Crypto

Celebrities

Cryptocurrency

Dogecoin

Elon Musk

Shitcoins

Looking to raise funding?

Looking for the next unicorn?

At this point you’ve probably heard about Dogecoin (DOGE). 
The meme-based bitcoin rival has surged in value over the course of 2021. As of 2 May 2021, a 1 January investment in the coin would have seen a 7,760% return. 
A lot of interest in the coin has been attributed to celebrity endorsements. Indeed, Forbes observes the price of DOGE can be reliably tracked to<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/billybambrough/2021/04/14/tesla-billionaire-elon-musk-spurs-joke-bitcoin-rival-dogecoin-higher-after-price-suddenly-doubles/?sh=20cfe04d3651"> Elon Musk’s tweets</a>.
But Musk is not the only <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/billybambrough/2021/04/28/the-dogefather-elon-musk-and-billionaire-investor-mark-cuban-help-dogecoin-leave-bitcoin-and-ethereum-in-the-dust-with-20-price-rally/?sh=4751a51f41cc">celebrity </a>promoting crypto currencies. And DOGE is hardly the strangest meme coin around.
Following close on the heels of DOGE’s historic rise are a huge range of copycat “shitcoins”. Highly volatile “joke” crypto currencies with all-time total volume peaking in the millions, shitcoins are perhaps the strangest investment craze of 2021 (you can read more <a href="https://www.floww.io/feed/the-twisted-world-of-shitcoins-moon-shots-the-crazier-side-of-cryptocurrency/">here</a>). 
While the likes of Mark Cuban, Snoop Dog (<a href="https://www.coindesk.com/dogecoin-rises-more-than-36-after-snoop-dogg-becomes-snoop-doge">rebranded “Snoop Doge”</a>) and Guy Fieri are pumping DOGE, other celebrities are still promoting risker ventures. 
It makes for strange reading. 
<div id="attachment_1337" style="width: 609px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1337" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1337 size-full" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Soulja-boy-.jpg" alt="" width="599" height="601" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Soulja-boy-.jpg 599w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Soulja-boy--150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px" />Rapper Soulja Boy, via Twitter.</div>
What has happened to Soulja Boy’s Twitter feed?
For the uninitiated, each of these one-word tweets refers to a different crypto currency. You probably recognise Bitcoin, and DOGE too. The others – “Safemoon”, “Elongate”, “Ziliqa”, “Datamine” – those are all shitcoins. 
Take <a href="https://www.elongate.cc/about">Elongate</a> as an example: the coin’s name references an <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1375033483148451842">Elon Musk Tweet about Watergate</a>. 
At launch Elongate had a 24 hour trading volume of $5 million. Two weeks later the 24 hour trading volume had risen to nearly<a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/elongate/"> $18 million</a>. Two weeks after that peak, the coin was all but dead.
This wasn’t even a particularly significant shitcoin. 
Safemoon, the largest of the shitcoins on Soulja Boys’ list, had an all-time trading volume of nearly <a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/safemoon/">$140 million</a>, with a similarly volatile history.
We should stress that these tweets weren’t a one off incident.
Throughout April, Soulja Boy took breaks from recording <a href="https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.61878/title.soulja-boy-wins-rap-twitter-after-fans-realize-she-make-it-clap-is-his-song#signup">his new hit single</a> to promote various crypto schemes. He even posted QR codes to coin exchanges. At one point he floated the idea of launching his own shitcoin.
But why?   
In general, these shitcoins are purely speculative investments. Their names are jokes, their code copied from other established cryptocurrencies, and few believe they have any real value. 
The aim is to invest early, hope the coin “moons” (spikes in value) and then sell before an inevitable crash. 
There are many reasons to send a tweet, but what Soulja Boy and other celebrities are doing with their platforms looks a lot like “shilling”. In the crypto world, shilling is the process of generating hype so that your own investment will increase in value. 
This happens at a much smaller scale on all of the major community pages. Take for example <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoMoonShots/comments/n3raoy/dragonmusk_new_coin_low_marketcap_vetted_and/">this post</a> on the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoMoonShots/comments/n3raoy/dragonmusk_new_coin_low_marketcap_vetted_and/">r/CryptoMoonShots</a> subreddit.
Where is this going? 
The heart of this story isn’t Soulja Boy, or any of the celebrities that are piling into crypto. The real story is what is happening to their fans and followers.
Low-cap crypto currencies can deliver amazing returns, but they can also sink your entire investment in minutes. 
When Soulja Boy tweets QR codes to risky shitcoins, or when <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-27/mark-cuban-says-dogecoin-doge-is-better-than-a-lottery-ticket">Mark Cuban tells Ellen that DOGE is a lot better than a lottery ticket</a>, their message is reaching a huge audience. 
At some point, it might be worth reflecting on the responsibilities that come with that kind of reach.
Header Image: Mark Cuban via Gage Skidmore (Flickr).
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How Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and Soulja Boy are using their platforms to promote shitcoins and doge – and why that matters.

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Fashion Tech

3D Printing

AI Solutions

AI Styling

Biofabric

Fashion

The fashion industry is undergoing a critical transformation. Clothes manufacturers and designers are responding to customer demands for sustainability and ethics in new and exciting ways, and tech is at the forefront of the agenda.
The sustainable fashion market is expected to be worth<a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/10/28/2116073/0/en/Sustainable-Fashion-Market-Analysis-Shows-The-Market-Progress-In-Attempt-To-Decrease-Pollution-In-The-Global-Ethicalfashion-Market-2020.html"> $9.81 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 9.1%</a>. It is no surprise, then, that many tech companies are investing their resources into improving this industry for the better. Read on to learn about the weird and wonderful products that will shape your future fashion experiences.
AI stylists
With online shopping as the new normal, it seems that personalised shopping experiences are a thing of the past – or are they? Move beyond the endless scrolling and size inconsistencies with AI driven stylists. <a href="https://www.truefit.com/About-Us/What-We-Do#What-We-Do">True Fit</a> is a platform for footwear and apparel that deduces personal style, fit, and size of every consumer and matches it with data driven insights from thousands of fashion brands, making your shopping experience easier, and more accurate than ever. Not only does this make online shopping more enjoyable, but it ensures that you will only buy clothes that you love and fit you perfectly, reducing waste and extending the product’s lifecycle.
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="True To You | True Fit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPp89y6O-yI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Biofabric
The actual material your clothes are made from is changing in response to the climate crisis. Say goodbye to artificial, non-biodegradable fabric and hello to materials made from plants! Stella McCartney, adidas, and lululemon are all creating products from the biomaterials produced by<a href="https://boltthreads.com/"> Bolt Threads</a>. McCartney has just launched a<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/stella-mccartney-first-mylo-mushroom-leather-alternative-ready-to-wear"> new range of garments</a> made from the faux leather<a href="https://www.mylo-unleather.com/"> Mylo</a>, a material made from the infinitely renewable mycelium, which consists of underground fibres, including fungi. Bolt Threads have also produced<a href="https://boltthreads.com/technology/microsilk/"> Microsilk</a>, a sustainable and ethical alternative to spider silk, which is fully biodegradable and has a low production environmental impact.
IoT integrated clothing
If you think that smart watches were revolutionary, think further. The capacity of a smart watch to track your body’s data and connect to your phone can be integrated seamlessly into more subtle items of clothing using IoT technology. Google has partnered with Jacquard to produce items such as<a href="https://atap.google.com/jacquard/products/levi-trucker/"> Levi jackets</a>,<a href="https://atap.google.com/jacquard/products/ysl/"> Saint Laurent backpacks</a>, and<a href="https://atap.google.com/jacquard/products/gmr/"> adidas shoes</a> that respond to your movements based on sensory detecting threads. With a brush of your cuff or bag strap you can skip a song or get the next direction for your journey. Your clothes can also light up when you get a message or alert.
Looking further into the future, the team behind Jacquard are also working on colour changing clothes with<a href="https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/news/2016/color-changing-smart-thread-turns-fabric-computerized-display"> Ebb</a>, which integrate data from the internet with our garments. Stripes on your scarf could correspond to the minutes you have left to catch your bus, and your shirt, connected to Tinder, could subtly change colour when you’re near someone you’ve swiped right on. This all seems incredibly dystopian, and potentially unnecessary. The practical elements of IoT integrated clothing seem useful but it seems unlikely that anyone wants to become a walking social media profile.
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jacquard -- Be More" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hbcjfhjlJOs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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3D printed clothes
Printing clothes seems like an odd phenomenon, but it is actually a game changer for the fashion industry. The labour-intensive human element of creating clothes, which often results in sweatshops, exploitation, and poor work conditions, is avoided with 3D printing. Printing clothes on demand is also an excellent method to prevent overproduction – it reduces fabric waste by approximately<a href="https://techpacker.com/blog/design/top-7-fashion-technology-trends/"> 35%</a>. At the moment, though, 3D printing takes hours, and so is only being utilised in high fashion. The Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen has been a pioneer in introducing 3D printed garments into the world of fashion. She has utilised 3D printing in notable outfits for clients including<a href="https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/lady-gaga-wears-iris-van-herpen-as-one-of-nine-outfits-during-the-vmas/2020090135252"> Lady Gaga</a>,<a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/fashion-designer-iris-van-herpen"> Beyoncé</a>, and<a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/fashion-designer-iris-van-herpen"> Bjork</a>.

From 3D printed clothes to IoT integrated clothing, the fashion industry is putting tech at the forefront of the agenda.

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LADY GAGA (1)

Aviation Tech

Climate Crisis

Flying Cars

Sci-Fi

Space Tech

It’s happening.
<a href="https://www.askafly.com/">NFT</a>, a Silicon Valley startup, recently began <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/flying-car-buyers-can-now-preorder-an-2026-aska-for-5000/">accepting pre-orders</a> for what might be the world’s first commercial flying car.
And they aren’t alone.
<a href="https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-aviation-to-list-on-nyse-through-merger-with-reinvent-technology-partners/">Joby Aviation</a>, which is <a href="https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-aviation-to-list-on-nyse-through-merger-with-reinvent-technology-partners/">listing on the NYSE</a>, has announced its intention to bring a flying car into production by 2024. Miami-based <a href="https://www.archer.com/maker">Archer Aviation</a> is hoping to compete with its craft <a href="https://www.archer.com/maker">Maker</a>, a minuscule electric jet with a <a href="https://www.archer.com/maker">60 mile range</a> that can reportedly operate at less than 45 decibels.
For context, <a href="https://www.chem.purdue.edu/chemsafety/Training/PPETrain/dblevels.htm">that’s quieter than the ambient sounds of a typical suburb</a>.
Bringing up the list is yet another US firm, BETA technologies, which received airworthiness approval from the US Air Force for its “<a href="https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29512/First_Human_Flight_under_U_S_A_F____s_Vertical____Flying_Cars____Project_Okayed#.YJgHHLVKiUl">flying car” ALIA</a> in May of this year.
All these developments illustrate the massive strides that have been made in “eVTOL” (electric vertical take-off and landing) technology.
eVTOL aircraft are quiet, small and can land or take off in very small spaces – like a carpark, or even a garden. Unlike a conventional aircraft, these vehicles are also small enough to drive on the roads (in theory).
Getting out of the city
Flying cars have long been a Sci-Fi staple; from Back to the Future II to The Fifth Element. But now they look set for the personal transport market and their manufacturers are going to have to justify the price tag.
NFT’s first “Drive n Fly” ASKA is expected to launch in 2026 and can currently be pre-ordered for <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/15/nft-inc-reimagines-urban-and-rural-living-with-flying-car-aska/?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAN7BYTX4W2usA7ZEt5w9wKmtitDZ88pcFlmB6GrwgKEYkDCGHrSYNvZ2nwXxJ4fR4JiEhhsM3eqFiTO3cwf11uWaxX7-tdGfYkb4HE3C1VvegX2VtK_DGusY5SjZ-grjjYfLe0hiN9AXrBvC7P5cAOrs1M_V-VI01bPigghYOtXf">almost $800,000</a>, with a $5,000 deposit – though that figure does include pilot training.
That looks steep, but NFT argues that <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/announcing-aska-the-electric-take-off-and-landing-flying-car-for-consumers-301269806.html">consumers might actually save money in the long run</a>. By slashing commuting times, a flying car will allow the ultra-wealthy to buy a cheaper property further from the city centre.
Doctors on the wing
BETA technologies has a very different use case in mind.
eVTOL functionality allows flying cars to get to places where other aircraft can’t. BETA technology is hoping to see interest in its ALIA craft from rapid response units, like paramedics.
The US Air Force has expressed interest, and <a href="https://evtol.news/beta-technologies-alia/">UPS has already pre-ordered 150 models</a>. Operating straight out of the UPS facilities, the craft are expected to take on highly time-sensitive organ deliveries for medical providers.
The flying taxi?
Don’t worry. There is still hope for those that can’t afford the $800,000 price tag – and don’t currently work for UPS.
Flying taxis will be more expensive than the conventional kind, but their small profile will mean that you won’t have to drive out to an airport to hail one.
eVTOL technology is expected to massively expand the Urban Air Mobility segment. The research firm Market and Markets expects the market to <a href="https://evtol.news/beta-technologies-alia/">grow from $2.1 to nearly $10 billion</a> over course of this decade alone.
Markets are taking note.
Blade, a former helicopter booking service, <a href="https://verticalmag.com/news/helicopter-booking-service-blade-goes-public-eyeing-future-evtol-ops/">was brought public via a SPAC in December</a> with the hopes of capitalising on eVTOL technology. Blade <a href="https://evtol.news/beta-technologies-alia/">has already pre-ordered 15 ALIAs</a> and expects to buy more electric cars from other providers soon.
<div id="attachment_1304" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1304" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-1304" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_8585FAD059BF-1-800x536.jpeg" alt="" width="800" height="536" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_8585FAD059BF-1-800x536.jpeg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_8585FAD059BF-1-768x514.jpeg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_8585FAD059BF-1.jpeg 814w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Flying cars in Back to the Future II, via @backtothefuture_ (instagram).</div>
A transport solution for the future?
This is a growing market. Even as the world population is expected to plateau, <a href="https://www.iied.org/urbanising-world#:~:text=The%20world's%20urban%20population%20is%20projected%20to%20grow%20by%201.56,%2DSaharan%20Africa%20(30%25).">urban growth is projected to spike over the next century</a>.  That will mean more people looking to get around more crowded cities, more quickly.
Flying taxis might just be the answer.
And the carbon cost?
Blade Runner 2049’s flying cars are cool – but only if we ignore the fact that they are flying over an ecological wasteland. As the world starts to go green and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56837927">Biden commits to higher climate targets</a>, “airplanes for all” isn’t an easy marketing slogan to justify. A lot will depend of where the power comes from.
This new generation of eVTOL craft are all electric, but that won’t count for much if they drive demand for more non-renewable power. Flying cars are power hungry and with the US still deriving <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us.php">40% of its electricity from Natural Gas</a> that could be a problem.
The flying car is finally here. The green energy solution the sector needs is still being built.
Header Image: via aska.fly.
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A Silicon Valley startup, recently began accepting pre-orders for what might be the world’s first commercial flying car: but are we ready for them?

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IMG_B386776B9988-1

Leaders

Female Founders

Tech Leaders

Women in Tech

Women are behind many of the technologies that shape your every life, but they receive far less publicity in the media. PwC have found that <a href="https://www.pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/women-in-technology/time-to-close-the-gender-gap.html">78% of students</a>, and one day future leaders, can’t name a famous woman working in technology. It’s about time we change that. Read on to learn more about successful female founders who are leading the way in tech.
Ellen K. Pao 
Pao first came into the spotlight in 2012 when she filed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/technology/ellen-pao-kleiner-perkins-case-decision.html">a gender discrimination suit</a> against her former employer, huge Silicon Valley VC firm <a href="https://www.kleinerperkins.com/">Kleiner Perkins</a>. Despite losing the case, Pao sparked new debate about the treatment of women in VC and tech.
Continuing her fight against gender inequality, Pao banned revenge porn and unauthorised nude photos in her role as CEO of Reddit. This resulted in <a href="https://www.change.org/p/ellen-k-pao-step-down-as-ceo-of-reddit-inc">misogynistic backlash</a> from the Reddit community which followed with her resignation.
Constantly fighting back against the gender discrimination she faces, Pao founded <a href="https://projectinclude.org/">Project Include</a>, an award-winning non-profit organisation which focuses on improving diversity and inclusion in tech.
Whitney Wolfe Herd
Wolfe Herd co-founded the dating app Tinder in 2013 but left a year later following a lawsuit against the company for sexual harassment and discrimination.
Wolfe Herd was motivated by this experience to <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-is-whitney-wolfe-herd">drive change</a> in business and relationships for women. In 2014, she founded Bumble with the aim of revolutionising gender equality in dating. On February 11 2021, at 31 she became the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/whitney-wolfe-herd/?sh=18cd0c9d3147">youngest female CEO</a> to take a company public in the US and youngest female self-made billionaire.
<div id="attachment_1275" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1275" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-1275" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_A663BC29BCF5-1-800x800.jpeg" alt="" width="800" height="800" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_A663BC29BCF5-1-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_A663BC29BCF5-1-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_A663BC29BCF5-1-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_A663BC29BCF5-1.jpeg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Whitney Wolf Herd became the youngest woman ever to take a company public in February (via Whitney, Instagram).</div>
Christine Telyan
Telyan co-founded <a href="https://ueni.com/en-gb/">UENI</a> in 2014, with the aim of enhancing the success of entrepreneurs on the internet.
“We want to level the playing for small businesses,” Telyan <a href="https://www.businesschief.com/leadership-and-strategy/ueni-how-toothache-led-business-launching-3000-websites-every-day">says</a>, “for consumers, this means far greater choice when buying locally. For our customers, it means more trade and business growth. As for big businesses that have been taking their customers for granted, watch out&#8221;.
UENI’s growth has been monumental, aiding a huge range of entrepreneurs to realise their dreams. <a href="https://www.businesschief.com/leadership-and-strategy/ueni-how-toothache-led-business-launching-3000-websites-every-day">3000 businesses</a> now sign up to UENI per day, in comparison to 100 per day at the beginning of 2019.
Susan Wojcicki
Moving up through various senior positions at Google, in 2006 Wojcicki made the audacious suggestion for the company to buy the startup YouTube, a controversial move at the time.
In 2014, Wojcicki became YouTube’s CEO, driving its growth to its current worth of approximately <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/10/youtube-susan-wojcicki-ceo-where-line-removing-voices-heard">$160bn</a>. Under her leadership, the proportion of female staff has increased from one quarter to one third, and she only wants this to grow: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/10/youtube-susan-wojcicki-ceo-where-line-removing-voices-heard">“If only 25% of people coming into tech are women, then there are some stories and some perspectives that are not being shared.”</a>
<div id="attachment_1276" style="width: 697px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1276" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-1276" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/32995477286_c8feaad852_k-687x800.jpg" alt="" width="687" height="800" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/32995477286_c8feaad852_k-687x800.jpg 687w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/32995477286_c8feaad852_k-1374x1600.jpg 1374w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/32995477286_c8feaad852_k-768x894.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/32995477286_c8feaad852_k-1319x1536.jpg 1319w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/32995477286_c8feaad852_k.jpg 1759w" sizes="(max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px" />Susan Wojcicki, YouTube&#8217;s CEO via GPA Photo Archive, Flickr and Creative Commons.</div>
Reshma Saujani
Saujani, an activist and attorney, became interested in tech in 2010, during her campaign to become the first Indian-American congresswoman. In visiting high schools, she witnesses first-hand the gender gap in computing classes and was inspired to set up the international non-profit organisation <a href="https://girlswhocode.com/">Girls Who Code</a>, which inspires, educates, and equips young women with computer skills.
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Header image: Reshma Saujani via Marla Aufmuth / TED.

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AI Trends

Hype Cycle

Strong AI

Weak AI

You’ve probably heard that the AI doomsday is coming. Soon the planet will be run by robots and human work will become second best. But the central fact the doomsayers fail to mention is that while AI is replacing jobs (typically low-skilled, time-inefficient work) they are creating jobs too. And so far, they have created a lot more than they have replaced, at around a <a href="https://www.beyond.ai/news/artificial-intelligence-creates-more-jobs/">half a million</a> net gain as of 2020.  
So, before we throw in the towel to the supercomputers, why don’t we get real and talk about the future? 
It hasn’t happened before, so why should it happen now? 
This is not the first tech revolution and it won’t be the last. At most points in history, workers have been resistant to technological developments for fear they would be put out of work. At the start of the 19th century, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/01/25/what-the-humble-loom-can-teach-us-about-robots-and-automation/">cloth weavers in America</a> were furious at the widespread adoption of the power loom – a machine that produced the worker’s output in a fraction of the time. Workers were initially replaced. But as the change was adapted to, the loom led to booms in profit for the firms, which created a new market where skilled weavers were in demand. Not only did the workers now have a higher skilled job but they also saw a long-term rise in wages. 
The sands are a-shifting  
Much like the loom was feared, we fear AI because of the uncertainty around it. Workers in the 19th century could not predict how the introduction of new technology may affect their lives and the truth is, neither can we. But if we look <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/04/how-technology-has-affected-wages-for-the-last-200-years">over the last two centuries</a>, we can see average employment and wages have risen ten-fold as technological progress has been made, according to Harvard Business Review. The simple conclusion drawn from this is that while technology may replace some jobs, it also creates others – ones with even higher pay. 
AI are just plain different to humans 
The average thing you do in a day, for example writing an email, requires a multitude of tasks from intentionality and coordination to conveying emotion. AI can only focus on a narrow task at a time, much less begin to develop understandings of complex human functions such as IQ and empathy. There are fundamental qualitative differences between humans and the version of AI used across industries today, known as <a href="https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/what-is-artificial-intelligence">weak AI</a>. Creativity, innovation, teamwork, leadership and emotional intelligence – these are all examples of things AI just can’t do…yet. 
Strong AI is far off…really far 
It’s true that in theory, AI could do what a human can do – it could be creative, it could be a good leader, but the reality is that prospect is distant. Even then, <a href="https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/strong-ai#:~:text=Weak%20AI%2C%20also%20known%20as,to%20solve%20for%20new%20problems.">Strong AI</a> would likely be made on a model of human intelligence. And despite all the breakthroughs in neuroscience, we still know very little about how complex cognition such as consciousness works. It’s true AI in theory could replace all of humanity at work, but weak AI simply won’t do. As of yet, there are currently trends towards increasing AI integration in business from cybersecurity to entertainment and content creation. But currently, many of these sit on the <a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/5-trends-drive-the-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies-2020/">innovation trigger</a> of the Hype Cycle, with public perception governed by the negative associations of generative AI and deep-fakes. So is mass adoption far off? History has indeed shown that technology and humans have had a consistently complimentary relationship. 
The threat of strong AI may exist – but besides an Ex-Machina inspired sci-fi fantasy, most companies should embrace the prospect.

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AI image (Vision, @wandavisionofficial Instagram )

Pschedelics

Healthcare

Heath Tech

Innovation

Investments

Peter Thiel

Psychedelics

With an explosion in investments across CBD and cannabis in the last 5 years, experts are tipping that psychedelics, and mushrooms specifically are the next white-hot startup sector to back. Peter Thiel, Facebook&#8217;s very first investor, has already placed a large bet on psychedelic startup <a href="https://www.atai.life/">ATAI</a>.
Billionaire tech investor Thiel has led a $125 million funding round into a startup aiming to make psychedelic drugs to treat mental health disorders. Berlin based ATAI has now received funding of $210 million and describes itself as a platform set up to acquire, incubate and develop psychedelics that can be used to treat depression, anxiety, addiction and other mental health conditions. Almost a billion people suffer from mental health problems worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Legalization
There is talk that in the biggest global market, the US, psychedelic therapy may be further legalized under President Biden.  This past election, Oregon <a href="https://doubleblindmag.com/breaking-news-oregon-legalizes-psilocybin-therapy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">legalized psilocybin therapy</a> and <a href="https://doubleblindmag.com/breaking-news-oregon-becomes-the-first-state-to-decriminalize-all-drugs/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">decriminalized all drugs</a>, while <a href="https://doubleblindmag.com/washington-d-c-decriminalize-nature-initiative-81/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Washington D.C. decriminalized all plant- and fungi-based psychedelics</a>. Since then, California State Senator Scott Wiener has begun <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisroberts/2020/11/11/california-lawmaker-well-decriminalize-all-psychedelic-drugs/?sh=24dc90946f72" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">drafting</a> a bill to decriminalize psychedelics on the state level, four Hawaii state senators <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/hawaii-could-legalize-psychedelic-mushroom-therapy-under-new-senate-bill/?fbclid=IwAR2ORt01qBF2vPZ4asGfL3A66UGX36RivQZ1vT1sGExleQKuUSYjPy3bBew" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">introduced a psilocybin therapy bill, </a>and Florida State Representative Michael Greico has been <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisroberts/2021/01/15/exclusive-legal-mushrooms-on-the-east-coast-florida-lawmaker-introducing-psilocybin-legalization/?sh=2b2c60d96191" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">working</a> on legislation to legalize psilocybin therapy for people with a diagnosed mental health condition. Psychedelic insiders are optimistic that alongside local reform there will be federal movement towards ending prohibition, too.
<div id="attachment_877" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-877" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-877 size-medium" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am-800x450.png" alt="" width="800" height="450" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am-800x450.png 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am-1600x901.png 1600w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am-768x432.png 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am-1536x865.png 1536w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am-300x169.png 300w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am-1024x576.png 1024w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-11.14.09-am.png 1620w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Image via the Cannabis Investor</div>
ATAI&#8217;s CEO Angermayer said that people “meet themselves” when they have a psychedelic trip.

“Since we’re born, society imposes on us how we should be, what we should look like...Psychedelics take away all these things which were imposed on us."

Where the Money&#8217;s At&#8230;
ATAI has also invested in Compass Pathways, which has developed a synthetic version of the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, psilocybin. Compass Pathways, which Thiel has also invested in, listed on the New York’s NASDAQ stock exchange in September and now has a valuation of around $1.3 billion. ATAI’s owns roughly 25% of Compass Pathways.
The plan is to take ATAI public next year at a valuation of between $1 and $2 billion, according to an industry source that asked to remain anonymous due to the nature of the discussions.
The Future Forecast
What is certain now, is that in the same way the cannabis market exploded, the use of psychedelics for mental health could be the next paradigm shifting sector to go mainstream. Given the immediate and long-term implications of the ongoing Pandemic on mental health and wellbeing only just beginning to surface, the opportunity is huge.
Investor interest in psychedelics is on the rise as high-profile executives and celebrities are investing in the sector’s future. With so much interest in alternative psychedelic medicine, analysts believe that the <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/psychedelic-drugs-market-projected-to-reach-6-85-billion-by-2027--301082594.html">sector could bring in over $6.85 billion by 2027</a>. However, government support and widespread legalization are essential for its rapid advancement. With the recent legalization of psychedelics in various US states, like cannabis, it seems a matter of time before the psychedelic sector creates sizeable venture returns.

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Social Media

Digital Business

Entrepreneurship

Founders

Grace Beverley

Growth Hacking

Influencer

Instagram

Interview

Made in Chelsea

Rosi Mai

Even a decade ago, being an entrepreneur meant playing it safe and simply telling the customer what they wanted. But social media has made customers savvy – it’s no longer about pushing products, nor is it even necessarily about products at all. Influencers have taught us that personal brands can be just as powerful and that customers scrutinise everything, buying into people and online connections more than ever before. 
Millennials are<a href="https://www.mayple.com/blog/marketing-statistics-for-startups"> 247% </a>more likely to be swayed by social media content than other groups, and those who understand how to be genuine online will succeed as entrepreneurs far more quickly. So whilst the definition of entrepreneurship is changing fast, how can startups learn from the Influencer Movement? 
One such influencer is <a href="https://www.mayple.com/blog/marketing-statistics-for-startups">Rosi Mai </a>Waldon, instagrammer and wellness lover, known for being a star on E4’s reality show <a href="https://www.channel4.com/programmes/made-in-chelsea">Made in Chelsea</a>. Floww sat down to chat to Rosi about the realities of being an influencer, tips on how to build a social media following, and about plans for her new digital wellness business. 
From Made in Chelsea to Influencer
Rosi never thought she would be an Influencer.
Growing up she went to a very academic school, where it was “drilled into [her] from an early age” that “the only career options were being a lawyer, or a banker, or maybe a doctor, and there wasn’t really anything else that was kind of offered or suggested”. After studying at <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/8709329/rosi-mai-waldon-made-in-chelsea-series-17-newcomer/">Sotheby&#8217;s</a> and working in the art world for a few years, Rosi knew she wanted to pursue something different. She had often been asked to join Made in Chelsea, and “had always been kind of a bit reluctant of the idea,” but it was during her law conversion that she realised that “if i’m ever going to do something like this now is going to be the opportunity&#8221;. So despite the fear of “letting a few people down”, she started filming the show and really enjoyed it.
“I had some great experiences and that was the point at which I realized I could actually build a brand&#8221;. Made In Chelsea might have raised a few eyebrows from those around her, but it was a spring-board into building her own platform. “I by no means have hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram or anything like that,” Rosi smiles, “but it’s something that I’m working on and I can actually see a future in it”.
Building a Loyal Fanbase
Taking the opportunity was key to building a loyal fanbase for Rosi, but it’s not always as easy as it looks from the outside. How can startups, founders and content creators keep followers consistently interested?
“It’s not just social media, it’s everything,“ she says, “Now we’re constantly being pulled in many different directions, so as a content creator, if you want to keep a loyal and engaged audience, you have to be posting every day, you have to be replying to every comment&#8230;you have to be engaging with other people’s posts and other people’s content.There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes&#8221;.
This is something that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gracebeverley/?hl=en">Grace Beverley</a>, Rosi’s biggest inspiration, does so well. “I think there’s an argument to say that social media can be deceptive, but when it comes to businesses it can be very deceptive, because you can see a business that has this amazing social interaction, and you think it’s doing really well, but obviously you don’t always see behind the scenes. 
&#8220;But what I would say is that (Beverley) has a tech business, she’s got the activewear business, and then obviously she has her own brand. And if you take any one of those individually, they are viable businesses, they could be profitable and she’s managed to kind of run them all together. So I think once you get to a million Instagram followers, that’s a very viable business&#8221;.
In this new age, being an entrepreneur is often built exclusively off of an online personal presence, and if successful, brand extensions such as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-50732940">Beverley’</a>s female fitness brand <a href="https://www.shreddy.com/">Shreddy</a> and label <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/grace-beverley/?sh=f9125e6d8a4e">TALA</a> can grow, accompanied by fiercely loyal customers. 
&nbsp;
<div style="width: 1920px;" class="wp-video">
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1099-1" width="1920" height="1080" poster="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-clip-2-4k-m4v-image.jpg" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-clip-1-4k-1.m4v?_=1" /><a href="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-clip-1-4k-1.m4v">https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-clip-1-4k-1.m4v</a></video></div>
&nbsp;
Authenticity is Key
But it isn’t simply about posting, replying to comments, getting brand deals or even how many followers you have. Personal branding matters and without aligning with the right companies that share your values, your brand dilutes in the eyes of your followers, and you lose their trust.
This is something Rosi firmly believes. “It’s really important to be selective of the partners and that you choose well. So you don’t just accept every brand that comes to you because it might not be a good fit. Otherwise you can get easily lost and you become an advert, and people can see that you’re just taking any paid job in advertising, any old products, which you don’t necessarily believe in. And the reason that influencers are what they are and have the role that they do is because people really trust the influencers they follow and their endorsements&#8221;.
What makes a successful entrepreneur?
Rosi says it starts with an idea.
“It doesn’t have to be completely unique, but it has to be aligned with your beliefs, and it has to be authentic to you and you really have to believe in it. And then the idea is great, but you have to put in the work and it’s consistency. You have to work on it every single day, even if it’s just a little bit and then you can get there&#8221;.
&nbsp;
<div style="width: 1920px;" class="wp-video"><video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1099-2" width="1920" height="1080" poster="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-2.jpeg" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-clip-2-4k-1.m4v?_=2" /><a href="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-clip-2-4k-1.m4v">https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Rosi-clip-2-4k-1.m4v</a></video></div>
&nbsp;
This is Rosi’s mantra when it comes to her Instagram account, her yoga instructing business and now to her upcoming wellness project, which she is founding and working on daily in preparation for launch. “I’m really excited about this. I can’t say too much but..it’s going to be a wellness platform and I’m very excited about that&#8221;.

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Rosi image

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IMG_CE19B4A0A91E-1

rosi-image-2

Startups

Passive Income

Podcasts

Podcasts are a quick, enjoyable, and free way to absorb life-changing information whilst washing the dishes or walking the dog. Whether you already have an established startup or are waiting to take the leap, these 10 podcasts will motivate and educate you across a range of topics to aid your entrepreneurial success. 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795">The Tim Ferriss Show</a></li>
</ul>
In the first business/interview podcast to surpass <a href="https://tim.blog/podcast/">100 million downloads</a>, the best-selling author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/4-Hour-Work-Week-Escape-Anywhere/dp/0091929113/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1D55O645FLLJV&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=the+4+hour+work+week&amp;qid=1616695107&amp;sprefix=the+4+hour%2Caps%2C156&amp;sr=8-1">The 4-Hour Workweek</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tribe-Mentors-Short-Advice-World/dp/1785041851/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4N4RTQRNMTXC&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=tribe+of+mentors&amp;qid=1616695130&amp;sprefix=tribe+o%2Caps%2C155&amp;sr=8-1">Tribe of Mentors</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tools-Titans-Billionaires-World-Class-Performers/dp/1785041274/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=tools+of+titans&amp;qid=1616695164&amp;sr=8-1">Tools of Titans</a> interviews world leaders in a range of fields from chess to investment, exploring the secrets of their success. Previous guests include Arnold Schwarzenegger and LeBron James.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-pitch/id1008577710">The Pitch</a></li>
</ul>
Want to know how to impress investors? This podcast spotlights entrepreneurs as they pitch to a live panel of funding partners, so you can learn what makes venture capitalists tick and which tactics to avoid.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-goal-digger-podcast/id1178704872">The Goal Digger Podcast</a></li>
</ul>
Enthusiastic host—and self-made creative millionaire—Jenna Kutcher cheers you and your business on, whilst discussing crucial business hacks and the less discussed but needed subjects such as balancing life as a mum and CEO. With a great range of female leaders in business joining Kutcher, this podcast is great for an informative and fun pick-me-up.
<div id="attachment_1127" style="width: 650px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1127" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-1127" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/678d1918993d03a55c1cb64b93efbec2079b74e2.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="640" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/678d1918993d03a55c1cb64b93efbec2079b74e2.jpg 640w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/678d1918993d03a55c1cb64b93efbec2079b74e2-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />Side Hustle School</div>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/side-hustle-school/id1188487073">Side Hustle School with Chris Guillebeau</a></li>
</ul>
Bestselling author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/100-Startup-Reinvent-Living-Create/dp/0307951529/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=The+$100+Startup&amp;qid=1555999578&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=99signals-20&amp;linkId=ad22f8941bb4da26614a22415f47719d&amp;language=en_US">The $100 Startup</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Side-Hustle-Idea-Income-Days/dp/1524758841/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=side+hustle&amp;qid=1554556252&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=99signals-20&amp;linkId=5ce84202caad208c06bbbd9754e3a264&amp;language=en_US">Side Hustle</a>, Chris Guillebeau teaches you how to create a new source of income without quitting your job. Each episode features a new guest and side hustle, relating all their hurdles and milestones. 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/5-minute-marketing-with-brian-moran/id1099540724">5 Minute Marketing</a></li>
</ul>
Pressed for time? No worries – Brian Moran gives you the low down on the best and fastest digital marketing tips within—you guessed it—5-minute episodes. 
<div id="attachment_1125" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1125" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-1125" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/SPI-Logo-HighRes-800x800.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="800" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/SPI-Logo-HighRes-800x800.jpg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/SPI-Logo-HighRes-1600x1600.jpg 1600w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/SPI-Logo-HighRes-150x150.jpg 150w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/SPI-Logo-HighRes-768x768.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/SPI-Logo-HighRes-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/SPI-Logo-HighRes-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Smart Passive Income</div>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-passive-income-online-business-blogging-podcast/id383084001">The Smart Passive Income Podcast</a></li>
</ul>
Pat Flynn, who runs the amazingly successful blog, <a href="https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/">The Smart Passive Income</a>, teaches you how to best invest in online businesses, with tips on a range of subjects: the best income sources, SEO, crowdsourcing, and, ultimately, generating passive income.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-week-in-startups-audio/id315114957">This Week in Startups</a></li>
</ul>
Stay in the know with weekly updates on what’s going on in Silicon Valley and other startup hubs. Hear the best, worst, and most outrageous stories in the tech industry, complemented with Jason Calacanis’ blunt humour.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/achieve-your-goals-with-hal-elrod/id820889267">Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod</a></li>
</ul>
For motivational content, Hal Elrod has it all. In weekly episodes, Hal and his diverse range of guests equip you with savvy, practical advice to achieve your dreams. 
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1126" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1126" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-1126" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Entrepreneurs-Can-Party.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="600" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Entrepreneurs-Can-Party.jpg 600w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Entrepreneurs-Can-Party-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />Entrepreneurs Can Party</div>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/entrepreneurs-can-party/id1500768698">Entrepreneurs Can Party</a></li>
</ul>
In the lesser-known gem, Scott Stockdale focuses on the fun side of entrepreneurship as he chats to guests from all walks of business, from TikTok stars to founders.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-fail-with-elizabeth-day/id1407451189">How to Fail with Elizabeth Day</a></li>
</ul>
Interviewing guests across all spheres from business to music to science, author Elizabeth Day focuses on the things that haven’t gone right and how they ultimately help you succeed. For inspiration when things aren’t following the easy path, this podcast will give you a lift.

the-tim-ferriss-podcast-2

Tim Ferris Podcast

podcasts

Blockchain

B2B Solutions

Blockchain Solutions

Capital Markets

Health Tech

Supply Chain Management

‘Blockchain’ is a term that seems to crop up all the time – but what does it mean, and is the hype worth it?  
Essentially, blockchain is a decentralised database which is managed by multiple parties. It consists of blocks that store data, and once one block reaches its capacity, a new block is formed containing new information. These blocks are all chained together, providing an irreversible, single timeline of data that is secure and decentralised. 
Blockchain is more well-known for storing transactions, but it can also store any record of interaction between parties. This gives it the power to innovate many different industries, providing a single source of truth between parties and increasing trust and efficiency. 
Healthcare 
With the pressure from COVID-19, blockchain is freeing up the valuable resources of healthcare professionals by simplifying many manual and error-prone processes. In privatised healthcare, many electronic health record systems are used; these don’t talk to each other, making it very difficult to transfer patient records or medical credentials when they may need to cooperate. By data sharing on a blockchain, hospitals can transfer information in a secure and private manner, saving time and reducing risk. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have predicted that through data sharing,<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/131874/download"> hospitals could save 950,000 lives and over $93B over 5 years.</a> With blockchain, the onboarding process for medical professionals is made safer by applications like <a href="https://www.r3.com/videos/pcx-case-study/">ProCredEx</a> which authenticates and exchanges verified credentials as digital assets.  
Blockchain can also help to verify the safety of medical devices and drugs. Regulators can access and trace the lifecycle of any device or medication and add quality control measures to the blockchain. With this enhanced traceability, medication can also be recalled efficiently with little disruption. Innovation in this field is increasing as shown by the FDA’s solution which<a href="https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/9V2LRYG5"> reduces the drug recall process from days to seconds</a>.  
Supply Chain Management 
Blockchain is being used in supply chain management to monitor and simplify processes within what are often incredibly long chains of production and movement that involve many parties. By logging the stages of a supply chain on a blockchain, the exact journey that a product has been on, including locations, legal documents and transactions, are stored in one decentralised server. Each party within the supply chain can only see the data that is relevant to them on a need-to-know basis and there is no centralised power that can see everything. 
For that reason, many businesses are using blockchain to connect consumers with the sources their goods came from, for example ripe.io, or for B2B processes, such as issuing, exchanging and signing encrypted documents and <a href="https://cargox.io/">CargoX</a>, a Bill of Lading and document transfer provider.  
Capital Markets 
Through blockchain, digital assets can be created, representing any asset or agreement between parties, and these can be traded efficiently, privately, and securely via the blockchain. Trade, settlement, and custody services are combined into one, increasing efficiency and unlocking liquidity in previously illiquid markets. <a href="https://sdx.com/">Six Digital Exchange</a>, built on R3’s Corda, is the first end-to-end market infrastructure for digital assets and is currently working with the <a href="https://sdx.com/blog/six-digital-exchange-publishes-first-report-settling-tokenised-assets-central-bank-money">Swiss National Bank on establishing Central Bank Digital Currency</a>, which has the potential to completely innovate the future of the financial system.

blockchain-healthcare

Blockchain healthcare

Bitcoin

Memecoins

Online Trading

Reddit

Shilling

It all started with a tweet. 
Elon Musk’s ability to influence the crypto currency markets <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/elon-musk-twitter-dogecoin-sec-b1807858.html">is well known</a>. And when Musk tweeted a meme of a dog “going to the moon” on 24 February, few were surprised when the value of the meme-based cryptocurrency doge coin (DOGE) <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musks-tweet-dogecoin-sends-184100337.html">shot up.</a>
But the really weird stuff was just getting started. 
In the following days more meme coins were launched, piggybacking off the spike in DOGE. 
Thousands of coins like Steamed Hams (the name a reference to an absurdist Simpson’s skit) were created, shot up in value and then crashed to nothing over a period of several weeks. Other notable entries in this saga included the Grumpy Cat coin ($GRUMPY). On 17 March (24 hours after launch) it had an estimated total value of over <a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/grumpy-cat/historical-data/">$18</a> million. Less than a month later that figure had fallen to $13,405.
It’s important to realise that creating new coins is not particularly hard to do.
Owing to the open-source nature of the blockchain code, most of these coins were lightly tweaked or even wholesale copies of existing crypto-currencies. 
The rise of the &#8216;shitcoins&#8217;
Like the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56357526">GameStop (GME) spike</a> that caught headlines earlier this year, the phenomenon was driven by online communities, most notably the /r/CryptoMoon shots subreddit, alongside dedicated Discord and Telegram chatrooms.
A typical promotional post on the subreddit makes for <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoMoonShots/comments/moqdw4/elonecoin_elone_revolutionary_elon_meme_coin_with/">strange reading</a>. The promise of high returns, coupled with an absurd, attention-grabbing pitch is typical of other posts on the site.
Early investors stand to reap huge benefits in what are effectively “pump and dump” Ponzi schemes, cynically promoted by early backers at the expense of later investors chasing the same sky-high returns. 
The twist is that everyone knows that’s how it works.
Colloquially known as “shitcoins”, the aim of investing is not to find real value, but instead to back rare “moon shots” as they spike in value and then pull out before an inevitable crash. 
The moderators of /r/CryptoMoonShots run a paid discord server which describes the target asset in pretty clear terms: <a href="https://launchpass.com/cryptomoonshots/discord-access">“no fundamentals, no actual meaning and no real value – but sometimes they moon anyway”</a>.
“It is a powerful, powerful meme name”
Making money in this strange world is a particular skill. 
For this story, we interviewed George who made several thousand dollars through &#8216;shitcoin&#8217; trading. George is 24 and although he works as a programmer at the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology">BBC</a>, he admits that he knows “almost nothing about blockchains or crypto currency”. 
 He took our call in the middle of a trading session and it’s worth quoting his first sentence:
“I am on a moon mission right now. The coin is called fairsafe, a powerful name.”

You don’t really need to understand it. I don’t understand it. It’s all about the meme.

I asked him what he meant by “powerful”. His answer gives some insight into the factors that drive successful shitcoins:  
“Safemoon was one of the first meme coins to do really well. That was followed by copies safestar and safemars which did really well. Followed by safegalaxy which did really well. “Safe” is a powerful, powerful meme name. And now there is this new powerful meme name, “fair”, because a coin called fairmoon mooned. You don’t really need to understand it. I don’t understand it. It’s all about the meme.”
In this case, George was right. 
Fairsafe almost doubled in value over the first 24 hours, rising to a total volume of over <a href="https://launchpass.com/cryptomoonshots/discord-access">$10 million </a>on 1 April, before crashing to slightly under $1.5 million by 11 April.
And it wasn’t even particularly volatile.
George explained that he very rarely holds onto a coin for more than 30 minutes and almost never goes to sleep with “shitcoins in his wallet”. The excitement of what (he admits) is essentially gambling is keeping him engaged. 
Like many in the community he is well aware that the coins themselves have almost no underlying value: “Most people are losing money. That’s just how it works.“
When the music stops…
Though new shitcoins are still being created, the frenzy that followed the DOGE spike has largely receded, though Elon Musk is currently in and out of the papers for influencing the price of dogecoin with his <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/dogecoin-price-elon-musk-snl-b1838743.html">comments on Twitter</a>.
<div id="attachment_1116" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1116" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1116 size-medium" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_3432-800x483.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="483" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_3432-800x483.jpg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_3432-768x464.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/IMG_3432.jpg 824w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Elon Musk&#8217;s tweet in April caused dogecoin to rise from $0.25 to $0.30 in less than 15 minutes.</div>
Investors we approached for this story explained that the height of the frenzy only lasted for around two weeks.
In the aftermath, one fact sticks out. Most of the investors who participated in these schemes seem to have known there was no real underlying value. 
Thousands of people all across the world bought shitcoins, knowing they were shitcoins. 
As online communities and crypto currencies continue to play an ever greater role in the market, we should be wary of how far the memes might take us.

smiley-elon-musk

Smiley Elon Musk

Growth

entrepreneur

growth

social media

Startup Scaling

TikTok

video

During the course of the pandemic, start-up companies have rocketed to success on TikTok with bedroom business becoming international ventures.  
If you search #smallbusiness on the app, you will find videos amounting to 15.8 billion views in total, accompanied by entrepreneurs that have developed through the TikTok algorithm. Thousands of people are using the app to promote their #sidehustle or full-time jobs. 
It is no longer a novelty to not be on TikTok, especially when your brand could be missing out on essential growth because of it. Here are seven specific ways on how to give your start-up a fighting chance of making it on TikTok. 
Be transparent 
The most popular videos on business TikTok often show the satisfying journey from design to packaging. Be transparent about your decisions, progress and difficulties in developing your product. There are many examples of this on TikTok, but the consistent high views from small Australian business @bubbowl, an independent shop making baby bibs and bowls, shows that people love the process, no matter the product. One of her packaging <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bubbowl_?lang=en">videos</a> has 451.3k likes, and 3.8 million views. 
Transparency increases connection with consumers, which directly impacts business revenue. According to a <a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/social-media-connection/">Sprout Social survey</a>, more than half of consumers will increase spending with a brand when they feel connected to them. What do you have to lose by giving your consumers behind the scenes access to the hard work that goes into your brand? 
Market yourself 
<a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/social-media-connection/">70 per cent</a> of consumers feel more connected to brands with CEOs that are active on social media, so don’t be the boss that hides behind a logo. Inspiring success stories of entrepreneurs overcoming adversity are hugely popular on TikTok. The TikToker<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@philippages?lang=en"> Philip Pages</a> owns his journey within his content. Pages has posted many videos detailing how, before his sunglasses brand took off, the three businesses he tried to create before failed. His videos warrant comments like “feeling extremely motivated!! This is beyond amazing!” and, most importantly, “what’s the link to your website?”. 
Use trending sounds 
It is vital to adapt your content to what is trending. It is easy to identify what sounds are trending on TikTok by scrolling through your own For You page or browsing in the search section. Creating a video to a trending sound has a better chance of being seen, even if it’s just the background noise for a packaging video.  
Hashtag away  
You want to be on the “right side” of TikTok for your business. Specific hashtags such as <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/businesstiktok?lang=en">#businesstok</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/entrepreneursoftiktok?lang=en">#entrepreneursoftiktok</a> are likely to help land you within an audience of likeminded viewers or consumers who want to support small businesses.  
Jump on trends, or make your own 
Could you create your own <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uS61UPTbfI">“put a finger down”</a> challenge? Jumping on trends is nothing to be embarrassed about when it can easily gain your account exposure and build your followers. The jewellery brand Milli London, @millilondon_ on TikTok, saw a huge increase in engagement after posting an ASMR packaging <a href="http://ttps//www.tiktok.com/@millilondon_?lang=en">video</a>. This is a powerful example of adapting a trend that started on YouTube to a different social media site; the video got 3.5 million views and nearly 400k likes.  
<div id="attachment_895" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-895" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-895" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/201202175225-tiktok-2020-thumb-800x450.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="450" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/201202175225-tiktok-2020-thumb-800x450.jpg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/201202175225-tiktok-2020-thumb-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/201202175225-tiktok-2020-thumb-768x432.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/201202175225-tiktok-2020-thumb-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/201202175225-tiktok-2020-thumb.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Image via CNN</div>
Aesthetics are everything 
Whether your start-up is in e-commerce, tech or food, always make your journey aesthetically pleasing. There is a superficial side to TikTok engagement that can be exploited. The hashtag <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/sosatifying?lang=en">#sosatisfying</a> has over 1.4 billion views for a reason.   
Be a teacher 
Give back to your followers by teaching them something that they can use or share, whether it be useful business insights or revolutionary work-life balance tips. This makes your business stand out as going above and beyond for its consumers. Again, Philip Pages is a great example of this; he has created a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@philippages?lang=en">series</a> on TikTok called “Building the Brand” where he offers guidance based on his own experience.

5-reasons-businesses-should-get-on-tiktok-5e2ac85965996

Image via Search Engine Journal

Crowd Management

The Eden Project

Tourism Tech

COVID-19 has left its mark on almost every aspect of our lives. Still, there is no doubt that it has hit venues particularly hard. The advocacy group One Industry One Voice estimates that UK events businesses experienced an average <a href="https://www.exhibitionworld.co.uk/525000-jobs-at-risk-as-uk-business-events-industry-campaigns-for-roadmap-to-recovery">89.5%</a> year-on-year fall in revenue in the August of 2020 alone.
Despite the success of the vaccine campaign, some form of social distancing is expected to remain in place going forward, though governments are trialling mass pre-event testing. Large retail spaces, major attractions and performance venues will have to manage crowd density if they want to maintain confidence and get people coming through the doors again.  
The question is how?
Traditional solutions frequently prove inadequate. This was true even in years before COVID-19. Tanuvi Ethunandan, CEO of the crowd management platform <a href="https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/space-data-start-up-datat-duopoly-on-mission-to-revolutionise-visitor-experience/">Data Duoploy</a>, describes a scene we all know too well: “Visitors reach the visitor centre, everyone follows the same signs and you see the same people in front of you for your whole day out”.  
The result? Bottlenecks, queues and unhappy attendees. In the past this might have inspired a bad trip advisor review – now it’s a safety hazard.  
Digitalization offers an alternative.  
<div id="attachment_1129" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1129" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-1129" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/13416928_1172312099486657_6156505953143389107_o-800x532.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="532" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/13416928_1172312099486657_6156505953143389107_o-800x532.jpg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/13416928_1172312099486657_6156505953143389107_o-768x511.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/13416928_1172312099486657_6156505953143389107_o.jpg 875w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Image credit Londonist</div>
By using tools like anonymous tracking software and smart AI, venues can alleviate crowd management problems without resorting to heavy-handed measures. Data Duopoly offers a real-world example of how this might work in practice. The Cornish start-up provides an app which can be downloaded for free and anonymously tracks attendees on site. This gives venues an invaluable real-time map of crowd density. Customers can access the same data, which gives them the tools they need to make informed decisions. 
However, this technology has the potential to do more than track attendees – by using push notifications and reactive discounting – the platform can be used for direct crowd flow too. For example, if a large venue knows where its users are, it can select a certain number of visitors in a crowded area and send them targeted notifications. These might let them know about an upcoming attraction (like a live show), or offer monetary discounts which direct custom to retail attractions on site.  
Ethunandan was keen to point out that these offers often generate more revenue by encouraging spending. When Data Duopoly offered half priced desserts at one restaurant to draw crowds away from a busy canteen, people took them up on that offer “and went to the restaurant where they ordered a starter, a glass of wine, a main meal”.  
This results in higher revenue per head and a less crowded site. These kind of incentives also give people a reason to download the app, by ensuring that users really “get something in return for their data”.  
2020 was a big year for Data Duopoly. Even as its co-founders dealt with the shock of remote working, they were seeing more interest in their platform than ever before. The small team signed on new clients and worked double shifts on new pandemic features, like the “COVID reporter”, which allows attendees to report symptoms in the days after they visit a site.  
The Cornish start up is seeing particularly high demand in its home-region, where the local economy has been hit hard by tourism bans. The Eden Project, which saw over 1 million visitors in 2019, uses their technology. At the same time, Falmouth University is currently working with Data Duopoly to deploy their platform on campus.  
Ethunandan is anticipating another busy year for her company and a better year for UK venues in 2021: “People might be nervous, but they are itching to get back. When they have the information to make their own decisions people feel a lot more confident”.

glastonbury-festival

Image credit BBC

coca-cola-ventures-6

Coca Cola Ventures

Opinion

Bumble

Dating Apps

Hinge

Online Dating

Platform

The Match Group

Tinder

Dating applications are prospering world-wide, and businesses are cashing in. 
Since the mid-90s, online dating became popularised by the 1998 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128853/">You’ve Got Mail</a> and hasn’t stopped growing since. Over the last 20 years new apps continue to spring up; now, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/06/10-facts-about-americans-and-online-dating/">48% of 18–29-year-olds</a> report using online dating regularly. 
<div id="attachment_1064" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1064" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1064 size-medium" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/arxivonlinedating-10-800x450.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="450" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/arxivonlinedating-10-800x450.jpg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/arxivonlinedating-10-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/arxivonlinedating-10-768x432.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/arxivonlinedating-10-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/arxivonlinedating-10.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Image credit MIT Technology Review</div>
Monopoly Rule 
What most people don’t know about these apps, from Tinder, Hinge, Bumble – is that they are all owned by just one company. 
The Match Group owns over 45 online dating companies. In 2019 its revenue totaled $2 billion. No signs of slowing down either: during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Match Group exceeded their own estimates with <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/449465/paid-dating-subscribers-match-group/">10 million</a> new paying subscribers by the third quarter 2020.
The Match Group has a monopoly on dating – so what? Economists warn us that monopoly power negatively impacts consumers with the firm reaping the gains, but is this the case? Arguably, not. In 2017, 39% of couples reported meeting their partner online, a sharp increase from just 2% in 1995. The effect was even stronger for same-sex couples, 65% of whom <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/~mrosenfe/Rosenfeld_et_al_Disintermediating_Friends.pdf">reported</a> meeting their partner through these apps. Even with monopoly power, it seems the Match Group has had a genuine positive impact on people’s lives.  
<div id="attachment_762" style="width: 1090px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-762" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-762 size-full" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/credit-Hinge-instagram.jpeg" alt="" width="1080" height="1080" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/credit-Hinge-instagram.jpeg 1080w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/credit-Hinge-instagram-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/credit-Hinge-instagram-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/credit-Hinge-instagram-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/credit-Hinge-instagram-300x300.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />Hinge&#8217;s tagline, via Hinge (Instagram).</div>
Pay to Win 
But online dating is ultimately a business. These apps generate revenue through ads or subscription plans. Yet despite paid features being available, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dir.20106">studies</a> as far back as 2008 have suggested that they are unlikely to increase your chances of finding a date. Increasing monetisation of dating features suggests that users are simply cash-cows for the Match Group.
In fact, in December 2020 Hinge, announced a new<a href="https://hingeapp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057625534-What-is-Standouts-"> “Standouts”</a> feature. A section on the app where users can view a curated selection of profiles who are “most your type” and incidentally get the most attention on the app. What’s more, these are users that “you won’t see elsewhere”. To match with one of these users requires a special form of currency, purchasable for £4 per like.  
<a href="https://hinge.co/">Hinge</a> has essentially created an exclusive show-room for their top talent where price matters. Those featured in this showroom won’t know they are on display and have no option to remove themselves from the aisle. Hinge markets itself as the “dating app to be deleted” suggesting a genuine shot at finding your life-long partner. But the Standouts feature reflects an experience closer to online shopping, as opposed to the fairy-tale of true love sold in You’ve Got Mail. 
Down the Slippery Slope 
This move from Hinge is just one of many in the online dating industry which increasingly monetises love. But one’s mind does wander where this route will lead. 
Could price discrimination be next? Tinder is way ahead of us. Since <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31700036">2015</a>, UK users of Tinder Plus above the age of 28 have to pay prices 4 times higher than younger users. It is not beyond the scope of imagination to then expect similar price discrimination based on physical attractiveness, intelligence or even wealth. At what point does this monetisation become truly unethical? 
<div id="attachment_761" style="width: 1274px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-761" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-761 size-full" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Thursday-via-Bustle.com_.jpeg" alt="" width="1264" height="1264" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Thursday-via-Bustle.com_.jpeg 1264w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Thursday-via-Bustle.com_-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Thursday-via-Bustle.com_-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Thursday-via-Bustle.com_-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/Thursday-via-Bustle.com_-300x300.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1264px) 100vw, 1264px" />Thursday, via bustle.com.</div>
A Fresh Approach 
“<a href="https://www.getthursday.com/">Thursday</a>” is a disruptive start-up redefining the dating industry. Users spend only one day a week on the app, whilst the app is closed for the remaining 6 days a week, moving away from the superficialities of endless swiping. The company is now starting to be known for its guerrilla <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/thursday-dating_dear-bumble-happy-international-womens-activity-6774770133509398528-dNUP">marketing tactics</a>, tongue-in-cheek humour and being an outlaw brand, wishing to challenge the status quo. CEO of Thursday, George Rawlings <a href="https://whatisthehype.com/whats-happening-on-thursday/">said</a> that the app “is here to change the game and shake things up&#8230;Thursday is an app for people who don’t like dating apps!”. Could this be the business model needed to radically shift the dating industry and put users first? 
These fresh ideas reintroduce the person back into online dating. They provide a future for sustainable, mindful dating which may be the solution to improving user satisfaction. 
Users have the right to buy into monetised dating. But companies should do more to recognise their users as human beings, not simply streams of revenue. Fresh, ethical approaches to online dating are more than desirable. Because finding a date should not be breaking your bank.

b25ly21zomqxmzvjmjm0ltuwm2utndhmni1hzmflltczyja5zwq3ogm3nzpizmu1njc3zs1iothmltrimjmtoty3ni1howzlmtk5mjuxzwe-1

Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd

NFTs

Ethereum

Grimes

Investment

Music Industry

Music Tech

Non-fungible Token

As non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and their impact in the art industry make headlines, Floww takes a closer look into their potential for the music industry.

WTF are NFTs? 
NFTs are digital assets that contain information in the form of smart contracts. This information makes each token unique: they cannot be duplicated or divided. The smart contracts can include details of ownership, secure file links, and rules, such as how and when the token can be transferred. These details act as a certificate for the ownership and authenticity of the token. 
Why is this useful for music? 
With streaming—the most popular way to consume music—artists only receive <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/music-artists-make-12-percent-from-music-sales-706746/">12%</a> of all profits, with the remainder going to middlemen. This makes it extremely difficult to make a living from music, especially for smaller artists. Big players within the sector have attempted to provide alternative streaming platforms to combat this injustice, such as Jay-Z’s <a href="https://tidal.com/">Tidal</a>, which gives greater cuts to artists. Yet these have failed to reach the heights of Spotify or Apple Music. 
<div id="attachment_390" style="width: 1090px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-390" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-390 size-full" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/IMG_3073.jpg" alt="" width="1080" height="1346" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/IMG_3073.jpg 1080w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/IMG_3073-642x800.jpg 642w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/IMG_3073-768x957.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/04/IMG_3073-241x300.jpg 241w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />Jay Z launched Tidal in 2014. Credit: Beyoncé (Instagram).</div>
NFTs provide a new solution. 
By using NFTs, artists can retain ownership of their music as rules in the token’s smart contract can trigger royalties for sales or plays. NFTs also create perks for fans by providing authentic limited-edition items. Unlike other forms of digital or physical collectibles, NFTs cannot be shared or duplicated; fan ownership is truly exclusive. 
Live performances can also be revolutionised by NFTs. By replacing gig tickets with <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/18/yellowheart/?guccounter=1">‘NFTickets’</a>, event organisers can have sole control over resales, exchanges, and returns. This will ensure that tickets aren’t bought out by big corporations and sold on to genuine fans for quadruple the price. The income from each transaction can also be fairly managed, split between all partners involved meaning no more middlemen.

NFTs cannot be shared or duplicated; fan ownership is truly exclusive. 

What’s going on right now? 
On March 5th, Kings of Leon became the first major artist to delve into NFTs, as they released their latest album ‘When You See Yourself’ through the token, providing exclusive album artwork and a limited edition ‘Golden Eye’ vinyl. They were available for just over 2 weeks and an auction was also held for 6 ‘Golden Tickets’ which guarantee the owner 4 front row tickets to Kings of Leon headline concerts for life. From these sales, Kings of Leon have generated <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/kings-of-leon-have-generated-2million-from-nft-sales-of-their-new-album-2899349">$2million</a>, half a million of which has been donated to <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/live-nation-charitable-fund-to-support-concert-crews-affected-by-coronavirus-2639882">Live Nation Crew Fund</a> to support live music crews during the pandemic. In the same month, the artist Grimes sold <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/1/22308075/grimes-nft-6-million-sales-nifty-gateway-warnymph">$6 million</a> in digital art, including videos set to music, whilst Elon Musk proclaimed on Twitter that he was<a href="https://dancingastronaut.com/2021/03/elon-musk-backs-out-of-effort-to-sell-song-about-nft-as-an-nft/#:~:text=Billionaire%20CEO%20of%20SpaceX%20and,a%20house%20track%20about%20NFTs."> &#8216;selling this song about NFTs as an NFT&#8217;.</a>
<div id="attachment_363" style="width: 962px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-363" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-363 size-full" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/03/credit-shawnmendes-instagram.jpeg" alt="" width="952" height="1190" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/03/credit-shawnmendes-instagram.jpeg 952w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/03/credit-shawnmendes-instagram-640x800.jpeg 640w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/03/credit-shawnmendes-instagram-768x960.jpeg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/03/credit-shawnmendes-instagram-240x300.jpeg 240w" sizes="(max-width: 952px) 100vw, 952px" />Artist Shawn Mendes has collaborated with brand Genies on NFT wearables. Credit: Shawn Mendes (Instagram).</div>
Other popular artists are also jumping on the craze. From Russian punk feminist group <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/pussy-riot-mints-and-sells-their-first-nft">Pussy Riot</a>, who are using NFTs to raise funds against domestic abuse, to Shawn Mendes, who has collaborated with Genies on NFT wearables: cartoon-like avatars that represent Mendes’ biggest life moments. One unique token is currently worth <a href="https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/105227954358508556400726543892593280633486599217815009542877566381008290316289">$357,420</a>.

Just hype? 
It’s easy to assume that the huge value of NFTs today means that they will shape our future. Yet this value is likely inflated, with investors who have already made a killing in cryptocurrency rushing in to dominate the new art and music markets. 
There’s also a limiting factor of accessibility. Kings of Leon had to extend their original NFT sale due to fans, many of whom are newcomers to crypto, struggling with the new format. Moreover, are authentic collectables, only affordable for the super-rich, really a fair ground on which to remodel the music industry? 
Regardless, with notable artists supporting NFTs, many are beginning to look away from streaming services and into a more artist-centric future for music – be it NFTs or something just around the corner.

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Asteroid Mining

Asteroids

CEO Interview

Space

There are 18,000 identified asteroids in <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/twenty-years-of-tracking-near-earth-objects/">near-earth orbit</a>. 
Space agencies have achieved what was once thought impossible, by landing unmanned craft on these celestial bodies. Now, a few companies are looking to mine them. 
And the rewards could be truly astronomical. 
As Mitch Hunter-Scullion, CEO and founder of the <a href="https://asteroidminingcorporation.co.uk/">Asteroid Mining Corporation</a> (“AMC”) explains, “A 1km diameter upper 90 percentile metallic platinum-bearing asteroid would be worth 9.115 trillion pounds” (three times the UK’s annual GDP). “It is a lot of money”, Mitch notes with a chuckle. 
AMC is the first and only UK company in the asteroid mining business, though similar ventures have sprung up elsewhere.
<h4>How does it work?</h4>
We know that asteroid landings are possible: NASA touched down and may have even retrieved samples from the asteroid “Bennu” in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2020/10/20/nasa-just-landed-on-an-asteroid-and-hopefully-scooped-up-material-for-the-first-time-in-its-history/#:~:text=A%20NASA%20spacecraft%20has%20successfully,the%20asteroid%20in%20the%20process.&amp;text=By%20firing%20a%20puff%20of,ready%20to%20return%20to%20Earth.">October of 2020</a>. At the same time, commercial ventures like <a href="https://www.spacex.com/">SpaceX</a> are significantly reducing the costs associated with launching spacecraft. Together, these developments mean that prospective miners are worrying less about getting to the asteroid, and more about the problems of mineral extraction and retrieval. Miners will need to build structures on the asteroid bodies and then cycle cargo between the mining rig and earth’s orbit. The business of actually getting the resources down to the surface would only proceed once a substantial payload of metals had been collected.

Asteroid mining sounds a lot more difficult conceptually than it actually is.

Mitch is confident about his prospects: “asteroid mining sounds a lot more difficult conceptually than it actually is” – and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-space-mining-asteroid-platinum-2017-4?r=UK">Goldman Sachs agrees</a>. The main problem, Mitch claims, will be maintaining a zero-gravity operation. Here AMC is looking to its university partnerships, like the million pound development deal signed with Tokohu University last December. AMC and Tokohu have begun working on a new generation of machines capable of maintaining equipment in the extremes of space – “scary space robots, as we like to call them”, Mitch adds. 
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-220 size-large" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/03/night_sky_compressed-1024x507.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="507" /> 
Asteroid mining has already proved itself to be a challenging market. In 2019 the two largest North American initiatives – Deep Space Industries and Planetary Resources – <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/06/26/134510/asteroid-mining-bubble-burst-history/">both ran into significant</a> financial issues. Mitch is clear about the lessons learned from these setbacks: an asteroid mining business can’t “hold out for more funding from investors”. He sees AMC’s R&amp;D work as key to the medium-term future of the company. By selling mining, extraction and robotic equipment, AMC plans to be a profitable space business before it mines its first asteroid. 
AMC’s first prospecting expedition APS-1, expected in 2023, is set to be funded through organic capital generation. Together with the planned commercial launch of AMC’s robotic prospecting equipment in 2024, Mitch is hoping this launch will allow AMC to bring in more investors ahead of their first mining expedition (AEP-1, expected for 2027). 
If AMC pulls off a successful mission it really might change the world. 
Hydrogen fuel cells and smartphones are both heavily reliant on platinum. In December 2020, 1g of the stuff was <a href="https://www.lme.com/en-GB/Metals/Precious-metals/Platinum/Averages">worth over £33,000</a>. As Mitch observed, the target of his 2027 mission contains more Platinum than has ever been mined in earth’s history. 
The challenges are huge, but as Mitch is keen to point out “this isn’t a quick buck”, it’s about a “bigger vision”. 
Image Credits: Header – University of Central Florida, College of Sciences.

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Image via Financial Times

Success Stories

Failure is essential to success, yet society has conditioned us to believe that failing is inherently negative – an experience that we are to simultaneously avoid and fear. But the pain of failure provides the unique opportunity for reflection and re-evaluation, often igniting a determined force of perseverance. In fact, countless successful entrepreneurs have themselves experienced rejection during their journey to success. Here are the stories of four epically successful failures.
Sara Blakely, Founder of <a href="https://www.spanx.com/">Spanx</a>
This self made billionaire failed the LSAT (law school admission) twice, before selling fax machines door to door for 7 years. During this time she also applied to get a job at Disney World playing Goofy, but was turned down. Determined to push ahead, Blakely spent as much time as possible figuring out her strengths. She then took $5,000 of her savings to launch prototypes for what was to become her shapewear company, Spanx. Behind every incident of failure is an opportunity or lesson — or, as Blakely puts it, “a chance to build your character.” Spanx wouldn’t have existed if she didn’t fail the LSAT, forcing her to reassess her life, and find her entrepreneurial spirit. Moreover, Blakely&#8217;s self belief means she owns 100% of the private company, which started with $5,000 and now is valued in the billions.
James Watt and Martin Dickie, Co-Founders of <a href="https://www.brewdog.com/uk/">BrewDog</a>
In 2009, BrewDog founders James and Martin asked Dragon’s Den for a £100,000 investment in exchange for 20% of their company’s profits. The Dragons rejected the pair, only for BrewDog to go on to become a company valued by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2020/01/14/the-new-beer-barons-how-two-scottish-kids-turned-wild-flavors-crowdfunding-and-plenty-of-attitude-into-a-2-billion-business/?sh=33183f8329c4">Forbes at around £1.6 billion ($2 billion)</a>, which means the initial investment of £100,000 alone would be worth a cool<a href="https://www.brewdog.com/blog/when-dragons-den-turned-down-brewdog"> £360 million today</a>. James recalls their then-perceived failure as<a href="https://www.brewdog.com/blog/when-dragons-den-turned-down-brewdog"> “a huge kick in the teeth for us at the time&#8230;that stinging rejection st aill burns today&#8221;.</a>
<div id="attachment_1148" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1148" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1148 size-medium" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/DragonsDen_5-800x534.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="534" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/DragonsDen_5-800x534.jpg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/DragonsDen_5-768x513.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/DragonsDen_5.jpg 1240w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Image via Brewdog.com.</div>
Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder of <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/">The Huffington Post</a>
Arianna Huffington is the author of 13 books and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, a news outlet among the most globally recognized brand names in the world of online publications. Yet, Huffington is no stranger to failure; her second book was rejected 36 different times before finally being accepted for publication, and the initial critical reception to The Huffington Post was overwhelmingly negative, with many stating that the publication<a href="https://jaysondemers.medium.com/6-stories-of-entrepreneurs-who-overcame-failure-b799f69f6e7d"> lacked quality and potentia</a>l. In an interview with CNN Business, Huffington stated her belief that failure often provides fertile ground for success: <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/07/business/arianna-huffington-leading-women">“You can recognise very often that out of these projects that may not have succeeded themselves, other successes are built&#8221;. </a>
Sir James Dyson, Founder of <a href="https://www.dyson.co.uk/dyson-outlet?utm_campaign=cc_cc-range_always-on&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_term=dyson&amp;utm_content=do_text&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw6qqDBhB-EiwACBs6x8oeoh03_sPlkcig7PVUbAMVYxz68BEGAnehO9GaEK26Xy67KTIjGhoCarwQAvD_BwE">Dyson</a>
Dyson dedicated 15 years to designing and developing the iconic bagless Dyson vacuum cleaner that would eventually go on to become a best-selling household appliances brand, synonymous with innovation and efficiency. Whilst creating the original vacuum cleaner, Dyson went through 5,126 unsuccessful prototypes and the vast majority of his life’s savings. His 5127th prototype proved a success, and now <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/james-dyson/">Dyson has an estimated net worth of more than £20 billion ($28.6 billion).</a>
Header Image, Sara Blakely via Forbes.

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Sara Blakely Image Credit Forbes

Angels

Bias

Data

Data Solutions

Floww

Funding

Investor Solutions

Investors

Startup Hacks

The pandemic has catalysed the boom in startup creations. In the third quarter of 2020, the US reported <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/19/small-business-startups-corporate-employees-pandemic">1.6 million</a> new business applications – up 86% from a year earlier. Lockdown has been an incubation period for founders’ creative juices to flow. With such a large number of new businesses, there’s naturally a greater demand for funding, and fast. Whilst exciting opportunities are sure to be found, finding them remains an unstable search. As the start-up market becomes more saturated, investors are faced with more of both good and bad investment opportunities. It’s now more difficult to separate the scalable unicorn startups from the money sponges.
A Failing Approach?
From a start-up perspective, it’s all about who you know and how you know them. Connections are key to growing any business. Lack of connections means a lack of investment – a one-way train to bankruptcy. This simply means that those who know the right people go further, and truly great ideas can slip through the net. But what if you don’t know anybody at all? It can be so difficult to know how to pitch your startup in the best light when your access to mentors and angel investors is next to zero.
But the investor doesn’t have an easy job either. When a business is in its infancy it’s incredibly difficult to judge not only their potential, but also their current success. Most investors will only part ways with their funds when they feel truly confident in the startup delivering a return or substantial growth. Yet what determines this confidence is often intuition and feeling, not always data and hard facts. 
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<div style="width: 960px;" class="wp-video"><video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1062-3" width="960" height="540" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/EF525617-FF0D-46FB-90F2-3A395ADD4C0D.mp4?_=3" /><a href="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/EF525617-FF0D-46FB-90F2-3A395ADD4C0D.mp4">https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/EF525617-FF0D-46FB-90F2-3A395ADD4C0D.mp4</a></video></div>
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Current operations are often clouded by start-up costs and temporary hurdles. Spotting a viable investment opportunity can feel like a stab in the dark. Current solutions like <a href="https://pitchbook.com/">Pitchbook</a>, though comprehensive in company insights, are not always real-time in updates, nor always straight from source. This affects the ability to make time-sensitive judgements on a startup&#8217;s potential and prevents meaningful evaluations during due diligence processes.
Given this, the investor harbours immense personal risk. No doubt, there will always be risk in venture capital but the inability to make accurate evaluations of the startup potential amplifies all risks to a new height; wouldn’t you want to be sure beyond reasonable doubt that you are making the right decision based on clean data?
The Power of Reliable Data
Data can remove the uncertainty that often goes into decision making. Executives have historically been hostile towards data because of a lack of personality and difficulty to be interpreted. Data lacks responsibility right? If something goes against data predictions there’s no one to really blame. 
But this feeling is misplaced. We have a tendency to trust experts over algorithms because we’ve evolved with humans. We have innate learning biases which encourage us to focus on those who are successful. In contrast, data have only existed for a couple of decades, versus millions of years in our evolutionary history. Yet countless studies show that, on aggregate, data show better predictive power than the top experts in their fields. They use information in a systematic way free from human bias, hence their predictive power is so much stronger.
We need to recognise that data is the future and that that future is bright.
<div id="attachment_1097" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1097" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-1097" src="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-03-at-8.39.46-pm-800x406.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="406" srcset="https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-03-at-8.39.46-pm-800x406.jpg 800w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-03-at-8.39.46-pm-1600x812.jpg 1600w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-03-at-8.39.46-pm-768x390.jpg 768w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-03-at-8.39.46-pm-1536x779.jpg 1536w, https://floeucorpsiteimages.blob.core.windows.net/$web/2021/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-03-at-8.39.46-pm.jpg 1616w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />The power of real data</div>
The Solution is Here
At <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/01/floww-raises-6-7m-for-its-data-driven-marketplace-matching-founders-with-investors-based-on-merit/">Floww</a>, we believe that real data makes everything possible. That’s why we’re fundamentally redesigning the system, injecting confidence back into decision-making through a data-driven, and therefore merit-based approach.
On Floww’s platform, Founders can simply drag and drop their financials or use free templates to upload their data for processing, eliminating early hurdles. Then, accountants are on hand to ensure a startup’s data is seamlessly developed into beautiful, real-time and easily interpretable information. This means startups can put their best foot forward at their own pace to investors, more easily gain funding and better understand their financial forecasts. Floww’s dynamic data system means that investors can also manage all their portfolios neatly in one place and keep track of historical progress and financial forecasts accurately.

Startups, find funding at your fingertips.

And what about those prized connections? Founders can connect with the investors that are right for their startup in one simple click, after searching through customizable filters. Startups can scale their business through targeted funding, and investors can in turn find startups that align with their values and discover new opportunities for growth through the extensive <a href="https://www.theceomagazine.com/business/start-ups-entrepreneurs/floww-martijn-de-wever/">Floww</a> marketplace. It really is that simple.
No more ad-hoc, time wasting pitches. No more unsupportable gut-feelings. No more back-room deals. Floww is providing a sustainable ecosystem guided by 21st century data science, to bring confidence, meaningful connections and most importantly, fairness into the world of venture capital.

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