Blade discloses one-fifth of workforce after ‘growth not as fast as expected’ • TechCrunch

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Hump Day is here! You’ll need to tune into what’s happening today if you haven’t caught up with technology’s vanity. Copyright podcastWhere Natasha MAnd the AlexWe discuss how Elizabeth Holmes and Sam Bankman-Fried’s egos got them to where they are today.

Make sure to mark your calendar Tomorrow’s podcastIt is characterized by WalterAn attorney based in Silicon Valley Techcrunch +Columnist Sufi. They will discuss immigration issues and answer your questions starting at 9 a.m. PST/ 12 p.m. EDT. Questions are welcome from the audience.

Move on to the next news! – Christine

Top Techcrunch 3

• More layoffs: While I don’t like that layoffs have become a common theme in this newsletter, it is a fact of life. Mary AnnHe writes about Plaid, a fintech company that laid off 20% of its employees. Zach Perret, the CEO of Plaid, told staff that the motivation was to “hire and invest ahead of revenue growth.” Although companies will become better at forecasting, it is probably best to let the future go.
• Avatars everywhereWhatsApp is launching 3D avatars. Jagmeet reports. Just in time for the movie.
• Contradicting the trend of venture capitalSecurity compliance and automation will never be out of style. Drata proves this by proving that this sector continues to be attractive to investors. The company, which assists clients in complying with frameworks like SOC 2 or GDPR, was awarded $200M at a value of $2 Billion. peeHe has more.

Startups and VC

CrownFollows events at African fintech chipper cash. Already this week, the company Announce layoffsToday we are able to find out Its main investor, FTX, fellJust before the FTXF announcement, Chipper Cash’s valuation of $2-$1.25 billion was increased to $1.25 billion.

It was a great opportunity to make new money. Manly… masculineWrite about Bloom Ventures IndiaThe company has doubled its size after it secured more than $250 million for the new fund. CosmicReports on 645 projects, led by a data-driven team that just raised $350 millions in capital commitments. Finally, Thomas BravoHe was shedding a tear recently, and RonHe wrote that they now have $32 billion in new capital to support the buyout money.

Take five more:

• Venture capital drop heard ‘Europe tour: IngridAtomico’s Report on Insider Access How much venture capital for European startups?We are on track for a hike this year.
• Row row row your boatHarbor Lab just got €6.1 million to automate all the things that happen when you do it mooring a shipIn a commercial port. MikeHe has more.
• I believe this truck smiled at my.Einride autonomous and electrical truck She seems to have a face. You might even be able to see one. peeHe claims that the company has secured $500 million of equity and debt to expand in Europe and North America.
• No SIM card is requiredOnly Telegram’s Premium Offer Reached 1 million paid usersAs mentioned previously Manly… masculineNow, the company Auction virtual phone numbersPeople can use instant messaging apps without a SIM card so that they don’t need a SIM card. Ivan Writes.
• It is helpful to know exactly what you are spending.: Today I’m reporting from MarginEdge, a company that specializes in restaurant technology secured $45 million in new funding To collect real-time data across a restaurant’s back office operations to give merchants a better idea of ​​how much they’re spending.

Use growth as a differentiator to win investors.

Credits for the image: Richard Drury (opens in a new window)Getty Images

Investors still meet with their co-founders as they look for places to deposit their funds, despite all the doom and gloom. Although gentle storytelling skills are great, they don’t suffice: Once you’re there, it’s crucial to make the most out of everyone’s time.

To increase the likelihood of investor acceptance, John Atwell, Seedstars Growth Track Leader, advises teams to create metric-oriented customer journey maps that show “all the micro-processes customers go through and the paths they lead down.”

While growth projections are great, investors will appreciate concrete plans to retain and qualify them, fight disruptions, and address other growth factors. This will show that you have a good understanding of your market.

Atwell writes, “It’s rare for investors to be obsessed with the exact metrics associated with the customer journey.”

Three more from TC+:

• We won’t tell anyone anything you didn’t already understand…: But we added a staple to that. pica check Unicorn FinTech ReviewsIt will be difficult to reverse in 2022.
• Two wealthy men attend a crypto conference…: JacquelineIt ended at Benzinga’s ‘Future of Crypto’ conference and saw Anthony Scaramucci and Kevin O’Leary discussing everything SBF, FTX, and What’s Next for Cryptocurrency.
• High level of complaints: TimHe has been hearing from opponents complaints about U.S. climate legislation, which he suggests could be a sign of that. It’s already working.

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BigTech Inc.

On the day “Does anyone think?” From the files: san francisco now Rethink its police policy with killer robotsThen there’s the pee Writes.

I’m often polite with Alexa — my husband rolls his eyes at me when I say “please” and “thank you,” so he’s intrigued AmandaToday’s story Amazon will award the stressed delivery driver $5Ask Alexa to thank her driver. I mean, why not start this habit in the season for giving? I see Alexa’s green light blinking now…

Five more: