Author: Michael V. Copeland

Matt Clifford, co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneur First, takes a global view when investing in people and their ideas. Not surprisingly, to hear Clifford tell it, there is practically no place on earth where startups and their investors are conducting business as usual. So, what should founders anticipate as they look to raise their next round, and whom should they place their trust in as they navigate the months ahead?

San Francisco-based startup Nylas is unlocking one of the longest-lived and deepest stores of data – email.

Like a dentist reminding you to floss and come in for a check-up every six months, Brian Johnson, co-founder and general partner at Crucyble, a cybersecurity consultancy that focuses on up-and-coming cloud-based businesses, shows his clients that good habits and regular check-ups are the best defense against future suffering.

Announcing an open source hardware competition to change how blocks (as in blockchain) are produced using far less energy. And on the way, finding a solution to move from proof of work to proof of stake.

From machine learning to “cloud food,” startups bring their ideas and their questions to AWS Summit in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The majority of farmers face a common set of questions. Given the inputs a farm has — water, fertilizer, crop type, soil — coupled with changing weather conditions (especially given climate change), how can they best optimize their yield? How can they farm smarter? Belaruse-based AI startup OneSoil has the answers.

Cash flow problems are among the most common that small and midsize businesses deal with. Regardless of industry or location, guaranteed access to funding is a primary concern. And according to Daniel Goldberg, CEO of Bridgement, the complications facing these businesses in South Africa can be especially high.

And there’s more help available from experts to get your application to the YC Spring/Summer? 2018 Class dialed-in.
Dreaming of a Spot in Y Combinator? The 8 Things This YC Alum Says Your Application Must Deliver

More often than not, it takes a community of people and resources to push startups onto a path that offers even a shot at glory, says Riku Asikainen, a Finland-based angel investor and long-time entrepreneur. “It is not the lonely wolves game,” says Asikainen, who sits on the board of the European Trade Association for Business Angels (EBAN), a community of more than 4,000 people investing in the European startup ecosystem.

You’ve certainly heard about the volatile ride cryptocurrency investors have been on of late. But all of the focus on the wealth being created and/or lost tends to drown out the underlying technology that is enabling these forays into not just new kinds of digital currencies, but also new ways of thinking about transferring wealth, ownership, access, all kinds of data, and more. AWS Solutions Architects Santanu Dutt and Anand Iyer explain the potential for Blockchain technology to up-end industries.