Sat.Aug 14, 2021 - Fri.Aug 20, 2021

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API platform Postman valued at $5.6 billion in $225 million fundraise

TechCrunch

San Francisco-based Postman, which operates a collaborative platform for developers to help them build, design, test and iterate their APIs, said on Wednesday it has raised $225 million in a new financing round that values it at $5.6 billion, up from $2 billion a year ago. The startup’s new financing round — a Series D — was led by existing investor New York-headquartered Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors Nexus Venture Partners and CRV.

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Why every Kiwi should back or build a startup

NZ Entrepreneur

Not all of us are built to be founders but we can all find a way to back ambitious, world-changing businesses; whether it’s buying their products, using their services, promoting them, encouraging and supporting them or investing in them. Certainly, backing and building startups will do a whole lot more for our future and our economy than every Kiwi backing or building a residential property portfolio.

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ACT Tulsa is very intentional in building trust with founders of color

Innovation 2 Enterprise

By Scott Meacham. ACT Tulsa is very intentional about creating an on-ramp to trust with founders who are Black and Brown. ACT Tulsa, the six-month cohort-driven accelerator program aimed at cultivating underestimated founders located in Tulsa and beyond, is up and running with its inaugural cohort of nine startup companies. The 17 entrepreneurs, working out of the 36 Degrees North Incubator, are one-month into their 90-day “incubation” segment.

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25 Lessons In 25 Years: Tips for Success from a Self-Made Beauty Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Renée Rouleau, an EO member in Austin, is the founder and CEO of Renée Rouleau Skin Care , whose products and personalized skincare are respected by celebrities, bloggers, and skincare obsessives. As she marks 25 years in business, Renée shared what she’s learned along her entrepreneurial journey. I cut the red ribbon at 4:10pm on August 17, 1996.

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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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São Paulo’s QuintoAndar real estate platform raises $120M, now valued at $5.1B

TechCrunch

Less than three months after announcing a $300 million Series E , Brazilian proptech QuintoAndar has raised an additional $120 million. New investors Greenoaks Capital and China’s Tencent co-led the round, which included participation from some existing backers as well. São Paulo-based QuintoAndar is now valued at $5.1 billion, up from $4 billion at the time of its last raise in late May.

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opening the pipeline for assistive technology

Venture Well

We explore ways faculty can collaborate with a university’s technology transfer office to support the commercialization of assistive technology innovation. The post opening the pipeline for assistive technology appeared first on VentureWell.

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Telegraphing

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

I recall when my partner Brad and I were raising our first USV fund, back in 2003, and potential investors wondered about my blogging habit. They asked if I was making a mistake telegraphing our investment thesis for everyone to see, including our “competitors.” We strongly defended the practice and explained that the benefits of telling the world what we were looking to invest in, and why, strongly outweighed any costs.

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Indonesian D2C insurance marketplace Lifepal raises $9M Series A

TechCrunch

Choosing an insurance policy is one of the most complicated financial decisions a person can make. Jakarta-based Lifepal wants to simplify the process for Indonesians with a marketplace that lets users compare policies from more than 50 providers, get help from licensed agents and file claims. The startup, which says it is the country’s largest direct-to-consumer insurance marketplace, announced today it has raised a $9 million Series A.

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How to Create Content that Guarantees Conversion

Entrepreneur's Handbook

7 steps to help you get better results from your marketing. Photo: Nick Morrison/Unsplash I have worked in digital marketing for the last fifteen years, and I also coach new business owners, so I notice a lot of mistakes entrepreneurs make when creating content. New business owners are usually quite skilled at whatever service they provide but they struggle with the marketing side of things and have trouble creating content that clearly explains what they do and helps them sell their services.

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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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There’s No One Way to Pick an Insurance Broker (But Here’s a Cheat Sheet)

StartupNation

To start or run a small business, an entrepreneur has an incredible number of tasks to check off, the biggest being getting paid customers through the door or clients to sign on. With such an intense focus on creating a product that consumers need and marketing to create awareness that such a product exists, business owners often overlook insurance until they draw near their launch date (and then sometimes even after — you would be surprised how many businesses forget about insurance entirely).

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Hiring Employees in a Tight Job Market [Growth Hacks]

Smart Hustle Magazine

Both big and small companies are struggling to onboard new employees. In fact, over 40% of small businesses have unfilled job openings. But why is hiring so hard right now? In episode one of Netsuite’s Growth Hacks, a series covering how to scale your business, Ramon and several experts answer this question and more. Kedma Ough and Loren Feldman cohost with Ramon.

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Extra Crunch roundup: Corp dev handbook, Chicago startups, Brazil’s e-commerce landscape

TechCrunch

If you’re a founder who finds yourself in a meeting with a VC, try to remember two things: You’re the smartest person in the room. Investors are looking for a reason to say “yes.” Even so, many entrepreneurs squander this opportunity, often because they direct questions or fail to understand their BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement). “As the venture landscape becomes more a meritocratic environment where resumes and institutional affiliations matter l

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How an Outsider Transformed Starbucks From 5 Stores Into a Global Empire

Entrepreneur's Handbook

To grow a business, you need to put your team efforts under a clear leadership vision Continue reading on Entrepreneur's Handbook ».

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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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Branch Secures Over $540M

HPA

Branch , a startup that helps businesses accelerate payments to empower working Americans , announced it has secured over $540 million to fuel its momentum in delivering flexible workforce payments. Hyde Park Angels is excited to announce our participation in Branch’s $48M Series B round, which was led by Addition Capital. Participation from other investors include Drive Capital, Crosscut Ventures, Bonfire Ventures, Matchstick Ventures and other investors.

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Newsletter: Investment opportunities + 3,300 high-tech jobs.

OurCrowd

Startup of the Week: MeMed’s blood test results in minutes. Expecting Israel’s first $100B company. Lessons for Launchpad from Xometry’s $3B IPO. Nanox acquires Zebra Medical Vision in $200M deal. D-ID powers photo animation for Josh video platform in India. CropX acquires Dacom in major European expansion. Overtime signs Ceyair Wright to college athlete creator studio.

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Apeel bites into another $250M funding round, at a $2B valuation, to accelerate fresh food supply chains

TechCrunch

Apeel Sciences , a food system innovation company, is out to prevent food produced globally from ending up in the landfill, especially as pressures from the global pandemic affect the food supply chain. The company just added $250 million in Series E funding, giving it a valuation of $2 billion, to speed up the availability of its longer-lasting produce in the U.S.

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4 Charlie Munger Quotes that Will Make You Smarter in Business

Entrepreneur's Handbook

Wisdom from Warren Buffet’s life-long partner 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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Will Anyone Care? Building an Exit Strategy

The Seraf Compass

Early stage investors might not view it this way, but… until a company has some form of financial exit (e.g. acquisition or IPO), you are really more like a donor than an investor! Think of it this way: since there is no liquidity in early stage company stock, you can’t sell the stock and recoup any of your original investment. You’re stuck with stock that, for all intents and purposes, has no financial value that you can monetize.

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[Nexa3D in Yahoo Finance] Nexa3D to Unlock Key to 3D Printing Productivity at RAPID + TCT 2021

OurCrowd

VENTURA, Calif., August 19, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nexa3D, the maker of ultrafast polymer 3D printers, has today announced that it will showcase its end to end 3D printing validated workflow for the first time at RAPID + TCT 2021. At the event, from September 13 to 15 at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, attendees can experience first-hand the speed, innovation, and productivity that Nexa3D’s equipment can bring.

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South Korean online secondhand marketplace Danggeun Market raises $162M at a $2.7B valuation

TechCrunch

Danggeun Market, the publisher of South Korea’s hyperlocal community app Karrot, announced it has raised $162 million in a Series D round of funding with a valuation of $2.7 billion. (By the way, Danggeun means carrot in Korean.). This round of funding was led by DST Global, with additional participation from Aspex Management, Reverent Partners and existing investors such as Goodwater Capital, Altos Ventures, SoftBank Ventures Asia, Kakao Ventures, Strong Ventures and Capstone Partners.

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Build the Company You Want, Not the One People Say You Should

Entrepreneur's Handbook

They are not the same thing Continue reading on Entrepreneur's Handbook ».

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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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Unemployable: 5 Realizations from my entrepreneurial journey

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Lauren Messiah, former president of EO Los Angeles, and the founder and CEO of Lauren Messiah Inc. She currently serves EO as president of EO OneWorld , a virtual membership platform with the goal of creating a more socially conscious, culturally diverse and inclusive experience for all EO members. Because a diverse EO is a strong EO.

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Splitting Ownership and Display/Consumption

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

I wrote about NFTs last week and said this in that post: But when a party emerges online that anyone is invited to attend and the 500 person group picks up a punk with a party hat and they all change their social network avatar to this, well that got my attention. [link]. Fractional/collective ownership is something we have been interested in at USV for a while.

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Apple’s sustainability-focused Impact Accelerator invites first 15 Black- and brown-owned companies

TechCrunch

Among Apple’s more recent social good initiatives is the Impact Accelerator, an effort launched about a year ago intended to find and elevate minority-owned small businesses taking on sustainability and climate change. The program now has its first 15 participants , gathered from all over the country for a three-month program and a shot at an Apple contract.

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The Secret to Recruiting Quickly and Retaining Your People

Tomasz Tunguz

There’s a simple secret to hiring quickly and building a strong team. Invest in great managers early. Let’s compare the organizational chart of two different startups. On the left, the startup is flat. There is a single leader, with a handful of individual contributors. On the right, the company structure is a classic hierarchy. When startups start, they tend to look like the company on the left.

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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!