Can you really predict the next generation of unicorns?

Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.

It’s a good week here at Equity HQ because our two co-hosts are both back at the same time! Kate Clark and Alex Wilhelm, after each of them taking some time off, led the show today, digging into a wealth of news and happenings.

Here’s a quick rundown of what happened on the show this week!

Postmates is still working on its IPO! Despite some reports indicating that the popular on-demand delivery company was talking to rival players about a possible sale, the company’s CEO said this week that his firm is still looking to go public. (It’s also picking up money this year, and talent.) Selfishly we love this, as we want to read its S-1 and see its numbers, something that wouldn’t happen if it wound up subsumed into a larger company. Say, Uber for example.
DouYu priced its IPO at the low-end of its range, but the offering did add lots of new capital to its coffers. Not every IPO raises its range and prices above the heightened interval, DouYu reminds us. But the company’s debut is yet another China-based unicorn going public on the U.S. markets, so we had no choice but to pay attention to the streaming and esports-themed company. Recall that Huya, a similar company, went public previously (more here).
CrowdStrike’s first earnings report was a success. The cybersecurity business focused on endpoint protection posted revenues of $96.1 million on GAAP net losses of $26 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. The company, if you remember, completed a $612 million NASDAQ initial public offering in June.
The next unicorn list contains some obvious companies (Rothy’s, Next Trucking, etc.) and some surprise entries (Lattice?).
100 Thieves has lots of new money, and esports is cool. That’s a quick summary, but in detail, the firm added a $35 million Series B to its accounts less than a year after it raised a $25 million Series A. When a firm raises an extra round that quickly, it usually means things are going well.
Patreon raised a big new round. You’re all familiar with Patreon, a platform that supports creators. Can a pivot toward SaaS accelerate its path toward a billion-dollar valuation? We think so.
Substack, a plucky favorite of the journalist scene, has fresh capital! Because both Alex and Kate are authors of their very own newsletters (yes, they have a podcast too, sorry), they had plenty of thoughts about this one.

Next week Kate and Alex are back and we may even have a special guest back with us. So make sure you are subscribed, and we’ll be right back in just seven days.