Calaxy, a Los Angeles, CA-based. The operator of social marketplace for creators designed to put the modern fan at the center of all the action. The company’s marketplace offers direct and intimate experiences using cutting-edge blockchain technology, enabling the blockchain industry to scale to users globally seamlessly.
Calaxy was funded $26 million co-led by Animoca Brands and HBAR Foundation with support from strategic angel investors of Polygon. The fresh capital will eventually used to expand its platform and products.
The startup company was co-founded by tech entrepreneur Solo Ceesay and NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie. The name Calaxy is a portmanteau of “creators galaxy.” The startup aims to build a new infrastructure that allows content creators, ranging from small influencers to big-time celebrities, to have ownership and equitable exchange of value compared to the current social media landscape.
Ceesay said the platform allows each creator to mint their cryptocurrencies that their fans can buy to interact with their economy or trade value for a social media engagement, Ceesay said. Its utility derives from the traditional Web 2.0 social media applications like Patreon and Cameo, where fans can engage with celebrities through social tokens.
In the future, the tokens on Calaxy can fluctuate based on market demand, and each creator could have dynamically priced assets, but they currently held at a pegged value to the U.S. dollar.
The social token represents a piece of a creator’s eventual own economy. This token is capturing your value; if the creator influences so many people, there’s no reason the creator shouldn’t have a publicly verifiable market cap or a value as a person.
YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram have large, centralized entities that make money off ads and businesses, so they’re not monetizing the creator – they’re monetizing the brand. But in Calaxy, creators should be able to control their success and take their social token and bring it anywhere to make sense specifically for them. The idea of a social token opens the playground so creators can monetize and connect with fans directly without an intermediary involved.
Yat Siu, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands, remarked that social networks in their current form grant the user minimal rewards. Calaxy seeks to flip this model over to drive more significant benefits to the user. With its strong leadership and by mediating personalized fan experiences through Web3 while including digital collectibles in those experiences, they believe that Calaxy could become one of the brilliant stars of tomorrow’s social media landscape.
By: K. Tagura
Author statement:
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
LaunchNotes is a San Francisco, CA-based developer of product change communication software designed to deliver better customer experiences by keeping teams and users ahead of upcoming product changes. The company’s software centralizes all release communication in one source of truth that anyone can access, enabling businesses to get regular updates by workstream, version, team, or what maps to an organization structure.
LaunchNotes was funded $15 million, led by Insight Partners, with participation from Atlassian Ventures, The New Normal Fund, Essence VC, and existing angel investors of Cowboy Ventures and Bull City Venture Partners. This new funding will support the expansion of LaunchNotes from a product change communication solution to a complete platform for Product Success.
When LaunchNotes originators Jake Brereton and Tyler Davis worked jointly at Atlassian, they noticed it was constantly challenging to communicate shifts from the development teams to product teams and other internal and external audiences.
The internal teams required to comprehend what was coming and if the changes were substantial or not, whether that’s a transaction, sales, support, or any other department that was operating with customers. In addition, the customers needed to know what had changed and how it affected them. This company has typically done this via release notes. Still, the creators saw these as stagnant and deficient in communicating what they needed to know about the latest release to the various stakeholders.
With modern development strategies, the fast rate of changes, some small, some not, often affecting dozens or even hundreds of shifts per day, caused retaining challenging.
Brereton and Davis noticed a chance to improve this process and produce release information to different parties the information they needed to see. So, they left Atlassian and started LaunchNotes to fulfill that goal.
LaunchNotes has achieved breakout traction with its initial product offerings in just two years. Last year, the business reported revenue growth and new customer growth.
Tyle said they would be laser-focused on unlocking Product Success by modernizing the product development cycle for teams everywhere. They are excited to deliver a Product Success Platform that connects the substance parts of the expansion cycle — such as comms, feedback, and planning — into a unified customer experience. By creating this seamless loop and removing the most common pain points, we will enable today’s product teams to build the great technologies of the future.
By: K. Tagura
Author statement:
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
Parallel Learning is an NYC-based startup that develops of learning assessment platform created to analyze and empower students with learning differences. The company specializes in virtual neurodevelopmental reviews and support services for conditions such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and executive dysfunction while delivering the resources and motivation to perform in the classroom, thereby helping students get to the root of their issues and build confidence.
Parallel Learning was funded $20 million led by Tiger Global with participation from Obvious Ventures, Barry Sternlich’s JAWS, and existing individual angel investors of Vine Ventures. The new funding will let Parallel scale-up, as a tech platform it’s more comfortable. They still need to scout new psychologists, speak with new school districts, and continue working on and sustaining the product itself.
The company started when it became clear that a new approach needed in the assessment and therapy space. In past years, if a kid required an assessment, they got it, and then they got the tutoring or accommodation suggested.
The number of kids qualifying for special education has increased in recent years, and districts have struggled to keep up with the assessments, let alone the particular teaching load this growing cohort needs.
As a result, parents may wait half a year before a child can be given an official diagnosis or advice, and all that time, they may be working on reading, keeping up in class, or relating to their peers. And that before the pandemic, these same numbers, along with comorbidities like depression and anxiety, shot up even higher.
Parallel’s assistance goes beyond initial psychological evaluations to deliver continuing help to students, including skill-based tutoring, executive function coaching, behavioral therapy, and speech and language therapy. In addition, services are available directly to families and school districts as part of the company’s enterprise offering.
The company standard is specific and not different from how agencies and psychologists work already, but with the extra tech-enabled streamlining of paperwork and scheduling. And then, of course, there’s the advantage of not driving anywhere to get or provide the services.
The mission of Parallel Learning is to perform hand-in-hand with school communities and families to provide the most high-quality developmental services to students across the nation. With twenty percent of children challenged by learning and thinking distinctions, they intended to offer permanent, practical, and reasonable solutions to help those learners succeed in and out of the classroom.
By: K. Tagura
Author statement:
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
Some people are just itching to launch their own business. But all they have is an idea.
It is true that being passionate about your idea is critical to establish a business. But should you discuss it with your friends and family before you have anything concrete?
When is the Right Time?
Naturally, all entrepreneurs are very protective when it comes to nurturing and protecting their business idea. Every entrepreneur initially fears that someone would steal his or her idea.
For that reason, it is important that you don’t share a business idea with people around you, without translating your idea into a viable business.
But in some cases, you can’t take things any further unless you share your business proposal with an investor who can finance your business. Seasoned experts recommend that you must never share any business plan or idea without getting a confidentiality and NDA agreement signed by the other party.
These legal documents are generally drafted by attorneys and must be signed before you discuss your idea.
How to Start Talking about your Business Idea?
An idea is fragile in its infancy stages. It must be developed into an elevator pitch or a business proposal before you could share it with other people. Don’t be discouraged if your idea doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Some of the best business ideas were once turned down by giant investors and people in general.
Believe in Yourself
Did you know that Chester Carlson, who was the inventor of the Xerox machine, received a rejection letter that stated ‘Who wants to copy a document on paper?’ Most of us still don’t know that his idea was turned down by 20 companies between 1939 and 1944. Today, Rank Xerox Corporation earns millions of dollars in profits.
The problem is not that you want to share your idea with people. What’s more important is who you want to share your business proposal with. Many start-ups and entrepreneurs simply abandon their business idea if they are rejected initially. But if you have worked on producing a quick and affordable solution to your target consumers’ problems, never doubt the potential of your business idea.
Many entrepreneurs or companies have re-located to other countries where there is more demand for their products or services. Every city and town has unique government-funded business development offices. You can get free or inexpensive resources to work on your business idea and find your target market.
Connect with Positive People
While keeping your business idea to yourself initially is the best policy, sometimes it helps sharing your ideas with motivated and positive people. Self-motivated individuals offer good advice and offer the best emotional support to help you launch a promising business.
But stay away from people who always bring you down. These people not just steal your energy, but can also rob you of your incredible business ideas.
Create a Strategy
Your business idea is like a small baby that has to grow before you could introduce it other people. Many entrepreneurs have an idea of what their business ideas or products are going to do, but they fail to figure out the ‘how’ part.
Work on developing a decent product or solution, before you could pitch it to investors. Work on creating an impressive proposal that highlights the best features of your idea as well as elaborates the mechanics or the process that’s involved.
When you re-invent something, you need to show why your idea is better than the rest. There has to be something unique about your business idea or product that offers something new or inventive. Going creative saves you from disastrous pitfalls and guarantees a steady source of profits.
Work on Promotion
A solid marketing strategy offers a strong back-up for your business idea. Once you have produced a great product, marketing it right lets you reach out to a wide audience. Study and reflect on how your competitors promoted their first products and services. Did they rely more on promotion or improving their initial business idea.
Relocate to a New Location
There are many reasons why many companies and business relocate to other cities or countries. Some firms require specialized employees while other companies might need an extra and affordable place to run their business.
Ask for Help
Connect with people who listen to your business ideas without any bias or prejudice. Most entrepreneurs look up to a role model if they can’t find a mentor. A mentorship or partnership between two parties can be both formal and informal.
You can also find true strength and support from your friends and family. Reaching out to others and asking for help is never a taboo for entrepreneurs. Successful people know that they can’t do everything. In fact, some of the most lucrative businesses were never built alone.
Test your Services
If you have developed a product, test it on a sample audience to identify its best and worst features. If you are setting-up an ecommerce store, make sure your website has gone through A/B testing and does not have any glitches before you run it live.
In case you have an idea for a mobile app, make sure it goes through a meticulous Quality Assurance process to get any bugs fixed. It is not easy to fool or satisfy today’s smart consumers. Once you have materialized your business idea, you need to promote it successfully across all channels to reach out to your audience.
Final Thoughts
The best time to share your ideas with your friends and family is when you know that your idea can successfully bridge the gap between a problem and a solution. The best time to share it with investors or other companies is when you have meticulously worked on creating and testing the implementation of our ideas. Never prematurely take an idea to an investor, he will reject it. Take a product or business proposal and you have higher chances of getting an approval.
Access our network of Investors, get instantly matched with a Lender, or get a business plan by visiting us Funded.com
ChargeLab a California and Toronto-based startup that develops electric vehicle charging software designed to accelerate and commercialize electric mobility. The company’s software monetizes and creates new user experiences with an electric vehicle charger infrastructure and battery swap management, enabling clients to with an open management platform that provides flexibility and expandability.
ChargeLab was funded $15 million, led by King River Capital, a venture capital fund targeting post-revenue, high-growth software businesses in large markets, and ABB E-Mobility. With the participation of existing investors, Root Ventures, Highline Beta, Third Sphere, Maple VC, and other strategic angel investors in Construct Capital.
The new funding will help the company go from its seed stage-level solution of connecting chargers and controlling them in the cloud to more advanced milestones. To accelerate growth and expand business operations.
As part of ChargeLab’s commercial agreement with ABB, the two companies will launch a bundled hardware and software solution for fleets, multifamily buildings, and other commercial EV charging use cases, according to Zak Lefevre, founder, and CEO of ChargeLab. While the partnership with ABB will certainly give ChargeLab the resources it needs to build out and scale its enterprise software, Lefevre noted that ABB’s interest in ChargeLab stems from its need for better out-of-the-box software in North America.
ChargeLab’s core product is its cloud-based charging station management system, which provides apps for EV drivers, dashboards for fleet managers, and open APIs for third-party system integration. According to the company, the hardware-agnostic software, which runs on the edge and in the cloud, also includes automated monitoring of chargers, pricing and access rules, payment processing, and electrical load balancing.
The Head of Ventures of ABB EL Ventures, Malin Carlstrom, said the EV market continues to undergo massive growth, and the value proposition of ChargeLab’s hardware-agnostic software has become increasingly apparent to both vendors and users. They believe that Zak and his team poised to create intelligent charging techniques and that ABB can be a strategic and financial supporter, benefiting both parties.
By: K. Tagura
Author statement:
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
It’s not often that business owners get the chance to pitching their startups to potential investors. Unfortunately, rare as the chances were, many owners fail to grab the opportunity that was given to them by committing serious mistakes that drive the investors away.
Here are the five common flaws committed by owners when pitching to potential investor:
Answering the wrong questions
Most of the time, the bulk of the discussion between the entrepreneur and the potential investor are centered on the description of the business and its operations. Unfortunately, most investors are not primarily interested with the “what” and the “how” of the business. Rather, they are more interested in hearing the answer to questions such as, “What will they get once they invest in your business?”
In this rapidly changing world, everything is shifting towards digitization, and businesses are also transforming their operations through technology to provide more reliable, timely, and convenient solutions to their customers. Digital transformation of small businesses will help provide better customer services, product development, and innovation in different aspects of the company.
Small businesses in their early phase can leverage this opportunity by implementing digital transformation as this will not require much effort compared to any established business. Transformation into the digital industry is not just about implementing the IT systems and installing applications; instead, it’s a cultural shift that completely changes things.
A recent example is the catastrophic disaster “COVID-19” that has changed all the ways of doing things and created the urgency to develop businesses that would operate digitally. Companies that will not adopt cutting-edge technology and transformation will risk losing their market share and will be left behind.
Before coming to the actual ways of transformation, let me first highlight the numerous benefits that small businesses can enjoy after digitization.
The transformation will help the organization in better decision-making by making available accurate and reliable data of every segment with the help of analytic tools. These tools also assist in collecting customers’ data that can help marketers make well-informed decisions. These valuable tools are also beneficial for both managerial and strategic level positions.
Large Organizations always put tremendous efforts into fulfilling customers’ expectations. Therefore, adopting or integrating technology into your business process will add immense value to the product that will fulfill customers’ needs and help small businesses to grab the market share before their competitors.
Companies that undergo the process of digitization improve profitability and reduce costs by cutting off their irrelevant expenditures. According to SAP, 80% of the businesses implementing digital transformation report increased profits. These profits can also be used for the future expansion of trade and more advancements in technology to have an edge on competitors.
Valuable tools and devices have reduced the hassle of maintaining employees’ attendance, salaries details, and stock management and increased the coordination between various units. Providing employees with the right tools can streamline workflow and improve productivity. Automating tasks using AI tools will integrate data throughout the business and promote a digital culture that increases collaboration and encourages transparency in the workplace.
Interestingly, most small business owners are making efforts to make digital transformation a vital component of their organizations. They need an excellent strategy to digitize their most critical business operations and start making huge profits.
Whether you are running a small business setup or just getting started and want to transform your business digitally, a well-established strategy and a well-designed plan can help you get the most out of your efforts and investment.
Here are the six steps to successfully implement digital transformation for your small business
Involve every level of the organization in the change process
To make digitization successful, it is vital to have a strong vision and the right culture in the organization that embraces digital initiatives and encourages employees in this transformation process.
It is also essential to consider your staff concerns since many employees feel threatened by the implementation of technology and automation. Many business owners have faced the challenging task of tackling employees resisting digital transformation change.
To get out of this resistance from employees towards change, demonstrate the benefits of the technology and provide necessary training to your team. Empower them to use technology to achieve their life goals.
Empower employees with the Data-Driven Decisions
Data recreates a vital role in the decision-making process. Hence, it must be accurate. Educate your team regarding how to extract data using different analytics tools and make decisions out of it.
Accurate insights regarding customers will help you understand exactly what the customer wants. Then, your product development team can design the relevant products and services to fulfill the customer’s expectations.
Ensure smooth integration of Business Systems
All business systems should communicate smoothly to streamline operations, automate workflows, and increase efficiency.
The actual point comes when you Integrate all business applications (e.g., Finance, Procurement, customer services, and operations). Then, it allows you to enhance collaborations between various departments and make a customer-centric organization.
Cloud computing makes it very smooth for small businesses to connect various applications simultaneously. It allows you to streamline workflow and manage different business functions simultaneously.
Approach and collaborate with IT Consultants
Mainly at the initial stage, businesses don’t have a large budget to hire a large IT team. Instead, you can outsource most IT tasks to maximize your resources. The first target would be to focus on areas that are the backbone of business and gradually increase investing more when your business starts to grow.
Try to work with consultants that provide in-budget solutions compatible with your company’s existing infrastructure. They should also help you identify areas that generate a high Return on Investment.
Customer Care must be the top priority
We always heard that the customer is always right. Take their views about your product and service because there is always room for improvement. Customer feedback is an essential element that encourages you to improve your product and add more features that help you to stand out.
Make a Website for your customers’ convenience, where they can view different products offered by you, make purchases and give feedback that ultimately persuades other customers to make a purchase.
The biggest challenge for business owners is to make sure the data management and security protocols remain in sync. Data protection requires IT solutions and strategic business initiatives due to the strict regulatory requirements and may face harmful consequences in a data breach.
In the end, evaluate and highlight areas where technology can help you make an impact. As a business leader, keep in mind your primary goal and create a culture for continuous learning, collaboration, advancement towards digitization, and innovation in every area that requires transformation. All of the above factors can make your goal of digital transformation achievable.
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
Altro is a San Francisco, CA-based platform that operates an online credit building platform designed to help users convert their subscription payments into credit history. It allows members to link their recurring payments, such as rent and subscription payments, to leverage unseen and uncounted costs to build their credit score, enabling individuals to upscale their credit scores.
Altro was funded $18 million led by Pendulum, with support from Jay-Z’s Marcy Ventures, Black Capital Fund, Citi Ventures, Concrete Rose Fund, and individual angel investors such as Dick Parsons and Deborah Quazzo, among others. The software company intends to utilize the new funding to build its credit and financial literacy program and bring education and economic power to those excluded from traditional finance systems.
Before the Altro build, the founder Michael Broughton had trouble securing the necessary financing to pay his tuition in college. That experience stuck with him. Then, he met Ayush Jain at the University of Southern California, and the couple connected over their view that credit access should be free. They came up with the concept of helping people make credit via recurring payment setups such as virtual subscriptions to Netflix, Spotify, and Hulu.
In December 2019, they started Altro and hunkering down in a Hacker House with a few others to make out a platform that locates a person’s recurring transactions and links them to a trade line that reports to all three credit bureaus. For the unacquainted, a tradeline is a line of data that goes directly into a bureau’s system that affects a person’s FICO score, used for underwriting.
Broughton said they’re not creating their score, but instead, it is a direct correlation to your actual score enhanced over time, which a user can see in our app. The users would be spending a charge, but a percentage goes to them rather than the companies. They don’t want to charge users for access to something they already have.
Altro concentrates on educating users via a catalog of over 350 educational audio clips covering topics like cryptocurrency, investing, and trading. Watching the snippets, the company says, allows users to become more financially savvy and positively impacts users’ scores the more they engage.
Also, the company plans to allow people soon to build credit by completing rent payments on time. An offering that was open on its platform before and is being carried back in the coming months. Platforms like Altro can promote change that will improve people’s lives and help this country achieve more significant economic possibilities.
By: K. Tagura
Author statement:
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
New York-based Tomorrow Farms is a provider of food and beverage brands intended to solve the food system’s problems. The company’s services offer animal-free dairy chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milk without any artificial ingredients, enabling entrepreneurs to produce and prepare foods for consumption and resolve the climate and ecological crisis.
Tomorrow Farms was funded $8.5 million led by Lowercarbon Capital and additional vital investors, including Valor Siren Ventures, Maveron, Simple Food Ventures, and strategic angel investors in SV Angel.
The company partners with creative, deep tech food companies to produce consumer-friendly, retail-ready, animal-free brands and products. This round marks the beginning of a generation for Tomorrow Farms as it prepares to launch its first products, grow its internal team, build meaningful retail relationships, and court new food technology partners to solve some of our food system’s biggest problems.
Berman began Tomorrow Farms almost a year ago after a job in the food space. He owned a food truck called Mainely Burgers, which expanded into three trucks and 16 employees. From there, he established Good Pizza from his apartment, and during the pandemic was dropping pizzas out of his windows to people as he raised funds for local charities. That business is currently part of Philabundance, a hunger relief organization in Philadelphia.
With a lot of investment funds going into the future of food companies, Tomorrow Farms. Which was incubated at the SALT Fund in early 2021 and has a mission of being the front-end partner for many of these deep tech food science companies building new products and brands.
Tomorrow Farms were gearing up for its first product takeoff and worked with an ingredients company to create a product around that company’s formulation. They are working to bring the future of food to consumers today, partnering with the most innovative food science companies to design products that make a difference for people, animals, and the planet.
By: K. Tagura
Author statement:
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
Cartwheel is a Los Angeles, CA-based developer of an on-demand delivery management software designed to serve courier companies, restaurants, RDS, and medical deliveries. The company’s software offers logistics data analytics, warehouse management, and asset tracking services, enabling businesses to plan and manage their dispatch schedule, delivery routes, and capacity cost-effectively.
Cartwheel was funded $3 million led by Moonshots Capital, with participation from Chingona Ventures and existing investors, including TenOneTen Ventures, Act One, Pitbull Capital, and other strategic angel investors.
The company plans to utilize the latest funds for further product development, partner integrations, and company expansion.
Cartwheel has tripled its comprehensive customer base and developed to serve brands alcohol industry in the past year. As a result, the company’s tools are now available to more than 8,000 establishments nationwide. In addition, Cartwheel is now one of the leading self-delivery providers for Olo, a top on-demand marketing platform powering the digital transformation of more than 500 restaurant brands.
Craig Cummings, General Partner of Moonshots Capital, said, That Moonshots Capital invests in extraordinary leadership. The group at Cartwheel has the leadership, knowledge, and strategic vision to change on-demand delivery. Cartwheel’s technology leverages a customizable solution that improves any delivery program to meet consumer demands.
Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery standard allows businesses to keep an in-house program alongside their third-party partners, helping them to self-select some orders for self-delivery and redirect the rest to third-party services. In addition, during extreme periods when an in-house fleet is occupied, Cartwheel automatically taps into outsourced driver fleets and permits businesses to set automatic rules for order routing.
The company matches driver supply with individual business needs, providing operators with additional capacity when needed. In addition, its interface offers branded tracking links, making outsourced delivery feel like an in-house order to the client.
By: K. Tagura
Author statement:
Funded.com is the leading platform for accredited investors network worldwide. We monitor and provide updates on important funding events. Angel Investors and Venture Funding can be a key growth for a startup or existing business. Whether it is a first, second or third round financing having a strategic alliance with an Angel Investor or Venture Capital financing can propel a business to the next level and give the competitive edge.
