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Concrete — a mixture of cement, sand, and water — is the second most used material on Earth after water. Ton-for-ton, more of it is laid down every year than steel, wood, plastics, and aluminium combined. Problem is, cement production emits 8% of global CO2 — four times that of air travel. Swedish startup Cemvision has devised a cement making process that utilises by-products from industries like steel and mining instead of fresh limestone, resulting in a circular, cleaner alternative.  “We’re…

The field of insurance technology has had a rough time. About 7 years ago, early insurtech companies promised to disrupt the insurance industry with new tech, but today, most of those companies have either been acquired or are floundering in the public markets. Fortunately, insurtech has found a new wave to ride in the past couple of years: “embedded insurance.” Insurance startups have found success in helping third-party companies “embed” insurance products into their customer journeys to…

Veteran market analyst Peter Brandt’s latest forecast has sent ripples through the crypto community, predicting Bitcoin’s price will go as high as $200,000 by 2025. This bullish projection is grounded in solid technical analysis and aligns with historical market patterns. But as Bitcoin prepares for its next halving event, another narrative is unfolding in the altcoin domain, particularly within the AI sector, where InQubeta stands on the brink of creating generational wealth with a top ICO performance. The…

Fans of Sir Elton John’s flamboyant style will next week have the chance to splash out on his snappiest Versace looks in a huge 900-plus lot auction that includes the contents of the Rocket Man’s $7.2m (£5.7m) Atlanta apartment.Christie’s auction house in New York’s Rockefeller Center has been transformed into a John emporium for two live – and six online – sales of the singer’s collection, including several pairs of his trademark thick rim spectacles and a vast art collection that features a Love, Lust and Devotion…

What’s more rewarding for an angel investor than paper returns in a startup? An acquisition that turns those paper returns into a cash payout while still maintaining shares in the company. “The return after dilution was eight times my investment,” said Selma Ribica in an interview with TechCrunch recently. “I kept some stock of the new entity, but a big majority was cash.” Ribica currently serves as the general partner at First Circle Capital, a venture capital firm specializing in fintech SaaS, or fintech 2.0 as she…

The State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about the identity or location of the leaders of a global ransomware gang, known as Hive, the agency announced on Thursday. It is also offering up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of anyone involved with Hive. The ransomware gang has extorted more than $100 million in ransom payments from hospitals, schools, financial firms and critical infrastructure since June 2021. Late last month, the Justice…

The Realme Note 50 is on its way, and it will not be alone. The company has big plans for the series with three phones coming by the end of the year and a sales goal of 10 million units. Francis Wong, CEO of Realme Europe and Global Marketing Director revealed the ambitious plans and shed some more light on the availability of the company's new series. The first Realme Note smartphone will be launched in the Philippines on January 23, and there will be two more joining it in the next couple of months. Realme's…

This week’s Pitch Deck Teardown comes to you from the PCB-laden confines of CES in Las Vegas. Today, we’re looking at the slide deck that video analytics firm Qortex used to raise a $10 million seed round. Qortex uses AI to help brands, media companies and creators identify the right moments in a video to insert an ad and maximize engagement, so this is going to be a fun one. So, without further commercial interruptions or preamble, let’s get to it.  We’re looking for more unique pitch decks to tear down, so if you…

These days even niche industries have concerned souls looking for more eco-friendly options for materials and processes, from washing machine waste to artificial wool. Lingrove is taking on laminates — thin layers of wood and other materials — with a carbon-negative option that they claim performs better while looking as good. Laminates or veneers are common in every home and car: they’re the thin decorative wood or what have you that sits on top of the molded or printed body of a dashboard, appliance or even home…

Jagat, a social network that is designed to get you out more with your friends instead of mindlessly scrolling on your phone, has surpassed 10 million users globally. The location-based social network, which launched earlier this year in March, wants to help people focus on real-life connections and make friends. The app, available on both iOS and Android, is essentially a social map for your friends and activities near you. Jagat features an interactive map interface that allows you to keep up…