This week's startup news was marked by a flurry of activity, despite the short week in the U.S. following the holiday. From acquisitions to funding rounds and AI controversies, there was no shortage of exciting developments in the startup world.

One of the most notable stories was the acquisition of Divvy Homes, a rent-to-own startup backed by a16z, by a division of Brookfield Properties for approximately $1 billion. However, some shareholders may not see a dime from the sale, highlighting the importance of looking beyond the price tag in such deals.

In another significant acquisition, Hindustan Unilever agreed to acquire Peak XV-backed Indian skincare startup Minimalist for about $342 million, exceeding the $300 million valuation it reportedly sought in a fundraising attempt last year.

AI-powered parking platform Metropolis also made headlines with its acquisition of computer vision company Oosto for a fraction of what the startup had raised to date. Oosto, formerly known as AnyVision, had lost backers over its technology being used in controversial surveillance applications.

Scale AI, valued at $13.8 billion last year, faced its third worker lawsuit of 2025, with contractors claiming they suffered psychological harm from writing prompts about disturbing content. A spokesperson for Scale AI said it had "numerous safeguards in place."

In the world of venture capital and funding, Series B rounds announced this week varied greatly in size, with some exceeding other Series C rounds. Data analytics platform Databricks closed a $10 billion Series J equity funding round at a $62 billion valuation, with an additional $5.25 billion in debt financing. Meta is backing the company as a strategic investor.

Neko Health, the Swedish body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, raised a $260 million Series B round of funding at $1.8 billion post-money. Lindus Health, a startup backed by Peter Thiel and Creandum, secured a $55 million Series B round to "fix the broken clinical trial industry."

AI-powered SaaS spend management platform Vertice raised a $50 million Series C round of funding led by Lakestar, at a valuation close to $500 million, according to sources. Indian-based autonomous mobile robots startup Ati Motors raised a $20 million Series B to grow internationally.

In a move to capitalize on crypto's comeback, AngelList and CoinList teamed up to launch crypto special purpose vehicles and crypto roll-up vehicles that will let crypto founders raise capital using crypto coins.

Finally, a survey of 20 enterprise VCs by TechCrunch revealed that AI is still a hot area of interest, but with a focus on companies rather than features. This insight provides valuable guidance for AI startups looking to attract VC funding in 2025.

Overall, this week's startup news highlighted the dynamic nature of the industry, with acquisitions, funding rounds, and controversies all vying for attention. As the startup ecosystem continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these developments shape the future of innovation and entrepreneurship.