1️⃣ This startup’s pitch deck caught Entrepreneur First’s eye

Waste Labs is a Singapore-based AI and sustainability startup that aims to improve waste collection by helping garbage collectors and cities better analyze their systems. The company raised US$500,000 in pre-seed funding in 2021 using this pitch deck. The deck highlights how current waste collection systems are impractical and result in unrecycled waste. It goes on to emphasize Waste Labs’ mission to modernize planning around waste collection and its success so far.
 

2️⃣ This Visa-backed firm’s pitch deck got it a US$10 million series B top-up

Finix, a US-based payments management startup, centralizes payment options for businesses. The startup used this pitch deck to secure its second round of series B funding in 2020. The deck clearly outlines Finix’s solution and shows the growth of payments made through its software as well as the advantages of this approach.
 

3️⃣ This pitch deck helped a coffee firm close a US$6.5 million series A round

Sleepy Owl is a Delhi-based direct-to-consumer company in the ready-to-drink coffee space. Founded in 2016 by Ajai Thandi, Arman Sood, and Ashwajeet Singh, the startup offers cold-brew packs, hot-brew bags, ready-to-drink cold-brew bottles, ground coffee, and a range of other merchandise. To secure its series A round, the startup used this pitch deck, which shares details of the business and the firm’s expectations for how the global and local coffee market will grow in the future.
 

1️⃣ What’s new, 2022?

What does the new year hold for us? Well, according to Nicole Quinn, general partner at Lightspeed Ventures, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are likely to go mainstream, the metaverse is set to take off, and quick commerce could grow even further, among other new developments in 2022. Read the rest of her predictions here.
 

2️⃣ The role VCs play in ESG

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) startups are unsurprisingly on the rise, given that issues like inequality and climate change continue to plague our world today. But to make a difference, these startups need investments, which is where VCs come into the picture. This article explores the necessary steps VCs need to take to support the startups that want to make the world a better place.
 

3️⃣ The state of web3 investments

Web3 is a hot topic in the tech and startup world right now, given the interest around blockchain and related developments like NFTs and cryptocurrency. This piece from Forbes looks back at VC investments into web3 startups in 2021, and looks ahead at the sector's future potential.
 

4️⃣ DAOs vs VCs

More on the web3 front: decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are fast becoming a way for cryptocurrency-focused startups to raise money. Blockchain-based and decentralized, DAOs offer startup founders a different channel for investments, as well as greater community support and guidance. But could it disrupt crypto VCs completely?
 

5️⃣ Signs from the stock sell-off

The stock and crypto markets kicked off 2022 on a bit of a downbeat note, with many investors selling off their holdings. According to Fred Wilson, principal of Union Square Ventures, this could be a sign that things are normalizing after the havoc wreaked by the pandemic.

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