Sources: PayPal has paused plans to sell its VC portfolio for $900M-$1B after bids came in lower than hoped, months after deciding to wind down PayPal Ventures
THE SO WHAT
Bids below the $900M–$1B target for PayPal’s VC portfolio sale suggest secondary buyers are still discounting corporate venture assets. If you’re a startup with a strategic on the cap table, don’t assume their fund’s wind-down will translate into a clean, high-priced secondary exit.
READ THE SOURCE
MORE FROM THE WIRE
Oura takes step toward IPO with S-1 filing, revealing $1.4 billion in revenue
Oura heading to the public markets with $1.4B in revenue validates wearables-plus-subscription as a durable category, not a gadget fad. If you’re in consumer health, the bar is now recurring revenue and longitudinal data moats, not just sensor innovation.
Startups & VentureStartup ARR is less secure than ever, new research shows
If AI has broken enterprise buying patterns, treat ARR like usage revenue, not a bond—budget cycles, vendor counts, and category definitions are all in flux. Founders should bias to land-and-expand with clear payback and usage hooks rather than assuming multi-year, logo-driven stability.
Startups & VentureSmart Ring Maker Oura Files for US IPO as Revenue Surges
Oura’s IPO filing with fast-growing revenue and rising losses is a test of public appetite for hardware-first, data-rich consumer health plays. If it prices well, expect more sensor-heavy products to chase public capital on the promise of longitudinal health data moats.
Startups & VentureAccel reportedly in talks to lead $1B round for Thinking Machines at $40B valuation
A $1B round at a $40B valuation on ~$100M ARR is late-stage capital pricing in AI platform optionality, not just current revenue. If you're selling into the same customers, expect this kind of balance sheet to subsidize aggressive product expansion and pricing.