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Pymnts
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Private Equity Activity in Tech Sector Picks Up Amid VC Pressure
- Investors are seeking returns from VC companies and startups despite a weakened IPO market.
- VCs and older startups are trying to create liquidity by selling to private equity.
- Private equity firms are growing more active in the tech sector.
- Tech companies accounted for 28.3% of total PE deal value in the third quarter.
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TechCrunch
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This generative AI startup is strapping cameras to people’s backs
- Startup, Odyssey, is training an AI system that generates cinematic worlds.
- The system consists of a camera capture system, weighing about 25 pounds.
- The captured data is used to generate digital reconstructions of real-world scenes.
- Odyssey raised $18 million in a Series A funding round to scale up data collection operations.
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Graphicdesignjunction
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50 Powerful Logo Ideas for Startups
- Creating a logo for a startup is more than just designing a visual mark—it’s about crafting a symbol that reflects the brand’s identity, values, and vision.
- Minimalistic logos are clean, simple, and can resonate strongly in a digital world filled with clutter.
- Symbols and icons within a logo can subtly communicate a startup’s purpose or values.
- Typography-based logos, where the brand name itself becomes the logo, are incredibly effective for startups.
- While it’s tempting for startups to use ready-made templates to save costs, investing in a custom logo can set the brand apart.
- Colors hold psychological power, impacting how consumers perceive a brand.
- Here’s an exploration of effective logo ideas that could inspire startups aiming to make a lasting impact.
- A powerful logo is essential for startups seeking to establish a solid brand identity.
- Startups can create logos that capture attention, convey the brand’s values, and resonate with their target audience.
- The logo designs include abstract, gradient, colorful, modern, cartoon, letter-based, and symbol-based logos.
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Inc42
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Image Credit: Inc42
Zomato, Paytm Added To NSE’s F&O Stocks
- The NSE has added new-age tech stocks Delhivery, Jio Financial Services, Paytm, Nykaa, PB Fintech, and Zomato to the F&O segment.
- These stocks are part of a list of 45 companies that will be added to the F&O segment from November 29.
- The move aims to attract higher liquidity and more quality stocks to the derivatives segment by implementing stricter requirements.
- This comes at a time when the number of tech listings in the country is on the rise, with several new-age tech companies going public.
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Medium
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Embedded Finance: The Quiet Revolution Transforming Consumer Experiences
- Embedded finance is transforming consumer experiences.
- Retailers and service platforms are embedding insurance products into the customer journey.
- Banking-as-a-Service allows non-financial companies to offer bank-like services.
- Embedded finance enhances customer retention but requires complex operational partnerships.
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Geek Wire
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A new look at Microsoft’s startup story, with insights for today: Microsoft @ 50, Chapter 2
- Microsoft's decision to focus on software rather than producing its own PC defined its business in the early years. Margaret O’Mara, a University of Washington historian, described its decision as savvy, making its market equal to the world of personal computers. At that point, it had grown to around 50 people since moving to Bellevue, Washington, and the IBM Personal Computer was a year away from hitting the market.
- Microsoft was scrambling to come with a 16-bit operating system for what would become its defining PC product. Publicly, Microsoft's vision was to have 'A PC on every desk and in every home,' running Microsoft software inside. The company has expanded into hardware, such as modern-day Microsoft Surface computers, but its early focus on software set it apart.
- Microsoft's first annual profit hovered around $2-3m, on about $5m in revenue. Its first outside investor, Technology Venture Investors (TVI), invested $1m for a 5% stake, when it had a $20m valuation - relatively tiny compared to the company's $3.1tn value today.
- David Marquardt, Microsoft's first outside investor, had a background in mechanical engineering. His partnership with TVI later invested $1m in Microsoft in 1981, as the company faced skepticism from partners who avoided backing software startups. It was the case believing the cost of producing a copy of a software program was zero, driving profits to zero, too.
- Paul Allen and Bill Gates made a complementary dreamer/doer and hacker/hustler duo. As educated programmers, and young entrepreneurs with innate abilities to code and deep understanding of technology, Gates applied his ambitions to business, too. Microsoft's hard-charging, at times argumentative culture, contributed to gender biases and homogeneity in the tech industry, which legacy the market felt and continues to feel.
- Location was critical for Microsoft from the beginning - its decision to locate in Albuquerque near MITS and later in the Seattle region where Allen and Gates grew up. The move allowed the company to tap into the pool of engineering talent emerging from the UW.
- At times, it seemed like the company had to bring the market into existence by sheer force of will, demonstrated by Gates' landmark “Open Letter to Hobbyists.” This mindset translated into Microsoft's larger approach, which ultimately contributed to the business activities that led to the landmark U.S. antitrust case against the company.
- Throughout its history, Microsoft has seen its greatest success when it has taken advantage of discontinuities in technology, starting with the rise of the personal computer. It has figured out how to increase productivity from early days.
- In 1986, as Microsoft prepared for its initial public offering, the company's IPO prospectus signaled another disruption on the way - describing the recent release of a 'graphical operating environment that runs on the Microsoft MS-DOS operating systems.'
- In sum, Microsoft's success can be attributed to a focus on software, taking advantage of discontinuities in technology, strategic and fruitful partnerships in product development, and a strong sense of place.
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Productcoalition
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Does Anyone Really Ever “Complete” a Sprint
- The real secret to sprint effectiveness isn’t about checking every box by Sprint Review day; it’s about delivering consistent value while maintaining team sanity and stakeholder trust.
- Perfect sprint completion itself is a vanity metric.
- Instead of playing a weird game of capacity chicken with your sprint, teams should estimate work more reasonably and plan for 80% capacity and acknowledge that if everything is P0 then nothing is.
- Measure what matters including value delivered to customers, velocity, team sustainability, prediction accuracy, and quality of output.
- Agile ceremonies should offer opportunities for genuine collaboration and improvement.
- Conversations need to be had with stakeholders that clarify the new way of working.
- Stay focused on planning based on reality, delivering consistent value, measuring true metrics of success, learning and improving, and managing expectations well.
- The real win will be the maximal value you provided your customers along the way.
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Dev
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Why Every Local Business Needs a Professional Website
- A professional website serves as the cornerstone of your online identity, acting as your digital storefront that never closes.
- A well-designed and professional website instantly builds credibility.
- Having a professional website helps you take advantage of local SEO.
- A website acts as a 24/7 marketing tool for your business.
- A professional website allows you to engage with customers in ways that go beyond traditional marketing methods.
- Without an online presence, customers may not even know your business exists or might think your business is outdated.
- A website has the potential to directly increase your sales and revenue.
- In today’s competitive market, businesses that fail to have a website are at a significant disadvantage.
- Every local business should have a professional website, invest in an SEO-optimized website for long-term success.
- Creating an e-commerce platform can open up a new revenue stream by allowing customers to purchase products directly from your website.
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Npengage
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5 Ways to Use Your Digital Impact Report as a Marketing Tool
- A digital impact report is an amalgamation of components demonstrating your organization’s impact.
- Here are five ways to use your digital impact report as a marketing tool: Social media campaigns, Digital communication pieces, Direct mail, Presentations, and Signage.
- Social media platforms provide an ideal space to post highlights from your digital impact report.
- Insights from your digital impact report can easily transfer over to other types of digital communication pieces.
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Hitconsultant
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Medeloop Raises $15.5M for AI-Driven Medical Research Platform
- Medeloop, a pioneering medical research platform, has raised $15.5M in Series A funding to revolutionize medical research through AI.
- The funding round was led by Inovia Capital and supported by Icon Ventures, General Catalyst, and Maven Ventures.
- Medeloop's AI-powered platform streamlines research processes and empowers individual researchers and smaller institutions.
- Their comprehensive suite of tools includes grant identification, study management, data analysis, and manuscript publication platforms.
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Npengage
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Image Credit: Npengage
Changemaker Spotlight: Shemitria Smith, Clark Atlanta University
- Shemitria Smith is the senior director of advancement operations at Clark Atlanta University where she manages development, advancement services, budget and finance, gift processing and reporting, and much more. Her journey started when her faith called her towards education. This fits in perfectly with her expertise in Raiser’s Edge NXT® where she has more than 16 years of experience.
- For someone who wishes to work in leadership roles in advancement operations, Smith suggests that first, they should understand the importance of all positions. Rather than treating work like a race, people should remember that it is a journey. Smith advises that it is important to develop patience, learn actual positions, keep growing, and never stop learning.
- Smith and her team in the advancement office constantly pivot to fulfill last minute requests. With a lot of requests for research and reports, the team makes sure they communicate with requestors to complete the job the right way in the first attempt. Smith emphasizes that in critical situations, communication is key.
- Social impact professionals can apply the principles set out by Smith in her book Flip the Script: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life to increase impact at work. Smith advises positively approaching work will help in creating an environment of kindness, love, patience, etc. This environment ensures that the mission of the organization has a lasting impact on the community.
- Smith is credited with being instrumental in transforming processes at Clark Atlanta University - more notably moving donations, ticket sales, event registrations from paper to online. She also helped in implementing training and an aggressive database cleanup. She partnered with everyone in the organization to take them along on this journey.
- Smith's major career accomplishment includes reviving a project after three years of dormancy and successfully launching and implementing a product resulting in over $1 million in scholarships awarded in the year of implementation.
- A senior director of advancement operations has to wear many hats. According to Smith, some of these include analyzing donor data, executing fundraising strategies, managing budgets, understanding tech and software solutions, managing grants, and staying up to date with policies and procedures. Furthermore, they have to be people-oriented and develop a culture of teamwork.
- Smith suggests that the most important qualities of a leader include good communication, kindness, and integrity. She advises being a team player and finding solutions, not just stating the problem.
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ISN
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Image Credit: ISN
Nazara Tech integrates with ONDC Network to Launch "gCommerce", check details
- Nazara Technologies integrates with ONDC Network to launch gCommerce, an innovative in-game monetization platform that seamlessly integrates e-commerce within games.
- The integration aims to address low in-app purchase conversion rates and poor yields from advertising for Indian game developers.
- Game developers can monetize through an affiliate revenue-sharing model, earning a commission on successful transactions initiated by players through the gCommerce platform.
- The integration enhances the user experience by allowing informed purchases while continuing the gaming journey.
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Medium
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A Simple Guide to Building Your MVP
- An MVP, or Minimum Viable Product, is a version of your app with enough features to capture interest and solve a specific problem for users.
- To build an MVP, start with solid market research to identify a unique gap your app could fill and define the core problem it will solve.
- Identify and prioritize essential features that provide a basic solution, and create a simple sketch or prototype to visualize the app's navigation flow.
- Develop the MVP with a focus on usability and performance, launch it to an initial audience, gather feedback, and iterate gradually based on user input.
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Insider
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Image Credit: Insider
Inside Forward's failed attempt to revolutionize the doctor's office with AI
- Healthtech startup, Forward, has announced its closure due to insufficient growth and struggles in creating its CarePods mall kiosks for autonomous healthcare access, creating setbacks in the rollout of CarePods in big markets like Chicago and New York City.
- These metallic kiosks enabled patients to take their own blood, sequence their DNA and undergo tests for diseases like COVID-19 without another human's aid.
- However, fewer patients than the company hoped for showed interest in the kiosks and there were logistic problems for creating the kiosks. After Forward was faced with automatic blood draw failures, the clinics had to revert to manual blood draws and lab test offerings were withdrawn.
- Forward had reportedly laid off many employees earlier this year as the startup's strategy pivoted from healthcare clinics to CarePods, but never successfully launched beyond five to two CarePod locations prior to its closure.
- Although some former employees still support the company's mission for expanding access to quality healthcare, executives from Forward had expressed that doctors were replaceable, leading some former colleagues to feel misled towards the vision of the CarePod.
- The startup's plan for CarePods also ran into funding issues as investors leaned away from late-stage investments and healthcare deals.
- Forward's first CarePod, in the Roseville Galleria, has been removed, and other tenants are planned to replace it, including a new playground in the kiosk's location.
- The company announced its immediate closure in a late-night email on 16 November and has yet to comment on the situation following Business Insider's multiple requests for comment.
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Inc42
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Image Credit: Inc42
Prosus Eyes PayU IPO In 2025
- Dutch investor Prosus is eyeing an IPO for its portfolio company PayU in India in 2025.
- Prosus' chief investment officer stated that they were initially planning for an IPO in 2024 but had to defer the plans.
- PayU, owned by Prosus' Nasper Group, provides payment and financial services in multiple regions.
- PayU India's revenue grew 11% YoY in FY24, and the company aims to lead the fintech space in India.
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