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☆ 20 women in venture capital who made partner or higher at firms like Khosla Ventures and GV in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The venture capital industry is overwhelmingly male. But more firms made moves to close the gender gap in 2023 by hiring and promoting women to partners. Startups and venture capital are still overwhelmingly boy's clubs — but each year, more and female investors are claiming their seat at the table. Business Insider is recognizing the women in venture capital who made partner or general partner for the first time in 2023. You can read more about Europe's new female partners here.

Persons: Alice Brooks, Jennifer Campbell Organizations: Khosla Ventures, Business

☆ New homeowners are fleeing their pandemic-era digs to be closer to the office, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Large employers like Apple, Google, and Tesla are calling employees back to the office. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . About 10% of US house sellers are looking to move specifically because of policies about working in the office, according to a September report by Redfin cited by the Journal. But it's also a boom for city housing markets, which was once sluggish thanks to high interest rates.

Persons: Tesla, —, Redfin, Elon Musk, it's Organizations: Apple, Google, Service, Wall Street, Journal, SpaceX, Elon Locations: U.S, New York, San Francisco, Austin

☆ Some OpenAI engineers make as much as $800,000 and were key players in Sam Altman's return
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI reinstated CEO Sam Altman after a dayslong saga kicked off with the board firing him Friday. AdvertisementOpenAI staffers who threatened to quit this week over CEO Sam Altman's firing are making up to $800,000 per year, according to Bloomberg. AdvertisementBut tech-firm salaries don't include bonuses or stock awards, which can bring total compensation for some OpenAI engineers closer to $800,000, Bloomberg said. But despite the high demand for talent, there are aren't many people who understand the technology, so companies value these workers with high salaries as well as influence. At OpenAI, these employees played a key role in Altman's eventual rehire at the AI startup following his surprise ouster last week.

Persons: OpenAI, Sam Altman, Altman, —, Sam Altman's, OpenAI's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Meta, Google, Tech, The New York Times, Altman's eventual, Microsoft, Twitter Locations: OpenAI, Altman's

Sam Altman is returning as the CEO of OpenAI. We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo. — OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 22, 2023The news comes after a chaotic weekend in Silicon Valley. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m… — Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023Nadella has also commented on Altman's return, writing that they are "encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board." November 23, 3:03 p.m. — This story has been updated to reflect Sam Altman and Satya Nadella's comments on X.AdvertisementThis is a developing story.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, they'd, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, —, Altman's, Taylor, Altman, OpenAI's, Satya Nadella, msft, i’m, Nadella, Satya Nadella's Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Business Insider Locations: Silicon Valley, openai

☆ VCs weigh in on the chaos unfolding at OpenAI, rallying behind ousted CEO Sam Altman: 'I hope the board can get its act together'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

OpenAI's board ousted Sam Altman, its chief executive, on Friday. AdvertisementVCs this weekend have one message for Sam Altman — we're with you. In another X post, he called on OpenAI's board to explain in more detail why they fired Altman. Advertisement"We are grateful for Sam's many contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI," the board said in a statement. "So I hope the board can get its act together and bring Sam and Greg back."

Persons: OpenAI's, Sam Altman, —, Sam Altman —, Mira Murati, Altman, Vinod Khosla —, OpenAI —, Sam, David Sachs, OpenAI, ChatGPT —, Ilya Sutskever —, Sutskever, Jason Kwon, Altman's, He's, Greg Bockman, Jessica Livingston, Greg, Sam retakes OpenAI Organizations: Altman, Service, Khosla Ventures, Ventures, Microsoft Locations: Silicon, Silicon Valley, @OpenAI

☆ The Pitch Deck Healthtech Startup Sunnyside Used to Raise $11.5 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One startup wants to help consumers be more mindful about their alcohol consumption — and it just raised $11.5 million in venture-capital funding. The startup, Sunnyside, announced that it raised a Series A funding round led by Motley Fool Ventures. Sunnyside's founder Nick Allen launched the startup in San Francisco in 2020, initially calling it Cutback Coach. Sunnyside offers a mobile app that encourages "mindful drinking" practices via weekly goal setting, text reminders, an online community, and one-on-one coaching. Check out the 10-slide pitch deck Sunnyside use to raise its Series A funding round.

Persons: Motley, Cooley, Michael Lee, Nick Allen, Allen, hasn't, Steve Lloyd Organizations: Motley Fool Ventures, Will Ventures, Uncork, Offline Ventures, Joyance Partners, Wisdom Ventures, Eudemian Ventures, Business, Big Tech, Sunnyside Locations: Sunnyside, San Francisco, Valley

☆ Heali is using 'food as medicine' and AI to help users treat their health conditions. Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck it used to raise a $3 million seed round.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Heali is a new startup that helps users develop nutrition plans to treat health conditions. The startup just raised a $3 million seed round from Astanor Ventures. One startup is betting that eating healthier doesn't just have nutritional benefits — it can also help people manage their health and treat chronic conditions. The startup, Heali just launched with $3 million in seed funding from Astanor Ventures. Based in Santa Monica, Heali offers nutrition plans created by registered dietitians with the help of AI, that consider individuals' food sensitivities and intolerances, as well as health goals and medical conditions.

Organizations: Astanor Ventures Locations: Santa Monica

☆ Legal tech startup Responsiv is bringing AI to in-house attorneys to help them save time and money. It just raised $3 million from Greylock.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But by building a program with "guardrails," a new legal tech company is working to bring all of the benefits of artificial intelligence to companies' in-house legal teams without the risks. Based in Chicago, Responsiv is an AI assistant for in-house legal teams. With Responsiv, in-house counsel can quickly get answers to legal questions that are easily verifiable, saving companies time and money. "There's a noticeable gap in innovation tailored specifically to in-house legal teams," Domash said. Funding for legal tech has fallen in 2023, according to Crunchbase, but many startups in the space focus on law firms.

Persons: ChatGPT, Mike Duboe, Nikita Solilov, Jordan Domash, Jordan, Nikita, Duboe, Domash, Responsiv, We'll, Darrow Organizations: Greylock Partners Locations: Chicago, Silver, Greylock

☆ Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck that Yuzu Health, which offers AI-powered health plans for startups, used to raise $5 million from investors including Lachy Groom and Altman Capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yuzu Health is working to bring that system to the world of startups. Yuzu Health currently powers 10 healthcare plans for thousands of members, he said. "Broadly, we're excited about being modular and, as a new player in the space, unlocking startups' abilities to get self-funded plans." Yuzu Health joins a growing ecosystem of startups that are helping other startups operate and provide better perks and conditions for their employees. Check out the 15-slide pitch deck Yuzu Health used to land $5 million in seed funding:

Persons: Lachy Groom, Vanta, Max Kauderer, Yuzu, Russell Pekala, Ryan Lee, Kauderer Organizations: One Ventures, Altman, Browder, Unicorn, Coalition, Health Locations: Yuzu, New York

☆ Cooper is a growing virtual support system startup for the modern parent. Here's an exclusive look at the 14-slide pitch deck it used to raise millions for its pre-seed round.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two years later, their brainchild has officially launched: Cooper, a support system for parents offering one-on-one sessions, virtual events, and other tools. The startup just raised a $2 million pre-seed round co-led by Difference Partners and Kli Capital. XFactor Ventures and multiple angel investors, including the founder of workout brand SLT, Amanda Freeman, also participated in the funding round. "We still dealt with the headwinds faced by female founders in general and particularly who are creating services that will support women," Slome told Insider. Check out the 15-slide pitch deck Cooper used to raise $2 million in pre-seed funding:

Persons: Gabby Slome, Ariel Boorstin, Cooper, Amanda Freeman, Boorstin, Slome, Ollie, Cooper's Organizations: Difference Partners, Kli, XFactor Ventures, of Psychiatry Locations: New York City

☆ Startup workers are on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In today's big story, we're looking at why startups that have navigated multiple rounds of layoffs have left their workers feeling defeated. It's a question more and more startup employees are contemplating amid a historic downturn in the industry coupled with a pullback in VC funding. But as Insider's Samantha Stokes and Madeline Renbarger detail, employees are on edge nowadays because of the threat of multiple layoffs in a short time. Why work for a corporate entity and be a cog in the wheel when you can get hands-on experience at a startup? AdvertisementAdvertisementiStock; Rebecca Zisser/InsiderBut just because layoffs are a necessary evil of the startup industry, that doesn't mean employees' concerns aren't warranted.

Persons: —, Jamie Dimon isn't, JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon isn't, Samantha Lee, Samantha Stokes, Madeline Renbarger, Samantha, Madeline they've, Rebecca Zisser, Severance, Jamie Dimon, David Rosenberg, Myriam, Airism, Arantza Pena Popo, Chris Rondeau, it's, Katy Perry, Pablo Picasso, Kiersten, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, What's, JPMorgan, EV, Microsoft, TikTok, IBM, Boeing, Meta, Mattel Locations: Southern California, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Startup employees are reeling as they brace for back-to-back rounds of layoffs: 'When it happens again, you start to lose that confidence and faith in your leadership.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

For the startup employees interviewed by Insider, the constant threat of layoffs is having a detrimental effect on company morale. said one employee working at a growth stage startup that's conducted three rounds of layoffs this year. For Reay, the former Sendoso employee, constant rounds of layoffs gave him and his surviving colleagues "strategy whiplash." "When it happens again, you start to lose that confidence and faith in your leadership." Some startup employees are reconsidering their future in the industryAs startup employees brace for the potential of more job cuts, they say that the experience has them second-guessing whether to stay in the industry at all.

Persons: Sean Reay, it's, Reay, SoftBank, Sendoso, what's, I'm, Raey, SchoolMint, I've, you'd, he's, Jackie Xu, Xu Talent, Kleiner Perkins, Xu, you've Organizations: Facebook, Meta, Twitter, Sendoso, GV, Google, Employees Locations: San Diego, That's, SPAC

☆ Insider is seeking nominations for the 2023 rising stars of venture capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Insider is putting together a list of the best up-and-coming venture capitalists of 2023. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementWe are seeking nominations for Insider's yearly list of rising stars of venture capital, and we want to hear from you. In the past, we've had people with a variety of roles and experiences from VC funds like Founders Fund, Greylock Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tiger Global, and Spark Capital. Please email Madeline Renbarger at mrenbarger@insider.com or Samantha Stokes at sstokes@insider.com with any questions or issues submitting your nominations.

Persons: VCs, —, we've, Madeline Renbarger, Samantha Stokes Organizations: Service, Founders, Greylock Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tiger Global, Spark Locations: mrenbarger@insider.com, sstokes@insider.com

☆ Move over, Peloton. Rucking is the newest fitness craze in Silicon Valley and beyond.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Memon, who cofounded the artificial-intelligence healthcare startup Eureka Health, credits rucking with conditioning his body to keep up with his high-energy pup. Memon hiking around the Bay Area with a weighted backpack. She told Insider she'd seen an uptick in people interested in adding rucking and weight training to their outdoor activities like trail running and hiking. He doesn't ruck outside but wears a weighted vest purchased from Amazon while completing his routine in the gym, which includes time on the StairMaster as well as lifting traditional weights. The venture capitalist Zamir Shukho's dog, Lord Lincoln, wears a weighted vest on walks.

Persons: Zain Memon, Joy, Zain Memon Memon, Memon, It's, —, Henry Merriam, REI, Wilson Kriegel, — Kriegel, Wendy Winn, she'd, Winn, Charlie Hale, I'm, Amanda Bradford, rucking, She's, Bradford, I've, Zamir Shukho's, Lord Lincoln, Zamir Shukho, begrudgingly, Vibranium.VC Organizations: Eureka Health, US Army, National Parks Service, Amazon, Group Locations: Buena Vista, Sutro, San Francisco, Silicon, TikTok, North, New York City, New York, Los Angeles, Austin , Texas, Bird, American Staffordshire

☆ See the pitch deck Savoy Life used to raise $3 million for virtual caregiving for seniors and adults with disabilities
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Savoy Life is building a virtual care platform for long-term care facilities. Peter Emigh, Savoy Life's founder and CEO, said he saw the need to improve long-term care facilities while working as a healthcare administrator at CareMore Health. He said improving the lives of everyday residents receiving long-term care starts with giving operators of those communities more – and better – tools. Savoy Life is entering an already booming market focused on the aging population, which could grow to north of $2 trillion by 2028, according to research consultancy Markets N Research. Check out the nine-slide pitch deck that Savoy Life used to raise $3 million and launch out of stealth.

Persons: Peter Emigh, Savoy, — Organizations: Red Cell Partners, American Healthcare Association, National Center for, CareMore, Research, Frontrunners

Insider spoke with startup founders and VCs who are managing companies while aiding the war effort. Startup founders and employees have traveled back to Israel from their homes abroad to take up arms and defend their country. The call to serveIn Israel, military service is mandatory for all citizens over 18. These startup founders and employees are using the skills they use every day like problem solving, multitasking and leading during the war effort. "I'm lucky to be a cofounder not a sole founder, so I'm relying on my cofounder," Kandel explained.

Persons: Israel, VCs, —, Oren Kandel, I'm, We're, Munch, Kandel, Isaac Gili, Jon Medved, David, Noy, Danielle Eisenberg, Leyb, Eisenberg, I've, Medved, Oren Kandel Kandel, that's, Ben Yellin, Ofer Sharon, Itamar Friedman, " Eisenberg, Tasmin Lockwood Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Service, Wednesday, Israeli Defense Forces, Startup, Israel Relief, Microsoft, Israel, Tel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, GGV, Insight Partners Locations: Gaza, Israel, Gedera, New York, cyberintelligence, Tel Aviv, Binyamina

☆ SoftBank-backed gifting startup Sendoso just completed its fourth round of layoffs in the last 16 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SoftBank-backed gifting startup Sendoso laid off an undisclosed number of employees in its latest round of job cuts on Tuesday. This is the fourth time in the last 16 months that Sendoso has axed its headcount: the marketing startup in June 2022 laid off around 100 employees from its then 700-employee workforce, Insider previously reported . Sendoso most recently raised $100 million in a Series C funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund. Better, which went public in August via a long-delayed SPAC deal, conducted another round of layoffs last month . Do you have information about job cuts at tech startups?

Persons: Sendoso, SoftBank, it's, —, Samantha Stokes, Madeline Stone Organizations: LinkedIn, U.S, Sendoso, SoftBank Vision, Greensill, Stock Locations: Ireland, sstokes@insider.com, mstone@insider.com

Several venture capitalists call New York home and are writing checks to startups of all stages. The city's prominent sectors like finance and media are also prevalent in its VC activity. Insider compiled a list of New York's top VCs, based on recommendations and investment data. The Big Apple's venture capital scene is as strong as ever. This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers.

Organizations: Street Locations: New York

☆ Here's an exclusive look at the 17-slide presentation that startup Jude used to raise $4.24 million to help boomers who need bladder help
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Move over, millennials: one startup founder is betting big that baby boomers are a largely untapped goldmine for discreet undergarments and supplements. With the seed funding, Jude plans to expand into the U.S., selling at the intersection of bladder care, senior healthcare, and women's health. The combination of healthcare, eldercare, and women's health proved to be crucial when Jude tried to line up investors. Take a look at the 17-slide presentation Jude used to raise $4.24 million in seed funding. Jude - healthcare brand for a new age JudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJude

Persons: Jude, Eka, Fiono Pathiraja, Christa Galli, Peony Li, Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Organizations: Christa Galli Ventures Locations: Samos, London, U.S

☆ Meet the Instacart mafia: Here are 14 alumni of the grocery-delivery company who have founded their own startups and collectively raised at least $144 million from VCs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Renbarger | Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Some former Instacart employees have left the company to found their own startups. Meet 14 Instacart mafia members who have collectively raised at least $144 million for their own startups. Former Instacart employees are in good company. Meet the Instacart mafia, which includes former chief growth officer Elliot Shmukler and Andreea Akerele Francis, the company's head of product, retention and growth from 2018 to 2021. They and others have now founded companies of their own that have raised millions of dollars in VC funding.

Persons: Elliot Shmukler, Andreea Akerele Francis Organizations: Nasdaq, mafia Locations: insurtech

☆ Instacart's CEO, Sequoia's Michael Moritz and D1's Daniel Sundheim have broken open the locked IPO market. Here's how much money they made.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | Samantha Stokes | Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Instacart went public on Tuesday after raising $924 million in its IPO. Many of Instacart's executives, founders, and investors stand to make millions. Instacart's cofounder Apoorva Mehta and CEO Fidji Simo's stakes are worth $1.2 billion and $21.6 million. After a long lull in the IPO market, Instacart has jumped in as one of the first companies to break the tech IPO drought of the past two years and go public. This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers.

Persons: Instacart, Apoorva Mehta, Fidji, Brandon Leonardo, Max Mullen, Fidji Simo Organizations: Instacart's

☆ Some startup founders say VC influence is 'debilitating.' Here's why they are turning down outside funding and bootstrapping instead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But when it comes to his current startup, an AI platform for businesses called Iterate, Nordmark is staunchly against relying on outside funding. Nordmark is part of a growing league of founders who are opting for bootstrapping, which means growing startups without relying on outside funding from investors. Six startup founders interviewed by Insider also say that in some cases, they're actively turning down opportunities for funding to keep maximum control of their business plans. Founders who have eschewed VC funding say that bootstrapping allows them to go — and grow — at their own pace. To be sure, some startup founders are still taking big checks from VCs when the timing is right.

Persons: Jon Nordmark, Samsonite, Nordmark, they're, it's, MailChimp, Brooke LeBlanc, VCs, Dr, Bobbi Wegner, SVB, Evan Jager, we're, Dori Yona, Jason Burke, – Burke Organizations: Insider, VCs, Apple, Oracle, Intuit, Founders Locations: VCs, Boston

☆ VC Ford Smith used psychedelics and biohacking to pull himself out of a deep depression. Here's why he's backing more startups in the space.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

His experience inspired him to focus his investment firm on backing psychedelic startups. But VCs, including Smith, are still betting big on startups in the space that seem especially promising. It wasn't until he tried psychedelics — including Ayahuasca, a plant-derived hallucinogenic drink, and iboga, an African root bark — that his mental health finally improved. Energized by his own experience, Smith reworked his cannabis-focused VC firm Ultranative into a one-stop-shop for psychedelic startups. Smith and Ultranative are far from the only investors pumping money into psychedelic startups.

Persons: Ford Smith, wean, South America —, Ayahuasca, Ultranative, Smith, didn't, Lyme, psychedelics, Rick Doblin, he's Organizations: innovating, Venture, Anonymous, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, pharma, FDA, PsyMed Ventures, Lionheart Ventures, Iter Investments, Neo Kuma Ventures, Therapeutics Locations: Austin, South America, U.S, Oregon, Colorado, psychedelics, Texas, Los Angeles, Massachusetts

☆ Meet the AI company that just raised $1.5 million from investors like Rex Salisbury by betting big on the startup 'mass extinction event'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SimpleClosure just raised a $1.5 million pre-seed funding round from Rex Salisbury and Vera Equity. The startup uses AI to automate the legal and procedural tasks for when a startup shuts down. The startup industry is predicted to be on the brink of a 'mass extinction event.' The numbers weren't looking good for the fintech startup, so one of the investors asked him to write a shutdown proposal. And when a business shuts down, incorrect winding-down procedures can add insult to injury in the form of fines, fees, and mistakes that can also affect customers and investors.

Persons: SimpleClosure, Rex Salisbury, Vera Equity, Earny, Dori Yona, Yona, Michael Vaughn, Jon Pomerantz, haven't Organizations: Wednesday, Cambrian Ventures, IRS Locations: fintech

☆ Alice Zheng moved from med school to McKinsey to venture capital. Here's how she's using those experiences to advance innovation in women's health.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Alice Zheng is a VC at RH Capital focusing on early-stage women's health startups. Seven years after graduating from medical school, Zheng is now a principal at RH Capital, the fund of female-led firm Rhia Ventures. The firm, which focuses on early-stage women's health investing, collected $38.5 million for its second fund last year. Zheng later took a two-year hiatus from medical school to pursue an MBA from Harvard Business School. Zheng invests in women's health startups across consumer, life sciences, diagnostics, digital health, and health services.

Persons: Alice Zheng, Zheng, –, she'd, Juniper, Liang Organizations: RH Capital, University of Michigan, Harvard, McKinsey, University of Michigan Medical School, Ross School of Business, Rhia Ventures, GV, Khosla Ventures, Harvard Business School, McKinsey Global, Fortune, Capital Locations: China, U.S, Ann Arbor, McKinsey's, San Francisco

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