AmericanStartups

Author name: William Smith

Scooter Start-ups
News

Investment Frenzy causes Scooter Start-ups to Flood US Cities

The West Coast seems to be all pumped up with electric scooters flooding the sidewalks of America. The company behind this, Bird, launched in the affluent beach-city of Santa Monica with its product suddenly found everywhere.  Although nobody expected the company to launch the way they did, Bird became one of the most successful start-ups in history. According to CrunchBase, the company has raised more than $400 million and has sought valuations approaching $2 billion. The company, which is based in California, has stumped officials in as it rolls out thousands of scooters in several cities across the country, by scattering them on public sidewalks earning both accolades and brickbats from residents. This strategy is similar to the time Uber fought to flood the US market and became extremely popular with consumers. Besides, Bird, the other popular start-up, Lime, whose white and green scooters were found in Los-Angeles, is also a direct competitor alongside San Francisco based Spin. It is said that in May, Bird raised $150 million at a $1 billion valuation. This rocketed higher because of investor interest, according to news reports. Investors in Silicon Valley are eager to pool in money in transportation opportunities after the success if companies like Uber. Since Bird, Lime and Spin burst into the scene, investors are interested in e-scooter companies. Easy-to-use electric scooters It also helps that using these public e-scooters is easy as a breeze. With the Bird app, consumers can find electric scooters to ride, for a per-minute fee and drop them where their trip ends. Scooter chargers rove the streets to pick them up and recharge them and collect cash in doing so. These companies are betting on the fact that consumers become so interested in them that it’s difficult to ban them and hence authorities have to negotiate rules. Why are these scooters becoming popular? Dockless scooters can be ridden standing up and can be rented by anyone with a smartphone. It takes just a few minutes to sign up and costs a dollar to unlock and an additional 15 cents per minute. The scooters can attain speeds up to 17 miles per hour — well over the average speed of a cyclist. People can make more money as “chargers,”, you get up to for charging these scooters in home outlets. Scooters galore violating laws These scooters work like public companies which help you share bikes. However local residents are finding it extremely discomforting since they witness chaotic scenes along sidewalks with riders crashing into pedestrians. Many violate laws without wearing helmets and even riding on the sidewalks which is prohibited according to state law. Scooter startups with their blitzkrieg tactics are arriving without warning! Santa Monica, in fact, filed criminal charges against Bird for violating regulations and the company had to pay $3,00,000 in fines. However, many cities have started allowing them to operate by figuring out deals. Scooter Startups – the next Uber Scooter startups are able to strike gold because unlike Uber, they’re filling a huge niche. There is no existing scooter industry to block out new competition. The backlash is more than the just public safety and leaving scooters anywhere and everywhere is a feature for these companies, causing a legitimate issue for residents. According to an interview in April, the founder of the Bird, Vander Zanden says he sees his electric scooters becoming dominant in solving city transport solutions and would be happy to see more scooters than cars.

Best Budget Friendly Logo Design Options
Ideas, Startup Resources

The Best Budget Friendly Logo Design Options for Startups and Small Businesses

When we think of a company, one of the first things that come to our mind is its logo. Any big brand is first recognized by its familiar logo. A study by Red Crow Marketing showed that an average adult was exposed to over 4000 advertisements of various forms in a day. Of this, 60% of what retained is the logo. This is how fundamental a logo is. A logo draws attention to your brand like no other. A good logo is an anchor that will drive your business along with its marketing campaigns. What is the importance of a Logo? Recognition of existence A good logo will remind people about the existence of the company and draw particular attention towards startups and small businesses. A good logo will appeal to a larger section of the audience. Take, for instance, the logo of McDonald’s with its inviting nature almost beckons us to eat. It works visually and conveys the existence of the company. Communication A good logo communicates to its viewers. It will sub-consciously or consciously inform viewers about the company. Choosing articulate elements is important to make a connection in that manner. A Nike logo, for instance, communicates readiness and acceptance, this is an athletic boost. The intent of the Company The intent and message of the company are well conveyed through brands. A good brand will incorporate the values of the company. It will add credibility to the company and work to suffice by displaying the vision of the company in the best manner possible. Startups and small businesses, in particular, need logos. However, they face certain constraints like- Serious Cost issues Value of the company is not expressed The details they want are omitted or missing What kind of Logo Creator Options should Startups choose? Affordable and Feasible Startups are usually strict on the monetary policy and a good one knows where to do the cost-cutting. One should go for affordable options that do not cost your entire budget. They should be ones that still provide less cost. Accessible All these options are extremely accessible and mostly free. All one has to do is sign up and use them to find the best options. One receives personalized service with a good logo at a click away. Unique The USP of these online options is many templates and ideas to choose from. This only makes it unique and no other company in the same field will be using the same logo as yours. They cross-check with thousands of references. A Fresh Infusion of Ideas There is an infusion of talent into how the logo looks due to new creativity and networking behind it. One gets a unique logo that will accentuate the look of the company. One gets nice ideas and more effective quality at a fraction of the cost.   What are the best Logo Design Tools available? Free Logo Design This online web-based tool promises the best designs according to the work of the company in a subtle manner. One can add icons, shapes, text and other art to make it more relatable. The best part is one can choose from an array of themes like abstract, art, home, defense etc and even customize their own themes. USP: One does not even need to create an Account to use free logo design. Logo Master This is a premium tool that is powered by Artificial Intelligence that comprehends your needs to create beautiful business logos. This is a verified startup resources product that lets you create your logo in both print and digital. One gets royalty-free logos at budget-friendly prices. Payment is done only once you are satisfied with your logo. USP: They have an AI-powered system which understands the branding campaign we need exactly Free Logo Services With this tool, you can make logos, business cards, and websites in minutes. They make high-quality images in a fast and easy manner. They have a huge gallery of templates and cater to almost 24 million businesses. USP: A one-stop branding spot Logo Genie This site encourages one to DIY their own logo. One can choose from over 1000 premium templates to design the perfect logo of their choice. Choose your icon and style your logo with a variety of tools. One can experiment to their fullest to reach something they like. USP: They have a blog that gives amazing tips on how to create that perfectly memorable logo Logo Joy This is also an AI-powered maker that helps make online free logos freely. With a customer rating of 98%, they stand tall on the customer satisfaction meter. One can pay only if 100% satisfied. They generate vector files, HQ logos and one gets royalty-free logos. USP: A user gets 40+ social media logo kits and lifetime phone support Wix Logo Maker This web-based tool helps you make professional logos which are 100% customizable. You get all commercial rights to fit your logo where you like for your business. It is large ranging in that one can create websites and choose domains also with this. USP: This site enables you to start from scratch with your small business or startup with full-length branding campaigns Design Mantic This software tool enables you to create the most suited pictorial representation of the company. It reflects the mission, vision, and values of the company in a concise logo. They have automated design templates that will help in identity design. They cater to a lot of business types to create free logos and designs. USP: Excellent customer service coupled with innumerable industries Make Logo Online Free(MLOF) In this one has to fill in certain categories to reach the perfect logo design. This automated design will take your slogan and brand to create a perfect design. One can even combine designs to find the perfect fit. There are unlimited options and simple steps to reach the good logo. USP: One can create any number of logos and if unsatisfied, can get a refund!

Incfile Review
Exclusive Reviews

Incfile Review – The No.1 Choice of Small Business Owners

Incfile was founded in Texas in the year 2004, and have started assisted more than 1,50,000 entrepreneurs to form their own business. Incfile is every entrepreneur’s choice for affordable and reliable services and assists clients through document filing services. Incfile offers company changes, IRS filings, and compliance checks. They also have subscription options for small businesses. Incfile Get Detailed Price What are the Services offered by Incfile? Choose the right type of entity to start your own company. Figure out how framing an LLC, an S-Corporation, a C-Corporation, or a Non Profit will affect both your risk and tax assessment as an entrepreneur. Choose from LLC, S-Corporation, C-Corporation, Nonprofit Corporation. They provide you with the right information to make informed choices with your decision. LLC – More than 80% of private ventures are LLCs because LLCs give entrepreneurs restricted liability protection. S-Corporation – S-Corps do have more proprietorship confinements than an LLC, yet they likewise have huge favorable circumstances. One favorable point of the S Corporation is that like the LLC it gets pass-through tax. C-Corporation – While all business elements can give advantages to its proprietors or employees, the Corporation considers a more noteworthy scope of fringe benefits. Managing Your Company Once you begin a company there are various other aspects of services required. INClife helps you every step of the way by providing lifetime company alerts to ensure you never miss important dates and help file mandatory reports before deadlines. Make wise decisions using the Learning Centre In the event that you need to form an organization, it’s essential to pick the correct sort of corporate structure for your association’s needs. Your decision has permanent results for tax classification,  guidelines, directions and that’s just the beginning. That shouldn’t put you off however as they give you the correct information so you can settle on the best choice for your business. You have Business start-up guides Business Checklist Entity Comparison Chart and a lot more. Why do Entrepreneurs choose the Services of Incfile? In the event that you need to form an organization, it’s essential to pick the correct corporate structure for your company’s needs. Your decision has permanent results for tax classification,  guidelines, directions and that’s just the beginning. That shouldn’t put you off however as they give you the correct information so you can settle on the best choice for your business. SO here’s why you should choose Incfile like 1000s of entrepreneurs. Their basic cost of new entity formation is as low as $49 in addition to state recording charges They have formed over 150,000 companies and all documents will be handled by incorporation specialists who have knowledge in filing business entities and years of experience and are familiar with nuances of 50 states. Their services are end to end! They plan documents, file them with the state and convey everything simply after the organization has been filed. If by chance for any reason they can’t get you filed they will issue a full refund to you. Every one of their 3 packages incorporates a 1 free year of enrolled agent service. They absolutely never under any situation charge your payment card automatically, in case you wish to restore you should do as such yourself. There’s complete transparency in all their processes. All their packages include lifetime notification alerts They make sure to keep copies of every filing in digital format for future use. Trusted by over 150,000 business owners worldwide since 2004! How do you place your order at Incfile? Placing an order on INCFile is as easy as a breeze! Just go to their site and click on ‘Incorporate Now’. Select an entity type and the favored state of incorporation like LLC, C-Corporation etc. Pick the package that is most reasonable for your business needs. Fill the online request form and give complete data about your business. What are the basic features included in all packages? Verify Company Name Availability Preparation & Filing of Articles Next Business Day Processing Registered Agent Service (1st Year FREE) Lifetime Company Alerts Online Order Status Tracking Free Business Tax Consultation Lifetime Customer Support Online Access to Incorporation Documents What is the pricing like at INCFILE? Select from three main packages: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. All the plans include company name verification, preparation, and filing articles as well as a dedicated agent for one year with no added costs. Get Started Here’s what you Get when you begin at $49 at INCFILE It’s as low as $49, to begin incorporating your business with IncFile. Just include the state fees and get enough services to kick-start your business. This is the lowest amount you can find for the kind of services they offer whereas you would need to pay extra with other companies. The main difference in costs is the inclusion of additional features like corporation bylaws for free across higher packages. Helpful tools for Decision making Customer Testimonials According to their site, 96% of their customers give them a rating of above 4 stars out of 5. They have an overall whopping rating and some great customer testimonials. Bottom-line IncFile has some of the best packages in the business at a low cost. They are specialists in document filing helping new business entities establish themselves admirably complying to all legal requirements. They have the best incorporator specialists for this and an offer like no other company – a full year FREE Registered Agent Service. Go ahead and choose them for launching your new business as you will be in safe hands like 1, 50,000+ others.

Storm Proxies Review
Exclusive Reviews

Storm Proxies Review – The Top Proxy Service Provider

Storm Proxies was founded by a bunch of SEO specialists in 2016. They are a pioneer in providing back-connect proxies which rotate IP address all the time. For those who need to know more, back-connect proxies are residential IPs which is good for scraping on search engines and other SEO tools like RankerX, SENuke etc. Rotating reverse proxies, as well as residential IP proxies, are unique to the market and this is something unique to Storm proxies. Rotating proxies will help you get 1000s of unique hits to your sites to help with your SEO efforts. Get 25% Off with Storm Proxies What are the Services provided by Storm Proxies? Dedicated Rotating Proxies The dedicated rotating proxies are optimized for SEO tools like Scrapebox, RankerX etc. as well as scraping sites with custom-made bots. They are also optimized for any action that requires a huge amount of IP addresses. The difference between rotating proxies and dedicated proxies is that since rotating proxies are shared between members, it is much cheaper. When you sign up for this, you get the following: How does it work? Once you subscribe to the service, you will get one or several “proxy gateway” IPs. When you enter this in any software which needs to make a proxy connection, your software will receive a new proxy IP on every HTTP request or after 3/15 minutes. All this automatically occurs from their side. Pricing Buy It Now Residential IP Proxy With this, you get instant access to residential reverse back-connect proxies. Each package is limited to 1 IP address and you can use it on a single computer. Proxy rotating time is every 5 minutes. All the packages have access to around 40,000 rotating residential IPs pool. Pricing Buy It Now Sneaker Sites Residential Proxies Sneaker sites like Nike, Adidas etc. can get access to residential rotating proxies which are exclusively optimized for them. Most of their clients use them with sneaker bots which include Better Nike Bot, SneakerHead-Bot, Another Nike Bot, Sole Slayer, Nike shoebox, Heated Sneaks Bots and many others. Pricing Buy It Now Dedicated Proxies These proxies provide dedicated proxy services for general usages like gaming, surfing, and many other activities. Access to Private USA proxies optimized for ticket sales is also available. Dedicated proxies are also available for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Pokémon Go etc. Why opt for Storm Proxies over other Proxy Sellers? Rotating reverse proxies is a technology developed by Storm Proxies and is unique to them. This, as well as residential IP proxies, is entirely a concept unique to Storm Proxies. The dedicated proxies are hosted on a server owned by them. Since they use their own inventory it gives them an opportunity to price their services at a lower level. Their customer service is impeccable with prompt response to queries. All support emails are replied within 24 hours. Storm Proxies 1 GB network is optimized for high performance and also for fast multi-threaded tools There’s automatic and instant delivery after payment, no need to wait for activation and proxies set-up. Get access to unlimited bandwidth. With rotating proxies, you get access to over 70,000 shared rotating IPs. Here’s a comparison of their packages: Buy It Now Bottom Line Storm proxies help you get ahead in the SEO world. They help you to level the playing field and get ahead of your competitors. With their unique combination of services and affordable prices, you can compete in the online world and drive traffic to make search engines think you are a top site. Thus storm proxies are the most reputed proxy site in the market.

Yithemes Review
Exclusive Reviews

Yithemes Review – Best Woo Commerce Themes and Plugins

Yithemes is one of the best e-commerce platforms for WordPress. What makes extremely sought after is the fact that they are the biggest developers of innovative WordPress Plugins and themes for e-commerce, communities, blogs and corporate sites. They claim theirs to be the best selling themes in the world, on their platform YIThemes. Get Huge Discount on all Themes and Plugins BuyNow BuyNow Subscription For those whose philosophy rightly includes – 100% effectiveness, simplicity, and beauty, it can be assumed they would live up to their word! They are also among ThemeForest top sellers and they have so much confidence in their products that they offer free versions of their products to customers. What does Yithemes offer? For the best WordPress themes and plugins, look no further than Yithemes. Plugins for WooCommerce include the following Administration Promotions and Marketing Product Page Shipping and Logistics Payment Customers Specialised Platforms Social Network WooCommerce is also home to some of the best themes including themes for Apparel & Shoes – Fashion Beauty & Jewellery E-Commerce Food & Restaurant Hi-Tech & Gaming Lingerie & Adult WooCommerce is the best eCommerce platform for WordPress. You can download all Yithemes Plugins and try its features and administration panel. Plugins are also available with a free version so you can use immediately. What are the features of the Yitheme Plugins? All their Plugins and themes are top notch and work with the latest version of WordPress. All themes and plugins are tested on Internet Explorer 9, 10 and 11, and on the latest versions of Safari, Firefox, and Chrome. Yithemes plugins work on all operating systems as long as WordPress is installed properly. There is compatibility between all Plugins offered by Yithemes When you become an affiliate member you get around 30% commissions for every purchase from the link you referenced. You can use the Yitheme themes on all commercial projects as well. There’s a 30-Day money back guarantee with 100% refund if you are not satisfied with the themes. Each of their themes includes a .po file which contains all English terms hence users need to edit just that one file to translate the themes to any language of the world. We had a look at the best selling theme on Yithemes. YITH WOOCOMMERCE – REQUEST A QUOTE It allows a hiding price and an ‘add to cart’ button so that your clients can request a quote on every product page. This plugin comes at a low cost of € 54.99. You can download the free version and also view a live demo. It contains many features like creating direct contact with your potential customers and sends custom quotes as PDF format. Pricing Details and Payment: You can start by downloading the free versions and use them right away. In Premium versions, prices for the themes and Plugins vary from as low as € 28 up to € 143. All Payments can be done through Paypal and bank transfer Join the Yithemes Club When you join their club you get access to the many features. It’s sensible in the long run if you are running a commercial e-commerce site. Join Now: € 15.000,00 + WORTH OF THEMES AND PLUGINS ON A 97% OFF DISCOUNT! You get instant access to ALL THEMES and ALL PLUGINS (included future ones!) 30 sites license for all items unlimited downloads for every product Regular updates and support Cancel easily anytime Monthly Subscription Sign Up Fee € 250 + € 25.99/ month Yearly Subscription Sign Up Fee € 250 + € 240/ month Customer Reviews 4.5/5 stars from customers who have purchased themes and plugins and are extremely satisfied with the customer service. They always look for feedback from their customers to increase the effectiveness of the plugins and automate them as much as possible. Bottom-line You can safely go ahead and try Yithemes Plugins and themes for their high-quality and simplicity. Download the free versions and test which ones best suit you before you go ahead with your purchases. To avail the best offers, join the Subscription Club and get these top WooCommerce themes and plugins for a steal-deal!

WhatsApp Business Messages
News

WhatsApp to soon make Money from Business Messages

With increasing advancements in communication and technology, people resort to new methods of bonding, communication, and business. Social network giant Facebook has started a way to profit from WhatsApp with a plan to connect organizations with clients. Facebook has been testing a “WhatsApp Business” tool. This tool is meant to bridge the gap between clients and businesses. They have been testing this tool for almost 90 organizations including Uber and Singapore Airlines. In an online post, Facebook mentioned how they were introducing a solution for organizations so that one can start a conversation on WhatsApp from an ad on Facebook. Whatsapp Business allows companies to broadcast “Non-promotional” content like shipping, cost charges, delivery instructions or route specifications. Companies can respond within 24 hours and late responses will be charged. The messages are charged between 0.5 cents to 9 cents mostly depending on the user country. They can be sent by humans or by using bots. What does the new “Whatsapp Business Tool “do? It will connect clients and business owners It will connect the numerous ads on Facebook and divert them into a communicable medium that is WhatsApp. It also will in future provide the option of payment through WhatsApp. What are the Advantages of the new tool? It will help people discover your business and grow a relationship It will increase awareness about new areas where growth is possible There will be more customer interaction and communication One can answer customer’s questions in a free, fast and efficient manner. Will this lead to a spam of business messages? This will not lead to an over flooding. This is because- Businesses can send only selective messages so there is no clutter Since messages are encrypted, one can block a business if they are not interested. Facebook intended to slowly make the new device accessible to more organizations, concentrating first on organizations with a solid need to oversee client correspondences. It wants to start small to eventually capture the market in this hitherto untouched arena. This is specifically important considering how Facebook has been performing in the share market. The effect of the data privacy scandal is not lost and there is a slow user growth.

iRestore Laser Hair Growth System Review
Exclusive Reviews

iRestore Laser Hair Growth System Review – For Guaranteed Fuller, Thicker Hair

Hair Loss is a very common problem faced by most people. It can occur due to various causes like genetics, bad food intake, stress and even pollution. So a good product that can stop hair fall is always in demand. One such good product is iRestore Hair laser growth system. It was founded in 2003 by Craig Nabat who used LLLT (Low-level laser therapy) to provide this laser-based clinical technology for hair loss. iRestore Laser restores hair and gives long-term solutions without any serious side effects. Click For Best Price on iRestore products Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now What is the iRestore Laser Hair Growth System? The product is an FDA cleared medical process that is used for treating thinning hair and also restoring fuller, rich, luscious hair. It works for both men and women and uses clinical technology for those who suffer from hair loss. Men between age’s range of 18-48 and women between 18-60 years can undergo this treatment. The treatment utilizes red-light therapy to stimulate healthy and thick hair growth. What makes iRestore different? Drug-free that is no side effects Laser technology means it is clinically proven It is non-invasive and pain-free It can be used by both women and men They have a free returns policy What are the best Products offered? iRestore Laser Hair Growth System: A top rated proven LLLT device to cure baldness Fast Hair Growth Bundle: It is a complete hair restoration bundle Hair Gummy Vitamins: It is a tasty supplement that has biotin, Vitamin C and E and Coconut oil. 3-in-1 Hair Growth Formula: This is a solution with biotin, DHT blocker, and palmetto iRestore MAX Growth kit: This is a combo pack of device, shampoo, topical serum and supplements which controls hair loss. How should one use iRestore? Using the device is very simple. Here’s how one should use it. Place device securely on your head Become comfortable and press the START button The laser and LED lights flicker for 25 minutes Once it is complete, it automatically shuts off How often should one use iRestore? The device should be used for 25-minute sessions on every other day. That means around 3 to 4 times a week. One can see a visible difference within 12-14 weeks. Pricing Since there are different kits available, the pricing is different as well. One can opt for the device alone or go for a combination of products. iRestore Laser Hair Growth System – $695 for the device only iRestore MAX Growth Kit – $765 iRestore MAX Growth Kit for 3 months – $875 iRestore Max Growth Kit for 6 months – $995 Fast Hair Growth Bundle – $89.99 to $339.99 3- in – 1 Hair Growth Formula – $29.99 Try It Now What is the best way to get discounts? On signing up, one saves up to $200 during summer sales on the purchase of any iRestore laser system. Also, they have bonus offers like free products on purchase over a certain value. One can use promo code GROW200 to get an off. They also have a special offer for a free 3- in-1 hair growth formula. Guarantee All products come with a 6-month money back Guarantee and also free shipping. They also have 90-Day empty bottle guarantee for orders of the 3 and 6 pack. Are there any side effects, if yes, what are they? iRestore is believed to be free of any side effects but some have complained of scalp itchiness. Also, one should not use other medicines to prevent a collision. Testimonials Bottom Line iRestore is an FDA cleared device that has proven to be safe and does justice to its claim of fuller luscious hair. However, the results may vary from person to person. Some may see astonishing results and some may not get results quickly. The downside may be that it does not work for all skin types and also on wet hair. One should carefully follow the instructions to get the desired results.

5 Hottest Startup cities
News

America’s Next Silicon Valley – 5 Hottest Startup cities in the US

Here’s good news for all startups this 2018! Venture capital investment in startups has reached its highest level ever — $148 billion in the last 12 months. Combined with an expansion of the economy, job growth, and a booming stock market, it’s the time for entrepreneurs to rise and shine with their brilliant ideas. Startups across America are influencing people’s lives like never before! From fitness tracking to AI to driverless cars – the transformation towards technology is rapidly on the stride. For those looking to launch their own start-ups – you are no longer limited to Silicon Valley! Previous hotspots have become passé. Here’s the latest list of the top 5 Hottest Startup Cities in the US which offers ample growth for your startup! What were the Factors Considered? Some of the factors considered to select the top 5 from over 200 American cities were: Local Employment – High % of employment (90%) The surge of startups – high % of Startup growth (75%) Young Adult Residents – Age group of (25-34) Favorable Local Laws – Quick response and uncomplicated laws Education Levels – (Holding graduate or professional degrees) The 5 Hottest Startup cities in the US Austin, TX This Texas hub of technology is home to over 5,500 budding startups and also has offices of tech giants like Apple, Facebook, and Google. Similar to the bay area, you can find plenty of educated millennials here with the city’s vibrant culture and dining scene. The lower cost-of-living compared to the bay area contributes to immense employment opportunities. Why is Austin Preferred? No. of startups 5,500+ State Income Tax Texas has 0% in state income tax versus up to ~10% in California and ~6.5% in New York Rent and Employee Salaries You spend 40–50% less renting a home/office and 20–30% less on employee salaries Quality of Life Techies prefers Austin for the quality of life that compares to California, but at half the cost of living. Camaraderie Austin folks truly celebrate each other’s win and also possess a greater sense of wanting to give back Minneapolis, MN Similar to Austin, Minneapolis is an upcoming city which boasts of high education, a young population and an affordable lifestyle. Why Minneapolis completely aced to the top 5 is the start-up growth rate – 121.3% which is one of the highest in the US. The pay is decent and the cost of living is inexpensive. Simply put, salaries in Minnesota though slightly lower than the Silicon Valley and New York areas, enable employees to enjoy a high quality of life. Why is Minneapolis Preferred? No. of startups 500+ The employable Talent Large local population of professionals with domain expertise in healthcare, technology and so on. Rentals Affordability and quality of life are high. Cost of homes and rentals is a fraction of cities like San Francisco. Salaries Minnesota’s tech pay is almost twice as high as the average state wage. Seattle, WA When giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks embrace Seattle, can startups be far behind? This Emerald city is youthful, vibrant, highly educated and culturally rich. It’s as expensive as San Francisco with respect to the housing and is rated the second best for tech market after San Francisco. For aspiring entrepreneurs, Seattle boasts all the elements necessary to boost startups: talent, large research universities, and good work-life balance and so on. Why is Seattle Preferred? Big Firms Employees Many Microsoft/Amazon employees save up to launch their own startups in Seattle. Employable Talent You can access the fruits of the labor of larger, well-established companies like Amazon and Microsoft. Affordability A lot more affordable than New York or San Francisco—with a better metro and transportation facilities. Camaraderie The business community here is very open and lets you in with plenty of support Boston, MA This college town has many degree holders and professionals – but a high cost of living! However, the start-up growth observed here is robust – with talented employees to match! A lot of investor money is flowing into Boston too – Boston start-ups raised $367 million in February 2018 alone. The innovation ecosystem that exists in Massachusetts, brings together and builds on the unique partnership between universities like MIT and startups and tech firms. Why is Boston Preferred? Top Universities Boston has excellent pillar companies and universities like MIT for sourcing talent. Transportation Boston has excellent public transportation – while Silicon Valley is spread out. Improved Value The share of next-wave startups——grew 29 percent from 2016-2017. Columbus, OH This is the capital city of Ohio and has a large, educated and young population with smart numbers for a startup’s growth – a recent $277 million Smart City grant to boost the city’s infrastructure. Since 2013, venture capitalists who are Ohio-based have raised nearly $1 billion and 70% of this was Columbus based investors, a sharp reason for the boost in startups. Columbus is also highly affordable, but not as culturally rich as others on the list. Why is Columbus Preferred? Best Universities The Columbus Region is home to powerful research organizations including The Ohio State University Centrally Located Nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population is within a day’s drive of Columbus Grants Received a $277 million Smart City grant from the federal government to develop the city’s infrastructure

League
Business, News

Toronto Based Corporate Health Startup, League Raises 47.1M$ Series B

League is an online forum that seeks to lessen the strain of overseeing medical advantages for organizations and workers. The Toronto-based startup has a premier clientele list like Uber, Shopify, and Unilever and has a lot of reputation in the wellness space for workers or employees. It incorporates a lot of startups who work for enhancing health benefits by way of improving productivity rates. The development in the sector is mainly due to –awareness, increasing expenses of health services and neck to neck competition. This platform, formed in 2014, is by Michael Serbinis (who earlier founded and was the CEO of Kobo, a Kindle competitor which was taken over by Rakuten. Serbinis says he got into the industry as a naïve person and learned most of it from scratch. He opines that healthcare is expensive more because the system is flawed. On talking about the importance of health care benefits, he places it among the top three criteria for any prospective U.S employee. Also, it is one of the most important expenses for companies forms the HR point of view. This company has raised a $62 million CAD (about $47.1 million USD) Series B. The round was driven by TELUS Ventures, with support from Wittington Ventures, Infinite Potential Group and returning financial specialists OMERS. Other supporters include RBC Ventures and BDC Ventures. The firm’s last round of subsidizing was a $25 million Series A which was almost two years ago. There are many startups like Spring health, Lyra Health, and Lumity which deal with corporate healthcare. What sets League apart is that it gives a wide ranged solution that offers a solution for talent and is priced in a way that encourages savings. The Aim of the Startup is to Allow employees greater control over their health plans. Reduce costs for companies by easing out all complexities Offer benefits through a HIPAA-compliant platform Allow employees to gain more transparency as to where their insurance money is going Provide health benefits to companies with less than 50 employees Adhere to the ruling by the department of Labor on association health plans League also has an online assistant enabled for chats and queries, one even has a digital wallet and there is more accountability for the money you spend on health. They also have partnered with multiple companies to offer perquisites like headspace discounts, ClassPass, prescription delivery services that are typically not part of insurance plans. They also help improve company morale through connecting the analytics of customers wants with what the company provides. They have a higher engagement rate and many access it frequently thus there is a loyalty associated with it. The venture capitalists, TELUS ventures Director Rich Osborn opined that league was an innovative company that delivered customer centric formulas for healthcare that helped strengthen overall engagement. The company is planning an expansion through Series B in San Francisco, New York, London and the European Union. League wants to focus on giving its customers a data driven digital experience that interacts with them on a daily basis instead of waiting for them to fall sick. It provides real time reporting to human resource managers and gives health awards to its users.

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