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☆ A $7 billion startup wanted to build patient-friendly healthcare. Its bet on buzzy weight-loss drugs is testing that vision.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Blake Dodge | Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Patient complaints go beyond the Wegovy shortageKaitlyn's complaints echo an array of issues faced by other Ro patients seeking weight-loss drugs. The patients Insider interviewed asked to be identified by their first names to protect their privacy. In this chat log, a Ro weight-loss patient sends messages to the startup asking to cancel the program. Reitano told Insider that around 90% of Ro patients got a response within 24 hours. "Until these DTC companies generally start getting into the muck of healthcare, they're not going to have a material impact," Parker told Insider.

Persons: Ro, Zachariah Reitano, Reitano, Li Ran, Robyn Phelps, Kaitlyn, She'd, didn't, she's, couldn't, Max Kerwick, drugstores, Max, Ro's, aren't, hasn't, Florian Gaertner, it's, TJ Parker, they're, Parker Organizations: New York, Getty, Better Business Bureau, Nordisk, Better Business, CareMetx, Ro, TechCrunch Locations: Xinhua, New York, New York City

☆ Where Does ‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’ Rank in the Tartakovsky Canon?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Maya Phillips | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Friday, “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal,” the latest series from the famed animator Genndy Tartakovsky, will wrap up its first season on Adult Swim. What does “Unicorn” do well and less well? And what should you watch next if the series served as your introduction to Tartakovsky? I have broken down the good, the bad and the middling of his oeuvre — specifically TV series that he created and had the most creative control over (so no “Powerpuff Girls” or “Hotel Transylvania”) — and how “Unicorn” fits in with the rest. ‘Dexter’s Laboratory’ (1996-2003)

Persons: Genndy Tartakovsky, Jack, ”, ‘ Locations: “, Transylvania

☆ I made $135,000 as a birthday clown last year — and I only work around 2 days a week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She started building her brand — Silly Sparkles — in 2011 to entertain at kids birthday parties. I'm a "clown-mom" who entertains at kids birthday parties. I pivoted to focus on birthday parties during the COVID-19 pandemicEarlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, I had to rethink my marketing strategy. At times in 2020, small birthday parties were still happening where I live. Now I do my business administration on Monday and Wednesday mornings and perform at birthday parties for up to 12 hours every Saturday in Austin.

Persons: Regina Martinez, Martinez, —, I'd, I'm Organizations: Facebook, Google, Service Locations: Austin , Texas, Austin

☆ This New Yorker says he loves his mini Kei truck, but plans to give it up because finding spare parts is so hard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Kei truck owner plans to give up his mini pickup as it's too hard and costly to find spare parts. He said he fell in love with the mini Japanese "Kei" truck, but the unexpectedly high costs of replacing broken parts means he's reluctantly planning to give it up. Disbrow's modified Kei truck without covers on the back. He estimates he spent another $3,000 turning it into a mini removal van. It's been enough to make Disbrow begrudgingly plan to give up the Kei truck and find something more common, he said.

Persons: Craig Disbrow, Bongo, Kei, he'd, Disbrow, they're, didn't, It's Organizations: Morning Locations: New York City, North Carolina, New York, America

☆ All eyes on projected top pick Wembanyama ahead of NBA Draft
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 21 (Reuters) - When it comes to the 2023 NBA Draft, there is Victor Wembanyama and then there is everyone else. A so-called generational talent who can quickly change the trajectory of a franchise, Wembanyama is the most anticipated and hyped NBA Draft prospect since LeBron James, the league's all-time leading scorer, in 2003. I've never seen anything quite like him on a basketball floor," ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas said on a conference call. The Charlotte Hornets own the second pick in the NBA Draft while the Portland Trail Blazers are set to pick third overall. There will be 58 picks across two rounds in the 2023 NBA Draft instead of the usual 60 because Philadelphia and Chicago forfeited a second-round pick due to violating rules governing free agency discussions.

Persons: Victor Wembanyama, Wembanyama, LeBron James, I've, Jay Bilas, Antonio, Basketball Hall of Famers David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Duncan, San, James, Everybody's, LeBron, We've, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: San Antonio Spurs, NBA, ESPN, Basketball Hall of Famers, Spurs, Metropolitans, French League, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia, Chicago, Thomson Locations: San Antonio, Toronto

☆ Bill Gates-Backed Mining Company Is Silicon Valley’s Newest Unicorn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Julie Steinberg | ) 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/silicon-valleys-newest-unicorn-is-a-mining-company-9d22ea6c

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Silicon Valley’s Newest Unicorn Is a Mining Company
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Julie Steinberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Why investors pumped $100 million into a startup using microbial fungi to turn soil into a crucial tool in the fight against climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The startup Loam Bio wants to use fungi to boost soil health and help keep carbon in the ground. But soil carbon is in a sorry state, in part due to current agricultural practices. There are different types of soil carbon; some decompose easily while others can take thousands of years to break down. The soil microbiome could also change to start breaking down the carbon that gets fixed in soil, Bailey added. "The most important thing is that we're really accurately measuring the carbon that we store in the soil," Hudson said.

Persons: Guy Hudson, Chris Sacca's, Hacking, It's, Hudson, Monique, Britt Koskella, Koskella, Andy Bailey, Bailey, we're, Chris Shafto, Dr Brooke Bruning, you've Organizations: Green Tech, Service, Australian, Lowercarbon Capital, Lowercarbon, UC Berkeley, University of Bristol Locations: Australia, Brazil

☆ Cava IPO comes in a little too hot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company’s IPO raised $318 million, about $30 million more than it had expected a few days earlier, to fuel its expansion. And just in time for the afternoon lunch rush, its shares opened on the New York Stock Exchange at nearly double its IPO price. That implies Cava’s valuation is close to $5 billion, over twice the amount private investors ascribed it in 2021. Cava is a lot like Sweetgreen – neither are profitable, and both have a similar number of stores. But Cava now trades at more than five times its theoretical annualized sales based on the first quarter, much higher than the 1.4 times Sweetgreen commands.

Persons: Cava, copycats, Anita Ramaswamy, John Foley, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: YORK, Reuters, New York Stock Exchange, Twitter, Corporate, Thomson Locations: Crunchbase, Cava

☆ China's VCs look to the Middle East for a U.S. dollar lifeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

China's ties with the Middle East have warmed since Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations earlier this year — through discussions brokered by Beijing. Those tensions and increased regulatory scrutiny in both countries prompted many U.S.-based investors to hold off on investments in Chinese venture capital funds. Middle East capital is looking to step in, especially as countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar look to diversify from dependence on fossil fuels. However, many potential investments in Chinese funds are still in discussion, the venture capital funds said. Preqin data showed the share of Middle East sovereign wealth funds' investment in alternative assets worldwide roughly doubled between 2021 and the first half of 2022.

Persons: Faisal bin Farhan al, Saud, Hu Chunhua, Fayez Nureldine, Morgan Stanley, Khalid Al, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Falih, PIF, Massimo, Aysar Tayeb, Prosperity7, Tayeb, Abu Organizations: Saudi, Political Consultative, China Business Conference, Afp, Getty, BEIJING — Venture, U.S ., CNBC, Public Investment Fund, Investment, Conference, Prosperity7 Ventures, Business, of, Local Locations: Riyadh, BEIJING, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Beijing, U.S, Qatar, Middle East, Asia, East, Saudi, Al, Aramco, Hyperview, Shanghai, UAE, of Dubai, Abu Dhabi

☆ Bank of America commits $500 million to funds led by minority, women entrepreneurs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Saeed Azhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, June 15 (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) on Thursday said it has committed more than $500 million in equity investments to funds led by minority and women entrepreneurs, more than doubling from its initial commitment of $200 million. The bank has committed equity to more than 150 funds, which to date have invested in over 1,000 companies that span 40 states, it said. These companies are led by 1,500 diverse entrepreneurs and employ over 21,000 people. "As a company, we looked at how to support women and diverse entrepreneurs," Tram Nguyen, global head of Strategic and Sustainable Investments at Bank of America, told Reuters. "Each time we support a minority or women-led fund, they in turn support diverse entrepreneurs, which ultimately helps us toward achieving our goal to advance racial equality and economic opportunity," Nguyen said.

Persons: Nguyen, Nasir Qadree, George Floyd, Saeed Azhar, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter Organizations: YORK, Bank of America Corp, Strategic, Sustainable Investments, Bank of America, Reuters, Capital Partners, Thomson Locations: Esusu

☆ Meet the 'Unicorn Hunters': These companies are able to acquire others and still outperform, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A group of "unicorn hunters" are successfully acquiring companies without upsetting the market, according to Morgan Stanley. With this in mind, Stanley questioned whether unicorn hunting is a smart business strategy, with the stocks recently not rewarded. Spencer Platt | Getty ImagesA group of "unicorn hunters" are successfully acquiring companies without upsetting the market, according to Morgan Stanley. With this in mind, Stanley questioned whether unicorn hunting is a smart business strategy, with the stocks recently not rewarded. With this in mind, Stanley screened for unicorn-hunter companies that have acquired two in the last decade.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Edward Stanley, Stanley, Johnson, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Spencer Platt Organizations: Big Tech, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Johnson, Merck, New York Stock Exchange, Getty

A circuslike atmosphere spread across the grounds of the federal courthouse where former President Donald J. Trump was set to appear on Tuesday, with hundreds of reporters in downtown Miami alongside those who wanted to be seen and heard. The small but colorful crowd included dozens of Trump supporters and a handful of critics, many dressed eccentrically to get their messages across on camera. There was the Uncle Sam who sped around the courthouse grounds on a two-wheeled hoverboard singing pro-Trump songs, the woman with a unicorn horn affixed to her forehead who wore an “Aunt-ifa” shirt and chanted derisively about the former president, and the man in a black-and-white jail jumpsuit carrying a sign that read, “Lock Him Up.”Adding to the buzz of the sunbaked scene — temperatures had reached 88 degrees by lunchtime — were trucks with flags and loudspeakers, and several people on foot with selfie sticks who broadcast live video streams to thousands of viewers while weaving in and out of the crowds.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Sam Organizations: Trump, ifa Locations: Miami

In the days leading up to his arraignment in Miami, former President Donald J. Trump and several of his allies called on supporters to rally to his side. Stone Jr., Mr. Trump’s longtime political adviser, called for protests, insisting that they should be peaceful. A Miami chapter of the Proud Boys — long associated with Mr. Stone — echoed the invitation, posting a flier on its Telegram page last week advertising an event at the federal courthouse on Tuesday morning. All of this raised the level of concern among civic leaders in the city, who issued calls for protesters to remain peaceful. It did not appear that any Proud Boys showed up and about 500 people, including one with a pig’s head on a spear, answered Mr. Trump’s call to action.

Persons: Donald J, Roger J, Stone Jr, Trump’s, Stone —, Sam, ” Organizations: Trump, ifa Locations: Miami

☆ Alphabet-backed U.K. payment firm GoCardless to cut 15% of headcount
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alphabet -backed British fintech unicorn GoCardless has said it will reduce its global headcount by 15%, slashing 135 roles in a bid to cut costs. A separate 15 roles will be transferred from Britain to Latvian capital Riga. The payments firm most recently raised $312 million in a Series G funding round in February, earning a $2.1 billion valuation. Its backers include Alphabet's venture capital investment arm GV, BlackRock and Permira. Takeuchi hinted at the firm's renewed focus on profitability to CNBC in comments at the Money 20/20 conference last week.

Persons: GoCardless, Hiroki Takeuchi, Permira, Takeuchi, CNBC's Ryan Browne, — CNBC's Ryan Browne Organizations: GV, CNBC Locations: British, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Latvian, Riga, London, BlackRock

OAKLAND, California, June 13(Reuters) - Silicon Valley-based AI chip startup SiMa.ai on Tuesday said it raised an additional $13 million from investors including a key fund in Taiwan called VentureTech Alliance, which has a strong strategic partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW). This is at least the third investment in U.S. chip startups by VentureTech Alliance in the past month. British AI chip unicorn Graphcore's struggles have been widely reported. Rangasayee also pointed to one recent benchmark testing result by SiMa.ai that beat AI chip giant Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) in performance and power of chips used on devices like cameras, drones and robots. The testing data is published by MLCommons, an engineering consortium that maintains testing benchmarks widely used in the AI chip industry.

Persons: VentureTech, Ethernovia, SiMa.ai, Navin Chaddha, Mayfield, Chaddha, they're, Moshe Gavrielov, Krishna Rangasayee, MLCommons, it's, David, Goliath, Jane Lanhee Lee, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: VentureTech, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, VentureTech Alliance, Ayar Labs, Nvidia Corp, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: OAKLAND, California, Taiwan, British

☆ Generative AI startup Synthesia just raised $90 million in fresh funds from US fund Accel and Nvidia at a $1 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

London-based generative AI firm Synthesia has raised $90 million in new funding. Synthesia is now valued at $1 billion, making it the latest AI unicorn despite the difficult market. Generative AI startup Synthesia has raised $90 million in new funding at a unicorn valuation. "What we're also proud of is being a leading AI company that's based in Europe, we intend to stay in Europe and build an impactful AI company here because the talent is available." Synthesia previously raised $50 million in funding in December 2021 in a Series B round led by Kleiner Perkins, with participation from GV.

Persons: Synthesia, We've, Victor Riparbelli, OpenAI's, it's, Kleiner Perkins, Riparbelli, David Beckham Organizations: Accel, GV Locations: London, NVentures, Europe

☆ AI startup Synthesia gains unicorn status after Nvidia-backed fundraise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 13 (Reuters) - Synthesia, a UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup, said on Tuesday it has raised about $90 million at a valuation of $1 billion from a funding round led by venture capital firms Accel and Nvidia-owned (NVDA.O) NVentures. The startup's technology helps more than 50,000 businesses including Amazon.com (AMZN.O) in creating custom AI avatars used in instructional and corporate videos. AI startups have emerged as a bright spot for investments this year amid a wider slowdown in funding caused by rising interest rates and high inflation. However, the hype around AI has also deepened concerns that video platforms could be used to create deepfakes, a realistic or fabricated video or image created by AI algorithms trained on copious online footage. Riparbelli has said that six-year-old Synthesia navigates the issue by only creating avatars of people who have consented.

Persons: Victor Riparbelli, Riparbelli, Jaspreet Singh, Devika Organizations: Accel, Nvidia, Amazon.com, NVIDIA, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ From Plaid to Brex to Instacart, here are the 20 unicorns that have plunged the most in value in 2023, according to private secondary data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One way to see how private companies are faring is to look at secondary exchanges. The fallen giants are led by former fintech darling Plaid, which has plunged almost 80% in 2023. The fallen giants are led by former fintech darling Plaid, which has plunged almost 80% in value this year. "Suggesting a valuation of any private company based solely on thinly traded secondary market data is misleading clickbait," said a Plaid spokesperson. Below are the 20 companies that have fallen most in value this year, according to Caplight.

Persons: Buyers, Caplight, Javier Avalos, Avalos, Gabe Greenbaum Organizations: Plaid, B Locations: Caplight

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Amazon's AI scramble
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The OpenAI CEO says he is losing sleep over the fear that "we already have done something really bad by launching ChatGPT." When ChatGPT launched, Amazon managers asked staff for ideas on how to leverage the chatbot at work. "Amazon must be really scared about being late on all of this," an Amazon employee told Insider. Odds and ends:Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, showed off his guitar skills at Apple's WWDC conference this year. During the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, stole the show with a guitar solo.

Persons: Hallam Bullock, Victor Frankenstein, Sam Altman, ChatGPT, Eugene Kim, Insider's Ben Bergman, We've, we've, Thrasio, doesn't, Read, Craig Federighi, Apple’s, Apple's, Dad, Jack Sommers Organizations: Amazon, ChatGPT, Getty, Elon, SpaceX, SpaceX's Starlink, Tech, LA Tech, The Washington Post, Netflix, Apple, Conference Locations: London

☆ The FOMO is real for venture capitalists paying big premiums to invest in AI startups right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Investors plowed about $25 billion into AI companies in the first three months of 2023. Other US generative AI startups including Adept, Inflection AI, Pinecone and Runway have all raised major rounds in the last few months. AI is minting unicorn-valued companies even in the tech downturnFunding into AI startups was down slightly for the full-year in 2022, matching a broader downturn in tech funding. And VC funding to generative AI startups specifically, many of which are very early-stage businesses, topped $1.7 billion in Q1 2023, per Pitchbook. "No one wants to invest in AI that's going to wipe out humanity," said AlbionVC's Grimm.

Persons: Warren Buffett, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Imran Ghory, Meta, Little, ChatGPT, David Grimm, Nathan Benaich, Benaich, VCs, Geoffrey Hinton, AlbionVC's Grimm Organizations: Blossom, Google, Facebook, Air Street Capital, Investors, EU, Stanford University, Venture Locations: OpenAI, London, Europe, French

☆ Vessel buildup grows at West Coast ports as maritime supply chain begins to break, echoing Covid chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tugboats guide the Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) Mia container ship arriving at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. The number of vessels due to dock at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach is increasing as labor slowdowns at West Coast port terminals have impacted supply chain operations, from trucks to rails and ocean carriers. Data from MarineTraffic shows that vessel problems are shifting from isolated to more pervasive. He said these vessels have yet to be loaded/offloaded and sent away, critical to make room for the next wave of vessels heading to Los Angeles. At the Port of Los Angeles, the CMA CGN Lyra has been at the dock since May 31; CMA CGM Amerigo Vespucci has been there since June 1.

Persons: Adil Ashiq, Lyra, Amerigo Vespucci Organizations: Mediterranean Shipping Co, Port, Marine Exchange, Southern, Vessel Traffic Service, North, MarineTraffic, MSC, CNBC, Tesla, CMA, Ports Locations: Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Long, West Coast, Port of Long, Southern California, Los Angeles, LA, North America, of Los Angeles, Europe, Port of Oakland

☆ Argentine fintech Uala to offer high-yield accounts in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, June 7 (Reuters) - Argentine fintech unicorn Uala said on Wednesday it launched a high-yield savings account in Mexico after getting approval from regulators to acquire Mexico's ABC Capital Bank and expand operations in the country. Launching the account at an event in Mexico, Uala said the high-yield account will have a fixed annual interest rate and would pay an annual percentage yield of 9%. Uala said a Mexican government survey showed that 54% of people in Mexico save informally, and four out of 10 people do not receive any yield on their savings. Uala received authorization in late May from Mexico's bank regulator CNBV to buy bank ABC Capital, which allowed the Argentine firm to move forward with its banking license in Mexico. The fintech also announced that remittances sent through Western Union (WU.N), Vigo and Orlandi Valuta can now be received through its app.

Persons: Uala, Andres Rodriguez Ledermann, fintech, Carolina Pulice, Anthony Esposito, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: MEXICO CITY, ABC Capital Bank, ABC, Western Union, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Argentine, Mexico, Mexican, Uala, Mexico's, Vigo, Orlandi

☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is privately reassuring developers using the company's tech that it won't compete with them beyond ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A blog post detailing Sam Altman's meeting with developers in London reveals some OpenAI secrets. Altman says OpenAI won't release any products beyond ChatGPT that would compete with developers. The original blog post has since been taken down, but that hasn't stopped people from passing around a copy on an internet archiving site. Among other things on the mind of Altman are the worrying lack of GPUs, the specialized computer chips that help power AI software, according to Habib's blog post. It makes a smart writing assistant, powered by OpenAI's large language model, which Jasper customers pay a monthly fee to use.

Persons: Sam Altman's, Altman, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Raza Habib, hasn't, Fortune, Habib, Sam, Jasper Organizations: Morning, Software, Amazon, Services Locations: London, OpenAI

☆ Meet the 8 Black and Latina female founders whose startups have topped a $1 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A report found nine Black and Latina female founders have reached a $1 billion or higher valuation. The biennial report, which Project Diane and the organization DigitalUndivided released Wednesday, compiled data from more than 750 Latina and Black female founders who have received outside funding. The report also found that there are now more than 350 Black and Latina female founders who have raised at least $1 million in funding, and at least nine Black and Latina female founders have reached a $1 billion valuation. Here are eight Black and Latina female founders who have achieved this feat, in order of the highest current valuation. Each company on this list has at one point achieved a $1 billion valuation, but some have lost that value over time.

Persons: Jessica Alba, Pat McGrath, who've, —, Diane Organizations: Latina, Service

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