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☆ European tech funding halves to $45 billion, back to pre-Covid levels — but AI is a bright spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Venture capital investment into Europe's tech industry plunged by half in 2023 as investors continued to reel from the effects of high interest rates, according to data from venture capital firm Atomico. Atomico's "State of European Tech" report, published Tuesday, showed that overall funding for European venture-backed companies is projected to decline 45% in 2023 from a year ago. Total venture funding for European tech companies will reach $45 billion this year, Atomico expects. That's down from $82 billion in 2022, which is itself down from $100 billion the previous year. "There has been this reset after an overheated and unsustainable period of growth in 2021 and early 2022," Wehmeier told CNBC.

Persons: Atomico, Tom Wehmeier, Wehmeier Organizations: European Tech, CNBC Locations: Atomico, Europe

☆ Khosla Ventures Closes In on $3 Billion for Venture Funds, Defying Startup Slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Berber Jin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

At WSJ’s Tech Live conference, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla discusses the pros and cons of investing in AI technology. Photo: Nikki Ritcher for The Wall Street JournalKhosla Ventures is in the final stages of raising $3 billion for its latest set of venture funds, showing how some Silicon Valley investors remain bullish even as startups continue to stare down slower growth and lower valuations. The fundraise will be one of the largest completed by a venture firm this year and one of the few to grow in size. Khosla Ventures last raised $1.85 billion three years ago.

Persons: Vinod Khosla, Nikki Ritcher Organizations: WSJ’s Tech, Wall Street Journal Khosla Ventures, Khosla Ventures

☆ Early OpenAI Investor Khosla Ventures Closes In on $3 Billion for Venture Funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Berber Jin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Vinod Khosla, Nikki Ritcher, OpenAI Organizations: WSJ’s Tech, Wall Street Journal Khosla Ventures, Khosla Ventures

Signs of Chinese yuan and U.S. dollar are seen at a currency exchange store in Shanghai, China August 8, 2019. "I hope over time, we will be more than just a Middle East investor in China. I want us to be perceived also as a local Chinese investor," Ben-Gacem told Reuters, adding that the final fundraising size will depend on investor appetite and market conditions. Some private equity and venture funds are stepping up efforts to raise yuan funds. ($1 = 7.2884 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Kane Wu; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Investcorp, Investcorp's, Hazem Ben, Gacem, Ben, Mubadala, LSEG, China Everbright, Fung, Roxanne Liu, Kane Wu, Sumeet Chatterjee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Electronics, Middle, Rongsheng Petrochemical, CYVN Holdings, NIO Inc, Gulf Cooperation Council, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Bahrain, East, Abu Dhabi, Investcorp, Shandong, Tengzhou, Middle East, Gulf, U.S, Hong Kong, Chinese, Guangdong, Macau

☆ Health AI startup Cercle debuts with backing from Sheryl Sandberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A new health tech startup called Cercle launched Wednesday and announced major global partners and investors, including Meta 's former COO Sheryl Sandberg. Cercle uses artificial intelligence to try and advance women's health, particularly within fertility care. "That's the founding mission behind Cercle, to personalize and contextualize biomedical and genomics information so women can make better, more informed health decisions," Cercle CEO and co-founder Juan Carlos Riveiro said in a release Wednesday. Cercle's lead investors include Sandberg and her husband Tom Bernthal through their new venture fund, Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, Cercle announced. Cercle said it will initially focus on fertility care but plans to expand to other areas within women's health.

Persons: Sheryl Sandberg, Juan Carlos Riveiro, Cercle's, Sandberg, Tom Bernthal Organizations: Meta, Sandberg, Venture Partners Locations: personalize

☆ A timeline of Sam Bankman-Fried trial: Key moments leading up to FTX founder's conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Bankman-Fried debuts on the Forbes billionaires list, which estimates his net worth at $22.5 billion. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, Gary Wang, Larry David, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California, New York

☆ The CEO of UNest, a college savings app, stepped down after she said the company was 'insolvent.' Here's what customers need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UNest is a startup that makes it easier for people to save up for major life expenses like college. Ksenia Yudina, founder & CEO, stepped down last month and warned the company was "insolvent." download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . As Insider previously reported, Ksenia Yudina, founder & CEO, stepped down last month and warned the company was "insolvent." "The board, remaining management, and investors are working closely together to secure additional funding for the company," he said.

Persons: Ksenia Yudina, —, Franklin Templeton, Star Baron Davis, Laura Dern, Michael Doniger, UNest, Ben Bergman, bbergman@insider.com Organizations: Service, Artemis Fund, Anthos, Northwestern Mutual, Star, Vanguard, Blackrock, Apex Clearing Locations: Anthos Capital, Apex

☆ The CEO of UNest resigned after she said the board asked her to approve an 'illegal' takeover, according to a leaked email. The company says customer accounts are safe.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"This matter is very confidential and person who leaked the email can be subject to legal claims," Yudina wrote. UNest boasted 400,000 users that year and said it was on track to hit a million users in 2022. "I wasn't doing something that I perceived as illegal and unethical, therefore I stepped down from the position of CEO," Yudina wrote. "Tech industry is navigating a lot of headwinds and even strong startup founders get affected," Yudina wrote, before saying that people should be focused on supporting Israel. "As we navigate the hurdles of our daily lives, it's crucial to remember that there are people on another continent enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty," Yudina wrote in the message.

Persons: Ksenia Yudina, UNest, Yudina, I'm, Michael Doniger, Doniger, Franklin Templeton, Northwestern Mutual –, Star Baron Davis, Laura Dern, –, SVB, Ben Bergman, bbergman@insider.com Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, LinkedIn, Apex, Capital Group, Artemis, Anthos, Northwestern Mutual, Star, Business, Tech, Israel Locations: Silicon, Anthos Capital, UNest, Silicon Valley

☆ 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

☆ Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich says most CEOs end up regretting taking companies public
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich led a public company for more than two decades, but that doesn't mean he's a fan of initial public offerings or Wall Street. Ironically, Panera Bread is mulling an IPO, but Shaich, who is no longer involved with the chain, directs his advice toward founders. Even as Au Bon Pain bought St. Louis Bread Company, renamed it Panera Bread and then shed Au Bon Pain to focus on Panera's growth, Shaich's company was publicly traded. "The reality is for 90% of the CEOs that take a company public, they live to regret it," Shaich told CNBC. "Cava is a company that will succeed as a public company.

Persons: Ron Shaich, Shaich, Cookie, Bon Pain, Louis, Cava, Brett Schulman, Sweetgreen hasn't, Panera, Danny Meyer's Organizations: III Holdings, Louis Bread Company, CNBC, Wall Street Locations: Cava

☆ Dropbox handing over 25% of San Francisco HQ back to landlord as commercial real estate softens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dropbox said Friday that it's agreed to return over one quarter of its San Francisco headquarters to the landlord as the commercial real estate market continues to soften following the Covid pandemic. In a filing, Dropbox said it agreed to surrender to its landlord 165,244 square feet of space and pay $79 million in termination fees. Under the amendment to its lease agreement, Dropbox will offload the space over time through the first quarter of 2025. In addition, Dropbox took a $175.2 million impairment on the office last year "as a result of adverse changes" in the market. Dropbox had tried working with its landlord to sublease space at the headquarters, but the real estate market deteriorated, finance chief Tim Regan, told analysts on a February earnings call.

Persons: Dropbox, it's, we've, Drew Houston, Dropbox's, Uber, Tim Regan Organizations: San Francisco, Vir Biotechnology, CNBC, Private, KKR, Kilroy Realty Corp, San Francisco Chronicle, Microsoft Locations: Mission, Dropbox

☆ After blockbuster Microsoft deal, gaming giants are still sitting on $45 billion cash hoard
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Public gaming companies currently hold cash and cash equivalents of $45.1 billion, according to a report from venture capital firm Konvoy. Publicly listed gaming companies had a fairly rosy year in 2023, on the whole. The VanEck Video Gaming and eSports ETF , which seeks to track MVIS Global Video Gaming & eSports Index, has climbed 20% in the year to date, according to Konvoy. Total venture funding into the video games industry in the third quarter of 2023 fell 9% quarter-over-quarter, to $454 million. That was when pandemic lockdowns were in full swing, and people had more time to spend playing video games indoors.

Persons: China's NetEase, hasn't, China's Tencent, Josh Chapman, Redmond, Chapman, Candy Crush, Konvoy's Chapman Organizations: Chesno Publicly, CNBC, Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Bandai Namco, Public, Gaming, Esports, Big Tech, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, Netflix, Sony, Activision, U.S, U.K, Markets Authority, Duty, Bandai Namco Entertainment Locations: Konvoy, Washington

☆ PaintJet puts robots to work in construction and maintenance as labor shortage drags on
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Hegeman tells CNBC, "With painting, the labor shortage hits you right in the face. It was not so much a challenge to sell and book work, but it was always a challenge to do the work. Instead of selling or renting its robots out to construction crews, the startup offers an end-to-end service and maintains control of the entire painting process. PaintJet can use any commercially available paint in its machines, but also makes and sells its own line of paints. Hegeman said the company is also developing capabilities to handle more tasks in construction and maintenance with robotics including pressure washing, caulking and sanding.

Persons: Nick Hegeman, Steve Wasilowski, Sonia Chacko, Hegeman, PaintJet, Ryan Gembala, It's Organizations: Hegeman, CNBC, SRI, Foreman Technologies, Dynamo Ventures Locations: Hendersonville , Tennessee, Nashville, Virginia, Metaprop, New York, Chattanooga, San Francisco

☆ Marc Andreessen is getting raked over the coals for calling social responsibility the 'enemy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

VC Marc Andreessen wrote a lengthy missive this week, titled "The Techno-Optimist Manifesto." AdvertisementAdvertisementIt wouldn't be a Marc Andreessen essay if the internet didn't lose its mind over it. Rather, technology, he wrote, can solve for "any material problem" under the sun and herald a new era of "abundance for everyone." The backlash to Andreessen's essay was swift. He runs one of the biggest venture capital firms by assets and perceived importance.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, —, Kara Swisher, Andreessen, Ben Collins, Andreessen's missive, Dorothea Baur, Cameron Moll, he's, Gary Marcus, Marcus, what's, Aravind Srinivas, A16z, Collins, Andreessen Horowitz, Del, Johnson Organizations: Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, Facebook, Backstage Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Venture Locations: Silicon Valley, Del Johnson, Silicon

☆ Check out the pitch deck that helped adtech metadata startup Sincera raise $4.2 million in seed funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Adtech startup Sincera, which offers metadata to other adtech firms, raised $4.2 million in funding. The company plans to grow its team and access more compute through its cloud providers. AdvertisementAdvertisementSincera, a startup that uses metadata to help adtech companies improve their offerings, just raised a $4.2 million seed round. Customers to date have included LiveRamp, identity company ID5, and publicly traded adtech company The Trade Desk. Check out the key slides from the pitch deck that helped Sincera raise its $4.2 million seed funding round.

Persons: —, Mike O'Sullivan, Ian Meyers, Meyer, O'Sullivan, Mike Rowe, Jobs, cera, Sincera Organizations: NextView Ventures, Service, Discovery, Trade, LiveRamp Ventures Locations: New York

☆ The giant sucking sound you hear is the gobs of capital being pulled away from emerging managers. Here's how one solo capitalist defied the slump.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Those who raised their first venture capital funds in the pandemic-era boom times are now struggling with their sophomore efforts. Despite the tailwinds, some emerging managers are defying the slump and raising new funds. He told Insider exclusively that he's now closed on $15 million for fund two from investors including Cendana Capital, Invesco Private Capital, and two dozen startup founders. And so in 2019, he reached into his network of founders and raised a $2 million fund to invest in software companies. Now, he's already gearing up for fund three, which Wan said he plans to launch in 2024.

Persons: Insider's Callum Burroughs, Jordan Wan, Wan, Zocdoc, Oliver Kharraz, it's, Alan Ni, Jake Cooper, Manoj Kanagaraj, Blackstone, Cooper didn't, Cooper, they've, Wolf Organizations: Sequoia, Partners, Cendana, Invesco, Capital, Oscar Insurance, Garner Health Locations: London, Denver , Colorado, Wan

☆ How 27-year-old Nick Simpson built the freelancing tax tool he wished he had and then raised $7.5 million in venture funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

WorkMade is a new startup that lets freelancers keep track of their earnings and pay taxes. Frequent freelancer Nick Simpson founded WorkMade in 2022 and scaled the startup to 12 employees. Now, the startup is launching publicly with $7.5 million in venture capital funding to date. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen it comes time for a freelancer to pay their taxes, WorkMade manages that process too, including the payment without any forms, mail or extra calculations. According to Statista, there are an estimated 73 million freelancers working in the US this year, and that number is projected to grow to over 90 million by 2028.

Persons: Nick Simpson, WorkMade, —, Simpson, Anna Barber's, Gale Wilkinson's, Slack, Statista, I'd, I've Organizations: Service, Venture Capital, WorkMade, Piermont Bank Locations: Wellington, New

☆ SchoolMint cuts 14.5% of staff in a second round of layoffs this year, as the forecast for edtech startups looks uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The edtech startup SchoolMint, which helps public schools and charter schools increase and manage student enrollment, cut 29 full-time staff members last week, or 14.5% of staff, Insider has learned. According to multiple sources familiar with the layoffs, this was not the first time this year SchoolMint has eliminated head count. Before these cuts, there were over 250 employees at SchoolMint, according to sources and LinkedIn data. The layoffs at SchoolMint come at an uncertain time for the edtech market, as the sector's pandemic-induced capital boom has seen an increasing slowdown. SchoolMint itself has not been immune to this uncertainty in the broader edtech market.

Persons: SchoolMint, It's Organizations: NewSchools Venture Fund, Reach, Investment Partners Locations: SchoolMint, Silicon Valley, Lafayette , Louisiana

☆ Regent aims to fly its electric seagliders over the waterways of Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Billy Thalheimer (CEO) and Michael Klinker (CTO) of REGENT with a full-scale mockup of their first electric seaglider. Regent, a startup developing electric seagliders to transport people and cargo, has raised a $60 million round of venture funding and struck a partnership with Japan Airlines to figure out how to bring the company's flying electric ferries to the waterways of Japan. Venture fund 8090 Industries co-led Regent's series A round alongside Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, with Japan Airlines Innovation Fund and Point72 Ventures also participating among others. The commercial version of this battery powered 12-seater, named the Viceroy, will fly higher above the water at speeds of up to 180 mph, Thalheimer says. Thalheimer said, "You can build as many decks or pitches as you want but this is the experience that unlocks excitement."

Persons: Billy Thalheimer, Michael Klinker, REGENT, Peter Thiel's, Regent, seaglider, Thalheimer Organizations: Japan Airlines, Venture, Japan Airlines Innovation Fund, Point72 Ventures, CNBC Locations: Japan, Rhode, Narragansett

KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani ecommerce logistics startup Rider, backed by YCombinator, is looking into acquiring BlueEx (UNIV.PSX) the only listed Express Courier Logistics Company in Pakistan, it told Reuters on Thursday. "We are carving out and acquiring the e-commerce logistics business which currently operates under the brand name BlueEx. This is not an acquisition of Universal Network System Limited as a whole," said Salman Allana, founder and CEO of Rider. If the transaction goes through, this will be the first acquisition of a listed company by a startup, and the first major acquisition of a company listed on Pakistan's Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) board at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PAKS.PSX). While Rider has not disclosed the transaction value, it claims the acquisition will make Rider the third largest player in the ecommerce logistics space.

Persons: Salman Allana, Rider, Allana, Ariba Shahid, Michael Perry Organizations: Express Courier Logistics Company, Reuters, Venture, Universal Network System, Pakistan Stock Exchange, GEM, YCombinator, Global Founders Capital, Flexport, i2i Ventures, Fatima, Ventures, Soma, Rebel Fund, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial appears at Federal Court in New York on Oct. 4th, 2023. Two years later, Julliard stood as the prosecution's first witness in the criminal fraud trial against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who's accused of misusing billions of dollars in client money. He and thousands of other FTX customers were practically wiped out when the exchange went belly up late last year. Allan Joseph Bankman, father of FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and Barbara Fried, mother of FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried, arrive at court in New York, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. WATCH: Sam Bankman-Fried criminal trial begins in New York

Persons: Sam Bankman, Claudia Johnson Marc, Antoine Julliard, Julliard, who's, FTX, Gisele Bündchen, Fried, Jane Rosenberg, Sam, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Attorney Thane, Rehn, Alameda's, Caroline Ellison, Allan Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Stephanie Keith, Ellison's, Sam Trabucco, Trabucco, Rein, Adam Yedidia, Bankman, Yedida, hadn't, Gary Wang Organizations: Court, FTX, Federal Court, Reuters Defense, Alameda Research, Bankman, Assistant U.S, Attorney, Capitol, U.S, Bloomberg, Getty, MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Prosecutors Locations: New York, London, Manhattan, FTX, New York City, U.S, Alameda, Attorney Thane Rehn, Rehn

On day one of Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial, assistant U.S. attorney, Danielle Sassoon, rattled off a lengthy list of potential witnesses who might be called to testify for either the government or the defense. The list, which was compiled jointly by both sides, was released during the afternoon session and included Bankman-Fried's brother, Gabe, as well his parents, Allan Joseph Bankman and his wife, Barbara Fried. Parents of the disgraced former CEO of FTX are themselves the subject of new scrutiny. Other entities that may take the witness stand included various venture funds and crypto-focused companies like Genesis, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Ontario Teachers Pension Fund, Third Point, Signature Bank, and Voyager Digital. Many of these businesses were hurt or wiped out by the collapse in cryptocurrency prices triggered in part by FTX's implosion.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, Gabe, Allan Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Ellison, FTX, Wang, Anthony Scaramucci, Fried Alfred Lin, Sequoia Capital Zac Prince, Michael Lewis Organizations: Alameda Research, U.S, SkyBridge, Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Ontario, Pension Fund, Signature Bank, Voyager Locations: Bankman, Manhattan

☆ Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck two former VCs used to raise $4.7 million in funding for their startup The Grand, whose coaching service is used by Googlers, founders, and NBA players alike
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In the midst of a funding crapshoot for young startups, The Grand, a four-year-old startup that provides career coaching as a service, has raised $4.7 million in a round of seed funding led by Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six. You could say founders Anita Hossain Choudhry and Rei Wang had a leg up on creating the pitch deck they used to convince venture capitalists to back their startup. The goliath of coaching startups is BetterUp, a startup that offers individual and group coaching and has raised $600 million in funding so far. The Grand is now walking in lockstep with roughly 1,000 members, including Googlers, founders, and pro athletes. Check out the pitch deck that The Grand used to raise $4.7 million in seed funding.

Persons: Alexis Ohanian's Seven, Anita Hossain Choudhry, Rei Wang, Hossain Choudhry, Wang, Oscar, it's Organizations: Google, Intuit, Angel City Football Club, NBA, Carta Locations: Ohanian, lockstep

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial, which is set to kick off on Tuesday, marks the culmination of a yearlong legal saga stemming from the dramatic collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded. Below is a timeline of key events leading up to the 31-year-old former billionaire's trial. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Gary Wang, Larry David, Fried, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California

☆ The $8 billion Sam Bankman-Fried criminal trial starts today — here's what's at stake and how we got here
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

In the first trial, Bankman-Fried faces seven criminal counts related to the collapse of the crypto empire he built, including wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering. Alameda, FTX and a host of subsidiaries Bankman-Fried founded filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware. FTX's own terms of use specifically forbade him, or Alameda, from using customer money for anything — unless the customer allowed it. And from FTX's inception, there was a lot of customer money. Bankman-Fried and other executives admitted to each other that "FTX customer funds were irrevocably lost because Alameda had appropriated them."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Ellison, FTX, Wang, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Samuel Bankman, MacKenzie Sigalos, San Francisco —, SBF, Wang —, Nishad Singh —, Goldman Sachs, Binance, Damian Williams, Rehypothecation, —, Crypto, Solana, Zhao, he'd, Cromwell, John J, Ray, John Ray's, — CNBC's Rohan Goswami Organizations: Alameda Research, Southern, of, Stanford, MIT, U.S, New York Times, Bankman, That's, CNBC, Jane, Capital, University of California, Formula, Democratic, Twitter, Securities Exchange Commission, SEC, Futures Trading, United States Attorney's Office, CFTC, Alameda, Alameda didn't, Voyager, BlockFi, FTX, Industry, Investors, Zhao, Publicly, Sullivan, Enron Locations: Bahamas, Manhattan, New York, Alameda, of New York, FTX, Brooklyn , New York, San Francisco, South Korea, Alameda , California, Fried's Alameda, Berkeley, Miami, Washington, Delaware, California, Federal, Solana, Fried

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