NEWS & PRESS
AI is a revolutionary new technology already making waves as specialized machine-learning algorithms are trained in specific tasks and workflows. However, it’s vital that we never lose the threads of diversity and inclusion in AI development, as biased data sets, math, and more can very easily skew outcomes, leading to real-world consequences. So long as we keep our ethical underpinnings, this technology will exponentially improve and overcome unbelievable obstacles in our everyday lives.
Many finance jobs have already been eliminated by automation, a trend which will not only continue, but will accelerate, over the coming years. Level-set on the current state of AI and what the leading researchers and scholars anticipate the finance world could look like in the future of superintelligent machines. This session explores the ethical dilemmas that arise in a self-perpetuating world of leadership of AI-enhanced finance professionals, and what we should all be doing now to ensure the outcomes we want.
The future of NFTs lies in the evolution of the Experience Economy. The experiences we value most in our lives are non-fungible — after all, you can only go to your first concert once — and, like NFTs, they are irreplaceable and unexchangeable. It’s no wonder that formative experiences are pervading the NFT market. By turning unique experiences into NFT form, brands are transforming how people are spending their time and money.
Pitch decks are absolutely critical, but it’s never been harder to craft a pitch deck that stands out. You have just 2 minutes and 40 seconds worth of attention before a potential investor moves on forever. Here are some tips & tricks to get a conversation going past the pitch deck stage, informed by our experience reviewing hundreds of decks over the years.
Driven by a widespread disruption, supply chain technology startups that make and move the world are enjoying their time in the sun. It’s contributing to the surge in popularity of investment themes involving transportation, logistics, commerce infrastructure, and manufacturing. It’s a bustling space, to say the least. For investors, the question is, where should one direct their attention? In this blog post, I explore the factors contributing to this meteoric rise and some pointers investors should keep in mind as this trend grows.
Blockchain technology applications have been a catalyst for the advancement of the Web3 landscape across a wide array of digital & analog business functions. As blockchain permeates the world, bots, NFTs, and DAOs are emerging as indispensable functionalities. Though the functionality of these technologies is becoming increasingly complex, the strategic applications could become a key factor in pulling ahead in a competitive landscape. To clear things up, we cover a few key details and counterbalance their uses with the downsides of each.
Image by Shubham Dhage
Originally published by Crunchbase News
In the mid-aughts, a cleantech VC investment craze attracted big bets from some of the industry’s largest names, who ultimately poured more than $25 billion into startups, 90 percent of which failed to break even after 2007. In spite of this troubling history, the green investment ecosystem is swarming once again—and this time, it’s poised for a very different outcome.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of fighting climate change. In the face of the current climate crisis, the VC industry has the opportunity to catalyze change that extends beyond a single industry or market. And as the problems associated with climate change become more frequent and severe, entrepreneurs are increasingly leading the charge to find solutions. This has led to explosive growth in the cleantech market, and it’s not the first time - but this time is different. It’s no longer a fad - our future depends on it.
Blockchain has certainly provided incredible opportunities across an array of business and cultural functions, from much-needed transparency across the supply chain to the massive proliferation of nonfungible tokens in the investment space. However, yet another blockchain-enabled opportunity — DAOs — is making waves due to its massive potential within the business sphere. So what exactly is a DAO?
A venture capital company's success hinges on the future milestones achieved by the businesses comprising a finite portfolio selected from a massive pool. That's why, to identify promising companies, most VCs have a well-defined process for how they vet, evaluate, and decide on where to invest their money. In that way, we're no different at Ascend Venture Capital. We follow a process to evaluate each potential investment in our pool to determine whether an opportunity is right for us. However, where our process diverges is how founder pedigree is weighed in our calculus.
Originally published by WealthManagement.com
For decades, both Wall Street insiders and laypeople have thought the investing and wealth management world was dominated by sophisticated professionals backed by billionaires and hedge funds. That might have been true in the past, but recently, decentralization is starting to turn that on its head.
One of the pillars of capital markets is integrity, as it underpins assurance of investors’ ability to price, invest, and trade in securities at fair value and with timely execution. In the venture capital market segment, no set of standards has yet been widely adopted to guide VC professionals in their conduct, and this is resulting in foundation-eroding doubts about the true value of venture-backed businesses. This session highlights ways investment partners can identify and root out unethical behaviors in their venture capital holdings.
Our society has become increasingly reliant on technology — especially following a year in which a global pandemic limited in-person work and communication. But our increased technology usage requires us to provide companies with more of our personal data than ever before. One natural result of this is heightened consumer and government awareness and pushback surrounding how organizations collect and secure data. With all of this in mind, how will our changing relationship with data impact how companies handle their governance?
Originally published by the CFA Institute
Ever wondered why 85% of investors still think they perform above average? How do we check our investment decisions for signs of herd mentality, illusory superiority, or any other bias?
If you’ve been following the world of Venture Capital, you likely know that it has seen explosive growth that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. VC funding reached record levels in 2020, and investors are sitting atop a tremendous pile of dry powder. Unfortunately, the VC world is no stranger to unethical behavior — and this can have negative impacts on funds, portfolios, and investors alike. Venture Capital firms have to create an ethical framework to guide their activity and follow it wholeheartedly. Find out how to source investors that share ethical values.
Originally published on ValueWalk
Most would agree that 2020 was a year that life was knocked sideways. The tragic losses brought on by COVID-19 and the resulting economic fallout were devastating effects that will have long-term impacts. And a year later, the twin questions of how the coronavirus affects business and how businesses are responding to the coronavirus itself are ever-enduring. Even some of the most vibrant sectors of the economy weren’t immune from the tumult: As many as 6,000 startup employees in Silicon Valley found themselves without work in a matter of weeks. The healthcare industry was affected as well, with 90% of countries around the world seeing disruptions to essential health services within their borders, according to the World Health Organization. This isn’t the full picture, however. Read on to understand how catastrophes can shape the way we build back business.
