Sat.Jul 31, 2021 - Fri.Aug 06, 2021

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Nigeria’s Decagon raises millions to finance and train software engineers

TechCrunch

This past decade, Nigeria has seen several companies cater to the development and growth of software engineers and tech talent in general. It’s a space many in the Nigerian ecosystem like to think is budding yet overcrowded. So when Chika Nwobi started Decagon in 2018, the perception was generally “here comes another tech talent accelerator.” Two years on, the entrepreneur who is a household name has significantly scaled the company to new heights.

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Why You Need a Business Mentor (and Where You Can Find One)

StartupNation

Mattie Mae Larson has a growing business in Hawaii turning trash into treasure. Her company, Upcycle Hawaii, creates wallets, zipper pouches, bookmarks, beach totes and a plethora of other products. All of Upcycle Hawaii’s items are made from post-consumer waste diverted from local landfills. While her business has been built with blood, sweat and tears, she also shares another secret to her success: her business mentor.

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e3 Cohort Validating ideas

Innovation 2 Enterprise

Return to Newsletter. #withOklahomaStartups. i2E’s popular e3 workshop for entrepreneurs helps Oklahoma entrepreneurs to determine market fit for their product and gain valuable inside into their concept. If you’re not familiar with e3, the workshop evaluates opportunities, equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to launch and empowers them to create high growth companies.

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Ripe For Disruption: The Asset Management Business

David Teten VC

Joe Reilly , CEO of Circulus Group and a longtime contributor to Family Wealth Report , interviewed me to share views on disruption in asset management, my research into the field, and where the industry needs to be headed. To summarize: “The asset management industry will become more diverse, because many owners of asset management businesses will retire in the next decade, and because the money holder class are far more diverse than the money managers who want to work for the money holde

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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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Singapore-based Nektar.ai gets $6M to help B2B sales team collaborate more effectively

TechCrunch

Nektar.ai founders Aravind Ravi Sulekha and Abhijeet Vijayvergiya. Organizing information about prospective deals is a challenging task for B2B sales teams, since salespeople usually rely on multiple tools (email, Zoom, WhatsApp, etc) to talk with buyer committees. It becomes even more unwieldy when sales teams work remotely. Nektar.ai is a B2B sales productivity startup that wants to help sales team by reducing the amount of time they spend on manual data entry and providing analytics that can

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i2E’s 34th e3 cohort of Oklahoma startups

Innovation 2 Enterprise

#withOklahomaStartups. i2E’s popular e3 workshop helps Oklahoma startups to determine market fit for their product and gain valuable inside into their concept. If you’re not familiar with e3, the workshop evaluates opportunities, equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to launch and empowers them to create high growth companies. This cohort brought together a diverse group of ideas and entrepreneurs working to advance concepts that included educational and banking software, biotechnology a

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Lesson #339: OKRs Unite Companies to Achieve Goals

Red Rocket

Goals setting is one of those business processes that is really an art. When it is done really well, it can unlock huge performance increases and propel your business to new heights. I was recently introduced to Matt Roberts , the founder of London UK based ZOKRI , whose software helps fast growth companies use Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) driven goals and agile working practices to provide clarity on how growth will be delivered.

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Venture capital undermines human rights

TechCrunch

Michael Kleinman. Contributor. Share on Twitter. Michael Kleinman is the director of Amnesty International ’s Silicon Valley Initiative. The future of technology is determined by a handful of venture capitalists. The world’s 10 leading venture capital firms have, together, invested over $150 billion in technology startups. The venture capitalists who run these firms decide which startups today will develop the new platforms and technologies that will shape our lives tomorrow.

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3 Women Entrepreneurs Breaking Down Barriers in West Africa

Impact Hub

Women entrepreneurs in West Africa are leading the way in creating sustainable businesses, growing their respective economies and generating lasting change. While entrepreneurs face all kinds of challenges starting up businesses anywhere in the world, women often have to deal with additional hurdles to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions. Cultural and regulatory biases, as well as lack of access to ?

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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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e3 Cohort Diverse ideas

Innovation 2 Enterprise

#withOklahomaStartups. i2E’s popular e3 workshop for entrepreneurs helps Oklahoma entrepreneurs to determine market fit for their product and gain valuable inside into their concept. If you’re not familiar with e3, the workshop evaluates opportunities, equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to launch and empowers them to create high growth companies.

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How to Use CRM and Marketing Automation to Improve Your Scalability

StartupNation

Automation has become a business essential. For entrepreneurs looking to grow their business, the question always is, “How can I work smarter, not harder?” That’s where the power of marketing automation and your customer relationship management (CRM) comes into play. With such high demand to cut down on costs while increasing profitability, businesses are turning to automation as a means to keep the engine running while focusing strategic brainpower on more revenue-generating activities.

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Why Draper Esprit doubled down on its status as a publicly listed VC

TechCrunch

We cover a lot of venture capital news here at TechCrunch. New funds, partner changes, the funding rounds themselves — the list is long. Lately, we’ve had to touch on rolling funds, solo GPs and a faster-than-ever investing cadence that has rewritten the rules of venture investing. Gone are the days when investors can take weeks, let alone months, to get into a hot deal in today’s turbocharged private markets.

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5 Ways to Encourage More Women Into Careers in VC

Entrepreneur's Handbook

5 Ways to Encourage More Women Into Careers in Venture Capital It’s time to tear open the seemingly impenetrable ‘old boys’ network It’s no secret that founders seek out investors who value diversity and recognize the success that comes from having diverse teams. However, the question of how to make this a reality remains unanswered. What can we do to attract more women investors, and to change the types of startups, products, and services that are funded?

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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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ACT Tulsa

Innovation 2 Enterprise

ACT Tulsa, a new business accelerator for ‘underestimated founders’. launched in partnership with i2E, recently welcomed its first cohort of nine minority-led new ventures. The 6-month accelerator program is aimed at cultivating and driving innovation of minority-led technology startups located in Tulsa and beyond. In the first cohort, nine companies with 17 founders were selected that range in industry, founder background and cultural dynamics.

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Newsletter: SCiO grows in AgTech + Cyber-guardian of Israel’s water

OurCrowd

Startup of the Week: IXDen guarding Israel’s water supply. SCiO grows in AgTech. The new car safety device: your nose. Israel’s cyber investment footprint expands. MeMed t est predicting Covid-19 severity receives CE mark. SaNOtize anti-viral nasal spray goes on sale in Israel. Life insurance encourages living better: YuLife. BioCatch protects 2 billion digital transactions every month.

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Wireless charging firm Aira raises $12M

TechCrunch

Founded in 2017, Arizona-based Aira didn’t waste any time proving out its technology. We’ve written about the company’s wireless charging a few times over the years, including the “FreePower” technology it has baked into Nomad’s charging pads, which brings a more streamlined version of the Apple’s abandoned AirPower. The tech allows for users to charge up to three objects at once, without having to futz with their precise placement on the pad.

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It’s *Not* Too Late to Join the Creator Economy

Entrepreneur's Handbook

You can discover your life experiences have a lot of value. 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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e3 Cohort Diverse ideas

Innovation 2 Enterprise

#withOklahomaStartups. i2E’s popular e3 workshop for entrepreneurs helps Oklahoma entrepreneurs to determine market fit for their product and gain valuable inside into their concept. If you’re not familiar with e3, the workshop evaluates opportunities, equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to launch and empowers them to create high growth companies.

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5 Steps to prepare your business for a cashless future

Entrepreneurs' Organization

With the advent of technological innovations, including dedicated servers and cloud hosting, businesses of all shapes and sizes are shifting to a more digital way of working. From international companies to locally owned small businesses, the landscape of how business is done has been gradually changing for some time now. One of the most significant changes—hastened by the global pandemic where contactless payments gained traction—is the switch from cash-in-hand transactions to cashless.

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Vietnamese on-demand e-commerce platform Loship raises $12M at a valuation of $100M

TechCrunch

Loship , the Vietnamese on-demand e-commerce platform that started as a reviews app, announced today it has raised $12 million in pre-Series C funding, bringing its valuation to $100 million. The round was co-led by BAce Capital, an Ant Group-backed venture firm, and the direct investment unit of Sun Hung Kai & Co Limited. . Founded in 2017, Loship offered one-hour deliveries for a large range of products and services, including food, ride-hailing, medicine and B2B supplies.

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Sticking With The Plan

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

Managing a business is about having a plan, sticking with it, and not panicking or looking for hail mary passes. There are no silver bullets or shortcuts to success in life. You need to have a five to ten-year plan and you need to stick with it and execute against it day after day, week after week, year after year. I was reminded of this watching my NY Knicks navigate the off-season after making the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

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Your Fractional Finance and Accounting Team

Mighty Financial specializes in supporting the financial aspirations of small businesses and entrepreneurs. With our comprehensive bookkeeping and precise accounting expertise with decades of experience across diverse financial roles, our team offers tailor-made services ranging from essential bookkeeping to strategic fractional CFO support, catered specifically to the unique challenges of technology companies, startups, and SMEs.

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ACT Tulsa

Innovation 2 Enterprise

ACT Tulsa, a new business accelerator for ‘underestimated founders’ launched in partnership with i2E, recently welcomed its first cohort of nine minority-led new ventures. Intro with Learn more button that links to this content page. The 6-month accelerator program is aimed at cultivating and driving innovation of minority-led technology startups located in Tulsa and beyond.

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How to Create a Great Channel Strategy - Pro Tips from an Expert

Dream It

A channel sales strategy is crucial to scaling a startup. However, most startups fail to launch and execute a successful channel sales program. Securetech Managing Director, Mel Shakir , brought Evan Blair to the Dreamit Dose to share his experience leading global channel sales and partner programs at ZeroFox, Accuvant, and Ciphent over the past decade.

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Newtopia closes first fund of $50M to invest in LatAm startups

TechCrunch

Early-stage venture capital fund Newtopia VC launched Monday with $50 million to invest in tech startups based in Latin America. The fund will invest between $250,000 and $1 million in startups at the seed stage to help them achieve the milestones needed on the path to raising a Series A. Newtopia is led by five major players in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem: Patricio Jutard, co-founder of MURAL; Mariano Mayer, former national secretary for entrepreneurs and SMEs in Argentina and founde

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The Data Paradox: Why Data Can Be Both an Advantage and a Burden

StartupNation

In 2016, Dell Technologies commissioned our first Digital Transformation Index (DT Index) study to assess the digital maturity of businesses around the globe. We have since commissioned the study biennially to track businesses’ digital maturity. Our third installment of the DT Index , launched in 2020 (the year of the pandemic), revealed that “data overload/unable to extract insights from data” was the third highest ranking barrier to transformation, up from 11th place in 2016.

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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!