Start-Ups
China’s grueling ‘996’ work culture is being debated by European startups — 7 founders and VCs on why they are resisting
European startup founders are being pressured to embrace China’s toxic “996” work culture on LinkedIn and they’re pushing back. D3sign | Moment | Getty Images The European startup scene was recently shaken by a LinkedIn debate with some venture capitalists applying pressure on founders to embrace a culture of overwork to compete on a global […]
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GrubMarket, largest private food tech company in U.S., reaches $3.5 billion valuation in new funding round
Mike Xu, GrubMarket Founder and CEO Courtesy: GrubMarket Food logistics company GrubMarket said Tuesday that it has raised $50 million in a Series G funding round, valuing the San Francisco-based firm at more than $3.5 billion. The new round includes Liberty Street Funds, 3Spoke Capital, ROC Venture Group, Portfolia, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Joseph Stone Capital, and other unnamed investors. […]
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30-year-old takes on loneliness crisis with a social networking app that’s already raised $646,000
Nicola Gunby, co-founder of Cliq. Nicola Gunby Nicola Gunby, a 30-year-old entrepreneur, longed for a community of friends when she moved to London after the pandemic, but was shocked to find herself isolated in one of the biggest cities in the world. Gunby, the co-founder of social and community networking app Cliq, hails from Nottingham […]
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SoftBank-backed TravelPerk doubles valuation to $2.7 billion, plans fintech push
TravelPerk CEO and co-founder Avi Meir. TravelPerk TravelPerk, a corporate travel platform, raised $200 million from investors including Atomico and EQT in a funding round valuing the firm at $2.7 billion, the company told CNBC. The fresh financing doubles TravelPerk’s market value from January 2024, when it raised $104 million on a $1.4 billion valuation. […]
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Black British entrepreneurs find new ways to land funding as diversity efforts are scrapped
Former Goldman Sachs executive Ayesha Ofori was confident that investors would be keen to fund her investment platform startup — then came the wall of rejections. Some of the venture capitalists who gave the cold shoulder to Ofori’s female-focused financial investment platform, Propelle, ultimately rejected her, citing her lack of experience. Ofori notes her background at Morgan […]
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Nominate a company for CNBC’s 2025 Disruptor 50 list
CNBC is now accepting applications for the 2025 Disruptor 50 list — our thirteenth annual look at the most innovative venture-backed companies using breakthrough technology to meet increasing economic and consumer challenges. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Feb. 10 at 11:59 pm EST. All independent, privately-owned companies founded after Jan. 1, 2010, are eligible, […]
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This 29-year-old millionaire says work-life balance is ‘just a myth’ if you want to achieve extraordinary things
Timothy Armoo sold his influencer marketing firm Fanbytes in 2022. Tim Armoo. Timothy Armoo became a multi-millionaire after selling his influencer marketing firm for an eight-figure sum when he was 27 years old, but he says that being extraordinary is no easy feat. Armoo, the co-founder and former CEO of Fanbytes, grew up in a […]
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This 32-year-old cashed out on over $2 million in startup equity—here are five tips on how to negotiate for more shares
Bhavik Vashi, 32, made over $2 million after selling his equity in software startup Anaplan. Bhavik Vashi, 32, is living the dream of many Silicon Valley tech workers. He joined a promising startup, did his time and eventually the company was acquired, minting him as a millionaire. Shortly after graduating from the University of California, […]
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If GPS goes dark, Mesa Quantum has a backup plan
Flight delays in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Truckers led down unsafe routes in Richmond, Vermont. And power grid disruptions throughout Ukraine. These troubles stem from a global communication system highly reliant on GPS satellites and the signals they transmit for essential functions. To ensure that U.S. infrastructure won’t fall apart — even if the nation’s GPS […]
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This 29-year-old from one of London’s poorest neighborhoods became a millionaire after selling his influencer marketing firm
Timothy Armoo, co-founder and former CEO of Fanbytes. Timothy Armoo Timothy Armoo is a 29-year-old millionaire who became rich by selling his influencer marketing firm for eight-figures, but the young, Black entrepreneur had to beat the odds to find success. Armoo, the co-founder and former CEO of Fanbytes, hails from what was one of the […]
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