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CrowdForce raises $3.6M to increase access to cash for underserved communities in Nigeria

TechCrunch

The company was launched in 2015 by Oluwatomi Ayorinde and Damilola Ayorinde as MobileForms, a data collection agent network. The company said it will use part of the capital to expand its team, geographical operations and marketing to increase its 7,000-strong active agent network three-fold this year.

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When VCs turned to Zoom, Chicago startups were ready for their close-up

TechCrunch

Data collected by CB Insights , for example, indicates that Chicago’s ability to attract venture funds has risen to new heights in the first half of the year. Even inside the United States, there is divergence in how individual markets are performing.

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Got the right stuff? Exhibit and pitch at TC Sessions: Space 2020

TechCrunch

Join a global community of brilliant visionaries, makers and investors on December 16-17 for TC Sessions: Space 2020 , an online conference dedicated to moving beyond the confines of this world through innovative tech and to creating stellar startup opportunities. military and VCs determined to finance pioneering space startups.

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Fintech companies must balance the pursuit of profit against ethical data usage

TechCrunch

But there’s a digital gap holding FIs back, especially small community banks and credit unions. Consumers looking to digitize their finances must heed caution before they break up with traditional banks and run into the arms of Big Tech.

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Developing Rapid-Response Plans for Cities to Help Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses in This Time of Economic Crisis

Forward Cities

As the extent and impact of COVID-19 becomes more apparent, entrepreneurs and small businesses are on the front lines of its devastating impact–and with their demise comes potentially catastrophic economic losses for local communities. According to JP Morgan Institute , 50 percent of small businesses have less than 30 days of cash on hand.

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InstaDeep’s acquisition is a classic case of an African startup gone global 

TechCrunch

To my question on whether InstaDeep is an outlier, Begiur expressed optimism that more success stories from Africa’s deep tech and AI community would be told sooner rather than later, especially as the venture capital market has turned red-hot for AI-based innovation. That was crazy.

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The VC Firm of the Future

Tomasz Tunguz

In the same way hedge funds scour data sources for insight on investments in the public markets, venture funds of the future will deploy technology to programmatically discover, evaluate and prioritize up-and-coming startups for partners to pursue. There has never been more data collected on startups than today.

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