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“Energy Crunch: Belgian Startup Gorilla Scores $25M in Funding with Cutting-Edge Data Solutions”

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Gorilla, a Belgian company that serves the energy sector with real-time data and analytics for pricing and forecasting, has raised €23 million ($25 million) in a Series B round led by U.S. venture capital firm Headline. Founded in 2018, Antwerp-based Gorilla works with energy providers across Europe, the U.S. and Australia, including British Gas’ parent Centrica, Shell Energy, and Atlanta, Georgia-based Gas South. Throw into the mix geopolitical factors such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, ever-evolving regulations, increasingly distributed energy sources across fossil and renewables, and the increasing use of connected technology, and we now have fertile ground for data-focused energy startups to flourish. “No one knows what the energy sector will look like 10 years from now,” Gorilla’s co-founder and CEO, Ruben Van den Bossche, said in a statement. Other participants in the round include the startup’s existing investors Beringea and Belgian private equity firm, PMV.

k-ID Introduces a Revolutionary Tool for Game Developers to Ensure Compliance with Dynamic Child Safety Guidelines

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Doing so while complying with the growing number of child safety laws and regulations around the world is an almost insurmountable task. Historically, game developers may have had to verify the child’s age or request ID to prove the player is not a kid. But with k-ID, they could instead customize the game experience to be legally appropriate for a player of that age in that particular market. Simply knowing this answer can help the game developer customize the experience for the child, teen or adult appropriately. k-ID’s solution entered into early access in November 2023 with a handful of game publishers across platforms in markets including the U.S., Europe, Japan, Korea, and China.

“Byju’s Valuation Slashed by BlackRock, Now Valued at Just $1 Billion”

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BlackRock has yet again cut the value of its holding in Byju’s, slashing the implied valuation of the Indian startup to $1 billion from $22 billion in early 2022, according to disclosures made by the asset manager. At the end of October last year, BlackRock said it valued Byju’s shares at about $209.6 apiece, down from the peak of $4,660 in 2022. This isn’t the first time BlackRock has cut the worth of its holding in Byju’s — and BlackRock isn’t the only investor that has severely downgraded how they value Byju’s, but the new adjustment is by far the most drastic. Prosus, which owns about 9% in Byju’s, said late last year that it valued Byju’s at “sub $3 billion.” At $22 billion, Byju’s ranked as India’s most valuable startup. The valuation markdown is a stunning reversal in fortune for Byju’s, once the poster child of the Indian startup ecosystem.

Shina Chung Takes the Reins: Kakao Names Former VC Head as CEO Amidst Ongoing Turmoil

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South Korean internet giant Kakao — in the middle of multiple investigations over antitrust and securities violations — has appointed a new CEO as it tries to turn the ship around. Shina Chung, who had been running the company’s venture arm, is moving to the top role at the company. Separately, just last month, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a review of the monopolistic practices of Kakao’s taxi-hailing unit, Kakao Mobility. Korea’s antitrust regulator had already fined Kakao Mobility about $20.3 million for unfair service in February. Kakao Mobility, which has about 74% of the ride-hailing market in the country as of September, separately is trying to lower the temperature around this controvery.