Mon.Mar 21, 2022

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Kenya-based agritech Apollo raises $40 million in Softbank-led round, joined by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, CDC

TechCrunch

Kenya-based agritech Apollo Agriculture , which helps farmers access high-quality farm inputs, financing and markets, plans to double the number of farmers it is serving by the end 2022 and to introduce other products that deliver more value per acre of land. This is after raising $40 million in Series B funding in the equity round led by Softbank Vision Fund 2.

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Canopy Connect’s Stary is Supercharging Sales via His Deep Finance and Tech Experience

Jason Malki

I had the pleasure of interviewing Corey Stary, who is the Head of Enterprise Sales & Partnerships at Canopy Connect. Canopy Connect is a new entrant into the burgeoning InsurTech space. Best-known as the “Plaid of insurance data,” Canopy works with a variety of FinTechs, marketplaces, and lenders to allow consumers to use their insurance policy details to achieve positive financial outcomes.

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Daily Crunch: Corporate management startup Ramp doubles its valuation to $8.1B with new financing

TechCrunch

To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PT, subscribe here. Hello and welcome to Daily Crunch for Monday, March 21, 2022! Short and to the point today: Follow our newest hire, the excellent Jacquelyn Melinek , who joined the TechCrunch+ team as a senior crypto reporter. We’re super stoked to have her aboard!

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Prima’s Assaf is Combating Stress via Pure and Potent Plant Therapeutics

Jason Malki

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Assaf, Co-Founder and Chief Education Officer of Prima , a B Corp and purpose-driven brand elevating hemp-based cannabinoids and functionally innovative botanical ingredients. A graduate of Harvard Business School, award-winning entrepreneur and activist on a mission to use business to improve health, Jessica has been a leading advocate for safe products, corporate accountability, consumer wellness and female empowerment since the age of 15.

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From Curiosity to Competitive Edge: How Mid-Market CEOs Are Using AI to Scale Smarter

Speaker: Lee Andrews, Founder at LJA New Media & Tony Karrer, Founder and CTO at Aggregage

This session will walk you through how one CEO used generative AI, workflow automation, and sales personalization to transform an entire security company—then built the Zero to Strategy framework that other mid-market leaders are now using to unlock 3.5x ROI. As a business executive, you’ll learn how to assess AI opportunities in your business, drive adoption across teams, and overcome internal resource constraints—without hiring a single data scientist.

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Subak, which incubates data-for-climate not-for-profits, announces six startups in 2022 cohort

TechCrunch

A U.K.-based incubator focused on nonprofit startups that are addressing climate-related challenges through open-source data initiatives has announced the six startups which will be put through its 2022 program. Selected projects and platforms for the data-for-climate-focused accelerator program include a startup trying to prevent rainforest deforestation in Africa; one that’s hoping to help websites and cloud services speed up their switch to renewable energy; another supporting more acco

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Ramp confirms new $8.1B valuation after ‘a nearly 10x’ YoY increase in revenue

TechCrunch

Corporate management startup Ramp confirmed that it has secured $550 million in debt and $200 million in equity in a new financing that doubles its valuation to $8.1 billion. In early February, The Information reported on the then-unconfirmed raise and new valuation. . The approaching decacorn valuation is quite remarkable, given that less than one year ago Ramp had just reached unicorn status with a $115 million round.

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Retail Ecommerce Management Platform CommerceIQ turns unicorn after US$115 million fundraise

AsiaTechDaily

Bookmark ( 0 ) Please login to bookmark Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No account yet? Register CommerceIQ, a retail ecommerce management platform enters the unicorn club after raising US$115 million in its Series D funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The latest funding round that takes the startup’s valuation at more than US$1 billion also saw participation from existing institutional investors including Trinity Ventures, Insight Partners, Madrona Venture Group, and Sha

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Glia raises $45M at a $1B+ valuation for an AI-based CRM that lets agents get hands-on to help

TechCrunch

The world continues to shift more of its customer service needs online, and those building tools to help manage that demand are seeing their stars rise as a result. In the latest development, Glia — which builds AI-based CRM solutions for agents to converse with customers across multiple mediums (including video, voice, messaging, email and chatbots), and then to screenshare to give hands-on help to those users — has closed a new round of funding, a Series D of $45 million that catap

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SG fintech Validus acquires CitiBusiness loan portfolio in Singapore

AsiaTechDaily

Bookmark ( 0 ) Please login to bookmark Username or Email Address Password Remember Me No account yet? Register Fintech firm Validus announced that it has agreed with Citi to acquire its CitiBusiness loan portfolio in Singapore, in a move that will bolster Validus’ top line revenue, customer base, and expand its growing loan book. This is the first time a FinTech in Southeast Asia is acquiring an established bank’s loan portfolio and customer base, and it underscores Validus’ trailblazing FinTec

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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Be an entrepreneur who leads with transparency

TechCrunch

Marjorie Radlo-Zandi. Contributor. Share on Twitter. Marjorie Radlo-Zandi is an entrepreneur, board member, mentor to startups and angel investor who shows early-stage businesses how to build and successfully scale their businesses. More posts by this contributor. How to calculate your startup’s TAM, SAM and SOM. 5 essential factors for attracting angel investment.

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The Spicy Future for Data

Tomasz Tunguz

What’s the price of spice ? If you’ve never seen a data app, that’s the question you should be asking yourself. Data apps are living documents that weave narratives around data and charts to explain, persuade, or empower. Imagine your future self. You work for a large company selling spices and you’re tasked with exploring the impact of pricing changes.

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Miruku replacing animals with plants to create dairy proteins

TechCrunch

Miruku, a New Zealand-based foodtech company, is applying its molecular farming process to program plant cells to be mini factories for producing proteins and other molecules, like fats and sugars, traditionally made by animals. The company was founded in 2020 by Amos Palfreyman, Ira Bing, Harjinder Singh and Oded Shoseyov, who all have experience in either dairy or plant science.

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I Love Backing ‘Mission-Driven’ Founders But Here’s Where They Can Struggle as Startup CEOs

Hunter Walk

Learnings From a Decade Investing In These Types of Leaders. We’ve sent hundreds of millions of dollars to startup bank accounts but none of those have gone to teams which don’t have at least one founder we consider to be ‘mission-driven.’ How do I define that term? Loosely, someone who has a personal connection to the problem they’re trying to solve.

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

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CommerceIQ gets its horn as capital continues to flow into e-commerce infrastructure startups

TechCrunch

When much of the shopping shifted online during the global pandemic, startups developing software and other products to aid the transition began to garner attention from venture capital firms. We’ve seen companies across the e-commerce infrastructure and enablement ecosystem pick up larger and larger rounds, and CommerceIQ is the latest to secure late-stage financing.

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The Most Important Skill in Startups Isn’t What You Think

Entrepreneur's Handbook

The biggest factor in entrepreneurial success is something few people ever talk about. Continue reading on Entrepreneur's Handbook ».

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Bridgestone takes minority stake in May Mobility

TechCrunch

Tire-making giant Bridgestone has taken a minority stake in May Mobility, a Michigan-based autonomous shuttle startup, marking yet another investment into an autonomous vehicle startup. Bridgestone has previously collaborated with Swedish autonomous freight technology startup Einride to find sustainable mobility solutions for electrified, autonomous trucking and thrown its weight behind Kodiak Robotics , an autonomous trucking startup.

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Why Using an Agent for Fundraising Is a Deal Killer for Startups

Entrepreneur's Handbook

Bankers and placement agents are a red flag for venture investors Continue reading on Entrepreneur's Handbook ».

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The GTM Intelligence Era: ZoomInfo 2025 Customer Impact Report

ZoomInfo customers aren’t just selling — they’re winning. Revenue teams using our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform grew pipeline by 32%, increased deal sizes by 40%, and booked 55% more meetings. Download this report to see what 11,000+ customers say about our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform and how it impacts their bottom line. The data speaks for itself!

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Luminar acquisition brings high-performance laser capabilities in-house

TechCrunch

Luminar, a company that builds vision-based lidar and machine perception technologies for autonomous vehicles, is acquiring high-performance laser manufacturer Freedom Photonics on Monday. The all-stock transaction involves Luminar selling 3 million shares of its common stock, or about $42.3 million at today’s share price, per a regulatory filing.

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A $100M-Funded Startup Made a Giant Mistake That Exposed Their Customers’ Faults More Than Theirs

Entrepreneur's Handbook

And it offers a grave lesson for entrepreneurs and founders on both sides of the table that may threaten their existence. Continue reading on Entrepreneur's Handbook ».

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Plotlogic scoops up $18M to put hyperspectral imaging to work in the mines

TechCrunch

Mining is one of the oldest industries out there, but it has increasingly embraced high-tech methods as demand has increased. Plotlogic uses hyperspectral imaging, a technique generally found in labs and satellites, to add a new layer of data and automation to these crucial but often dated operations. Hyperspectral imagery is basically a photo that captures light outside the visible range, allowing differentiation of substances that look the same to human eyes.

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My Sales Revenue Skyrocketed 300% When I Start Engaging Clients Like a Customer Success Manager

Entrepreneur's Handbook

No, you need not be one. You (just) need to think like one. Continue reading on Entrepreneur's Handbook ».

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How Top Tech CFOs Solve Annual Planning’s Biggest Challenges

Gearing up for 2025 annual planning? Our latest eBook from the Operators Guild is your ultimate guide. Discover real-world solutions and best practices shared by top CFOs, drawn directly from discussions within OG’s vibrant online community. Learn from senior executives at high-growth tech startups as they outline financial planning strategies, align CEO and board goals, and coordinate budgets across departments.

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Kenya-based Powered by People gets $5 million seed to scale operations of its wholesale e-commerce platform

TechCrunch

A wholesale e-commerce platform based in Kenya, with hubs in the Americas, Asia and Europe, Powered by People , has secured $5 million in seed funding to increase its transaction volume by growing the number of small brands using its B2B online marketplace to reach international buyers. The equity funding was led by Susa Ventures and Golden Ventures, with participation from a number of investors, including Flexport Ventures, J Ventures and the founders of DraftKings, Fabric.

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Small Business and Startup Career Fair – Only $50.00 a Booth!

Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Where: The Penn State Innovation Hub (Downtown). When: April 5, 2022, from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Employers…. • Do you want to find qualified candidates for internships, co-ops, research, or full-time positions? • Do you want to connect with Centre County’s amazing entrepreneurial. network to share ideas? • Do you want to build your brand with students and other entrepreneurs to. connect with talent seeking, like-minded companies?

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French aerospace company Gama raises $2M to develop a solar sail spacecraft

TechCrunch

Just as sea breezes propel sailboats across the sea on Earth, solar radiation might one day be able to propel spacecraft between the stars. Or at least that’s the hope of French startup Gama. The aerospace company was founded in 2020 by Louis de Gouyon Matignon, Thibaud Elziere and Andrew Nutter, whose goal is to develop a low-cost solar sail that would use light as a means of propulsion for spacecraft.

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[OurCrowd in Reuters] Israel’s OurCrowd set to open AI R&D centre in Abu Dhabi

OurCrowd

JERUSALEM, March 21 (Reuters) – OurCrowd, one of Israel’s largest venture firms, plans to open an artificial intelligence-based research and development centre in Abu Dhabi by early June that will help with investment decision making, a company official said. Read more here. The post [OurCrowd in Reuters] Israel’s OurCrowd set to open AI R&D centre in Abu Dhabi appeared first on OurCrowd Blog.

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5 Ways You Can Win Faster with Gen AI in Sales

Incorporating generative AI (gen AI) into your sales process can speed up your wins through improved efficiency, personalized customer interactions, and better informed decision- making. Gen AI is a game changer for busy salespeople and can reduce time-consuming tasks, such as customer research, note-taking, and writing emails, and provide insightful data analysis and recommendations.