Whether you know it or not, you’re in the data business. As our lives continue to migrate to the Internet – combined with 5 billion mobile phones by 2017 – we’re producing a constant stream of digital exhaust. In fact, 90% of the world’s stored data has been produced within the last two years, and this data footprint continues to double each year. The result is a rapid expansion of data, and we’re witnessing the “Big Bang of the dataverse,” which is truly the next new frontier.
Earlier this week, we gave a comprehensive breakdown of the 29 companies with a preview of Batch 8 Demo Day. Today, we’ll be presenting our favorite ten of the day in ABC order. Bear in mind, we’re going to keep the financial specs under wraps (just tiny hints), but overall, Batch 8 performed very strongly across the board.
We cover a lot of ground on multiple topics including Chance’s inspirations behind the company, what the JOBS Act means for startups, and what role Crowdfunder plays. And for the entrepreneurs who have tuned in, he also gives some insights into best practices for those looking to raise cash, so you don’t want to miss out!
For top tier programs, there is a compelling combination of promise and mystique that creates a unique drive for entrepreneurs, who once accepted, become ready to put life circumstances on hold during program durations to grow their startups. The difference here, is the quick injection of capital and guidance to create bullet train-like growth.
The very mention of the word fundraising can illicit some powerful emotions among entrepreneurs. It’s frustrating, taxing; a full time job in itself. And those who have gone through the process, know. Fundraising is a complex dance with a distinct, dichotomous tone. On one end, entrepreneurs who have (at minimum) built something customers love and are willing to pay for, and the other hand, investors who are looking for the very companies who fit that profile.
Meet Nanxi Liu, CEO and a cofounder of Enplug. We discuss the serendipitous circumstances that brought the founding team together (one of the most unique founder stories I’ve heard to date) and move to topics surrounding the future of digital advertising.
The Annual TechZulu Startup Forecast is one of our most anticipated events. It’s about as close as you can get to a macro-level crystal ball for the tech industry, expressed through a rapidfire string of insights from the minds of some of tech’s biggest investors, founders, and gamechangers.
Overall, great news for our fair city with a 25% increase in funds raised in 2013 over the year before. This last year, we saw a record high of over $1 billion raised with 200 launches and 25 successful exits which yielded $1.11 billion.
These figures, among others, indicate LA’s digital startups aren’t simply keeping pace with past years, but exceeding them.
You hear the words connected car and your imagination runs wild. Unmanned vehicles, flying transporters, hyperloop capsules, and automated cars, delivered at the touch of a button. It’s the future. It’s what the Jetsons promised us. But let’s be real we’re a long ways away. Luckily though, we are taking notable steps forward.
Great news for aspiring hackers, programmers, and entrepreneurs. Startup enablers and Silicon Beach hubs General Assembly, Cross Campus, Launchpad LA, and LAVA have teamed up to provide five $2,000 scholarships to General Assembly’s 12 -week Web Development Immersive Program.
