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☆ Countries around the world have legalized cannabis. Guess what could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Now, some investors are betting that psychedelic therapies can grab a share of that enormous market. Due to their mind-bending qualities, substances like psilocybin, ketamine, LSD and MDMA remain illegal in most of the world. But venture firms that invest in the new industry are standing by the drugs. As interest from the medical community and investors grows, what's next for the psychedelic therapy market? Watch the video above to find out.

☆ A Bullpen Capital VC explains how startups should structure their pitch decks when fundraising — and offers advice for founders from underrepresented backgrounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here are her tips on how founders can structure their pitch decks in today's financial landscape. However, things might look up towards the end of summer, which she says could be the best time for founders to pitch venture-capital firms. An integral way she decides which startups get funding is by reviewing their pitch decks, she says. Based on her experience reviewing hundreds of pitch decks, Lai explains how founders looking to raise money in today's financial landscape should structure their presentations. She also shares what she terms a "controversial opinion": that founders should research the VCs they're pitching to and learn what their priorities are.

☆ Fintech threat to big banks fizzled in 2022 as rates rose - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Hannah Lang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - The competitive threat of financial technology companies to big banks diminished over the past year as rising interest rates constricted funding, a new report from Moody's Investor Service found. The report cited figures from CB Insights that showed global fintech funding fell 46% from 2021 to 2022. Banks have long recognized that technology could disrupt business models and allow technology conglomerates to enter banking, Moodys said. Fintech companies often face more regulatory obstacles than banks and may have encountered new requirements in certain jurisdictions in recent years, according to Moody’s. But although the current macroeconomic environment may pose challenges to fintech companies, the sector still has the potential to increase financial inclusion and lower costs to consumers, the report found.

☆ Returns from top venture firms NEA, DCM, and Khosla have been dismal over the past 2 decades, according to filings from California's largest pension fund, CalPERS
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

CalPERS is the US's largest public pension plan, managing the retirement accounts of 1.5 million California employees and retirees. Unlike many other financial institutions, VC funds are not required to show their return on investment in startups. The CalPERS fund's $75 million bet in 2001 on a venture fund managed by the Carlyle Group lost money. A $25 million investment in DCM's 2000 fund had a 1.9% IRR. Its $260 million investment in two Khosla Ventures funds in 2009 yielded an IRR of 11.8% for the early-to-midstage fund and 6.9% for the seed-stage fund.

☆ Investor Brianne Kimmel is doubling down on AI with a new bootcamp and $20 million pledge to back hot, new startups in the space
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Worklife Ventures founder Brianne Kimmel is launching a bootcamp for AI startups. Her firm has pledged $20 million to invest in those AI companies that complete the bootcamp. As part of the AI bootcamp, her firm is committing $20 million to invest into companies that complete the program. "I grew up in northeast Ohio, and a lot of friends from my high school are using this technology," Kimmel said. Formerly a grant program, AI Grant now makes $250,000 investments in AI companies.

☆ Early Deliveroo investor Hoxton Ventures is set to lose one of its founding partners
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European venture capital firm Hoxton Ventures, a backer of some of the U.K.'s best-known tech unicorns, is set to lose one of its founding partners. They include food delivery app Deliveroo and cybersecurity firm Darktrace . Some of Hoxton's portfolio companies have seen their public market values sink as investors re-examined their exposure to tech. Babylon Health has lost 95% of its market value since going public via a combination with a special purpose acquisition company. Nonetheless, Hoxton generated a hundredfold return on its early bets on Deliveroo and grew the value of its Darktrace position by fiftyfold since first investing in the company, according to one of the sources.

☆ Indian digital payments firm PhonePe raises $100 mln at $12 bln valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Indian digital payments firm (WMT.N) PhonePe said on Tuesday it has raised $100 million from Ribbit Capital, Tiger Global and TVS Capital Funds in a funding round that valued the Walmart Inc-backed company at $12 billion. The latest round is part of PhonePe's primary fundraise that took place last month through which the company raised $350 million from General Atlantic. Having raised $450 million in six weeks, PhonePe said it expects to raise the rest from global and Indian investors in due course. Despite a funding winter, the Indian digital payments space has been a bright spot due to the popularity of online payments and startups' ambitions to branch into the lucrative financial services space. PhonePe, in which U.S. retail giant Walmart has had a majority stake since 2018, completed its separation from Indian e-commerce major Flipkart last year.

☆ The great venture-capital resignation is now the great uncertainty for many solo GPs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But what's gone almost unnoticed in the midst of the tech bloodletting is that consolidation is coming for venture investors, too. "Anyone who wanted to raise a fund could," said Nichole Wischoff, a solo venture capitalist. In essence, the great venture-capital resignation has become the great uncertainty. Family offices and institutions that front money to venture funds are being inundated with pitches, multiple sources said. "There's not going to be a rush by the big mega-platforms to hire them," said the principal at the early-stage venture firm.

☆ These are 10 of the hottest fashion brands that tech founders and investors are wearing again as people head back to the office
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

ArgentArgent is a work wear brand that specializes in women's suits and has dressed politicians like Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi. ArgentArgent specializes in women's suits. In recent years, the startup has dressed politicians like Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi, actresses like Amy Poehler, and even former royalty like Meghan Markle. The brand also received investment from Peter Thiel's venture capital fund, Founders Fund. Price Range: $$$ (3 out of 4) (based on approximate prices: blazers range between $300-$600; pants $200-$300)

☆ Twitter went down because an employee accidentally deleted data, and there was nobody left on the team responsible due to Elon Musk's cuts, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On Wednesday, Twitter users were faced with the errant warning: "You are over the daily limit for sending tweets." And the team responsible for the service had all left the company in November, per Platformer. In a private message seen by Insider's Kali Hays, one Twitter employee described it as "a massive outage." Since Musk took over the company, employee numbers have fallen more than two-thirds, from over 7,000 to around 2,300, per the billionaire himself. After Wednesday's outage, Musk emailed Twitter staff telling them to "pause new feature development" in order to ensure "system stability and robustness," Fortune first reported.

☆ Laid off from a startup and on an H-1B visa? Here are 3 main things immigrant workers should know, according to experts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here are three steps laid off visa holders should take, according to tech industry experts. Though, it appears that laid off immigrant workers are having success finding new roles. Insider spoke with immigration attorneys, venture capitalists, and recruitment experts and compiled the three most important steps laid off H-1B visa holders should take during their 60-day window. Look into other visa categoriesAn attorney can also advise on what other visa categories a worker could be eligible for. "Companies started by immigrant workers employ a lot of immigrant workers too," she said.

☆ Check out the 11-slide pitch deck Moonfare, a startup that lets high-net-worth individuals invest in private equity funds, used to raise a $15 million extension
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

German fintech Moonfare has raised $15 million in its second extension to its Series C round. We got an exclusive look at the 11-slide pitch deck Moonfare used to raise the fresh cash. Moonfare, a startup that grants access to private equity for retail investors, has raised $15 million in fresh funds. Moonfare raised $125 million in a Series C round in November from Shopify and Twitter-backer Insight Partners. Now, it has added another $15 million in an extension round led by from 7 Global Capital (7GC).

☆ Cyber firm Wiz moving funds out of Israel due to judicial plans -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Israelis working in the hi-tech sector hold signs with the Hebrew words "No democracy, no hi-tech" as they demonstrate against proposed judicial reforms by Israel's new right-wing government in Tel Aviv, Israel January 24, 2023. The source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Wiz, a unicorn with a value of some $6 billion, has concerns about growing uncertainty in the Israeli market in light of the proposed changes. Wiz declined to comment on the transfer of money out of Israel which was initially reported by Channel 12 news. The proposed judicial overhaul, which has yet to be written into law, would tighten political control over judicial appointments and limit the Supreme Court's powers to overturn government decisions or Knesset laws. On Monday, Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron told lawmakers that institutional independence was vital for Israel's sovereign credit rating.

☆ US startups laid off more than 3,000 workers in January — a 1,700% jump from the same month last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( April Joyner | Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

After the 2021 boom in venture capital investing, startups are cutting costs and slashing jobs. More than 3,000 US startup employees lost their jobs in January, according to data from Layoffs.fyi. By contrast, in January 2022, only about 180 startup employees faced layoffs. Many of these companies raised large sums of venture capital funding before the market pullback. Here's the full list of the US startups that conducted layoffs in January, according to data from Layoffs.fyi.

☆ Here's how to invest in the AI craze, according to ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"There are several ways to invest in AI," ChatGPT answered. "Purchase shares of private AI companies," it also responded. ChatGPT's charm stems from its natural-language ability, so I asked it:What companies can I invest in for exposure to natural language processing? Microsoft (MSFT): Microsoft has a number of different NLP products, including Microsoft Cognitive Services and the Azure Machine Learning platform. But I asked ChatGPT anyway: Can I invest in ChatGPT?

☆ ExodusPoint's 2022 struggles is a lesson for all of Wall Street: Play the hits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I shudder to compare some of the greatest artists of our generation to a hedge fund, but I can't help but notice some similarities between their disdain for their biggest hits and ExodusPoint's difficult 2022. The hedge fund, which still holds the industry's largest launch in history, ended the year with fewer assets, employees, and PMs than it started with. The world's biggest hedge fund has a new co-CIO. Ken Griffin, the billionaire owner of hedge fund Citadel, is causing quite the stir over his suggestion that a historic home on a property he owns in Miami be relocated. The firm continues to cut back on the size of a venture-capital fund its raising, The Wall Street Journal reports, with a new goal of $5 billion.

☆ Seeking nominations for women startup founders in the creator economy. Nominate yourself or someone you know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

We are looking for women startup founders in the creator economy and influencer space. But despite a complicated year, the space continues to grow and VC funds continue to invest in startups that cater to creators and influencers — some of them, like Night Ventures or Creator Ventures, have made investments in this area their focus. Now, we are looking to highlight women founders in the creator-economy industry. We will take into consideration factors like customer adoption, funding and financials, and its impact on the creator economy as a whole. You can nominate yourself or someone you know via the Google Form below, until Monday, February 13.

The target for Tiger Global’s latest venture fund is down from $6 billion last fall and early expectations of around $12.7 billion. Tiger Global Management is scaling back its plans for a large venture-capital fund, a reversal for the tech investor that epitomized the Silicon Valley startup mania. The New York-based manager told investors it is reducing the target size for its latest venture fund to $5 billion, down from a $6 billion target it set when it began fundraising last fall, according to people familiar with the matter. The $6 billion itself was well below Tiger’s early expectations that it would raise a roughly comparable fund to its last, which totaled $12.7 billion, some investors said.

REUTERS/Phil NobleCOVENTRY, England, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Developing fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) that can go everywhere has proven harder and more expensive than expected, but investors are continuing to fund startups that target simpler self-driving vehicle solutions far removed from pedestrians and other vehicles operated by unpredictable humans. Earlier promises made by robotaxi companies of operating fleets of vehicles by the early 2020s have fallen well short. BMW iVentures has also invested in AV truck technology firm Kodiak Robotics, which managing partner Sage said has adopted a simpler approach to areas like mapping. Construction and agricultural equipment - used off-road in low-traffic environments - has been another growth area for AV startups. U.S. agricultural equipment maker AGCO Corp (AGCO.N), for instance, is using the Palo Alto, California-based startup's software for an experimental automated electric planter.

☆ How Ark Invest's Cathie Wood is investing behind the artificial intelligence boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ark Invest's Cathie Wood said Wednesday said artificial intelligence is the most important catalyst in every corner of her disruptive innovation strategy. "Many people say data is the new gold as they were talking about the cloud and other movements in technology, I think that's ever more true now with artificial intelligence," Wood said on CNBC's " Squawk Box ." "I think there's going to be a lot of commoditization in in this industry, in the whole artificial intelligence movement." In September, Ark Invest launched a new venture capital fund, targeting individual investors with a minimum investment of just $500. The actively managed Ark Venture Fund invests in 70% private firms and 30% public companies focused on technologically enabled innovation.

☆ European software startup investor Notion Capital set to raise around $300 million for fifth and largest-ever fund, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

European venture capital fund Notion Capital is set to raise its fifth fund, Insider understands. The London-based investor has secured around $300 million in commitments so far, sources say. European venture capital firm Notion Capital, which has backed companies like Currencycloud and GoCardless, is set to raise its fifth fund, sources say. Notion filed for its fifth fund in Luxembourg in February 2022. The fifth fund's commitments came in sizable chunks from LPs last year with around $200 million raised over the course of 2022, one London-based source said.

☆ Fintech startup Meadow wants to make paying for college easier and update the 'outdated tech' at many colleges. It just raised $3.5 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Meadow is a fintech-meets-edtech startup that lets students calculate what they'd pay for college. On Meadow, students can see what their full cost for school would be after financial aid. The startup has landed partnerships with big universities and just raised $3.5 million in funding. It was especially hard for first generation or immigrant students, Brillembourg said, because of the hoops they needed to jump through to secure funds from multiple sources. "You're 18, not financially literate, and being thrown into this large complex financial payments journey with little or no support to navigate it," he said.

☆ Edtech startup Meadow wants to make it easier for students to track the cost of their tuition and update the 'outdated tech' at many colleges. It just raised $3.5 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Meadow is a fintech-meets-edtech startup that lets students calculate what they'd pay for college. On Meadow, students can see what their full cost for school would be after financial aid. The startup has landed partnerships with big universities and just raised $3.5 million in funding. It also sends reminders to current students to keep track of when their tuition payments are coming up and how much they owe. "You're 18, not financially literate, and being thrown into this large complex financial payments journey with little or no support to navigate it," he said.

☆ How analysts are playing gig economy stocks ahead of earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The 2022 selloffs underscored the challenges gig economy stocks have faced in recent years as novelty and venture capital funding chilled, analysts have said to clients. Analysts are now contemplating how to position ahead of the major gig companies' earnings reports, which kick off with Uber on Feb. 8. A look at where each company stands: Uber UBER LYFT,DASH 5Y mountain Gig economy stocks One area where analysts at SVB MoffettNathanson, Jefferies and Bernstein all agree: be bullish on Uber. Lyft Analysts at the three firms, however, are leery when it comes to competitor Lyft. DoorDash Analysts were split on DoorDash.

☆ Why urgent care centers are popping up everywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And there are questions about the quality of care at urgent care centers and whether they adequately serve low-income communities. Additionally, passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 spurred an increase in urgent care providers as millions of newly insured Americans sought out health care. Private-equity and venture capital funds also poured billions into deals for urgent care centers, according to data from PitchBook. Equity concernsSome doctors and researchers worry that patients with primary care doctors – and those without – are substituting urgent care visits in place of a primary care provider. There are also concerns about the oversaturation of urgent care centers in higher-income areas that have more consumers with private health care and limited access in medically underserved areas.

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