For this morning’s column, Alex Wilhelm looked back on the last few months, “a busy season for technology exits” that followed a hot Q4 2020. We’re seeing signs of an IPO market that may be cooling, but even so, “there are sufficient SPACs to take the entire recent Y Combinator class public,” he notes. Once we factor in private equity firms with pockets full of money, it’s evident that late-stage companies have three solid choices for leveling up. Seeking more insight into these liquidity options, Alex interviewed: DigitalOcean CEO Yancey Spruill, whose company went public via IPO. Latch CFO Garth Mitchell, who discussed his startup’s merger with real estate SPAC $TSIA. Brian Cruver, founder and CEO of AlertMedia, which recently sold to a private equity firm. After recapping their deals, each executive explains how their company determined which flashing red “EXIT” sign to follow. As Alex observed, “choosing which option is best from a buffet’s worth of possibilities is an interesting task.” Thanks very much for reading Extra Crunch! Have a great weekend. Walter Thompson Senior Editor, TechCrunch@yourprotagonist Full Extra Crunch articles are only available to members.Use discount code ECFriday to save 20% off a one- or two-year subscription. The Tonal EC-1 Image Credits: Nigel Sussman On Tuesday, we published a four-part series on Tonal, a home fitness startup that has raised $200 million since it launched in 2018. The company’s patented hardware combines digital weights, coaching and AI in a wall-mounted system that sells for $2,995. By any measure,… Click below to read the full story from TechCrunch
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