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Startups pitch banks as alternative to VCs

As venture capital becomes scarce, demand is rising for venture debt — the kind of loan Silicon Valley Bank provided before it collapsed.
Venture debt is a specialized bank loan that doesn’t involve an ownership stake. Silicon Valley Bank was a leader in the field.
Ong-ad Nuseewor via Getty Images

Chinese investment in U.S. startups under scrutiny for espionage

Jun 21, 2023
The difficult relationship between the U.S. and China has many economic contours to it. One of the complaints on the U.S. side for years has been about theft of intellectual property. That tension is now extending into the world of investment, particularly startups.
“Unlike American companies, Chinese-owned companies are required by their government to support the military," said Andy Weber, a senior fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks.
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Electric vehicle sales are strong, but EV startups are struggling

May 4, 2023
It's not easy to start a carmaker, especially with rivals like Tesla, GM, Ford and Toyota, which have market share and manufacturing experience.
A row of Rivian electric pickup trucks. The company's shares are trading at a small fraction of their peak value in late 2021.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A glimpse into the current startup landscape

Early-stage startups saw a rocky second quarter. What the founder and CEO of Prisms of Reality, a tech startup, is seeing from her vantage point.
Anurupa Ganguly's tech startup focuses on math education.
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Why you need a personal advisory board for your dream startup

Jun 9, 2022
In this book excerpt, author and investor Kathryn Finney explains why having a personal advisory board is just as important as having a company advisory board.
Kathryn Finney speaks at a women's event in 2018. In her new book, “Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy,” Finney outlines the importance of having a personal advisory board.
JP Yim/Getty Images for Girlboss Rally NYC 2018

Nashville VC fund invests in health startups led by Black entrepreneurs

Jan 27, 2022
One goal is to address inequities in health care, and to help make sure those inequities don't get worse as medicine relies more on big data.
Entrepreneur Marcus Whitney, left, interviews former HCA CEO Milton Johnson during Whitney's Health:Further conference in Nashville, which ran from 2015 to 2019.
Melissa Madison/Courtesy Health:Further

Census Bureau to add business startups as an official statistic

Nov 10, 2021
The fast-moving nature of the pandemic demands new measurements that are more timely.
Business startups have surged during the pandemic. The Census Bureau is making permanent a new monthly metric for business formations.
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Startups formed during the pandemic are rewriting the rules for how new companies work

Aug 6, 2021
Startups without any office space used to be mostly unheard of. Now, they may be here to stay.
Among the stated advantages of remote work are a "culture of documentation" and improved management skills.
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Black communities saw a boost in entrepreneurship during the pandemic

May 25, 2021
Black Americans were more likely to create businesses than whites, yet they are still underrepresented among entrepreneurs.
One reason for the surge in Black business formation could be that Americans have increased their understanding of historic inequality.
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Social trading apps are seeing an influx of young investors during the pandemic

May 19, 2021
Commonstock CEO David McDonough says many young people saw last year's stock-market meltdown as a wealth-creation opportunity.
The Commonstock app enables investors to share information about their holdings and market news.
Photo courtesy Megan Stinson