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Well done [time of day] sweet [name]. You know what we love? The agenda for TC Disrupt just dropped and it’s going to be an absolute event. ahh. Check out what’s happening on our four (Count ’em! Four!) stages, and check out the incredible lineup of speakers. Then buy your tickets and book your flights – it’s going to be great. See you there! — Christine and hi
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The businesskinda.com Top 3
- Facetime: While Mark Zuckerberg promises better metaverse avatars, Ready Player Me from Estonia delivers. Andreessen Horowitz led the company’s recent $56 million increase in the company that builds dynamic, animated game avatars for virtual worlds, Ingrid writes.
- Driving away with secrets: Rita wrote a juicy one about a former Apple employee who left with more than just the best wishes from his ex-colleagues. Xiaolang Zhang this week pleaded guilty to stealing confidential driving information from the tech giant and then went to work for an electric vehicle company.
- light it up: At businesskinda.com+, Timo US Senator Joe Manchin’s ultimatum reports to automakers that they will either move a larger portion of their lithium-ion battery supply chain from China or give up some of the tax incentives that are part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Tim writes that this could backfire or that “the United States will finally become a major player in the battery industry.”
Startups and VC
The world has become much more serious about privacy and data protection, but in many cases, business models that rely on some form of personalization struggle to keep up. Today, a Paris-based startup called Ravel Technologies is emerging from stealth with an approach that he believes could be the missing link between the two. Ingrid reports.
While it’s typically difficult for new consumer social apps to gain widespread adoption, 9count’s apps (friend finder Wink and dating app Summer) have already seen some early traction — and investors took notice, investing another $28 million, writes Sarah.
Five more we enjoyed today:
Should founders announce down rounds? This PR Expert Says You Have Nothing To Hide
Image Credits: Ysr Dora (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
If your house was damaged by an earthquake, would you be ashamed?
Likewise, founders need not feel squeamish about accepting funding that lowers their valuation, advises Kate Johnson, VP of PR at BLASTmedia.
“Instead of pretending no lower valuation has happened, change your mindset,” she writes.
“You have nothing to hide and in terms of PR, no news is not good news. So focus on adjusting your expectations.”
(businesskinda.com+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams move forward. You can register here.)
Big Tech Inc.
After reading about Apple’s ex-employee, we’ve got more ex-employees in the news today, including former Twitter chief of security, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, who talked about the social media giant’s alleged mismanagement of cybersecurity. . It was from carlybut the team got to work from different angles, and here were the fruits of their labor:
Meanwhile, in flowing land, Lauren writes about both “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which is coming to Disney+ next month, and the premiere of HBO’s “House of the Dragon” series, which drew 10 million viewers. Also look out for the Netflix version of the popular “Heads Up” game, Aisha reports.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.