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| |  Image Credits: Petovarga / Getty Images | | The COVID-19 pandemic led several transportation-related startups to consolidate operations and reduce headcount, but we interviewed several investors who are optimistic about mobility: - Ernestine Fu, Alsop Louie Partners
- Stonly Baptiste & Shaun Abrahamson, Urban Us
- Shahin Farshchi, Lux Capital
- Kate Schox, Trucks VC
- Jeff Peters, Autotech Ventures
Our panel shared what they’re looking for in their next investments and highlighted several opportunities they feel are being overlooked, including infrastructure, delivery robots and other “second-order opportunities that aren’t as obvious.” Have a fantastic weekend, Walter Thompson
Senior Editor, TechCrunch
@yourprotagonist Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: valentinrussanov / Getty Images | | Closing schools to stem the spread of COVID-19 made edtech one of the hottest startup sectors today, but what happens when students return to campuses? Natasha Mascarenhas spoke to three investors who aren’t convinced that the pandemic has created a permanent shift in terms of edtech’s revitalization. "They're spending all their resources and money meeting near-term demand and it's not clear in the short-term what will translate into revenue dollars,” said Quizlet CEO Matthew Glotzbach. Read more | | | |
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| |  Image Credits: Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images | | Innovation is a a double-edged sword; if privacy and security are insufficient, it can undermine growth, revenue and consumer trust. This guest post written by five data security experts urges organizations to “move fast and uplift people” to ensure that their data strategies “make their partners' workflows better — and ultimately serve customers.” Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP / Getty Images (Image has been modified) | | Instead of making wholesale cuts to its workforce, Southeast Asia's largest ride-hailing company shifted many of its drivers to on-demand delivery, reports Catherine Shu. She interviewed the company’s regional head of operations to learn more about how Grab redeployed drivers in eight markets to bring customers packaged groceries, personal care and other staples while still respecting local movement restrictions. Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: Bryce Durbin | | Extra Crunch Live welcomes GGV managing partners Hans Tung and Jeff Richards for a live Q&A next Thursday. Hosts Natasha Mascarenhas and Alex Wilhelm will ask the pair about how they’ve altered their investing pace and focus in recent months and about the mom-and-pop shop investment thesis they released earlier this year. Extra Crunch members will have a chance to ask questions during the call; sign up here, then add the chat to your calendar. Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: Turgay Koca/EyeEm / Getty Images | | Traditional VCs are motivated by ROI, but corporate venture capitalists have myriad reasons for cutting deals, such as finding new tech that can boost demand for existing products and services. Before taking funding from CVCs, founders need to do their own diligence so they can understand what’s driving their interest. “Is this a customer acquisition or distribution opportunity? Or are they seeking to find a source of knowledge transfer and/or bring new tech into their parent company?” Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: karamysh / Shutterstock | | Mark Zuckerberg said he expects more than half of Facebook to work remotely within the next decade, but a Bay Area recruiter Jon Holman says "disparate pay for the same work" is a "dangerous place to be." "Even if you invoke the geographic disparity arithmetic based almost entirely on housing costs, what if a new openness to telecommuting means that more women or people of color can aspire to some of these jobs? Are you going to pay them less than the mostly white and Asian-American engineers in the Bay Area? I doubt it." Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: Epic Games | | Valuations have been widely trimmed back in recent weeks but early-stage companies focused on gaming and virtual/extended reality have seen noticeable spikes, Jonathan Shieber reports. The COVID-19 pandemic is fueling interest in virtual events, immersive social media platforms and other tech that brings us closer together when we’ve been compelled to keep our distance. "We're blessed to be in this business that happens to be well-positioned for remote work and for consumers that can have access to our products," says Shanti Bergel, managing director and founder of the Transcend Fund. "Games are in the right place at the right time." Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: elenabs / Getty Images | | Startups are supposed to have smooth onboarding practices that help new employees figure out their roles and understand company culture. But how do you foster and maintain a sense of community cohesion when no one’s in the same place? If you’re looking for actionable advice that will make it easier to onboard new employees during the pandemic, start here. Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd / Getty Images (Image has been modified) | | Discarding some of your favorite ideas may not feel good, but when it comes to marketing, “killing your darlings” is a best practice. If you’re crafting a content marketing plan, you won’t know what to keep and what to cut until you ask yourself these three basic questions. Read more | | | |
| |  | | Verizon Communications CEO Hans Vestberg joined us for an episode of Extra Crunch Live this week where he spoke about how he's managing the organization during this global crisis, his thoughts on work from home and acquisition strategy, and the ways in which 5G will change the way we work and live. “There are going to be certain things that never go back to normal. We're going to see much more hybrid work, where we are in between all working from home and being in-office,” said Vestberg. “Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I still believe meeting people and being in the same environment has a value for many people.” Read more | | | |
| |  Image Credits: © Marco Bottigelli / Getty Images | | Latin America's fintech industry is dynamic and growing fast, but some industry watchers are concerned that new regulations will stymie growth and stifle innovation. “A careful balance between regulatory consistency, legislation that tunes in with sector capabilities and forward-thinking agile startups will give continued growth and innovation the biggest chance of success,” writes guest poster Ximena Aleman. Read more | | | |
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