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☆ I made $200,000 last year ghostwriting tweets for superstar VCs. It takes me 5 hours a week. Here's how I found my clients and built a booming side hustle from scratch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ghostwriting tweets for venture capitalists is my side hustle. So I have a special CRM I use just for ghostwriting work, as well as a dedicated laptop, a dedicated phone, and a separate email address. VCs would deploy $10 million or $15 million a year into companies trying to raise $1 million or $2 million. My life as a ghostAs a ghostwriter, I never log in to a client's Twitter account. It's important to me that I do all of the ghostwriting work myself, as a side hustle.

☆ Gen Z banking app Step, backed by the likes of Charli D'Amelio and Steph Curry, just raised $300 million in debt funding and launched crypto investing as it surpasses 3.5 million accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Step, a banking app designed for teens, said Tuesday it raised $300 million in debt. Step has now raised $500 million in equity and debt from a bevy of venture and celebrity backers. On Tuesday, financial-technology startup Step announced $300 million in debt funding led by venture-debt specialist TriplePoint Capital, with participation from Step's banking partner, Evolve Bank & Trust. The startup has previously raised $200 million in equity funding since launching in 2018. "In a matter of just the last couple of years, there's been a lot of volatility" in crypto, MacDonald said.

☆ How newsletter startup Workweek plans to become the next Condé Nast — and sell chicken sandwiches
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Workweek is a media company built around a roster of 21 newsletter writers. This summer, the operations team at the business-focused media startup Workweek began brainstorming the best way to open a chicken restaurant. Regardless of whether Workweek begins selling chicken or not, the project is already a success in its CEO Adam Ryan's eyes. "One of the things that we wanted to answer was, could we make 10 times more revenue per subscriber than the average media company?" Heading into 2023, Workweek plans to expand its talent roster and grow into new content verticals.

☆ The 16 most promising cloud-software startups of 2022, according to VCs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Katie Malone | Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Insider asked top venture capitalists to name the most promising startups of 2022They named many software-as-a-service startups focused on B2B. It's been a rough fundraising year for many startups as VCs have radically slowed spending from 2021 levels. Finding promising, flourishing B2B software-as-a-service, or SaaS, cloud startups in 2022 is a bit more difficult than it has been in years past. Insider asked top investors to name the most promising startups they've seen this year, both in and out of their portfolios. Here are the 16 most promising SaaS startups of 2022, according to VCs, from least to most capital raised:

☆ A former Shopify exec is taking a page out of the e-commerce company's playbook to build planning software for parents
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Madeline Stone | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With Maple, parents can create and assign tasks like paying the bills, planning a family trip or birthday party, and doing chores. "The next Martha Stewart is going to be made on Maple," Perry said. For example, a Disney aficionado created a guide for visiting Disneyland that parents planning a trip could find within the Maple app's browser. "Planning the trips, planning for summer camp, planning for Disneyland, planning the week's meals, the college financial planning — whatever they're planning, there is a family in need of that same exact information." The Shopify App Store, which has more than 7,000 apps geared toward online sellers, also provided some inspiration for Perry.

☆ Startup Workspan raised $30 million to keep growing as it helps top tech companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and SAP manage relationships with partners
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ecosystem management tool Workspan has raised a $30 million Series C round. Workspan's tools help companies like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services co-sell with partners. It was there that he came up with the idea for what would become his next company, WorkSpan. Workspan was able to gain momentum quickly because of how necessary its tool is to large technology companies, Bawa said. Workspan has raised a total of $66 million in funding from investors like Insight Partners, Mayfield Fund, M12, and Redline Capital Management.

☆ How the founders of hot cannabis-beverage startup Cann quietly raised millions from big-name investors amid the industry's downturn
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Jeremy Berke | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Cann's cofounders shared their vision for competing with the biggest alcohol brands. Cann is InvestBev's first foray into cannabis beverages, Brian Rosen, an InvestBev partner, told Insider in an interview. He said his firm was looking to make an investment in cannabis beverages, and Cann stood out to him. The future of cannabis beverages will be challenging, founders sayTo be sure, cannabis beverages face challenges. Big alcohol brands have made their own bets on cannabis beverages, without much to show so far.

☆ I binge-listened to tech podcasts for a week, and what I learned about Silicon Valley is kind of scary
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

2: The hosts don't know what they don't knowThe problem is, VC podcasts don't stick to the core issues of venture capital. 3: The hosts want us to believe what they don't knowThere's a shocking amount of this kind of drivel on the tech podcasts. This is what a good tech podcast should do: Use access to the best and most successful investors and innovators to illuminate the way Silicon Valley works. But that's not what matters in the world of tech podcasts. But after 40 hours of listening to tech podcasts, I feel kind of bad about it.

☆ A wave of restaurant operators and high-profile chains like Chipotle and Burger King are investing millions in innovation amid a slowdown in food-tech funding. Here are 10 investing in ghost kitchens,
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

"My dad says I'm taking the joy out of a restaurant," Frischling said. "If this industry doesn't keep up, we're not going to have so many restaurants," Frischling told Insider. Frischling is part of a wave of restaurant operators and high-profile chains investing millions in the industry's future. Over the years, Chipotle, Inspire Brands, and Restaurant Brands International — the owner of Burger King and Popeyes — have invested in autonomous-delivery vehicles, ghost kitchens, and digital-ordering software. IGC HospitalityThe New York restaurant company, also known as In Good Company Hospitality Group, invested in the restaurant-tech firm MarginEdge in 2021, according to PitchBook.

☆ Wall Street shops get dinged for nearly $2 billion in penalties for failing to police bankers' use of Whatsapp
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Aaron Weinman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some of the world's largest banks from Goldman Sachs to Morgan Stanley will cough up nearly $2 billion in penalties to the US regulators for failing to sufficiently monitor their employees' use of unauthorized messaging apps. At the heart of the matter here are bankers' use of communications platforms like Whatsapp or Signal. These are encrypted messaging apps that bankers regularly use to communicate with clients and even journalists. The largest US banks, boutiques, and European lenders were caught up in a probe around the use of unauthorized messaging apps. Whatsapp, for example, is a popular messaging app with bankers dealing with clients based outside the US.

☆ HBCUvc's operating chief reviews hundreds of applications for the nonprofit's program that offers paid internships at VC firms. Here's what she looks for in a top application.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

HBCUvc offers HBCU alumni and those from underrepresented backgrounds paid VC firm internships. The nonprofit aims to combat issues of diversity and accessibility within the venture industry. The application processHBCUvc's fellowship program aims to combat these issues and offers three opportunities: HBCU, 50 South, and PledgeLA. 50 South offers an internship with Chicago-based investment firm 50 South, and PledgeLA matches applicants to firms in the Los Angeles area. HBCU and 50 South have three application cycles per year, with the upcoming cycle accepting applications until October 2 and finalizing applicant-firm matches by November 11.

☆ Cathie Wood’s ARK Launches Venture Fund Open to Individual Investors
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Hannah Miao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/cathie-woods-ark-launches-venture-fund-open-to-individual-investors-11664249048

☆ Cathie Wood's new fund gives small investors access to the VC market for just $500
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Cathie Wood, chief executive officer and chief investment officer, Ark Invest, speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference on May 2, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. Cathie Wood's Ark Invest launched a new venture capital fund, targeting individual investors with a minimum investment of just $500. "We are doubling down on innovation," Wood said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" Tuesday. The ARK Venture Fund charges a flat management fee of 2.75%, and does not charge any carried interest or load fees. Ark's flagship Innovation Fund (ARKK) has been under water all year as Wood's disruptive darlings have been some of the biggest victims of rising interest rates.

☆ We would not be surprised to see months of deflation soon, says ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe would not be surprised to see months of deflation soon, says ARK Invest CEO Cathie WoodARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss ARK's new venture fund, which is targeted toward individual investors with a minimum investment of $500. Wood breaks down her expectations for interest rates and inflation in the months ahead.

☆ How AI service startup Aisera is helping companies embrace machine learning to automate tasks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

His startup, Aisera, uses machine learning and natural language processing to resolve customer service, IT, sales, and operations problems by integrating with a host of enterprise applications like Zendesk, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, and ServiceNow. The startup also offers a conversational AI service, or a chat service, in multiple languages that is meant to quickly resolve certain issues. Funding for AI, machine learning, and data analysis grew to $115 billion in 2021, according to PitchBook data. For example, Dave uses Aisera's conversational AI for its around-the-clock customer service, allowing the startup to resolve customer questions before handing off to a human if the question is more complicated. "Thanks to Shelly, Chegg's global service desk technicians can better focus on solving complex issues and proactive support."

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with ARK Invest's Cathie Wood
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with ARK Invest's Cathie WoodARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss ARK's new venture fund, which is targeted toward individual investors with a minimum investment of $500. Wood lays out her expectations for interest rates and inflation in the months ahead and also discusses why she's bullish on shares of Tesla and Roku.

☆ This chip startup wants machines to see the world the way humans do. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Prophesee used to raise $50 million.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

French semiconductor startup Prophesee has raised 50 million euros in fresh funds. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck it used to raise the capital from Aramco's venture fund. A startup that uses computer vision technology to mimic the way the human brain and eye work has raised 50 million euros (around $50 million) in a round led by Aramco's venture capital fund. The company has built a significant partnership with Sony that has resulted in a fresh sensor that combines Prophesee's technology with Sony's electronic chip sensor technology. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck used to raise the fresh funds below:

☆ A new player in the grocery software startup just raised $10 million to compete in the nearly $150 billion online grocery segment. Check out the 13-page pitch deck that helped Vori secure the deal.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Vori raised a $10 million Series A for its grocery-inventory software aimed at indepedent grocers. Roughly a third of US grocery sales happen at independent grocers, but many of these grocers lack the technology of bigger players like Kroger and Walmart. Vori, an inventory-management startup, pitches itself as a solution for those smaller grocers — a position that just helped it raise $10 million. Vori's inventory software provides inventory services to grocers that might only have a few stores, Hill said. "Our customers have been our most active and enthusiastic investors," Hill said.

"Today, there's much stronger appetite for India and Southeast Asia," Joel Thickins, co-managing partner at TPG Capital Asia, told Reuters. The enthusiasm persists despite due diligence for startups that requires many months while valuations are under pressure, investors said. But although funds were diversifying, investors said the region's vastly different markets meant a uniform investing strategy was not ideal. One area that I constantly notice that everybody is very interested in is Southeast Asia. "There are still individual U.S. cities where startups are raising more money than all of the startups in Southeast Asia," said Julie Ruvolo, managing director of venture capital at Global Private Capital Association, which says its 300 members manage assets of more than $2 trillion.

☆ International VCs flooded Latin America in 2021. Some are wondering whether they'll ever see returns.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

2021 was a record year for venture capital in Latin America; deal activity increased by over 260%. 2021 was a record-breaking year for venture capital investment in Latin America, with the region's deal activity increasing by more than 260%, according to data from PitchBook. In 2021 alone, Latin America minted nine unicorns, or private companies worth more than $1 billion. As of August, Latin America had only $600 million in new fundraising, compared with $3.6 billion in all of 2021. "It did get very overheated," said Ryan Bloomer, a managing partner at K50 Ventures, which has been investing in Latin America since 2016.

☆ FTX in talks to raise up to $1 billion in new venture capital money
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFTX in talks to raise up to $1 billion in new venture capital moneyCNBC's Kate Rooney reports on FTX's ambitions as Sam Bankman-Fried tries to raise an additional $1 billion in venture funds.

☆ Printing the future: New factory tech reshapes the U.S. industrial economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Timothy Aeppel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

DEVENS, Mass., Sept 21 (Reuters) - The giant machines churning out metal parts on this factory floor do not bang or clang - or make any other noise usually associated with heavy-duty manufacturing. VulcanForms builds metal parts by layering on and fusing together materials bit by bit — rather than cutting them out of blocks of metal or stamping them out in metal foundries. The factory has made everything from medical implants and gun suppressors to tire molds and computer cooling devices. VulcanForms is unique among 3D printing companies in that it builds its own proprietary machines - which it will not sell to other producers - and uses them to make parts for its customers. The company is growing quickly, with plans to double the number of 3D printing machines at the Devens factory by the end of this year.

☆ Prolific unicorn backer Brad Svrluga dishes on the 'lower valuations' and 'long waits for funding' that await founders this fall
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

For Brad Svrluga, cofounder and general partner of VC firm Primary, venture deals are ramping up. Here's why he thinks this new normal is good for founders, who need to set "rational expectations." Startup founders and venture capitalists across the country have begun to see signs of a fall comeback after the first summer slowdown in two years. In 2021, the hyper-competitiveness of the market meant that VCs were offering some startups term sheets in a matter of minutes. Still, for early-stage founders looking to raise today, the days of easy money and competing term sheets are gone.

☆ Footwear startup Gales nears $4 million raise in a bid to become the Nike for nurses and doctors. 'What Nike has built for the athlete we're looking to build for the standing professional.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Matthew Kish | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"What Nike has built for the athlete we're looking to build for the standing professional," he told Insider. It raised a $2.1 million round in September 2021. Kizik, which makes slip-on sneakers and is backed by Nike, raised a $20 million round, and Hilma, which makes running shoes for women, raised a $3 million round. Courtesy GalesA $434 million market rife with opportunityAccording to NPD Group, the market for "occupational footwear" increased by 28% in 2021, to $434.4 million. He also founded and exited the footwear brand Rob McAllan, which sold dress shoes designed to perform more like sneakers.

☆ These startups are beating Elon Musk in the race to let you mind meld with your computer
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-17 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

That's when I started reporting on them, and like any good nerd I was compelled by what scientists could learn with these "brain computer interfaces." The race for implantable brain chips has been a long, deliberate marathon. Graham Felstead, who has severe paralysis, was the first person to have a BCI inserted via the blood vessels. Brain chips will enable them to perform simple actions on their own and reduce the need for round-the-clock care. "When we started in 2015 and I was pitching venture capitalists on brain computer interfaces, no one knew what a brain computer interface was," says Matt Angle, the CEO of Paradromics.

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