As location becomes irrelevant, Greek VCs eye local talent and spread their wings
According to a recent report on Greece’s startup ecosystem by management consultants Found.ation, venture capital and venture debt have continued to grow in the country, although its angel scene remains low-key.
Oddly enough, 2020 was a banner year, with the sale of InstaShop to Delivery Hero
Two new efforts could widen the pool of people investing directly in venture funds
Venture funds have historically counted on several types of limited partners — or LPs — for their own investing capital. One of these groups is institutional investors — think pension funds, university endowments, hospital systems and the like. Another is corporations. A third buc
Daily Crunch: Myanmar blocks Twitter and Instagram
Myanmar’s government extends its internet crackdown, Microsoft’s lobbying arm blacklists presidential election objectors and Dublin’s Frontline Ventures raises a new fund. This is your Daily Crunch for February 5, 2021.
The big story: Myanmar blocks Twitter and Instagram
Extra Crunch roundup: 500 Startups’ demo day, smart SaaS pricing and much more
Demo days at startup accelerators are a pretty big deal around here.
These events aren’t just a chance to review the latest cohort of hopeful entrepreneurs — they also showcase the technology, products and services that will compete for VC and consumer attention over the next few years.
A look at how proptech startup Knotel went from a $1.6B valuation to filing for bankruptcy
This week, flexible workspace operator (and one-time unicorn) Knotel announced it had filed for bankruptcy and that its assets were being acquired by investor and commercial real estate brokerage Newmark for a reported $70 million.
Knotel designed, built and ran custom headquarters for companies. I
The Founder Institute’s VC Lab is a free training program for budding venture capitalists
The Founder Institute isn’t just trying to help entrepreneurs launch new startups — with its new VC Lab, the accelerator says it’s also hoping to fuel the launch of 1,000 new venture capital funds.
FI co-founder Jonathan Greechan described this as an attempt to bring more “align
Microsoft PAC blacklists election objectors and shifts lobbying weight towards progressive organizations
After “pausing” political giving to any politician who voted to overturn the 2020 election, Microsoft has clarified changes to the lobbying policy of its employee-funded PAC, doubling down on its original intention and changing gears with an eye toward funding impactful organizations.
M
Why these co-founders turned their sustainability podcast into a VC-backed business
When Laura Wittig and Liza Moiseeva met as guests on a podcast about sustainable fashion, they jibed so well together that they began one of their own: Good Together. Their show's goal was to provide listeners with a place to learn how to be eco-conscious consumers, but with baby steps.
Wittig
BeGreatTV to offer MasterClass-like courses taught by Black and brown innovators
BeGreatTV, an online education platform featuring Black and brown instructors, recently closed a $450K pre-seed round from Stand Together Ventures Lab, Arlan Hamilton, Tiffany Haddish and others.
The goal with BeGreatTV is to enable anyone to learn from talented Black and brown innovators and leade
Lightspeed’s Gaurav Gupta and Grafana’s Raj Dutt discuss pitch decks, pricing and how to nail the narrative
Before he was a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, Gaurav Gupta had his eye on Grafana Labs, the company that supports open-source analytics platform Grafana. But Raj Dutt, Grafana’s co-founder and CEO, played hard to get.
This week on Extra Crunch Live, the duo explained how they came t
Tickr, which allows retail investors to back impact companies, secures $3.4M from Ada Ventures
Tickr, an app that allows U.K. consumers to make financial investments based on their impact on society and the environment, has secured £2.5 million ($3.4 million) in funding lead by Ada Ventures, a VC which focuses on “impact” startups. The cash will be used for product development,
India is restoring 4G internet in Jammu and Kashmir after 18 months
India is restoring 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior government official said Friday evening, 18 months after imposing a sweeping communications blackout in the Muslim-majority region in an attempt to curb the spread of potential backlash over New Delhi’s decision to revoke
Dublin’s Frontline Ventures raises new $83.8M seed fund for European B2B startups
Dublin-based Frontline Ventures has released details of its new €70 million ($83.8 million) Frontline Seed Fund III, which will be aimed at European B2B startups. The new fund will bring Frontline’s total funds under management to €250 million, deployed out of its offices in London, Dubli
YC-backed Djamo is building a financial super app for consumers in Francophone Africa
Djamo, a financial super app for consumers in Francophone Africa, is the first startup from Ivory Coast to get backing from Y Combinator.
While there has been a huge profusion of financial services that have emerged in recent years in Africa, Djamo's mission is to try to plug one specific and v