Discover the latest trends in global monthly funding data, with a unique focus on companies’ domain name choices, in our monthly funding reports.

Overview

In September, the funding landscape showed an interesting shift compared to August. While the total funding increased significantly, there were variations in the distribution of deals and investment across different stages.

This month saw 29 deals in the Pre-seed funding category, slightly higher than the 23 deals in August, with total funding in this category increasing from $34 million in August to $43 million in September, indicating more substantial investments per deal and a healthy level of early-stage startup activity.

Seed Round deals decreased from 191 in August to 179 in September, although the total funding in this category rose from $928 million to $1.01 billion. Series A  remained consistent with 104 deals in September compared to 94 in August, with the total funding increasing from $1.69 billion to $1.92 billion, suggesting a boost in average funding per deal. The most significant change was observed in Series B, where the number of deals increased from 47 in August to 68 in September. The total funding for Series B more than doubled, rising from $2.03 billion to $3.94 billion.

Series C funding also expanded, with 27 deals in September compared to 24 in August. The total funding surged from $2.31 billion to $4.16 billion. Series D deals decreased from 16 in August to 9 in September, resulting in a lower total funding of $1.52 billion compared to $2.74 billion in the previous month.

Series E funding remained stable, with three deals each in both August and September, with a slight increase in total funding from $250 million to $580 million.

September saw a higher total funding amount, and it also witnessed a shift in investor focus towards later-stage startups, particularly in Series B and Series C, suggesting a growing investor appetite for more mature companies with proven potential for growth and scalability.

This month marks the end of the third quarter of 2023 with a total global venture funding of $59 billion, representing a 21% decrease from the $75 billion invested in Q3 2022, based on our data. This decline can be attributed to ongoing economic uncertainties and concerns about inflation and higher interest rates, reflecting broader challenges facing the startup ecosystem.

By funds raised/ Total funding $25,589,183,577

By number of deals/Total number of deals 523

Some industries that saw the most significant funding rounds include Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Machine Learning), Biotechnology, Health Care, Medical, Therapeutics, Advanced Materials, Battery, Energy Storage, Manufacturing and Sustainability.

Below, we will examine some companies that made headlines and explore their brand and domain name choices.

Namepicks

Anthropic

Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI executives, is at the forefront of companies pioneering generative AI. This cutting-edge startup recently garnered attention, with Amazon announcing its commitment to invest a substantial $4 billion in cash to bolster Anthropic’s position in the competitive AI landscape. Amazon’s cloud division and Anthropic’s CEOs jointly announced an initial investment of $1.25 billion, with both parties retaining the discretion to activate an additional $2.75 billion in funding from Amazon.

Picking a short, memorable domain name is crucial for a strong global brand. Anthropic made a smart move by investing in Anthropic.com, which aligns with a trend seen in our list, where AI companies prioritise EBM domains for trust, credibility, and a competitive edge. 

Anthropic is featured in our reports on May 2023 Funded Startups and Their Domain Name Choices and April 2022 Funded Startups and Their Domain Names Choices lists.

Writer

Writer has secured $100 million in Series B funding, led by ICONIQ Growth and featuring participation from Insight Partners, WndrCo, Balderton Capital, and Aspect Ventures and support from Accenture and Vanguard customers. As the sole full-stack generative AI platform known for its enterprise-grade quality and security, Writer is at the forefront of innovation. The company’s future plans involve the development of industry-specific LLMs, AI agents, enterprise multi-modality LLMs, and expanding its international presence.

Writer’s strategic acquisition of the exact brand match domain, Writer.com, offers numerous benefits by leveraging a universally recognised dictionary term. 

With Writer.com, the company ensures effortless discoverability and a solid online presence, establishing itself as a global industry authority.

Writer is featured in our Generative AI Startups and Their Domain Name Choices list.

Imbue

Imbue, an AI research lab previously operating under the name Generally Intelligent, recently secured an impressive $200 million in a Series B funding round. This substantial investment was made possible with the participation of key players like Astera Institute and Nvidia (NVDA.O), valuing the company at over $1 billion.

This latest funding will accelerate our development of AI systems that can reason and code, so they can help us accomplish larger goals in the world. Our goal remains the same: to build practical AI agents that can accomplish larger goals and safely work for us in the real world.

Imbue blog post

This funding milestone coincided with Imbue’s strategic decision to rebrand, emphasising its core mission of imbuing computers with intelligence and human values. Imbue invested strategically in acquiring the exact brand match domain, Imbue.com, perfectly aligning with its vision to facilitate this transformation and ensure a smooth rebranding process.

Alto Pharmacy

Alto Pharmacy, the online pharmaceutical venture, has secured $120 million in fresh funding, achieving an $800 million post-money valuation.

Originally named ScriptDash, the company underwent a significant transformation after a Series B funding round in 2017. This shift was fueled by its ambitions to extend its services beyond local deliveries. Reflecting its vision to enhance the pharmacy experience, Alto adopted its new name, derived from the Latin root “alto,” meaning ‘elevated’ or ‘tall.’ To complement this transformation and offer expanded possibilities, Alto secured the exact brand match domain Alto.com. This domain signifies its commitment to elevating the pharmacy industry and providing a taller, more exceptional level of service to its customers.

Databricks

Databricks offers an open and unified platform for data and AI that helps customers unify their analytics across the business, data science, and data engineering. The company announced  Series I funding, raising over $500 million. This funding values the company at $43 billion and establishes the price per share at $73.50.

The commitment from long-term focused strategic and financial partners reflects Databricks’ continued momentum, the rapid customer adoption of the Databricks Lakehouse, and the success customers are seeing from moving to a unified data and AI platform.

Ali Ghodsi, Co-Founder and CEO of Databricks, in a press release 

Databricks is fueled by a deep commitment to collaboration and its profound influence on fostering innovation. The company’s brand name, in harmony with its EBM domain, Databricks.com, serves as a powerful symbol of its overarching vision and mission — a dedication to unity, adaptability, profound insights, and continuous innovation.

Databricks is featured on our The 50 USA Companies on the rise 2020 and Their domain name choices list.

Highlights

Among the domain extensions favoured by the companies in the list, .com emerges as the most prevalent choice, with 350 out of 523 opting for it. Renowned for its longstanding association with online credibility and trust, .com continues to be the go-to extension for businesses looking to establish a solid digital presence.

39 companies have chosen the .io extension, a popular pick among technology and software startups, followed by 35 companies with .ai, mirroring the surge in AI-related businesses and the increasing prominence of AI technologies. Country domain codes offer more freedom of choice but come with certain risks for businesses.

17 companies use the .co extension, often viewed as an alternative to .com, particularly for startups and entrepreneurs.

250 companies have invested in Exact Brand Match (EBM) domains. This deliberate decision underscores their dedication to a robust online presence and reinforces brand recognition.

24 companies incorporated a dash in their domain names, which can sometimes make the domain name harder to remember and create confusion.

While we make every effort to ensure the data on our site is accurate, complete, and up-to-date, we cannot guarantee its reliability. Our data is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal, financial, or other advice. We strongly recommend that you independently verify any information before relying on it.

Other resources

• Monthly Funding Report: August 2023 Funded Startups and Their Domain Name Choices
• Top 100 Most Inspiring Brands 2022 by Wunderman Thompson and Their Domain Name Choices
• Preparing for an Uncertain Future: Domain Name Strategies for Business Owners
• Maximising Your Domain Name Strategy: The Benefits of Premium Domain Names for SMEs

When it comes to premium domain names, it’s important to weigh the potential loss in terms of brand recognition and revenue against the cost of the investment. In the long run, a premium domain name can be a valuable asset for your business. Contact us to learn more about our premium domain options and how they can help your business succeed.

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