@x username owner says he's still waiting to hear from company formerly known as Twitter

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

In today’s top story, when “X” gon’ give it to ya, it really does. The owner of the @x handle on Twitter says no one reached out ahead of Twitter’s rebranding to “X,” though can we really be surprised? Learn more about the person behind the @x.

Meanwhile, there’s more drama over at Indian edtech giant Byju’s. This time, a board member from Prosus, one of the company’s largest investors, stepped down. In addition, the investor had some choice words for the company, where other key investors previously quit the startup’s board. Read more.

And if you’re on the lookout for the perfect cut, meet the Aura by Glowforge, a laser cutter that is smaller and cheaper than Glowforge’s previous models. Find out if it makes the cut.

Image Credits: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

From the “pod” files

First up, Chain Reaction has a bonus episode today: Jacquelyn interviews Stu Alderoty, chief legal officer of Ripple Labs. Alderoty broke down the debate around whether crypto assets are securities or commodities. He also got into Ripple’s recent win in a lawsuit brought on by the SEC, and he shares how he thinks the lack of regulatory clarity in the U.S. will affect innovation in the industry. Listen here.

On today’s episode of Found: Dominic and Becca talk with Mandy Price from Kanarys, a SaaS startup that helps companies tackle their diversity and inclusion problems with data. Mandy talked about why she started the company after a decade-long career as a lawyer. She also talked about why she didn’t want Kanarys to just focus on hiring metrics (as many other DEI platforms are) and discusses when the company started building out its sales team after years of inbound interest. Listen here.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

Fund of funds could be the perfect vehicle for backing diverse, emerging fund managers

A pooled investment fund — better known as a fund of funds (FoF) — gives LPs and investors “a way to enter a market, sometimes to get into early-stage deals,” explains Dominic Madori-Davis.

But is the evolving model fostering a more diverse community of investors (and hopefully, founders)?

To learn more, she interviewed several FoF managers and found that “as with most debates regarding diversity within venture, the argument always boils down to who is willing to take the risk.”

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