According to a report by Credit Suisse, not only are women less likely to hold executive leadership positions but they also receive significantly less funding. Data shows that in Europe, all-male funding teams receive 93% of all capital invested, with only 2% going to all-female teams. This, when combined with the fact that the percentage of women in management positions in companies around the world is only 19.9%, shows a clear bias against feminine stereotypes.

While the entrepreneurial gender gap certainly seems to be closing thanks to the efforts of many organizations and private individuals, there is a lot of work to be done. With most efforts having focused on female representation in leadership positions until now, venture capital financing for female-led teams and the empowerment of female limited/general partners seems to be the next step.

The Bridge is looking to do just that by connecting limited partners with emerging female-led technology VC funds. Founded in 2020, the organization has been fulfilling this mission by organizing “The Bridge Conference”, an invite-only event focused on providing resources to connect both parties, presenting emerging funds, and offering high-quality content.

With more than 36 commitments having already been made through The Bridge to emerging fund female managers, the organization launched its new initiative earlier in June. Known as Bridge Funding Global, the platform relies on a selection committee formed by US top institutional and family office investors. The committee will include 20 permanent judges who will help select the top female GMs to become the first members.

Female GPs interested in becoming members will be able to apply twice a year, with the cap being reached once 100 GP members are selected. The judges, who collectively manage over 2 trillion, will take into consideration the program’s promises to the community, which include:

• Create meaningful and personalized connections
• Be data and growth centric
• Keep a focused, directed, unbiased, and curated access to the community
• Increase transparency on the LP landscape 
• Engage ecosystem partners to ensure the best solutions and support to emerging VC managers

Competition is expected to be high given the increasing interest that The Bridge Conference has received over the past years. The last edition, which took place back in May, saw the participation of 40 LPs and 40 female GPs chosen out of 197 applicants, with a total of 36 commitments taking place. With applications closing on July 1st, there is still time to apply.

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According to this World Health Organization (WHO) article on treating cancer, detecting symptomatic patients as early as possible gives them the best chance for successful treatment. Though the piece is a template for cancer treatment, it applies to any disease, deadly or not.

Diagnostics is at the center of healthcare; without it, doctors and physicians cannot offer treatment. But in emerging markets like Africa, where infrastructure is lacking and the doctor-to-patient ratio stands at a staggering 1:5,000, regular checkups are often considered an afterthought.

Healthtracka, a Lagos-based healthtech seeking to change this narrative and drum home the proverb “prevention is better than cure” with its at-home lab testing platform, has raised $1.5 million in seed funding. Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson launched the company with Victor Amusan in May 2021. And the news comes five months after its participation in the Techstars Toronto accelerator program last October.

Dare-Johnson worked several years in the healthcare space before starting Healthtracka. At some point, she led marketing efforts at a diagnostic center. Yet, it wasn’t a love for her work that pushed the chief executive to tackle this problem; instead, it was a firsthand experience of the issues late, or no diagnostics can cause.

“As a scientist, I studied biochemistry in school and worked in the lab, so I knew how important diagnostics was. But it wasn’t until about four years ago, when my dad had passed, that I started to look closely into the space,” the founder and CEO told TechCrunch in an interview. “We live in Africa, where healthcare infrastructure is poor. So you would think that that would make people more conscious about their health, knowing nobody will save them. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

Though seemingly fit and healthy on the surface, Dare-Johnson said her dad had undetected health issues relating to diabetes and hypertension for a long time. While millions of Africans are guilty of personal health miscalculations, other factors contribute to irregular checkups such as waiting times and slow doctor consultations when present in a hospital.

Telemedicine usage in Africa has skyrocketed since the pandemic as it addresses some of these challenges discouraging patients from making routine checkups. However, there are gaps in what telemedicine can cover. For instance, after most doctor consultations, patients are required to visit hospitals for lab tests, which makes up to 70% of all clinical decision-making. Then there’s the issue of convenience when patients feel reluctant to visit a laboratory or hospital.

“These were some of the problems that I saw clearly and wondered how we could get healthcare to that level where you can be at home and access it seamlessly,” she said. “We thought that could be a game changer to how healthcare delivery can be improved in Africa. Somebody needed to come into that space to think about how to solve these operational challenges, build the logistics, technology, and the infrastructure to support the idea of at-home lab testing.”

Healthtracka’s offering is a website where individuals can book their lab tests online, have their samples collected at home, and get their results via email within 48 hours. The tests range from fertility and STD tests to full body count and COVID tests.

The one-year-old healthtech focuses on preventive care and partners with lab centers—which send their phlebotomists to customers’ homes—to diagnose. Dare-Johnson said the team’s experience in the diagnostic field helps it create quality checklists to vet these lab centers, one of which is meeting the standard ISO laboratory accreditation.

Healthtracka also works with doctors to review results and specialists for further consultation. But while a typical test covers phlebotomists’ trips and doctors’ reviewing results, customers pay extra when Healthtracka connects them with specialists if the diagnosis is worrying.

“If you do your full body checkup with us, and there are indicators that show you need to pay attention to some of your markers, which our internal doctors cater to,” said the CEO. “But if they feel you need to seek a specialist opinion on the result’s marker, then we refer you to a specialist.”

Healthtracka’s network of phlebotomists has increased 20x since its launch to over 100. And according to Dare-Johnson, the company has delivered close to 7,000 tests at home. Its revenue is growing 30% month-on-month as a result.

The company is taking three approaches to pursue more growth and diversify its revenue streams. First, it is launching subscription plans for its retail customers. The second is betting on its B2B play: offering APIs for telehealth service providers, hospitals, and pharmacies to provide at-home blood testing for their patients. Third, the healthtech company is looking to extend its presence beyond seven Nigerian cities to Kenya and Ghana before the end of the year.

“Our progress has moved from being B2C to an infrastructure play, somehow. We want to power digital diagnostics and empower healthcare providers to reach their customers where they are comfortable,” the chief executive said. “This will help reach more people, save more lives, and ensure that healthcare is better in Africa.”

The funding will assist Healthtracka in its next growth phase as it also scales its B2B2C offering where partner companies in Nigeria can deliver at-home testing to their employees.

Investors in this round include Africa-focused early-stage VC Ingressive Capital and U.S.-based venture fund Hustle Fund. Angel investors included Alumni Angel Alliance and Flying Doctors.

“Ifeoluwa is hungry and very bright. Not only did we anonymously use HealthTracka’s services in diligence and have a 10/10 experience, we recognized truly what this could become across the continent, even from just interacting with her team for tests,” said Maya Horgan Famodu, founder of Ingressive Capital on the raise. “The product is high quality, on time, affordable, and unlocking the door for a healthier Africa.”

African health and biotech raised $392 million in funding in 2021; less than $2 million was raised by female healthtech founders. Healthtracka joins a very brief list that includes the likes of French and Ivorian-based Susu and Nigerian-based Medsaf as one of the few healthtech venture-backed startups with indigenous female CEOs to have raised over $1 million in a single round.

A common theme among some of Healthtracka’s investors—Ingressive, Hustle, and Flying Doctors, including FirstCheck Africa, one of the startup’s first backers—is that they are female-led. Venture rounds such as this are a testament to the fact that women investors are walking the talk and collectively improving access to capital for women founders.

The original article can be found on TechCrunch.

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Nowports, an automated digital freight forwarder in Latin America, has raised $150 million in a Series C funding round which values the company at $1.1 billion.

For the unacquainted, digital freight forwarders use digital tools that improve communication and efficiencies in the shipping process, among other things, to help shipments get where they need to go in a timely manner. With so much attention on supply chain issues since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of an efficient supply chain is more apparent than ever. To quote my colleague Anna Heim, digitizing freight forwarding is a global challenge because the sector still lacks transparency and efficiency. Latin American startups have a steeper hill to climb, but this also drives them to innovate and help each other in interesting ways.

Nowport’s raise — led by SoftBank Latin America Fund — comes just six months after the Monterey, Mexico-based startup announced it had secured $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global Management. It also marks Nowports’ third equity raise in less than one year’s time, and brings its total funding to over $240 million since its 2018 inception. The company had also raised $16 million in a Series A funding round that TechCrunch reported on in July of 2021.

The startup’s valuation jump is a huge one, considering that Nowport was valued at $80 million in March of 2021, according to CEO and co-founder Alfonso De los Ríos. In the first quarter of 2022, the company saw its revenue climb by “more than 12x” year-over-year, he said, while achieving a 10x growth year-over-year in containers shipped and customers served.

Nowports raised its initial seed round in 2019 after graduating from Y Combinator’s Winter 2019 batch with a mission to innovate the freight forwarding industry by helping companies — with an emphasis on SMEs — improve the import process. As former TC reporter Jonathan Shieber put it, the company was “sett[ing] itself up to be the Flexport of Latin America.” Its software and services track freight shipments from ports to destinations across Latin America. Over time, it has expanded its offerings and now also automates insurance policies for, and provides inventory financing, to its clients.

Put simply, Nowports aims to streamline the import and export processes of Latin American companies and improve the visibility of their supply chains with “valuable information.”

The company’s inventory financing tool — released last year — is designed to give its customers the ability to acquire more merchandise for import and pay for it later. The end goal is to help companies increase their imports and exports with fintech.

“They can get faster financing with Nowports since we can use our shipping history and preloaded information to approve them,” said De los Ríos. “We started with Inventory Financing at the end of last year and have plans to offer it in every country we work on by the end of this year.”

The move, in addition to offering cargo insurance, is part of Nowport’s goal to serve as a one-stop shop for the companies it serves.

In the first quarter of 2022, Nowports started operations in Panama and expanded into Concepcion, Chile, and Medellin, Colombia. Today, the startup has 10 active offices in seven countries, including Mexico, Peru, Brazil and Panama. It has more than 500 employees.

The company plans to use its new capital to, naturally, do more hiring with an emphasis on engineering for technological development. It also plans to expand its presence in countries where it already operates and to open offices in more cities. The first planned openings will take place in Brazil, Mexico and Chile.

Also participating in the latest round were Tiger Global, Foundation Capital, Monashees, Broadhaven Ventures, Mouro Capital and Base10 Partners. Daniel Vogel of Bitso, Ricardo Amper of Incode, Alex Bouaziz of Deel and Roger Laughlin of Kavak also participated in the round.

“We were not expecting to start Series C that quickly, but we were growing at giant steps, now competing in the top five countries for maritime trade, joining the fintech environment, and with a strong team,” De los Ríos told TechCrunch. “We needed a new investment round to expand our financing services and create a robust platform. We are confident we can revolutionize the supply chain faster with this new capital.”

Juan Franck, managing partner of SoftBank Latin America Fund, said that Nowports has all the characteristics the firm is looking for in a startup: “technology at its core, a promising business model, exceptional founders, and a solution to a complex challenge, with great potential for transformation, starting with Latin America.”

He is also impressed by the company’s use of artificial intelligence, big data and IoT to improve the import and export chain.

“We believe the investment will help Nowports to consolidate its presence in the Brazilian market and create new services and solutions, becoming a true reference in innovation in Latin America,” Franck added.

The original article can be found on TechCrunch.

The post Nowports Raises $150 Million to Facilitate International Trade In Latin America appeared first on Grit Daily News.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Habi (“Habi” or “the Company”), the data-driven residential real estate platform, today announced that it has raised $200 million in equity in its Series C funding round, becoming the first Property Technology (“PropTech”) unicorn in Spanish-speaking Latin America. The Company’s Series C also represents the largest funding round and only unicorn valuation with a female founder & CEO in Latin America1,2. The latest funding round was led by Homebrew and SoftBank Latin America Funds, with participation from Banco Mercantil del Norte, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, Grupo Financiero Banorte (“Banorte”), Tiger Global, Inspired Capital, Clocktower Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst and Henry Kravis, among others.

Since its Series B funding round in June 2021, Habi has emerged as the clear PropTech leader in Spanish-speaking Latin America, empowering low- and middle-income consumers in the housing sector by providing access to liquidity and information in a market where data is limited and the majority of homes are not listed online. Over the past year, Habi has put significant emphasis on building out its services and proprietary database, offering customers a full stack of services including iBuyer, brokerage, financial services and marketplace. Habi’s market leadership and robust suite of offerings have translated into continued adoption of the platform, with revenue growing well over 20x in 2021.

“We’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made in the short time since our last funding round,” said Brynne McNulty Rojas, Co-Founder and CEO of Habi. “With strong partnerships and an expanded market presence, we are at the very early stages of building out the infrastructure to provide much-needed information, trust and liquidity to a housing market that desperately needs it—one we estimate at $2 trillion across cities in Spanish-speaking Latin America.”

Sebastian Noguera, Co-Founder and President of Habi, added, “We are extremely proud that we have built a world-class team that continues to demonstrate a deep commitment to our customers and who are building out innovative, proprietary tools with the underlying goal of democratizing the homebuying process for millions of consumers.”

Habi operates in more than 15 cities in Mexico and Colombia, representing an estimated population of over 60 million. Despite its rapid growth, the market opportunity remains vast, with millions of consumers looking for simpler and more cost-effective ways to navigate the housing market. Habi is well positioned to capitalize on this massive, growing market and will use the capital raised in its Series C round to continue to expand its geographic presence on a path to cover all major cities across Spanish-speaking Latin America and deepen its suite of offerings, with a focus on embedded financial services.

Satya Patel, Managing Partner of Homebrew noted, “Habi is revolutionizing the Latin American housing market by solving the many pain points that exist throughout the ecosystem. From day one, the company has transformed how consumers buy and sell homes. As it’s continued to grow its business, Habi is now enhancing access to related financial products like mortgages, providing independent brokers with improved access and tools to build their own businesses, and collaborating with financial institutions. We believe that by removing barriers between the growing middle class and a functioning housing market, Brynne, Sebastian and the team at Habi could unlock generational wealth creation for all of Latin America.”

Juan Franck, Managing Partner of the SoftBank Latin America Fund, stated that, “The Habi team has shown incredible discipline and execution expertise during a period of rapid expansion. This successful Series C is a clear example that there is significant investor appetite available for proven business models with strong unit economics and a clear path to profitability, even during the most difficult fundraising environment of the last 10 years.”

Key business highlights and milestones since Habi’s last funding round in June 2021 include:

• Mexico Financial Strategic Alliance: Habi and Banorte intend to create a strategic exclusive alliance to develop and distribute financial services to customers across Mexico;
• Product Development: Habi is now the leading buyer and seller of previously-owned homes in Spanish-speaking Latin America and the prominent mortgage broker in Colombia;
• Okol Acquisition: In January 2022, Habi announced its acquisition of online marketplace Propiedades.com and iBuyer Tu Canton, expanding Habi’s presence across Mexico;
• Expanded Operations: Along with the expansion into Mexico, Habi has continued to expand its presence throughout Colombia, and now operates in over 15 cities across Spanish-speaking Latin America;
• Leadership Team: In January 2022, Habi announced the appointment of Marcos Kantt as CFO to further support the Company’s growth through the development of its full stack of financial service offerings, as it continues to partner with financial institutions.

About Habi

Habi is building the digital infrastructure for an efficient residential real estate market in Latin America, with the goal of empowering families in one of the most important decisions of their lives: their homes. Since 2019, Habi’s data-driven tools, including valuation, transaction and financing products, have introduced transparency, speed, liquidity and trust to what had traditionally been an opaque and slow process for hundreds of millions of Latin Americans. Habi benefits all players in the ecosystem, helping brokers and banks make faster, more informed decisions, but most importantly, giving families freedom and control over their lives and the wealth they store in houses and apartments.

Habi operates in more than 15 cities in Mexico and Colombia, which have a total estimated population exceeding 60 million. For more information on Habi, please visit tuhabi.mx or habi.co.

The original article can be found on Business Wire.

The post Habi Lands $200 Million In Funding and Reaches Unicorn Status appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Deadfellaz started as a generative NFT art collection of 10,000 undead PFPs on the Ethereum blockchain and are now a cultural flagship for web3, representing an inclusive and diverse vision true to the counterculture roots of decentralized finance and the arts. Following the initial drop in the summer of last year, Deadfellaz has developed into an ecosystem with millions of followers, a $38 million market cap, a total volume of sales equaling close to 30k ETH, and nearly 7k unique holders called “The Horde,” which includes Reese Witherspoon, Lionel Richie, Steve Aoki, Dillon Francis and Alexis Ohanian.

“It is an honor and a pleasure to work with the team at UTA, who understand both the web3 space and our vision for Deadfellaz deeply,” said Betty. “This relationship combined with our boundary pushing innovation paints a very exciting picture for the future of The Horde.” 

“We’re really excited to support not only a female-led project, but one that has continually vouched for authentic inclusivity and diversity in web3 since its inception,” said Lesley Silverman, Head of Web3 at UTA. “Betty and Psych are true visionaries and leaders and we’re looking forward to all the ways we can work with them to bring value to the Deadfellaz community and make the metaverse a more equitable space.” 

Being a Deadfellaz holder comes with an expanding list of benefits, such as access to exclusive merch, community competitions, virtual events, metaverse platforms and new collections. Through its notoriety, Deadfellaz has participated in premier collaborations with web3 and pop-culture heavyweights such as Steve Aoki, Fvckrender, Pak & Ozzy Osbourne, and most recently Neuno, where Horde members were given access to exclusive digital wearables and physical merchandise designed in collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti. During last year’s Halloween season, the Deadfellaz team opened their Decentraland estate, titled DeadZone 13, to the Horde community, which featured an art exhibit and an exclusive Steve Aoki DJ set. Deadfellaz plans to continue evolving the concepts of identity, anonymity and metaverse interoperability by introducing PFP Metawrapping and building within more metaverse platforms such as Sandbox , Oncyber, Webb3, Jadu and NFTWorlds.

The signing underscores UTA Web3’s mission of providing opportunities to underrepresented creators in the space. Additionally, it comes on the heels of great success for the group, who have facilitated over 30 NFT drops, partnerships and more since its inception in 2021.

Deadfellaz will continue to be represented by creative consultancy, 5Crypto by 5th Column, a leading cryptocurrency, NFT, metaverse and blockchain communications practice.

About UTA

UTA unites ideas, opportunities and talent. The company represents some of the world’s most iconic, barrier-breaking artists, creators and changemakers—from actors, athletes and musicians to writers, gamers and digital influencers. One of the most influential companies in global entertainment, UTA’s business spans talent representation, content production, as well as strategic advisory and marketing work with some of the world’s biggest brands. UTA is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, New York and London. More information can be found at unitedtalent.com.

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The Fabricant, a digital fashion house for the metaverse, has raised $14 million in a round of funding. The company is partnering with other high-profile metaverse companies to position itself to be early in the market.

Greenfield One led the round, with participation of Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures, Red DAO and others. The funding is being used to support and expand the company’s initiative to build the “wardrobe of the metaverse” through its co-creation and non-fungible token (NFT) platform, The Fabricant Studio. The metaverse is the universe of virtual worlds that are all interconnected, like in novels such as Snow Crash and Ready Player One.

The company has a partnership with Epic Games, and it is unveiling a new collaboration will be with World of Women, the biggest female-led NFT community to date, and The Sandbox. The Sandbox’s chief operating officer Sebastian Borget also acting as angel investor. In addition, Epic Games recently awarded The Fabricant with a mega-grant, which is open to digital creators, for projects utilizing their Unreal Engine software.

“The story behind digital fashion is in need of a new narrative,” said Amber Slooten, creative director at The Fabricant, in a statement. “One that leaves toxic behaviors and waste behind and looks into the 21st century and beyond. In the metaverse, we get to create a new playing field where everyone can benefit and enjoy the love for self expression, and create an economy around it. We’ve designed the tools to help construct a new fashion industry, one in which we believe we will all thrive.”

The company’s ultimate mission is to build a decentralized fashion house that will dress the population of the metaverse and create a more equitable, creative and sustainable fashion industry. The Fabricant Studio allows anyone to create, trade, and wear digital-only garments.

Jascha Samadi, Partner of Greenfield One said in a statement, “Within virtual environments we are likely going to have multiple digital reflections of our physical self. The Fabricant Studio allows any creator to become their own fashion designer in the metaverse — paired with Web3 technology, digital fashion becomes unique, tradeable and accessible for the masses. The team behind The Fabricant identified this paradigm of user-generated fashion very early on, long before NFTs caught mainstream attention.”

The Fabricant has raised funding with participation from previous investors including 4impact, Slingshot Ventures and Borski Fund. The Series A financing will allow the company to focus on contributing to a new economy and providing a platform where anyone can become a digital fashion creator and participate in the digital fashion economy.

Other contributors to the A round include pioneers in the crypto community such as Sfermion, Koji Capital, Stefano Rosso (OTB Group), Marc Weinstein (Partner at Mechanism Capital), Red DAO, Trevor McFedries (Brud), Shari Glazer (Glazer Foundation), Angel Xu (Venture Partner Quantstamp), Benny Giang (ex-Dapper Labs), Richard Ma (Quantstamp and owner of Iridescence Dress), Sebastian Borget (Sandbox), Sillytuna (Crypto Investor), Chad Knight (Head of 3D Wilder World), Victoire Maureau and Anoop Kansupada (Nifty Gateway).

“Everyday users become creators using The Fabricant Studio, which allows users to craft high-end digital fashion NFTs in collaboration with their favorite brands,” said Maaria Bajwa, Investor at Sound Ventures. “The Fabricant is building a very user-friendly end-to-end experience that obfuscates the complexities of blockchains, while still giving users all of the sovereignty + interoperability + distribution value that NFTs can offer. By being the first to tackle UGC on the blockchain, The Fabricant is introducing entire new ecosystems to this community and showing them the power and value of NFTs for creators.”

The Fabricant was started in 2018 at the intersection of fashion, gaming, and blockchain. To date it has worked with Under Armour, Off-White, Napapijri, Puma, Peak Performance, World of Women and gaming platforms like Epic Games and The Sandbox, to demonstrate the possibilities within the digital fashion realm.

The company has 40 employees. In an email to GamesBeat, The Fabricant’s co-founder and commercial director Adriana Hoppenbrouwer said the company’s focus is on building an entirely new fashion industry that is digital-only. It wants to enable its community to co-create and own the largest wardrobe of the metaverse, she said.

The company launched The Fabricant Studio in October 2021. That is the platform where anybody can create, trade and wear digital only fashion NFTs, and have since enabled the co-creation of thousands of digital fashion items.

Season 2 is about to start, featuring Stephy Fung’s Zodiac Wardrobe collection (dropping 15 April), followed by a collab with World of Women, that will dress all 27 characters from the project (drops end May). The platform is invitation only.

The original article can be found on VentureBeat.

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According to a CNBC survey, twice as many men as women invest in crypto. People of color, however, have embraced crypto on a larger scale worldwide. A Harris poll survey showed that 23 percent of Black Americans and 17 percent of Latino Americans own crypto, compared to 11% of White Americans. 

For International Women’s Day, I wanted to showcase 5 amazing women-led initiatives in the Web3 space.

Women Rise

First on our list is Women Rise, with a collection of 10,000 unique NFT art pieces created by the internationally acclaimed visual artist Maliha Abidi. The beautiful art pieces inspire collectors to support a diverse community of women, so they too can see themselves represented in the tech, blockchain, and NFT space.

Women Rise donates 7.5% of proceeds go to global organizations working to educate girls, especially in the most marginalized communities of the world. Women Rise also contributes to causes for women’s rights, violence against women, and gender equity.

Remarkable Women

Another exciting female-led collection comes from the Remarkable Women team founded by artist, Rachel Winter. Her vibrant colors and wild patterns grab your attention and lead viewers into a journey of ideas, stories and emotions about the world today.

Remarkable Women are not only on a mission to increase the representation of women in Web3, they also plan to expand access to curriculum, tools, and community support for women, men, and allies looking to learn more about Web3, Metaverse, Crypto, and NFTs. They work with a diverse range of brand ambassadors, ranging from rapper Ja Rule to Youtube influencer iJustine.eth and an amazing group of influential Web3 women such as Shira Lazar, Melissa Jun Rowley of Warrior Love Productions.

Cosmic Cats 420

Cosmic Cats 420, my personal project, are NFTs with a mission to save cats and deplastify the planet. Cosmic Cats 420 are mutant cats that survived the eco-apocalypse of 2420 when the world became completely overrun by plastic. They now roam the galaxy to educate humans on the error of our ways. Funds from NFT sales will be used to start a TNR (trap, neuter, release) program, support veterinary care and fostering, as well as a future Cosmic Cats 420 Cafe and Sanctuary in Tulum.

Cosmic Cats 420 along with a number of other NFT for good collections can be seen IRL at the recently opened NFT Boutique, a storefront in Tulum that showcases NFT collections and their merchandise. 

It’s the first of its kind in Latin America, a gathering place for crypto and NFT enthusiasts that is quickly becoming a tourist and local hot spot.

More Women in Crypto

More Women in Crypto (MWIC) is an initiative which has partnered with the NFT Boutique in Tulum. More Women in Crypto is creating a space for women to discuss these innovative tools, technologies, and new models. The group meets both in person and via Zoom calls on a weekly basis at NFT Boutique in Tulum, in a bilingual and intimate setting that has even hosted a first-of-its-kind NFT baby shower.

It’s exciting to see how our vision of bringing women together to learn and collaborate is coming to life. We’ve needed a space to learn from each other and our More Women in Crypto group is a safe place to share our perspectives, fears and hopes.

Francesca Martina, Founder of More Women in Crypto

MWIC knows that it’s important for women to collectively come together and create a culture that redefines business as usual. The group plans to hold hands-on training for various topics in crypto such as crypto trading, launching an NFT project, and more as well as launching both an NFT and crypto fund for its members.

TulumCoin

TulumCoin is an initiative from Regen Tulum, Steph Ferrera and her other Regen Tulum founders believe that the launch of their DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) will be the vehicle to sustainable and responsible growth for Tulum. The Regen DAO will be launching the TulumCoin token, which is a  cryptocurrency that will provide value back to the region in the form of funding regenerative projects.

TulumCoin will be a catalyst for local benefits and a currency that anyone will be able to use for local services with zero fees on transactions. If distributions are made from TulumCoin into another currency, there is a 5% charge on the transaction that will go into the Regenerative Projects fund and voted on by the Regen DAO. With most credit card transactions in Tulum charging 5% every time you pay, this is a new way to make those funds count. The idea is a simple yet secure system to empower a local economy with crypto and use withdrawal fees to restore Tulum’s ecosystems and cultural heritage. TulumCoin is currently minting on Near protocol and you can still get in early by getting a TulumCoin Founders Club NFT which gives you extra benefits and early access to the Dao, token, staking, minting, event access, merchandise royalties, and many other benefits from the DAOs network. 

With Web3 initiatives taking the world by storm in traditional tech hubs such as NY, SF and Miami, it’s exciting to see the innovation coming out of Tulum, a trendy beach town where influencers flock. In the last few years, Tulum has become a mecca for digital nomads, crypto enthusiasts, and creatives so it’s no wonder that it is also rapidly becoming the center of the Web3 universe.

Women Making Waves in Web3 

From increasing representation in financial systems that have historically excluded women, to creating coins that generate local wealth for communities, the impact women are having in the Web3 space continues to grow. 

It no longer is just a question of where are all the women in tech. When it comes to Web3, women are leading the way and showing how these technologies can have a real impact on the most pressing issues of today,  but even beyond that, we are showing the world how to build new economies centered on collaboration and shared values.

Full disclosure: The author owns NFT Boutique and holds some of the NFTs mentioned.

The post Rocking Web3: The Women Making it Happen appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Lej, the luxury silk fashion brand, makes its debut by introducing a collection of silk separates featuring uniquely designed prints by up-and-coming artists. The female-led company releases small, limited-edition collections of high-quality silk staples that can be worn as separates or mixed and matched for the ultimate power suit. Each piece in the collection has the versatility to take you from the office to a night out and back to the couch. Created with comfort in mind, Lej designs separates made with 100% silk, a natural fabric that is easy to care for and better for your skin and the planet than many common synthetics.

“We all want to feel and look our best, whether it’s pitching an idea at work or lounging. Lej is for both,” said Sophia Dearborne, Lej’s CCO. “Lej offers a new kind of power suit for modern life that isn’t restrictive or stuffy. Our sets are chic and sophisticated but have the comfort of your favorite PJs.”

The brand creates timeless fashion pieces that endure changing trends. Working with artists to create custom prints, Lej infuses its silk clothing with extra meaning.

“Lej is inspired by those who are bold and unapologetically themselves,” said Cassidy Cavanah, CEO of Lej “Even our name is a nod to the types of people who inspire us –the people who make you think ‘what a legend’. Each piece is designed with that spirit in mind.”

The prints include bold graphics, unexpected colors, and truly exceptional styles.

“We collaborate with emerging artists to design limited-run prints to make our pieces more meaningful and to showcase the work of some incredible artists, “said Ms. Cavanah. “The way we see it: you’re already a work of art, now your clothing can be too.”

The inaugural Lej collection is designed in collaboration with its first featured artist Mirjam Debets, an Amsterdam-based illustrator and animator with fantastical, eclectic perspective; Sakura Bready, an LA-based designer who works extensively in creating prints, and Michelle Nguyen, a Bay Area-based who created the Lej Logo print.

Lej is planet-friendly and uses natural silk fibers that are biodegradable, renewable, and use less resources and chemicals than many synthetic fibers. Lej also uses eco-friendly packaging and can be easily hand-washed instead of dry-cleaned. To dramatically reduce fabric waste, a major problem in the industry, the fashion brand creates additional products like masks and scrunchies from their excess fabric. Lej also only produces small runs of its collections to minimize risk of over-production and promotes purchasing high quality pieces that are designed to last a lifetime over fast-fashion.

ABOUT LEJ

Lej makes high-quality, high-impact silk sets and separates as well as tailored, luxury essentials. The female founders created the brand with the goal of providing a new type of power suit that can easily transition from work to travel to a night out or even for lounging at home. Each limited-edition design has been custom made for the brand through a collaboration with emerging artists. For more information visit www.Lejshop.com or follow Lej on Instagram @LEJ

The post Lej Bursts onto the Scene with a New Power Suit appeared first on Grit Daily News.

In 2020, only 2.3% of VC funding went to female-led startups. In the first 8 months of 2021, that number is only 2.1%. As women enter the startup and tech world, the push for equality continues to increase. DeFy Trends is a crypto education and knowledge portal that was established by four women: Imge Su Cetin, Elena Garidis, Masha Prusso, and Daniela Henao Moreno. By providing tools, a network, and educational information about crypto, Defy Trends is working to provide a holistic solution for learning how the crypto market works. 

DeFy Trends was created to act as a supportive tool for both new and experienced crypto traders during their investment journey into a market that is new to many. DeFy Trends provides reliable information to help any investor make well-informed decisions based on statistics and trends. The firm has noticed apprehension in both new and seasoned crypto traders when dealing with unpredictable markets, and that’s why they are here to help.

“The DeFi industry is new, so there hasn’t been a need for data analysis until now,” Imge Su Cetin, co-founder and CEO, “But now that the industry is booming, there’s an opportunity for data analytics and AI to help guide everyone in the right direction.”

Its first product employs data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to provide customers with real-time information on the opportunities and hazards associated with various cryptocurrencies. Although the product is still in its early stages of development, Henao Moreno noted that the team intends to pursue a hybrid B2B and B2C strategy. 

The idea is that businesses, such as banks, will pay for access to the startup’s API so that it can be integrated into their existing systems, while consumers will pay for Defy Trends’ unique platform for personal investment purposes.

The tool’s capabilities are as diverse as the elements that influence bitcoin markets. Each of the platform’s subscription packages gives users access to a unique set of indicators that are tailored to their trading needs and are customizable in a users’ personal dashboard as well.

For example, the company has developed the Defy Trends Index, which ranks coins and helps traders determine which are undervalued and which are overvalued. Its artificial intelligence technology examines historical data in order to forecast future patterns. Another tool tracks social sentiment, providing users a better picture of what the HODL community is saying right now.

Defy Trends has also created a sustainability index that shows how each coin affects the environment. Not only are many crypto investors concerned about the environment, but environmental impact often affects a new project’s public standing, which makes environmental impact data a strategic insight as well as an ethical one. 

Real-time insights can mean the difference between profits and losses in an under-regulated industry where it is easy to be led astray. The company is planning to expand in the coming year, and will likely attract attention from both the retail and institutional investment communities.

The post All Woman Team, Defy Trends, Launches on Heels of $120K Miami Competition Win appeared first on Grit Daily News.

The seed funding round counted with the participation of Female Founder Fund, Serena Ventures (Serena Williams Venture Capitalist firm), Black Founders Matter, and Gingerbread Capital, as well as angel investor & healthcare leader Halle Tecco. Anu Duggal, a founding partner of Female Founders Fund, referred to the firm’s participation in the round by stating:

“We are thrilled to back Kimberly and her vision for HUED in making health care more equitable for millions of Black and Latinx patients. She has built exciting traction with a strong team and we believe the HUED model will have a massive impact on health-care outcomes in this country.”

The startup was founded by Kimberly Wilson after passing through a bad experience when receiving treatment for fibroid diagnosis, which she attributed to bias and discrimination in the current healthcare system. To combat this, Hued aims to connect black and Latinx patients with “culturally competent” healthcare providers. Wilson referred to this mission by telling CNBC:

“I think that the pandemic, while horrific and tragic, really amplified the disparities that exist within health care that can no longer be ignored. Essentially, there are not many companies that focus specifically on health equity and addressing [Black and Latinx] populations that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and I think our solution was just very attractive to VCs.”

The startup will use the funding to scale its platform to better allow patients and physicians to engage with each other, as well as provide healthcare providers with antiracism and implicit bias training, as well as growing its team.

Racial bias has been a growing concern in the health industry, which has prompted media outlets like Nature and the TV show “Last Week Tonight” to cover the topic to improve awareness. Now, healthcare startups like Hued are taking matters into their own hands.

The post Female-Led Healthcare Startup Hued Raises $1.6 mln in Seed Funding appeared first on Grit Daily News.