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Venture Capital News
Medium
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The Rise of Impact Investing
- Impact investing aligns purpose with profit, supporting businesses and projects that generate financial returns while creating positive social and environmental change.
- Millennials and Gen Z investors prioritize impact when making investment decisions, seeking opportunities that contribute positively to society.
- The lines between traditional venture capital and impact investing have blurred, with VC firms recognizing the value of aligning investments with impact objectives.
- Challenges in impact investing include the need for standardized impact metrics and increased market awareness and funding for startups with strong impact potential.
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Medium
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“Universal Negotiation Agreements (.UNA): Israeli/Palestinian conflict and Russia/Ukraine”
- A mathematical model for a Universal Negotiation Agreement (.UNA) framework could help formalize the deal-making process and predict outcomes, incorporating priority weighting, progressive reduction and scoring adjustments.
- The model aims to create an environment that encourages compromise and agreement using a mathematically-structured approach.
- This negotiation model could be applied to diplomatic negotiations between two nations in conflict, with stakeholders including the international community.
- The article also presents a model for negotiation between Russia and Ukraine, which involves defining priorities for each side, involvement of international stakeholders, and round-by-round negotiation and stakeholder support to achieve compromise.
- The article outlines algorithmic models for business partnerships, civil lawsuit settlements, and vendor-client contract negotiations, each with tailored adjustments based on their specific contexts.
- The negotiation model provides structure and flexibility, helping parties balance their priorities and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Future possibilities for the model include introducing real-time feedback, contingency clauses, data-driven scoring, dynamic adjustments and staggered consensus-building.
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Siliconangle
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Cybersecurity startup Armis closes $200M round at $4.2B valuation
- Cybersecurity startup Armis has raised $200 million in funding to support its growth efforts.
- The funding round was led by General Catalyst, Alkeon Capital Management, Brookfield Technology Partners, and Georgian.
- Armis offers a software platform called Centrix that automatically detects and protects devices in a corporate network from cybersecurity issues.
- The company plans to use the funding to accelerate product development, explore acquisitions, and aims to reach $500 million in annualized recurring revenue by 2026.
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Medium
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How Venture Capital firms are shaping the future of Product Design, & why Design leaders need to be…
- Venture Capital firms provide strategic guidance, network access, and other resources to startups.
- Venture Capital firms drive talent acquisition and team building in startups, which shapes Product Design as a craft and the overall user experience.
- Misaligned job descriptions can arise when hiring decisions are led by people with limited Product Design experience.
- Product Design is viewed merely as a functional discipline and not a partner in product innovation by many VCs.
- Standardized hiring metrics based on years of experience, familiarity with specific tools, or the number of successful launches are prioritized by hiring firms and VCs.
- Design leaders are often assessed through the narrow lens of “hands-on” comfort by non-craft reviewers.
- In VC-backed companies, design is seen as a means to an end rather than a partner in defining what products should be, limiting Product Design's impact.
- Product-Market Fit often slips through the cracks when design isn’t empowered to drive discovery and innovation.
- Design leaders need to establish themselves as advisors and redefine what design brings to the table, shifting the conversation from outputs to outcomes.
- By establishing meaningful metrics, design can reinforce its role as a driver of product innovation.
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Medium
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308
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Beyond Retcons: The Real Black Heroes We Need
- In the Harry Potter books, few characters are described by ethnicity and there is an opportunity to feature black actors in these roles. It’s crucial, however, to create fictional characters for people of color to promote diversity and inclusion in media.
- It's important for children to have role models like themselves across various roles to realize their potential.
- Supacell on Netflix tackles Sickle Cell Anemia - a disease primarily affecting black people - through the lens of superheroes in London. The show features black superheroes with normal day jobs with vibrant, culturally-rich lives.
- Inspirational black heroes who contribute positively to society are underrepresented in mainstream media. Formula One driver Sirl Lewis Hamilton, Angela Bassett and Peter Obi are some examples who deserve recognition for their achievements.
- Black people in the spotlight, more often than not, are entertainers. It's important to have more people of color celebrated for their achievements in politics, science, and entrepreneurship.
- VC firms need to have more people of color on board as black entrepreneurs have historically faced repeated adversity.
- The beauty of venture capital is that it expects failure and turning learning from mistakes into a currency for future success.
- The true test of character is how one reacts during the worst times. It's crucial to push through till there's nothing left to give - that's the sign of a winner.
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Geek Wire
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Seattle startup Moondream, led by AWS vets, raises $4.5M for vision language model software
- Seattle startup Moondream raises $4.5M in pre-seed round for vision language model software.
- Moondream offers a vision language model that can answer questions about images.
- The model operates with 1.6 billion parameters, allowing it to run on phones and edge devices.
- Investors in the pre-seed round include Felicis Ventures, Microsoft's M12 GitHub Fund, and Ascend.
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Medium
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Last Week in ConTech — 28 October 2024
- BiltOn, a New York startup, raised $15m in Series B funding, for their construction operations and risk management software i.e. automated time tracking for payroll, daily logs, facial recognition for workforce verification and more.
- Speckle which is a UK startup raised $12.5m in Series A funding. They have developed a centralized platform and collaborative data hub which makes it easier for companies to exchange information in 3D formats, automate workflows more efficiently.
- Furno, a Californian startup has received $20m in grant funding for their zero emission cement producer which builds small, modular and more energy efficient cement plants. The funds will be used to build eight micro-kilns at a concrete plant in Chicago.
- ClearVue Technologies, an Australian company, raised $7.5m via institutional placement for their solar photovoltaic window glazing technology which can be used to power buildings.
- Pantheon AI, a San Francisco startup, raised $25m in funding for their AI enabled architecture software which helps property developers, owners and tenants to generate floor plans, refine the design and provide construction ready documents.
- Urbint, a Miami startup, raised $35m in funding for their AI-enabled risk management tools to help utilities and critical infrastructure companies manage storm and extreme weather events, mitigate safety threats to workers, and prevent damage.
- Zephyr, a New York startup, raised $60m in funding for their technology-enabled home repair and maintenance services focusing on services such as air conditioning, heating, plumbing, and electrical work.
- FiberSense, an Australian startup, raised $14m in funding. They provide ‘fiber-optic sensing technology as a service’ which uses existing fiber-optic cables (used for internet) to help clients such as cities understand traffic movements or to protect critical infrastructure.
- Aether, a San Francisco startup, raised $2.5m in Seed funding for their AI first platform to streamline the process of designing, selling and managing rooftop solar installations including providing a CRM tool from pre-construction phase to delivery, a proposal creator and a CAD engine to generate 3D roof faces and design solar layouts.
- Aira, a Swedish startup, raised €63m in Series B funding for their vertically integrated direct to consumer clean energy platform offering smart heat pumps via monthly plans as well as clean energy tariffs and solar solutions.
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Medium
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Nicole Clay: Transforming Beauty Shopping with Authenticity and Innovation Through Hue
- Nicole Clay is the co-founder and CMO of Hue, an e-commerce tech company revolutionizing the beauty industry.
- Hue integrates user-generated content (UGC) videos on brand websites, addressing the need for authentic product experiences.
- The platform enables brands to connect with diverse audiences through shoppable video reviews and tutorials.
- Hue, partnered with industry leaders, is enhancing its platform with AI solutions and has secured over $2 million in seed funding.
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Medium
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207
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Data in Action: Project Readiness Level and Lessons in the Real World
- The authors of this article discuss the principles of data concepts within a Project Readiness Level framework and present three lessons learned from actual FOAK (First-of-a-Kind) development programs that went from concept to commercialization, highlighting the importance of aligning design, execution, and finance through thoughtful planning and data insights.
- The proposed “Project Readiness Level” score incorporates TRL, ARL, and important project development milestones to assess the risk centers of a project holistically. This PTI readiness framework provides useful risk management data for TRL 7-8 projects where scale-up risks are uncertain.
- By focusing on modularity, Standard Microgrid brought electricity to places that had previously gone dark at night. The company successfully crossed the FOAK threshold by making modularity a central design principle for their microgrids.
- To prevent cost overruns, separating the E (Engineering) contracting scope from the P & C (Procurement and Construction) contracting scope is recommended.
- H2GS has developed an innovative approach to producing green steel by combining proven elements, hydrogen electrolysis, and electric arc furnace steelmaking, into a single, cohesive system, which allowed the company to avoid technology risks and take on integration risks instead.
- Standard Microgrid’s modular approach, strategic EPC contracting, and H2 Green Steel’s focus on integration over invention all highlight the importance of aligning design, execution, and finance through thoughtful planning and data insights.
- Leveraging Project Readiness Level and integrating various data into a single set of heuristics or “risk scoring” can significantly reduce risk, ultimately driving scalable, sustainable solutions in the FOAK market.
- A separate contractor providing just the engineering scope is more likely to be incentivized to give an independent and realistic project scope, as outlined by IPA, an infrastructure engineering and advisory firm.
- Isolating the risk of cost/schedule overruns to the EPC for mature tech scope from novel tech in EPC contracting can allow the EPC to price the accurate level of risk in a project.
- Strategic use of data can bridge gaps and unlock new pathways for growth, scalability and sustainability, driving the FOAK market towards better outcomes.
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Medium
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Joyce Shen’s picks: musings and readings in AI/ML, October 28, 2024
- Optical neural networks: progress and challenges - Nature
- DeepMind and Hugging Face release SynthID to watermark LLM-generated text - Venturebeat
- Memorandum on Advancing the United States Explained - CSIS
- Deals: Biological Lattice Industries raises $1.8m, Oriole Networks raises $22m, Where You At secures £2.5m, and more
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Medium
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The Streisand Effect: Understanding the Phenomenon
- The Streisand Effect originated from an event in 2003 when Barbra Streisand attempted to suppress aerial photographs of her Malibu home.
- Factors contributing to the Streisand Effect include increased curiosity, the viral nature of the internet, public reaction, and counterproductive censorship.
- Examples of the Streisand Effect include celebrity incidents, corporate controversies, and government censorship.
- In the digital age, transparency, awareness of digital footprint, and effective crisis communication are crucial to navigating the implications of the Streisand Effect.
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Saastr
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The Cloud Bubble Lasted About 18 Months. How Long Will the AI Bubble Last?
- The SaaS and Cloud industry continues to grow, with estimated total spend reaching $300 billion in 2025.
- However, the average growth rate of public SaaS companies has dropped below 20%, indicating a slowdown compared to the high growth rates seen in previous years.
- The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated spending on Cloud and SaaS solutions, creating a bubble that lasted for about 18 months.
- It is anticipated that the AI bubble, driven by increased spending on AI technologies, may follow a similar trajectory and last for around 24-30 months.
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Medium
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285
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oyce Shen’s picks: musings and readings in AI/ML, October 28, 2024
- Biological Lattice Industries, Oriole Networks, Where You At (WYA), mPATH, CrewAI, Universal Fuel Technologies, Dryad Networks, Agentech, Turnover Labs, Optiwise.ai, Attention, Cascade AI, Planetary Technologies, Mave, and Pharos have secured financing for their respective startups.
- Biological Lattice Industries raised $1.8m, Oriole Networks raised $22m, Where You At (WYA) raised £2.5m, mPATH raised $3m, CrewAI raised $18m, Universal Fuel Technologies raised $3m, Dryad Networks raised €6.3m, Agentech raised $3m, Turnover Labs raised $1.4m, Optiwise.ai raised $2.4m, Attention raised $14m, Cascade AI raised $3.7m, Planetary Technologies raised $11.3m, Mave raised CAD$2m, and Pharos raised $5m in financing.
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Medium
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Nordic Tech #4: Turning the Concrete Jungle Green with CemVision
- CemVision is focused on making the cement industry sustainable by reducing carbon emissions.
- Their product, Re-ment, replaces fossil limestone with industrial waste and uses green energy, resulting in up to 95% reduction in CO2 emissions.
- Re-ment offers economic benefits and faster strength development compared to traditional cement, making it a cost-effective alternative.
- CemVision has secured a supply agreement with Vattenfall, gaining access to a large international market and leveraging their credibility and network.
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Medium
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272
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Things you should not say during a VC pitch
- Explain how you're unique among existing players, rather than suggesting a lack of market understanding.
- Show that you've thought about customer acquisition and marketing strategies, even for the best products.
- Discuss how you'll capture specific market segments instead of relying on oversimplified metrics.
- Focus on justifying projections with data and assumptions, instead of making overly optimistic or generic claims.
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