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☆ A VC firm has built an AI-powered pitch deck generator for startup founders — and is giving it away for free
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Growth Warrior Capital is launching a new tool Elevo, an AI-powered pitch deck generator. For Phelon as an investor, the sheer amount of pitch decks that she was sorting through began to become overwhelming. Elevo will then generate a pitch deck for them with the key details that VCs are looking for. Elevo's interface allows founders to input details about their startup and generate a short pitch deck. Growth Warrior CapitalThe designs are typically simple and the slide numbers are short, but that's oftentimes what investors who see dozens of decks a week prefer.

Persons: Phelon, Ashley Pilipiszyn, TapInfluence, Lizzie Widhelm, Elevo's waitlist, Elevo, I'm Organizations: Morning, OpenAI, Growth

☆ LatAm startups lay off staff, expect more IPOs next year - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Latin American startups have laid off staff over the last 18 months, as venture capital funding fell sharply in the region, according to "Latin America Digital Transformation" report by venture capital fund Atlantico. Venture capital funding in the second quarter slumped 65% in Latin America, compared with last year, and down more than the 49% globally during the reported period. As the volume of IPOs recovers globally, venture capitalists and Latin American unicorns may return to capital markets. Fintechs are among the fastest growing startups in the region, with digital payment systems such as the Central Bank of Brazil's PIX scheme helping to increase bank account penetration in the region. The launch of a new digital payment system in Mexico, as well as the arrival of digital banks, can change the scenario, according to the report.

Persons: IPOs, Julio Vasconcellos, Tatiana Bautzer, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Atlantico, Venture, SoftBank, Arm Holdings, Central Bank of, Thomson Locations: Latin America, Atlantico, Argentina, Mexico

☆ Embedded finance, FinOps, and treasury management are grabbing VC attention right now despite a collapse in fintech funding, investors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Global VC fintech funding has been cut in half to $23 billion so far this year, per S&P data. Fintech startups focused on solving business issues have remained somewhat resilient. Globally venture capital funding to fintech companies dropped 49% year-on-year to $23 billion in the first half of 2023, according to S&P data. Within that, investment in consumer-facing fintech startups, such as banking and trading apps, has endured an even more torrid year, sliding by 73.8% to $1.9 billion in Q2. Insider spoke to four fintech investors who identified the areas within B2B fintech that are capturing their attention right now.

Persons: Khalil Hefaf, fintech, Hefaf, Uber, Banks, Alix Brunet, Europe's, Weavr, Griffin cofounders Allen Rohner, David Jarvis Griffin, Dan Chaplin, Kaushik Subramanian, Payrails cofounders Emre Talay, Orkhan Abudullayev, Nicolas Thouzeau Payrails, Chaplin Organizations: Target, Mass Mutual Ventures, Griffin, Dawn Capital, Treasury, Payrails, EQT Ventures, London, UBS Locations: Europe, digitize, London, Germany, Payrails

People walk in the Goldman Sachs global headquarters in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 15, 2021. Goldman's private wealth arm oversees $1 trillion in assets for ultra-high net worth clients, who have $60 million or more in investable assets. The bank can serve high net worth investors through RIA and other wealth management clients, such as Creative Planning, Goldman said. Shares of Goldman Sachs were up 1.8% in afternoon trade. Goldman Sachs & Co LLC is serving as financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manages LLP is serving as legal counsel to Goldman Sachs.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Kelly, David Solomon, Goldman, Marc Nachmann, Nachmann, Daniel Fannon, Weil, Saeed Azhar, Manya, Marguerita Choy, Megan Davies Organizations: REUTERS, Creative Planning, United Capital Financial Partners, Wealth Management, Reuters, Jefferies, Co, Gotshal, Manya Saini, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Startup extinction season is going to kick into high gear — and there's likely going to be a bloodbath soon for some of the 50,000 VC-backed startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There are more than 50,000 US VC-backed startups, and many will be looking for capital soon. Some startups will be looking for funding in Q4 or be forced to look for a sale or shut down. The startup has followed the typical survival strategy of a desperate startup this year by first cutting costs with layoffs. We all know venture capital funding is tough to come by these days. Venture capital funding was overly abundant in the latter half of 2020 and all of 2021.

Persons: Melia Russell, Rob Price, It's cratered, Kyle Stanford, PitchBook, –, they've, it's, aren't, Stanford Organizations: Morning, US VC, Venture, Stanford, Tiger

The development comes days after SoftBank Group-backed (9984.T) chip designer Arm Holdings made public its IPO filing. Instacart said its revenue had surged to $1.48 billion in the six months ended June 30, compared with $1.13 billion in the same period last year. Net income was $242 million during the six-month period, compared to a $74 million loss a year earlier, Instacart said. Customers can order through the Instacart app, and an Instacart "shopper" delivers the product in as little as 30 minutes. Unlike in an IPO, no shares are sold in advance in a direct listing and investors can sell their shares directly to the public.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mark Schwartz, Mike Bellin, Instacart, Goldman Sachs, Fidji Simo, Frank Slootman, Niket, Savyata Mishra, Shilpi Majumdar, Shinjini, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, SoftBank, Arm Holdings, PricewaterhouseCoopers U.S, San, underwriters, Nasdaq, Facebook, Canada, CVS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, United States, Snowflake, Bengaluru

☆ 'It seems inevitable': A $254 million hedge fund manager warns that banking and fiscal crises are coming as reckless government spending gets out of hand — but investors can avoid the pain by making t
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Investors should prepare for fiscal, banking, and energy crises, a hedge fund manager warned. And thanks to a strong performance in July, the $254 million hedge fund has risen 16.8% after fees in 2023. Oil prices came under pressure when government reserves were released, but Kupperman said that's not a viable long-term recipe for reasonable energy prices. He expects a massive spike in oil prices in either 2024 or 2025, which will greatly benefit companies tied to the commodity. The investing opportunity Kupperman said he's most excited about is uranium, which he's playing through the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust.

Persons: Capital's Harris Kupperman, he's, Harris Kupperman, Kupperman, —, He's, he'll, we've, Macrotrends Banks, it's, that's, Joe, JOE Organizations: Praetorian Capital Management, Praetorian, Fund, Treasury, Uranium Trust, Energy, Florida Panhandle Locations: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Ukraine, Florida

The American Alliance for Equal Rights sued Perkins Coie in Dallas and Morrison & Foerster in Miami two months after the Supreme Court sided with another group founded by activist Edward Blum and rejected affirmative action policies used by many colleges to increase enrollment of racial minorities. The federal lawsuits accused both law firms of unlawfully discriminating against white candidates by limiting which law students could be considered for paid fellowships designed in part to help support the recruitment of people of color. "Excluding students from these esteemed fellowships because they are the wrong race is unfair, polarizing and illegal," Blum, who is white, said in a statement. Perkins Coie, founded in Seattle, offers "diversity fellowships" that provide stipends of $15,000 to $25,000 and paid positions as summer associates, a position that at major law firms can lead to full-time jobs with six-figure salaries. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Edward Blum, Perkins Coie, Morrison, Foerster, " Blum, Perkins, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Harvard University, University of North, Activision, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Activision Blizzard, Kellogg, Gannett, Civil, American, American Alliance for Equal, Atlanta, Thomson Locations: University of North Carolina, Washington , U.S, Dallas, Miami, Seattle, United States, Asia, San Francisco, Blum's Texas, Boston

☆ JPMorgan executive explains why decarbonization is a megatrend that business can't ignore
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"It doesn't matter whether you're an energy client, or a consumer products client, or a retail client, there is something about this megatrend that is going to impact your business model, your business," Variankaval told CNBC. Right now, Variankaval says, it's too soon to know exactly which climate tech companies are going to the winners and losers. It's a multi decade-long process," Variankaval told CNBC. In some segments of climate tech, there are debates about which solutions are better than others that take on a near religious fervor. So you need to diversify in terms of technologies, but also in time horizons," Variankaval told CNBC.

Persons: Rama Variankaval, decarbonization, Variankaval, Megatrend, —, Joe Biden, Sen, Joe Manchin, Chuck Schumer, James Clyburn, Frank Pallone, Kathy Catsor, Drew Angerer, Biden, signe, It's, it's, That's, We're Organizations: JP Morgan Securities LLC, Aspen, Bloomberg, Getty, JPMorgan Chase, CNBC, JPMorgan, United Nations, Carbon, SC, White, Federal Reserve Locations: Miami Beach , Florida, Paris, decarbonization, United

Arm's stock market launch is expected to bring back to life a lackluster IPO market, which has over the last year seen several high-profile startups postpone their listing plans due to market volatility. Arm said that more than 50% of its royalty revenue for the most recent fiscal year came from smartphones and consumer electronics. The company, whose chip technology powers most smartphones including iPhones, did not reveal the number of shares it is planning to sell and the valuation it will seek. Arm makes money from upfront licensing fees for technology and then a royalty paid on each chip sold by Arm's customers. Arm's chip designs dominate the smartphone industry, but they are also used in laptops made by Apple (AAPL.O) and some Windows machines.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, SoftBank, Arm, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Manya Saini, Jaiveer, Stephen Nellis, Max Cherney, Echo Wang, Anirban Sen, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Arm Holdings, Research, Reuters, Vision Fund, SECOND, Acorn Computers, Apple Inc, Apple Computer, VLSI Technology, London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Nvidia Corp, Apple, Nvidia, U.S, Barclays Plc, JPMorgan, Mizuho Financial Group, underwriters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Saudi, China, Arm China, Bengaluru, San Francisco, New York

☆ $3.7 billion data startup Cohesity gets ready for an IPO, again, as hope rises that IPOs will return this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cohesity just hired a new CFO and is talking about getting ready for its IPO. Data startup Cohesity is gearing up to go public as soon as its bankers give the nod, CEO Sanjay Poonen told Insider. But when it last announced it had filed confidential IPO paperwork on December 21, 2021, its timing couldn't have been worse. Before the startup could debut, the tech IPO window was slammed shut by rising inflation and interest rates, and fears of a full-blown recession. The last splashy IPO was HashiCorp on December 9, 2021, so the window has now been closed for 20 months and counting.

Persons: Cohesity, Sanjay Poonen, IPOs, He's, it's, Poonen, Eric Brown, Srinivasan Murari, he's Organizations: Microsoft, Web Services, ARM, Electronic Arts, McAfee, Google, VMware, IBM, Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IDC, Bloomberg Locations: Informatica

☆ $3.7 billion data startup Cohesity prepares for a public listing, again, as hope rises that IPOs will return this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The data startup Cohesity is gearing up to go public as soon as its bankers give the nod, CEO Sanjay Poonen told Insider. But when it last announced it had filed confidential IPO paperwork, on December 21, 2021, its timing couldn't have been worse. Before the startup could debut, the tech IPO window was slammed shut by rising inflation and interest rates, as well as fears of a full-blown recession. "I can't predict the market, but, you know, if that happens, I'd say we'd be as ready as we were in 2021," Poonen said. And as the market opens up, we'll pick the right time, whether it's fall, whether it's next year," Poonen added.

Persons: Cohesity, Sanjay Poonen, IPOs, Poonen, He's, it's, Eric Brown, Srinivasan Murari, he's Organizations: Microsoft, Web Services, Electronic Arts, McAfee, Google, VMware, IBM, Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IDC, Bloomberg Locations: Informatica

[1/2] The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. An affiliate, Tianji Holdings, also sought Chapter 15 protection on Thursday in Manhattan bankruptcy court. The company proposed scheduling a Chapter 15 recognition hearing for Sept. 20. On Monday, its electric-vehicle unit China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (0708.HK) announced its own proposed restructuring. Trading in China Evergrande shares was suspended in March 2022.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Hong, Evergrande NEV's, Jonathan Stempel, Dietrich Knauth, Manya, Anil D'Silva, Deepa Babington, Matthew Lewis Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, HK, Tianji Holdings, British Virgin Islands, British Virgin, Energy Vehicle Group, Manya Saini, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, U.S, United States, Manhattan, Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, British Virgin, British, Dubai, New York, Bengaluru

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 billion in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. He also confirmed the 1.5 billion pound ($1.91 billion) share repurchase announced with its half-year results. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Tom Arseneault, Chloe Lemarie, Charles Woodburn, Yadarisa Shabong, Chandini, Susan Mathew, Subhranshu Sahu, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Ball Corp, Jefferies, Reuters, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, BAE, General Dynamics Corp, Textron, Shore Capital, Britain's, British, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Ukraine, Colorado, Bengaluru

☆ BAE Systems snaps up Ball Corp's aerospace arm for about $5.55 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. Shares in BAE Systems were down 3% by 0730 GMT. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. The proposed deal would be treated as an asset purchase for federal tax purposes, BAE said. ($1 = 0.7856 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Chloe Lemarie, Charles Woodburn, Morgan Stanley, Yadarisa, Subhranshu Sahu, Jason Neely Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Ball Corp, Jefferies, Reuters, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, BAE, General Dynamics Corp, Textron, Britain's, Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Colorado, Bengaluru

☆ McLaren Applied's Lavoie in talks to buy Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Nick Carey Tosterling | Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Lavoie, the electric scooter unit of Formula One engineering and technology firm McLaren Applied, is in advanced talks to buy bankrupt Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The source said talks are at "quite an advanced stage" and would involve Lavoie taking over "as much as possible" of VanMoof's operations. The company had raised more than $180 million from investors including private equity firm Hillhouse, Silicon Valley venture capital fund Norwest Venture Partners and venture firm Felix Capital. According to another source familiar with the matter, McLaren Applied is one of two suitors remaining for VanMoof. Bought from McLaren by private equity firm Greybull Capital in 2021, McLaren Applied recently launched the premium Lavoie e-scooter brand.

Persons: de Wouw, Lavoie, VanMoof, Felix Capital, Jan Padberg, Nick Carey, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Formula, McLaren, Reuters, Norwest Venture Partners, Nasdaq, Capital, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Silicon Valley

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 bln in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. The war in Ukraine has led to new demand for those in munitions supply chains, Tom Arseneault, head of BAE's U.S. business, told analysts. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

☆ Canadian fintech investment shrinks in first half of 2023 - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Manya Saini | Thomson Reuters | Manya Saini Reports On Prominent Publicly Listed U.S. Financial Firms Including Wall Street S Biggest Banks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Investment in Canada's financial technology sector was reduced to less than half in the first six months of 2023 from last year, according to a report from accounting firm KPMG on Thursday. Reuters GraphicsIn comparison, the first half of 2022 saw $834.1 million invested across 109 deals. In the second half, $1.09 billion was invested across 87 deals, the report said. "We could see some stability coming back to financing markets by the end of 2023 or early 2024. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: PitchBook, Geoff Rush, Georges Pigeon, Manya Saini, Krishna Chandra Organizations: KPMG, Reuters, Canada, Thomson Locations: Canada, Bengaluru

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: The PayPal app logo seen on a mobile phone in this illustration photo October 16, 2017. "We believe (Chriss's) experience sounds highly relevant to PayPal as it reemphasizes focus on small merchants and launches PayPal Complete Payments," William Blair analysts wrote in a note. PayPal Complete Payments is a payments processing solution for small and medium-sized businesses. According to Wolfe Research, his biggest accomplishment was the company's $12-billion acquisition and integration of Mailchimp in 2021. Outgoing CEO Schulman will remain on the board of the company until its next annual meeting of stockholders in May, PayPal said.

Persons: Thomas White, Alex Chriss, Dan Schulman, William Blair, Wolfe, Darrin Peller, Chriss, Schulman, Niket, Pooja Desai Organizations: PayPal, REUTERS, PayPal Holdings, Intuit, eBay, Intuit's, Wolfe Research, Reuters, Thomson Locations: San Jose , California, Bengaluru

☆ There's a brewing backlash against DEI in corporate America — and a venture capital fund getting sued for racial bias is now caught in the middle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

VC firm Fearless Fund is being sued by the group behind the Supreme Court affirmative action case. The conservative group claims a grant program run by Fearless Fund is racially discriminatory. It also led some companies like Bank of America, Mastercard , PayPal and others to earmark millions of dollars to fund and address the racial funding gap. A small, Atlanta-based, Black women-led venture firm called Fearless Fund was one of them. "Their motive is clear: they want to disrupt the vital work of Fearless Fund and similar institutions and organizations whose primary mission is to provide underrepresented communities with an economic engine to build, sustain and scale their businesses," said Fearless Fund in a press release.

Persons: George Floyd, Edward Blum, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, George Floyd's, Eghosa Omoigui, Yasmin Cruz Ferrine, Ferrine, VCs Organizations: Fearless, Morning, Bank of America, Mastercard, PayPal, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Civil, Costco, MasterCard, Street Journal, Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros, Wall Street Journal, Pew Research Center, Microsoft, Walmart, TechCrunch Locations: Minneapolis, Atlanta, America

☆ Mapping Out Their Future on a Spreadsheet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Rosalie R. Radomsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sachi Alita Takahashi-Rial and George Carl Gaetano Carollo sent out their online wedding invitations in March, which left some people amused, and others guessing. It said: “You’re invited to the first Investor Offsite for pre-eminent investors worldwide. “Are you getting married or raising a venture capital fund?” asked one friend. After all, Mr. Carollo, 34, is a founder and the chief operating officer of Dover, a job recruiting technology platform start-up. He graduated with distinction with two bachelor’s degrees, one in economics and another in urban studies, from Stanford, from which he also received a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering.

Persons: Sachi Alita Takahashi, George Carl Gaetano Carollo, “ You’re, ”, Carollo Locations: Vacaville, Calif, Dover, Stanford

☆ Occidental and Climeworks big winners as Biden allocates billions for CO2 removal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will now help fund two DAC hub projects, one in Texas and one in Louisiana. They will eventually remove more carbon per year than all of the current projects combined. Climeworks, based in Zurich, Switzerland, currently has the world's largest DAC plant in Iceland, which removes about 4,000 tons of CO2 per year. The DAC Hubs program is a vital investment for DAC to reach climate impact at scale," said Andrew Fishbein, senior climate policy manager for Climeworks. Heirloom is a California-based startup that is using limestone to remove carbon from the air.

Persons: Jennifer Granholm, Vicki Hollub, Andrew Fishbein Organizations: U.S . Department of Energy, Law, of Energy, Occidental Petroleum, Biden, Department, DAC, Breakthrough Energy, Microsoft Locations: Texas, Louisiana, U.S, Corpus Christi, United States, The Louisiana, Zurich, Switzerland, Iceland, California, Paris

☆ A backlash is brewing against DEI in corporate America — and a venture-capital fund facing a racial-bias lawsuit is caught in the middle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

☆ US-China investments: New Biden executive order deals 'major blow' to Chinese startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it would restrict investments by US venture capital and private equity firms, as well as joint ventures, in Chinese artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors. The executive order applies to investments in the cities of Hong Kong and Macao, as well as mainland China. She said the new edict suggested that Washington was “trying to ‘decouple’” US and Chinese venture capital, despite the administration’s insistence that it is not trying to halt trade with China. US venture capital investment into China has plummeted about 80% over the past year, according to PitchBook data. And the investment restrictions were long in the works.

Persons: Biden, they’ll, ”, Edith Yeung, Washington, Yeung, Kyle Stanford, Kaidi Gao, Tomohiro Ohsumi, “, Gao, Washington —, Xi Jinping, Gina Raimondo’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Race Capital, ”, PitchBook, Bloomberg, Getty, Investors, Washington, Sequoia Capital, Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Locations: Hong Kong, China, Macao, Silicon, United States, “ Washington, US, ”, Shanghai, chipmaking, Stanford, Beijing

☆ How $7.75 billion Hopin went from pandemic darling to selling off its flagship business for $50 million and handing back some investor cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Tasmin Lockwood | Michael Cogley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Virtual-events startup Hopin was a pandemic winner when it hit a $7.8 billion valuation in 2021. Now its CEO is stepping down, it's selling off parts of its business, and is set to hand back investor cash. But as vaccinations arrived and the travel restrictions eased, demand for Hopin's platform waned. "The pandemic was an extraordinary time to be investing," one London-based tech investor who had not backed Hopin said. Armed with more than $1 billion in investor cash, Boufarhat opted to make acquisitions.

Persons: Johnny Boufarhat, Boufarhat, Andreessen Horowitz, Catalyst, Slack, Hopin, Johnny ", Hopin Boufarhat, outsized, Streamyard, Badri Rajasekar, Klarna Organizations: Tiger, UPS, RingCentral, University of Manchester, Financial Times, Venture, Founders, Microsoft, Private Locations: London, Australia, Lebanese, US, Dubai, Papua New Guinea, Switzerland, Hopin

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