Why tech innovators, startups ditch Silicon Valley for Austin
Remote work is allowing lots of people to leave expensive coastal cities, and many are landing in Central Texas. In this guest column, a startup CEO who is making the move explained his rationale: “What the silicon microchip did for the Bay Area, I believe the next generation of innovation will do for Austin. Whether that is quantum computing or commercial space exploration or some other fringe science, Silicon Valley as it exists today is too close-minded to discover it.”
Estonia is a ‘digital republic’ – what that means and why it may be everyone’s future
People around the globe have been watching the build up to the US election with disbelief. Particularly confusing to many is the furore over postal ballots, which the US president, Donald Trump is insisting will lead to large-scale voter fraud – despite a complete lack of evidence to back this. And yet this issue has become a central feature of the debate.
Helping Brands Sell Online: Shogun Raises $35M Series B
E-commerce experience platform Shogun closed on $35 million in Series B funding to help brands create unique buying experiences and optimize their online stores. Accel led the funding with participation from Initialized Capital, VMG Partners and Y Combinator, and a group of individual investors that included Bryant Chou, Mark Lenhard, Mark Lavelle, Alex O’Byrne, Brian Grady and Romain Lapeyre. This brings the company’s total fundraising to $47 million since the company’s inception in 2015, according to Crunchbase data. That includes a $10 million Series A round the company announced in February.
KITCHEN UNITED PROMOTES MICHAEL MONTAGANO TO CEO
Ghost kitchen provider Kitchen United has named CFO Michael Montagano as its new CEO, the company announced Wednesday. He will replace former CEO Jim Collins, who has left Kitchen United to “focus on personal endeavors,” the company said. A restaurateur himself, Collins helped build Kitchen United almost from the ground up.
More Students, More Diverse Students
Stanford University’s M.B.A. class is among the top ranked in the world, and also among the more expensive. Tuition alone is $74,706. The business school estimates total annual costs of a full-time student at $118,644. Stanford relies on international students, who are scarce at many U.S. colleges, creating another obstacle. How, then, did Stanford diversify its M.B.A. class — significantly — this year?
Cornellian Content Creators Relieved as TikTok and WeChat Survive Latest Legal Challenge
President Trump’s announcement in August that TikTok may be banned sent the popular social media app’s creators and users into a flurry. However, two months later, the ban was halted by a federal injunction — allowing Cornellians, at least for now, to continue using the app. On Aug. 6, Trump issued an executive order that called for the removal of TikTok and WeChat from U.S. app stores, claiming that the Chinese-owned social media companies — Tencent and ByteDance — posed a significant threat to national security and U.S. privacy. Key leaders from both parties have raised similar concerns over the safety of the two platforms.
RHINO INVESTS $22M IN THINKIFIC
Having first partnered with Thinkific in 2016, we are excited to announce we invested $22M to fund their latest round of financing. In connection with the growth round, Lisa Shields (Co-Founder and CEO of fellow Rhino portfolio company, FISPAN) is joining the board of directors. As a knowledge commerce platform enabling entrepreneurs and SMB’s to create, sell, and market online courses, Thinkific’s “business in a box” platform makes it easy for anyone to monetize their knowledge, grow their audience, and scale their business.
This startup could be a dog owner’s best friend as it uses machine learning to help guide key decisions
After adopting his first dog last year, Patrick Opie was struggling with figuring out what Orin, his mini Australian shepherd, needed and when. The struggle went beyond coping with normal puppy stuff, like when a dog chews up a favorite pair of shoes or pees where he’s not supposed to. Opie was buying products that were irrelevant or unfit for his dog and he was spending too much time researching what to get each month.
10 Online Pet Brand Startups That’ll Make Both You and Your Best Friend Happy
When it comes to pets, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d do just about anything to keep their tails wagging. Whether you’ve got a dog, cat, rabbit, or fish, it’s safe to say you want to give them the very best—and lately, that’s been easier to accomplish than ever before. The retail pet space has shifted online, making it super easy to get quality pet food, accessories, and even supplements delivered right to your home. We rounded up the ten online pet startups you need to know about—taken together, they have just about everything you could need for your furry friend.
Dogs in the Office Increase Productivity and Lower Stress
Companies looking to boost office productivity are paying attention to a trend that started in Silicon Valley startups: dog-friendly work environments. NYC iPhone app developers have been bringing their canine companions to work for years, and now traditional businesses like Blue Cross, among others, are following suit. The result? Lowered stress levels, increased sense of community, and of course higher efficiency.