai by 2026. Skyports Drone Services will scale their medical deliveries, asset inspections and quality monitoring services they provide to a range of industries.

• Third up - PinkDx! They closed their Series A of $40M to continue positively impacting women’s health throughout their life. Their initial focus is gynaecological cancers. They’ve had a suite of heavy hitters join their leadership team recently and have an incredible set of expertise available.

Closing

A short one this week whilst we interview more for our Spotlight and backdate some podcast recordings!

Until next time, keep that entrepreneurial spirit alive, and let's keep the Startup Pulse beating strong.