附近上门

Here’s what you need to know today in startup and venture news, updated by the 附近上门 News staff throughout the day to keep you in the know.

Subscribe to the 附近上门 Daily

Palantir appears headed to market at lower valuation

, the big data and analytics company set to begin trading today through a direct listing, appears to be going public at a than previously expected.

The New York Stock Exchange said听 Tuesday that the reference price for Palantir鈥檚 direct listing is $7.25 a share. That price point indicates a valuation of around $15.7 billion, well below its prior peak private valuation.

However,听 The Wall Street Journal that Palantir鈥檚 bankers have told investors the shares could start trading around $10 apiece. At that price, Palantir would have a market valuation of nearly $22 billion.

Fundings

• VTEX lands $225M at a $1.7B valuation:听, a startup focused on e-commerce strategies for major retailers and consumer brands, it has raised $225 million in a Series D funding round. [Read more here]
• HOMER inks $50M for new children鈥檚 learning program: , a Begin brand, secured a $50 million Series C funding round to launch a comprehensive new early-learning program aimed at children ages 2 to 8, to co-develop curriculum alongside partners such as and to launch globally through distribution partners such as . The HOMER Method provides skills such as literacy, math, problem solving and social emotional awareness through content personalized for interest, age and learning level. Investors in the round included , Sesame Workshop, the principal investor in Gymboree Play & Music, , and . also contributed an additional $25 million in trajectory-based funding for growth.
• Bykea to drive delivery with $22M Series B: , a Pakistan-based on-demand transport and logistics platform, announced a $22 million Series B funding round led by , with participation from existing investors and . The company intends to invest in its platform and expand its market reach in smaller, non-English-speaking cities.
• R-Zero raises $15M for commercial disinfecting device: , a San Francisco-based biosafety company that reduces the spread of infectious disease, closed on a $15 million Series A round of funding led by with participation from . The new funds will help fast-track distribution of the Arc, a hospital-grade UV-C disinfection device for commercial uses.
• Siren adds $9M to Series B: Smart textiles company , based in San Francisco, brought in an additional $9 million for its Series B, giving it a total of $20.8 million intended for the development of its fabrics that contain remote patient monitoring applications. The round was led by with participation from existing investors , , and .
• Strigo brings in $8M for training platform: Israel-based raised an $8 million Series A round to continue developing its platform to deliver remote instructor-led, on-demand and third-party training. The new investment was led by and existing investor with participation from , the company鈥檚 lead seed investor.
• Buzzer scores $4M for live sports app: , a New York City-based mobile platform for live sports events, raised $4 million in seed funding led by early-stage firm and venture fund . Buzzer said other investors joining in the funding include R&R Venture Partners; 听 CEO ; , the former chairman and CEO of and interim CEO of the LA Clippers; and former executive Grace Kim. Buzzer said its mobile platform aims to 鈥減rovide a seamless user and viewing experience by aggregating sports rights and content and allowing its users to set up customized notifications. Fans have the option to either authenticate an existing subscription through Buzzer or instantaneously make a secure micropayment to buy only and exactly what they want to watch.鈥�
• Emjoy raises $3M for female wellbeing app: , a Barcelona-based intimate wellbeing startup, raised $3 million in seed funding led by , with existing investor participating. The company鈥檚 app provides more than 150 audio sessions and sensual stories aimed at female sexual wellbeing.

Illustration: