Intelligence Startups Use AI and Data to Forecast Weather

A growing cohort of climate and weather intelligence startups uses AI and troves of data points to forecast near- and long-term weather and climate effects. Housing developers use those predictions to decide where to build new homes. Consumers use them to plan tropical vacations. And retailers use them to forecast supply chain issues.

Even as VCs pull back dramatically in other sectors, climate and weather intelligence startups saw their second-best funding year in a decade in 2022, Crunchbase data shows.

The unicorn funding landscape in 3 charts

Here’s how to earn a unicorn valuation in 2023 in one easy step. Ready? Step 1: Already be a unicorn that’s raised bales of VC cash. That’s what it seems to take to raise a big round these days. Of the 10 biggest venture rounds in April, four of the top five were raised by established unicorns that had already raked in hundreds of millions in the past few years. We break down the unicorn funding landscape in charts.

Repeat names pop up on Layoffs Tracker

Layoffs more than doubled last week compared to the previous one, in no small part thanks to Shopify’s 2,300-person cut that slashed 20% of its workforce. Unfortunately, the e-commerce giant isn’t the only company that carries the dubious distinction of appearing on our Layoffs Tracker more than once.

Top 10 rounds: network software and generative AI score big

Two U.S.-based startups — a network software company and a generative AI unicorn — each took home $100 million in fresh cash in deals announced last week. Not too far behind: $90 million for a biotech startup targeting prostate cancer.

Analysis: Tech layoffs dropped in April, but that might not mean much

After three months of sweeping layoffs, is the tech industry’s blaze of job cuts finally cooling? Only around 6,330 employees were cut from the tech sector in April, a dramatic 83% drop from March. But we don’t think layoffs are tapering off any time soon.

Tech jobs: Golf writer? Cleantech COO? This week’s hot roles

Enough about layoffs. Who’s hiring? We round up five startups that have raised money in the past 12 months, that haven’t had reported job cuts in the past year, and that are actively hiring for multiple open roles.

The Lead List: 6 high-growth companies to sell to in May

The Lead List analyzes buy signals from up-and-coming companies to help you fill your pipeline with new opportunities. Here’s who you should be targeting this month.