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Completely happy new week, startup nerds!
Tomorrow (Tuesday), we now have not one, however two Twitter Dwell occasions taking place, and we’re enthusiastic about each of ’em. At 8:00 a.m. PDT / 11:00 a.m. EDT, we’re speaking with Andrew Chan about why Gen Z VCs are trash, and at 12:00 p.m. PDT / 3:00 p.m. EDT, we’re speaking with M13 associate Anna Barber about what right this moment’s founders can study from the dot-com bubble bursting.
Might your week have all the appropriate sorts of surprises in it! — Christine and Haje
The TechCrunch Prime 3
- 2001, a Starbucks Odyssey: In August, Starbucks acquired issues percolating with plans for a blockchain-based loyalty program and NFT neighborhood. Immediately, the espresso large brews up further pleasure, unveiling Starbucks Odyssey. Sarah has extra on this steamy, sizzling cup of rewards.
- Twitter vs. Elon Musk, half 265: Ivan writes that “the third time is the attraction” for Elon Musk’s attorneys, who delivered a 3rd termination discover to Twitter relating to the severance cost made to former safety head Peiter “Mudge” Zatko in June, arguing that this motion was in violation of Musk’s proposed settlement to accumulate the social media large. Or in order that they thought. Twitter is denying this breached the settlement.
- Africa’s sizzling and heavy fintech sector: Kippa, a Nigerian monetary administration app for retailers, closed on $8.4 million in new funding. Tage studies that Kippa already has 500,000 retailers utilizing its app since launching final June.
Startups and VC
EV truck firm Nikola merged with VectoIQ in a SPAC in June 2020 with a $29 billion valuation. Trevor Milton, ex-CEO of Nikola, begins his fraud trial, which serves as a warning to risk-loving buyers who would throw cash at an organization earlier than it begins delivering merchandise or bringing in income, Rebecca studies.
“The truth is that if you happen to’re a Silicon Valley-based enterprise agency, no LP at your annual assembly goes to ask you, ‘How did you miss firm X in Columbus?’ Like, that’s not gonna occur. However they’ll ask you, ‘How did you miss firm Y that was in Silicon Valley?’ They don’t need to miss these issues of their yard,” defined Chris Olsen in a captivating interview with Connie. Olsen spent six years with Sequoia Capital in California earlier than co-founding Drive Capital in Columbus, Ohio, in 2013.
Tangentially associated, for our Metropolis Highlight: Minneapolis final week, Haje hosted a panel discussing What Minneapolis buyers are in search of (trace: it’s not simply Minnesota startups).
Right here’s a couple of extra for ya:
For LatAm cost orchestration startups, market fragmentation is a blessing in disguise
Picture Credit: aolomartinezphotography (opens in a brand new window) / Getty Photographs
In Latin America, e-commerce is affected by excessive fraud charges. Scarcely 20% of adults have a bank card, and plenty of who do aren’t ready to make use of them internationally.
It’s additionally true that e-commerce is rising quicker there than in another area because the pandemic started. Based on one examine, on-line gross sales in Latin America will generate $379 billion in a 32% year-over-year improve.
“The funds panorama in Latin America appears hopelessly fragmented and riddled with fraud,” says Rocio Wu, a principal at F-Prime Capital.
“Nonetheless, we consider that fragmentation really affords an enormous alternative for vertically built-in funds orchestration startups to seize quite a lot of worth.”
(TechCrunch+ is our membership program, which helps founders and startup groups get forward. You’ll be able to join right here.)
Huge Tech Inc.
Darrell was following the Blue Origin launch this morning and introduced information that the launch was aborted after “a mid-flight anomaly.”
We all know you missed getting your Apple information repair over the weekend, so the workforce, together with Zack, Ivan, Sarah and Romain, got here collectively to carry you some tales associated to iOS 16. First are 5 new safety and privateness options adopted by “nifty” options you don’t need to miss. Then every thing you needed to find out about Lock Display screen widgets and the way downloading iOS 16 will flip your iPhone right into a extra private gadget and eventually, the thin on Apple Passkey.
- Eyeing India: That’s precisely what Google is planning on doing with a number of the manufacturing for its Pixel smartphones, Manish writes.
- What to not depart in your resort room: Undecided how one can simply “discover” a Meta Quest Professional prototype, however that’s what a online game streamer in Mexico says occurred. Amanda has extra.
- Nope: Can’t say Amazon didn’t attempt. The e-commerce large is urging the European Union to simply accept its supply to finish an antitrust probe into its use of third-party information. Natasha L writes that some advocacy teams are calling Amazon’s supply “weak, obscure and stuffed with loopholes.”
- Chocolate, salty balls maybe?: Transfer over capsules and Okay-cups. Espresso balls are right here.Discover out what Haje needed to say concerning the Swiss-based CoffeeB machine.
