Giant U.S. Tech Investment Bill Advances in Senate
The Endless Frontier Act was expected to pass the Senate on Thursday with wide support as the centerpiece of a package of bills meant to kick-start U.S. innovation and boost the nation s competitiveness against China.
May 28, 2021 • (TNS) Congress is on the cusp of something that doesn t happen often these days: passing a bill with wide, cross-party support. Its co-author, South Bay Rep. Ro Khanna, said he believes the landmark technology investment legislation would not only have a big impact in his Silicon Valley district, but all over the U.S.
Meet Justos, the new Brazilian insurtech that just got backing from the CEOs of 7 unicorns
Here in the U.S. the concept of using a driver’s data to decide the cost of auto insurance premiums is not a new one.
But in markets like Brazil, the idea is still considered relatively novel. A new startup called Justos claims it will be the first Brazilian insurer to use drivers’ data to reward those who drive safely by offering “fairer” prices.
And now Justos has raised about $2.8 million in a seed round led by Kaszek, one of the largest and most active VC firms in Latin America. Big Bets also participated in the round, along with the CEOs of seven unicorns, including Assaf Wand, CEO and co-founder of Hippo Insurance; David Vélez, founder and CEO of Nubank; Carlos Garcia, founder and CEO of Kavak; Sergio Furio, founder and CEO of Creditas; Patrick Sigrist, founder of iFood; and Fritz Lanman, CEO of ClassPass. Senior executives from Robinhood, Stripe, Wise, Carta and Capital One a
Episode Summary
SDG #5: Gender equality for all women and girls. Achieving gender equity around the globe is especially crucial post-Covid-19 because women were more likely to lose their jobs and be economically hurt by the pandemic. Adviser Patricia Ferrar-Rivas explains how gender lens investments can focus on improving the lives of women or on supporting companies and other organizations that embrace equitable leadership and ownership, while Sapna Shah of the GIIN describes the business case for incorporating a gender lens within a portfolio. UNCDF’s Esther Pan Sloane tells Liz and Steve about one night she and others spent in 2015 negotiating this goal.
What will Silicon Valley’s post-pandemic office landscape look like? Will occupancy return to pre-pandemic levels, or has the workforce become accustomed to remote, commute-less working? A recent announcement by Google who just received approval by the city of San Jose to expand their facilities in the downtown area has announced plans to return to campus-focused employment, and may serve as an example of the hybrid-approach of returning to the office. People are beginning to open up their lives and think about returning to the office, Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a company blog post in early May. In fact, in places where we’ve been able to reopen Google offices in a voluntary capacity, we’ve seen nearly 60% of Googlers choosing to come back to the office. Pichai said that for more than 20 years, Google s unique office environment has been the epicenter of problem-solving.