??? From WeWork to We-Work-It-Out?

Chances are, you're kicking back with your Vision Pro glasses on while diving into this newsletter ??

Exciting news today - we've just dropped a fresh video on our?YouTube channel, with killer tips on scoring venture capital for your startup. Plus, we're dishing out some?juicy insights?on the world of SaaS in emerging markets ??

But wait, there's more: brace yourself for some #StartupDrama, featuring Adam Neumann, who seems unable to let go of WeWork.

Enjoy the ride!

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The PAINFUL road from Pitch Deck to Funding - Startups Explained

Whether you're in the early stages or gearing up for a seed round, this video is packed with valuable advice from a venture-backed founder who's been through it all, not once but twice.?Remember to?SUBSCRIBE!

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Six bullets of updates

1. ???Apple's Vision Pro counts on iPadOS apps and immersive experiences, but?its mainstream adoption hinges on cost and content.
2. ???AI and ML redefining debt recovery?processes, offering personalized communication and accurate risk assessments.
3. ???Abacus AI's newly released open-source language model, Smaug-72B,?outperforms GPT-3.5, becoming world's top-ranking AI.
4. ??Boards need to wise up!?72% of them have a risk oversight committee, but new challenges from AI demand smarter strategies.
5. ?? Dutch recycling giant Bollegraaf invests $12.8M in UK AI startup Greyparrot to?boost waste intelligence and recycling efficiency.
6. ???Riding the crowdfunding wave, TechCrunch spells out the pros & cons and shares six key tips for a successful campaign.

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How Regional Quirks Spice Up SaaS Growth

In a world brewed with a strong shot of globalization, similarities can be as apparent as the hipster coffee shops in Budapest and Portland. Yet, like coffee, SaaS businesses are showing distinct flavors depending on their geographical brew. India's SaaS sector, for example, is soaring towards a projected $50 billion in annual revenue by 2030, according to Bessemer Venture Partners. They also noted that Indian SaaS businesses are more efficient. The 'State of SaaS LatAm 2024 report' corroborates the same trend in emerging markets. It reveals Latin American SaaS businesses outperform their global peers with better net dollar retention and customer acquisition cost payback, despite being hamstrung by capital scarcity. In the world of SaaS, customer acquisition cost (CAC) is crucial and?forced efficiency due to economic constraints could serve as an unconventional path towards global SaaS leadership.

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Startup Events and Deadlines

1. Pitch Deck Design?| February 13, 2024 | Online ?
2. SaaS Open?| March 3, 2024 | Austin
3. SaaSOpen: Austin?| March, 28, 2024 | Austin

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Join the Webinar: Vendor Risk Management

Vendor security reviews can be manual and time-consuming, draining security teams of precious hours. Vanta’s Vendor Risk Management solution changes that, automating and streamlining security reviews so that you can spend less time on repetitive work and more time strengthening your security posture.?

Join Vanta’s live product demo?to on February 27th at 10 am PST where you’ll learn how VRM:

• Automates vendor discovery, risk assessment, and remediation
• Uses Vanta AI to extract findings from vendor security documents
• Streamlines exchanging security information with vendors

Can’t make the time??Register anyway, and you’ll get a link to the recording.

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These companies just raised money

1. ????♂? Despite a cybersecurity funding dip, NinjaOne?nets a cool $231.5M Series C,?boosting its valuation to $1.9B
2. ?? 3D scanning app Polycam raises $18M in Series A round,?with participation from Adobe and YouTube co-founder?Chad Hurley, to enhance its AI and expand into new markets.
3. ????DUDE CHEM secures €6.5m to scale its patented,?eco-friendly chemical manufacturing processes, slashing pharma's CO2 emissions by up to 40%.
4. ???Event?rental management software company?Goodshuffle nets $5M in Series A funding to accelerate growth.
5. ?? Suma Wealth lands $2.2M to boost its?financial tools for young U.S. Latinos, raising its total capital to $5.5M.
6. ???New kid on the AI block, Cimba.AI, nabs $1.25M pre-seed funding to help businesses build customized AI agents

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Back to the Future of WeWork: Neumann rebooted

WeWork co-founder?Adam Neumann is reportedly considering a buyback of the now-bankrupt company, with his new real estate firm Flow Global. His intention includes partnering with capital providers such as Dan Loeb's Third Point. WeWork, once valued at $47 billion, filed for bankruptcy last November after a failed IPO attempt in 2019 led to a scrutiny of Neumann's eccentric management style. This possible reinvolvement of Neumann into WeWork, if successful, could mark a significant shift in the company's trajectory and potentially signal a new chapter for the troubled co-working giant. However, it's unclear how WeWork's stakeholders will react to this surprising move, given Neumann's controversial leadership history.

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FREE Financial Model Template

Use it to estimate your revenue, expenses, and how much money your startup needs to raise. Available to download in Excel and Google Sheets. Being on top of your Financial Model can make the difference and allow managers and founders to make game-changing decisions.

Download

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