Mittelstands are the “middle-class” of startups; they would sit between the extremes of bootstrapped from zero and venture capitalist-backed behomoths that have raised millions of USD. Many startups find themselves stuck in the financing stage and end up failing because they’ve staked their survival on funding from VCs. Becoming a Mittelstand means restructuring your funding structure so that investor funding only keeps specific operations running instead of your company’s general operations. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
