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☆ The 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50: How we chose the companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( David Spiegel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The last Disruptor 50 company to go public was Gojek, which debuted on the Indonesia Stock Exchange more than a year ago. The last Disruptor 50 IPO in the U.S. market, Nubank , happened on December 9, 2021. Here's how we chose them:All private, independently owned startup companies founded after Jan. 1, 2008, were eligible to be nominated for the Disruptor 50 list. The 2023 list also features the first founder to have two companies make the Disruptor 50 (Rodney Williams of SoLo Funds). Imagine what that number could have been a year or two ago …Special thanks to the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 Advisory Council, who again offered us their time and insights.

☆ Institutional interest in crypto is 'maturing,' says Cantor Fitzgerald's Han
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It may look and feel like crypto has lost its shine for institutional investors, but their interest is still there to stay and may even be maturing, according to Cantor Fitzgerald's Elliot Han. Han, who leads the firm's crypto, blockchain and digital assets investment banking, told CNBC's "Crypto World" that those who have remained in crypto are exploring its different use cases. "There was all this crypto, blockchain hype and euphoria. Now, "we're seeing a lot more maturity," Han said, attributing it to regulation "slowly coming into place" and "more institutional players coming into the space." Most of the large banks like JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs that began experimenting seven years ago are still in the market, Han said.

☆ Silicon Valley's Hail Mary moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Silicon Valley has entered the Hail Mary phase of its business cycle — a desertic part of a tech-industry downturn where desperation can turn into recklessness. Don't fear the robotsTo understand the Hail Mary moment, it's important to understand the actual capabilities of technology these tech titans are touting. Again, what Musk is describing is AI general intelligence — something much more advanced than the generative AI OpenAI is building on at the moment. During the pandemic when governments were handing out cash and people were stuck at home, the world bought everything Silicon Valley was selling. But those are exactly the types of workers getting laid off in Silicon Valley right now.

☆ Amazon is the 500-pound gorilla in a room full of puppies when it comes to corporate buying of wind and solar power
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

In 2022, Amazon bought 10.9 gigawatts of clean power, making it the largest corporate buyer of renewable power in the world, according to data from the market research company BloombergNEF. It's also more than four times the amount of clean energy that the second-largest purchaser of clean power, Facebook parent company Meta , bought in 2022. Since 2019, Amazon has scaled from having one gigawatt of renewable energy to more than 20 gigawatts of publicly announced renewable power. Amazon is focused on building new wind and solar projects, Daitch told CNBC. But that's really more of a bridging solution and not our core strategy, which is around enabling new wind and solar projects," Daitch said.

☆ Here are the 5 key takeaways from this year's Milken Global conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The pullback by banks is raising the hopes of those in the private credit industry. Some panelists and others who spoke in the hallways of the event suggested that there was a large-scale handoff from private equity to private credit. Many private-equity firms are scrambling to raise private credit funds to take advantage. "I don't think this is the end of private equity, but the environment certainly favors private credit," he said. And that will show up in lower returns for private credit funds, she said.

☆ Some startups are selling at 80% discounts as investors finally come to terms with the collapse in valuations across the tech industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

As valuations drop, investors are increasingly looking to the secondary market to sell their startup shares. This scramble to cash out has led to a steep drop in prices for secondary transactions. With secondary transactions, investors can sell all or part of their stake in a VC fund in order to realize gains earlier than they otherwise would. In some cases, he says, StepStone has even acquired startup shares on the secondary market at prices 80% below their most recent funding rounds. Secondary investors came into 2023 sitting on $131 billion in dry powder, according to a survey from investment advisory firm Evercore.

☆ The creator economy could be a $250 billion industry, a Goldman Sachs report says. Here are 4 other takeaways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Goldman Sachs released in April a report that maps out the creator economy. The firm estimates the creator economy is a $250 billion industry, and could reach $480 billion by 2027. As the industry continues to take hold, Goldman Sachs released in April a report that maps out the creator economy, estimating its size and predicting key platform and engagement trends. Here are five key takeaways:The creator economy could be worth an estimated $250 billionGoldman Sachs estimates the creator economy represents a $250 billion total addressable market, which could reach about $480 billion by 2027. The data reflects total capital raised by companies labeled under the categories "content creator," "creator platform" and "creator economy."

☆ The creator economy is a $250 billion market, according to Goldman Sachs analysts. Here are 4 other takeaways from their 30-page report.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Goldman Sachs released in April a report that maps out the creator economy. The firm estimates the creator economy is a $250 billion industry, and could reach $480 billion by 2027. Here are five key takeaways:The creator economy could be worth an estimated $250 billionGoldman Sachs estimates the creator economy represents a $250 billion total addressable market, which could reach about $480 billion by 2027. Investment in creator-economy startups is decliningNot all aspects of the creator economy have grown unfettered. The data reflects total capital raised by companies labeled under the categories "content creator," "creator platform" and "creator economy."

☆ How 2 Silicon Valley vets are upending traditional venture capital with an investing model the industry hasn't seen before
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The pair then decided to launch a venture firm, Fiat Ventures, with fintech vet Marcos Fernandez. After stints at buzzy startups in Silicon Valley, the two college buds are now making a name for themselves as the cofounders of the growth consultancy firm, Fiat Growth, and its sister venture firm, Fiat Ventures. In the case of Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures, they have "reverse engineered" this model, where Fiat Growth acts in some ways like a platform team for its sister venture fund. Using this firsthand knowledge about industry trends and insight in startups with investing potential, Fiat Growth often passes this intel on to Fiat Ventures. How it all beganBefore cofounding Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures, Glover and Harris became friends while on the football team at the University of California, Berkeley.

☆ Want to invest in the A.I. boom? Veteran tech fund manager names 4 stocks to own
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic fantasy but closer to a reality predicted to transform many industries. "It's still very early, but ChatGPT described as the iPhone moment for the artificial intelligence technology industry feels about right to us." The tech fund manager also told CNBC's Pro Talks that four large-cap stocks were driving some of the biggest and most tangible advancements in artificial intelligence. Microsoft Microsoft could be one of the top options for investors looking to invest in artificial intelligence, according to Rogoff, lead manager of Polar Capital Technology Trust plc. The tech fund manager pointed to the company's 90% market share in search, where it can deploy its own ChatGPT-like language model.

☆ DoorDash-backed Flink is in talks to raise around $100 million at a haircut to its earlier $2.85 billion valuation, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Flink is raising around $100 million at a haircut to an earlier valuation, sources said. The startup most recently raised funding in 2022 at an estimated $5 billion valuation. Any prospective funding is mooted to be at a down round valuation of around $1.5 billion, two sources said. Discussions around fresh funding remain at an early stage and figures are subject to change. These firms, often only months old, raised funding rounds in rapid succession, hitting billion-dollar and multibillion-dollar valuations fast.

☆ Grocery app Getir, once worth $11.8 billion, sees valuation almost halved with new funding, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Getir, one of the biggest remaining grocery apps, has raised $500 million, per sources. But its valuation has been almost halved to around $6.5 billion, from $11.8 billion. Other existing shareholders added another $150 million to $200 million to the round, two further sources said. The deal is a 45% markdown on the $11.8 billion price tag that was placed on Getir during its last fundraise in March 2022. Getir could have been valued even lower but the deal came with a high liquidation preference, the sources added.

☆ Torch Capital's founder has some advice for startup founders: Down rounds aren't such a bad thing right now. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jonathan Keidan founded VC firm Torch Capital, which backed Ro and recently raised $200 million. Good founders will opt for down rounds over deal terms that could come back to bite, he says. As venture capital funding plummets and investors tighten their purse strings, Jonathan Keidan has a word of advice to startup founders: It's OK to take a down round. Most of the founders Torch has backed, Keidan said, are still steering clear of the relatively sluggish market. "You can roll up your sleeves and really help them, which has been critical in this environment," Keidan told Insider.

☆ Meet the 31-year old VC and self-made millionaire who faced Hong Kong loan sharks and his own fear of death
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

31-year old Maurice Ng came to the US with nothing after his family fled loan sharks in Hong Kong. It was a simple spreadsheet that inspired Maurice Ng at 29 to quit his job to become a venture capitalist. He deducted a little over 2,000 days for commuting time, and allowed himself 255 "regular sick days" and 10 "serious sick days." Assuming 3 meals a day, 365 days a year, 1 hour per meal, he deducted 5,817 days for eating. Despite the current turmoil in the tech industry and venture capital, Maurice seems to be inoculated against self doubt.

A bank run took down Silicon Valley Bank on March 10, as depositors withdrew $42 billion in a single day. And that’s why we’ve gone to community banks and regional banks such as SVB,” Bradley said. SVB’s collapse could spark future change, entrepreneur saysBecause of these disparities, entrepreneurs also seek funding from venture capitalists. In the early 2010s, Hamilton intended to start her own tech company — but as she searched for investors, she saw that White men control nearly all venture capital dollars. That experience led her to establish Backstage Capital, a venture capital fund that invests in new companies led by underrepresented founders.

☆ Softbank-backed adtech firm Permutive announces further layoffs, which could affect up to 40% of staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Permutive told staffers this week it's preparing a round of layoffs that may affect up to 40% of staff. It follows an earlier round of layoffs in August last year, which reduced its then-headcount by 12%. Permutive said it wants to focus on profitability amid a challenging economic environment and drop in venture funding. UK-based adtech company Permutive this week announced a layoff that is expected to affect just under 80 staffers, or about 40% of its headcount, Insider has learned. UK employment laws stipulate employers laying off more than 20 staff must consult with employee representatives over redundancy plans.

☆ Exclusive: The University of California has invested billions in venture capital firms since 2000 and it has lost hundreds of millions so far. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Bergman | Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider obtained UC Investments' returns through a Public Records Act request. Unlike many other financial institutions, VC funds are not required to show their return on investment in startups. UC Investments, which has been managed by Jagdeep Singh Bachher since 2014, declined to comment. Though selling early produced an initial windfall, UC Investments could have ultimately missed out on substantial gains from these VC funds. By comparison, UC Investments earned a 8.3% return for its investment in public markets.

Europe and the U.S. are scrambling to wean themselves off rare earths from China, which account for 90% of global refined output. Australia's RMIT University estimates there are 16.2 million tonnes of unexploited rare earths in 325 mineral sands deposits worldwide, while the U.S. Idaho National Laboratory said 100,000 tonnes of rare earths each year end up in waste from producing phosphoric acid alone. That, Adamas says, is equivalent to some 8% of expected demand for the two rare earths, vital for making permanent magnets to power EV and wind turbine motors. Reuters GraphicsReuters GraphicsQUICKER THAN NEW MINESRecovering rare earths from waste is much quicker than setting up new projects from scratch. The company will extract phosphorus for fertiliser, fluorine and gypsum in addition to rare earths.

☆ Technology Slump Refocuses Startups on Capital Discipline
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Luis Garcia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Slumping valuations for technology companies are making managers at emerging-markets startups direct their attention to capital discipline after years of booming investments and rising valuations that shunted aside cash concerns, according to venture-capital fund managers from areas such as Africa, Asia and Latin America. “In the last five years, the environment that basically has trained or educated [startup founders] on the ground was not the right environment,” said Kuo-Yi Lim, a co-founder and managing partner at Southeast Asia-focused Monk’s Hill Ventures. Mr. Lim and other emerging-markets fund managers spoke during a Global Private Capital Association conference in New York this week.

Macro and trend-following hedge funds dropped 3.2% this month through March 29, while algorithmic commodity trading advisor funds (CTAs) dove 6.8%. Hedge fund strategies based around macroeconomic ideas like those run by Rokos, DG Parters and EDL Capital fund posted negative performances in March, sources and bank data said. Trend-following hedge funds, which trade on systematically programmed ideas, also posted big losses. The bank decided not to change clients' borrowing limits, but it has increased diligence oversight on the hedge fund exposure, including new clients, the broker said. Trend-following funds tend to bail quickly on trades that stop working, said a pension fund director who invests in hedge funds.

☆ How I became one of 9 Black and Latina female founders whose startup reached $1 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iman Abuzeid is one of nine Black and Latina female founders with a startup valued at $1 billion. That made Abuzeid one of nine Black and Latina female founders whose startups have reached a billion-dollar valuation. Black female founders must focus on winningThe statistics are bad, and they demonstrate a real structural bias in the system. When you narrow it down to Black female founders, it's 0.2%, which is effectively zero. I have a therapist, and I'm a huge fan of all CEOs and founders getting a therapist.

☆ Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck that Y Combinator alum Careerist, a tech career training and job placement startup, used to raise $8 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Careerist is an edtech startup that helps train and recruit workers for open tech jobs. Now, the team has grown to over 100 employees and just raised $8 million in venture capital funding. Careerist also offers tech recruiting help, automating the job application process to help users find viable leads for new roles. The accelerator helped the Careerist team get in touch with investors for the company's seed round and also many employer partners, and was very helpful in figuring out how best to grow the business, Tysbaev said. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck Careerist used to raise $8 million:

☆ SVB sale puts too-big-to-fail risk in a new bottle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The sale of SVB to rival First Citizens Bancshares (FCNCA.O) addresses the first part, and doubles down on the second. First Citizens snapped up $110 billion of SVB’s assets over the weekend, at a generous $16.5 billion discount to book value. And for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, which is handling SVB’s sale, First Citizens chief Frank Holding is a known quantity. In SVB’s case, the FDIC has agreed to absorb some potential losses in the failed bank’s loan book. The FDIC expects its fund for managing failed banks will take a $20 billion hit.

☆ Corporations desperate to avoid poor quality carbon credits and are starting up their own climate funds to offset emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The voluntary carbon market has a problem with bad quality carbon credits. "Headline after headline is published exposing these offsets for poor quality," Michelle You, CEO and cofounder of carbon removal platform Supercritical told Insider. The London Stock Exchange has also done this for investors - instead of getting dividends, they get carbon credits. He expects bespoke funds will phase out when the quality of carbon credits is better assured. Frontier Fund has brought widespread attention to the carbon removal space and sends critical demand signals to early carbon removal companies, Supercritical's You said.

☆ Bitcoin is a solution looking for a problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since his Miami proclamations, bitcoin’s price has fallen by nearly 40%, though in the last few weeks after Silicon Valley Bank’s failure it has had a resurgence. At first glance, his prediction seems wildly optimistic but directionally reasonable – bitcoin has surged by over 35% since SVB’s collapse on March 10. What’s more, bitcoin may never have surpassed $60,000 to reach its highest-ever price level in 2021 had the Fed not kept interest rates consistently low. It’s the prospect of lower rates – not the lack of government stability – that is opening the door to riskier bets like those on bitcoin. Gold is a tangible asset, unlike bitcoin, and that’s precisely what makes it an inflation hedge.

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