startup

Transforming Retailers into Service Providers: The success of pivoting in Dealt’s case study.

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The company first started working with Mr. Bricolage, a popular DIY retailer in France. Dealt operates a white-label platform for Mr. Bricolage so that it can upsell its own clients with services. After that, retailers like Mr. Bricolage can provide services and generate new revenue lines as they take a cut on each transaction. Other Dealt clients include Fnac-Darty, Orange, E.Leclerc, Conforama, Boulanger, 3Suisses and Rue du Commerce. Some of these retailers work with Dealt to provide services that aren’t necessarily related to a new purchase.

“Oda, the Grocery Startup Backed by SoftBank, Shifts Focus to Norway and Sweden with Layoffs of 150 Employees”

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Oda, the Norway-based online supermarket delivery startup, has confirmed layoffs of 150 jobs as it drastically scales back its expansion ambitions to focus on just two markets, its homebase and Sweden, the homebase of Mathem, an online grocery that Oda merged with last year. Online grocery is hard — complex orders with perishable items and a multi-temperature supply chain in a highly price sensitive category,” Oda’s CEO, Chris Poad, wrote on LinkedIn last week (before the layoffs were announced). Prior to the pandemic, Oda – founded in 2013 – carved out a place for itself as one of the strong regional players in online grocery delivery in Europe. But by late 2022 Oda was raising $151 million at a valuation of $353 million. Local publication e24 says Kinnevik and other existing backers Summa Equity and Verdane are expected to provide the bulk of the NOK600 million ($57 million) Oda is reportedly raising.

Whizz Aims to Dominate the Subscription E-Bike Delivery Market in NYC

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But e-bike subscription startup Whizz sees it as an opportunity. The lack of disruption in the e-bike subscription arena could mean that Whizz is in a perfect position to get a first-mover advantage. Or it could mean that the e-bike subscription model is difficult to get right. Other consumer-facing micromobility subscriptions in NYC have come and gone, like Beyond’s e-scooter rental offering and charging infrastructure company Revel’s attempt at an e-bike subscription. His co-founders — Alex Mironov, Ksenia Proka, and Artem Serbovka — built and sold an e-bike subscription platform, Moy Device, to a private equity firm in Russia.

“Revolutionizing Public Infrastructure with Google’s Cutting-Edge AI Startup Program”

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Google’s newest startup program, announced on Wednesday, aims to bring AI technology to the public sector. The newly launched “Google for Startups AI Academy: American Infrastructure” will offer participants hands-on training from AI experts and other support for companies solving problems in areas like agriculture, energy, education, public safety, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, urban development, and more. Over the course of twelve weeks, startups participating in the equity-free program will be guided by an AI curriculum developed by Google’s People + AI Research (PAIR) team and will participate in advanced sales and go-to-market workshops. They’ll also be able to access industry connections and, of course, tap into Google’s AI tools as they build. While much focus is on the AI companies building the models, tools, and interfaces for working with AI, a focus on real-world applications of the technology could impact communities at the local, state, and national levels, Google believes.

Maximizing Your Impact: Standing Out at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 as a Founder

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TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco is the must-attend event for startup founders aiming to make their mark in the tech world. Founder benefits: Each founder of the startup can access all Founder Pass benefits. Here’s what participation offers:Global showcase : Be among the top 200 startups selected from around the globe, spanning multiple industries. Whether you’re looking to network, learn, or showcase your startup, Disrupt offers the ideal platform to propel your business forward. Secure your place at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 and take the next big step in your entrepreneurial journey.

“Unveiling the Mysteries of Consumer Demand Validation: A Conversation with Peter Gladstone, Harvard’s Startup Guru, at TechCrunch Early Stage”

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Validating consumer demand is a crucial step for any startup, and TechCrunch Early Stage is offering a golden opportunity to learn how to do it right. In this workshop, Gladstone will guide founders on how to leverage their expertise to understand and solve consumer problems effectively. With hands-on advice and practical strategies, attendees can expect to gain insights into testing solutions, refining product development processes, and ultimately validating consumer demand. With a BA from Brandeis University and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Gladstone’s expertise is grounded in both academic rigor and real-world experience. For founders eager to validate their ideas and drive meaningful consumer engagement, this workshop is a must-attend event at TechCrunch Early Stage.

Are AI Innovations Losing Momentum? A Look at This Week’s Startups

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Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Despite this general downturn, certain segments like generative AI continue to attract significant funding, indicating a selective yet substantial interest in specific AI applications. AI investment is slowing down for a few reasons, like the crowded market and the steep costs of building big AI models. Investors are getting pickier and want to see real, solid returns instead of just throwing money at hopeful growth. (That isn’t stopping them from raising billion-dollar funds focusing on AI, of course.)

“Discover Geodesic.Life: A Comprehensive Pre-Seed Pitch Deck with a $500k Investment Opportunity”

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Cover slide Problem slide 1 Problem slide 2 Product image slide Solution slide What Is Unique? The business model comes up shortClosely related to the previous point: Pricing is one side of the business model, but there are many more parts to the puzzle. The business model slide is very light on details, and the details that are there are a little confusing. The full pitch deckIf you want your own pitch deck teardown featured on TechCrunch, here’s more information. Also, check out all our Pitch Deck Teardowns all collected in one handy place for you!

The Golden Touch: Fintech Midas Raises $45M Series A in Turkey’s Thriving Equities Arena

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Midas, a fintech startup that allows people in Turkey to invest in U.S. and Turkish equities, says it has raised $45 million in a funding round led by Portage Ventures of Canada. The startup is aimed at Turkey’s retail investor market and claims to have more than 2 million users. That’s in a country of 80 million,” Egem Eraslan, CEO and founder of Midas, told TechCrunch. The company has plans to expand beyond Turkey, and aims to target countries in the MENA region. Globally, Portage invests in transformational financial technology and Midas is poised to lead that initiative in a region of early adopters.”

“A16z Elevates Jennifer Li to Co-Lead $1.25B Infrastructure Fund Development”

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Powerhouse venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is promoting Jennifer Li to general partner after six years at the firm. She’s being tapped to help invest the new $1.25 billion Infrastructure fund managed by longtime a16z general partner Martin Casado. The Infrastructure fund is part of the fresh $7.2 billion that the Silicon Valley VC giant just raised. Li has been an investing partner on the Infrastructure team for a while, which means she was already writing checks and taking board seats. Plus she’s one of only four GPs on the Infrastructure team.