From securing funding to scaling, most startups face a similar scope of challenges. But in 2019, for ag tech venture Apollo Agriculture, the biggest obstacle was a swarm of locusts. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Apollo’s business model works by giving out loans to farmers and empowering them with planting advice backed by algorithms. “By building a business model inextricably tied to our mission, we think we can generate massive impact at scale,” co-founder Eli Pollak says. The company even collects weather data, and automatically shifts loan payment due dates accordingly. Dive into our feature story to learn how Apollo is seeding a revolution in farming. https://lnkd.in/gyZi4VYr #startup #agtech #ai
SoftBank Investment Advisers
Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
London, United Kingdom 62,126 followers
About us
At SoftBank Investment Advisers, we believe the AI Revolution is underway. Through the SoftBank Vision Funds, we are investing more than $140 billion in the businesses and technologies that will help make it possible. We offer the operational expertise, global network, and patient capital required to help exceptional founders build market-leading companies.
- Website
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https://www.visionfund.com
External link for SoftBank Investment Advisers
- Industry
- Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
- Company size
- 201-500 employees
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Type
- Privately Held
- Founded
- 2017
Locations
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Primary
69 Grosvenor Street
London, United Kingdom W1K 3JP, GB
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300 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, California 94025, US
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Al-Raidah Digital City
Building CS01 , Fifth Floor, Office 12
Riyadh, An Nakheel 3884, SA
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Al Sila Tower ADGM Square Al Maryah Island
9th Floor
Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, AE
Employees at SoftBank Investment Advisers
Updates
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In our first executive survey this year, we took the pulse of CHROs around the world. Here’s just some of what they told us: ⚫ 47% of CHROs said manager effectiveness is their top priority this year, more than any other issue ⚫ 3 of 4 CHROs believe companies that don’t integrate AI into their HR operations will be left behind ⚫ 56% of CHROs think hybrid work contributes to lower turnover To dive into the full survey results and learn about the state of the talent market, the mood of workers, the lingering toll of layoffs, and more, click into our Sōzō Pulse experience. https://lnkd.in/gDz2pry5 #data #chro #hybridwork
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57% of CHROs have had to rethink the employee value proposition since the pandemic, according to our latest survey of CHROs. “We’re in a space where people are more burned out and overwhelmed than ever before,” says Jennifer Dulski, founder and CEO of Rising Team, who also teaches management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. “People want stability, because nothing has been stable. And they want connection, because so many people are not together in the office.” Our recent story takes a deep dive into this data point, exploring how companies are navigating a new normal by shifting priorities and adapting policies, practices, and organizational culture to keep employees happy and stay ahead of the curve. https://lnkd.in/gVbGJP8e #data #chro #evp
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Finding cures for diseases like Parkinson’s means leaving no stone unturned. On the verge of developing a new kind of molecule to help combat the neurodegenerative condition, Ventus Therapeutics screened a documentary film about Parkinson’s for the entire company. The next day they invited a specialist to speak to everyone. On the third day, a patient with a severe form of Parkinson's shared his experience living with the disease. All three events were mandatory for employees, whether they were an accountant or a chemist. What was the impact? “Try telling someone at the company today that we’re giving up on Parkinson’s,” says CEO Marcelo Bigal. “They’re going to fight for it. The accountant is going to find money for Parkinson’s. This is our disease. Those events touched everyone at the company. They changed us.” Read our full Q&A with Bigal that spotlights how Ventus’s approach to drug discovery is unquestionably people-centered. https://lnkd.in/gveCgDTF #biotech #medicine #innovation
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Plagued by droughts and hampered by a lack of resources like fertilizer or seeds, many farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa are falling behind. Raised on a one-acre farm in a remote corner of Kenya, it’s a problem Benjamin Njenga saw firsthand — and then set out to solve. Today, he serves as the co-founder and chief customer officer of Apollo Agriculture, a company that’s leveraging AI, satellite data, and mobile commerce to help small-scale farmers just like his mother increase productivity and profitability. “The beauty with Apollo is that the more successful the farmers we serve, the more successful we are,” Njenga says. Read the full story for more on how Apollo has found business success while changing lives for the better. https://lnkd.in/gDcRN7aK #startup #agtech #ai
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Today is a big day for us. American-big 🇺🇸 We have announced two things: 💙We’ve acquired AmTrav, supercharging our US growth. 💸We’ve secured a new credit facility of $135m led by Blackstone and Blue Owl Capital. 📺 👇 Tune in to CNBC to watch Avi Meir as he talks about the acquisition and the latest in business travel. Plus, read Ryan Browne’s interview with him and Jeff Klee, CEO of AmTrav, for the inside scoop on this announcement.
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At travel management platform TravelPerk, every single hire gets a culture interview. And if an employee doesn’t fit the culture, they let them go — even if their performance is high. “It’s tempting to ignore a high performer who’s a poor culture fit because you want numbers, growth, validation,” says CEO Avi Meir. “But for me, I’m willing to give those up. I trust that things will work out. And they often do when I stick to those values.” Today, TravelPerk has 1,200 employees spread between its Barcelona headquarters and offices across the world. Our recent Q&A with Meir dives into how human connection has been the key to the company’s success. https://lnkd.in/gX5Yjh-Y #tech #culture #talent
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Join us for a new episode of the EUVC podcast. 💙 Today, we have Sumer Juneja, Managing Partner of SoftBank Investment Advisers in Europe. Some of the topics from our conversation are: 👉Europe vs. India - and how each market is different 👉Why Sumersh joined Softbank and his view on fundraising. 👉How does investing in Europe look for SoftBank? 👉… and more that we invite you to discover below. Tune in on EUVC! And your favorite streaming platforms. 🎧 https://lnkd.in/dgCbqyNr #venturecapital #angelinvesting #startupfunding #europe
On fundraising dynamics in venture between Europe and India, with Sumer Juneja, Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisors
eu.vc
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“It’s like that old Jerry Maguire line: You had me at hello.” That’s how ContractPodAi founder Sarvarth Misra describes the buzz around selling generative AI. The startup’s generative AI-based legal services hub, Leah, has attracted widespread customer enthusiasm — but Misra stresses the ethical importance of tempering client expectations with a dose of reality. He makes sure to carefully outline what generative AI can and cannot do, and never promises perfection. Long term, he believes that AI can reshape the legal profession, but that change will be gradual. We spoke to Misra and three other founders about how they are prioritizing ethics while approaching AI. https://lnkd.in/gDBEdKAk #AI #tech #law
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Congratulations to our colleagues and Tim Mackey for being recognized by the FT as one of the Top 10 innovative in-house legal teams in Asia Pacific. The team was named "standout" in the "commercial and strategic" advice category. We were also delighted to see our portfolio company Klook make the list. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eFRjCHfG