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. ✨
By Richard Orlinski
🔮 Talents of the Week
Specter tracks real-time top talents movements across the world to detect actionable investment opportunities before anyone else.
🪄 Predicted:
Amiram Shachar (US, 2022): Co-Founder & CEO at Upwind Security.
Featured by Specter on: 2022 - Week 32 as Stealth.
Advantage on Latest Funding Round: 390 Days.
Description: Upwind Security creates and develops software and online tools that ensure cloud infrastructure security.
Prev. Experience: NetApp, Founder & CEO @Spot (acquired), Ybrant Digital, Mamram.
Total Funding: $50M / $50M Latest Series A Round in 09/2023.
Notable Investors: Cyberstarts, Greylock, Leaders Fund, Omri Casspi, Penny Jar Capital.
👻 Opportunity:
Harry Marr (US, 2023): Founder at Stealth Startup.
Featured by Specter on: 2023 - Week 35.
Prev. Experience: GitHub, Co-founder, CTO @Dependabot (Acquired), Monzo Bank, CTO @GoCardless, Conversocial, Founder @Traction Digital, University of Leeds, Leeds Source-IT, Cobalt Sky.
🎱 Strategic Intelligence
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:
AI21 Labs (EU, 2017) - Featured by Specter on: 2023 - Week 17.
Advantage on Latest Funding Round: 126 Days.
Description: AI21 Labs specializes in developing AI systems with an unprecedented capacity to understand and generate natural language.
Total Funding: $273.5M / $155M Latest Series C Round in 08/2023.
Notable Investors: Amnon Shashua, B2venture (formerly btov Partners), Google, Pitango VC, Samsung NEXT, SCB 10X, Walden Catalyst, Ahren Innovation Capital, Google for Startups, NVIDIA.
👻 Opportunity:
Useful Sensors (US, 2022) - Featured by Specter on: 2023 - Week 35.
Description: Useful Sensors creates low-cost, easy-to-integrate hardware modules that bring ML capabilities like gesture recognition, presence detection, and voice interfaces to TVs, laptops, and appliances while preserving users’ privacy.
Total Funding: $5M / $5M Latest Seed Round in 10/2022.
Notable Investors: AIX Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Amplify Partners, Bloomberg Beta, Fika Ventures, Homebrew.
Signal: Increased VC Interest in 09/2023.
🍒 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:
Beta Bionics (US, 2015) - Specter Rank: 5,453 📈
Description: Beta Bionics is a biotechnology company that develops an integrated bionic pancreas system called the iLet.
Total Funding: $293.5M / Latest $100M Series D Round in 08/2023.
Notable Investors: Omega Funds, Sands Capital Ventures, Eventide, Farallon Capital Management, Perceptive Advisors, RTW Investments, Soleus Capital, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, LifeSci Venture Partners, Omega Funds, Marshall Wace, Pura Vida Investments.
6 Months Growth: Web: 389%; Team: +29%; Social: +31%.
👻 Opportunity:
Common Sense Machines (EU, 2020) - Specter Rank: 99 📈
Description: Common Sense Machines is building artificial intelligence that learns to translate the world into a 3D simulation.
Total Funding: $7.6M / Latest $2.5M Convertible Note Round 09/2022.
Notable Investors: Glasswing Ventures, Intel Capital, Blindspot Ventures, Toyota Ventures, Omidyar Technology Ventures.
3 Months Growth: Web: +388%; Team: 9%; Social: +121%.
