Specter Monitor is a data-driven newsletter for investors interested in learning about the latest market trends, signals, and opportunities. Our audience includes some of the most legendary VC investors in the world. We’ll work hard to bring you actionable insights into what’s happening in today’s markets while celebrating data-driven wins and predictions. ✨

New from Specter: The Hottest Startups of April 🔥

Each month, we use the 'Hot Signals' feature within Specter, to highlight the companies and talent attracting the most interest from VC firms.

See The 15 Hottest Startups

🔮 Talents of the Week

Specter tracks real-time top talents movements across the world to detect actionable investment opportunities before anyone else.

🪄 Predicted:

Roeland Delrue (EU, 2022): Co-Founder at Aikido. 

• Featured by Specter on: 2022 - Week 50.

• Advantage on Latest Funding Round: 502 Days.

• Description: Aikido provides a unified platform for code and cloud security, simplifying vulnerability management for developers.

• Prev. Experience: Product Lead @ Officient.io, Product Lead @ Showpad, Product Management @ Showpad, Corporate Banking Analyst @ KBC Bank & Verzekering.

• Total Funding: $24.6M / $17M Latest Series A on 05-2024.

• Notable Investors: Connect Ventures, Notion Capital, Singular.

👻 Opportunity:

Nicholas Kelez (US, 2021): CEO at xLight.

• Featured by Specter on: 2024 - Week 13.

• Description: xLight develops advanced EUV light sources using particle accelerator technology for semiconductor manufacturing, focusing on lithography, metrology, and inspection.

• Prev. Experience: Advisor @ PsiQuantum, Chief Product Officer @ PsiQuantum, Chief Development Officer @ PsiQuantum, LCLS Chief Engineer @ SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

• Total Funding: N/A.

• Notable Investors: N/A.

*Please note: To preserve the exclusivity of our premium solutions, Talent Signals in this public newsletter are delayed by at least 1 month. Specter clients enjoy a six-month lead over any other database, gaining early access to thousands of new talent signals each week. Reach out today to secure your competitive advantage! ⚡

🎱 Strategic Signals

Inspired by Michael Lewis’ Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game - Strategic Intelligence is a stealth engine that tracks online and social behaviour of corporate insiders and leading investors.

🪄 Predicted:

Privateer (US, 2021) - Featured by Specter on: 2022 - Week 41.

• Advantage on Latest Funding Round: 571 Days.

• Description: Privateer develops data infrastructure to power sustainable growth for the new space economy.

• Total Funding: $56.5M / $56.5M Latest Series A on 05-2024.

• Notable Investors: Aero X Ventures, BOKA Group Holdings I LP, IronGate Capital Advisors, Lux Capital, Marlinspike Capital, Seraphim Space, Starburst Accelerator, Winklevoss Capital, Overture VC, L Marks, HiJoJo Partners.

👻 Opportunity:

Context AI (EU, 2023) - Featured by Specter on: 2024 - Week 17.

• Description: Context AI offers tools for testing, monitoring, and improving the performance of LLM products, providing analytics and insights to enhance user experience and product quality.

• Total Funding: $2.8M / $2.8M Latest Seed Round on 08-2023.

• Notable Investors: 20SALES, Devvret Rishi, GV, Guy Podjarny, Harry Stebbings, Google Ventures, Thomasz Tunguz.

• Signal: Increased VC Interest in 05/2024.

  
  

🍒 Cherry-Picked Companies

Specter tracks the alternative data performance of millions of companies and, on a monthly basis, flags the ones who are likely to increase in valuation.

🪄 Predicted:

Wayve (EU, 2017) - Specter Rank: 1416📈

• Description: Wayve is a self-driving car startup developing AI-driven autonomous vehicles with human-like driving capabilities, focused on safety, mapless navigation, and universal AI application.

• Total Funding: $1.3B / $1.1B Latest Series C on 05-2024.

• Notable Investors: Nvidia, Softbank Investment Advisors, Microsoft, Richard Branson, Baillie Gifford, Balderton Capital, and Virgin Group.

• 6 Months Growth: Web: -30.55%; Team: 11.87%; Social: 7.8%.

👻 Opportunity:

Meshcapade (EU, 2018) - Specter Rank: 733📈

• Description: Meshcapade is a startup specializing in AI solutions for modeling, analysis and synthesis of 3D digital humans in motion.

• Total Funding: $6M / $6M Latest Seed on 06-2023.

• Notable Investors: Gary Bradski; Michael Black; Nicolas Keller; ‪Daniel Kondermann‬; Andrew Hamel; Nate Mitchell; Bill O'Farrell; CLO Virtual Fashion; Matthew Ball; Matrix.

• 6 Months Growth: Web: 1729.31%; Team: 30.0%; Social: 18.1%.