Tech for Good

How to become a property owner if you have only $100: Arrived startup The idea Arrived is a US-based startup that offers its clients to invest in lease properties for as little as $100. You buy a share in a house and get rental proceeds. The idea of fractional real estate ownership is not new. Yet, Arrived is making it as easy as possible. Clients can download an app, register, and become property owners in under 4 minutes. Investment amounts range from $100 to $15000 per house. You don't need to be an accredited investor to become a property owner. How it works Arrived acts as an asset manager. It partners with property management companies to find renters and manage operations. Investors receive income as quarterly dividends. Their passive income includes rental proceeds and property price appreciation. When Arrived sells the house, its co-owners receive a share in the sale price. How much you can earn? The annual dividend yield reported in Q3 2021 was from 5.95% to 7.54%. The company charges you an annual management fee of 1%. Second, Arrived Homes will charge 8% of the rent for property management at each home. Pros and cons ✅ Diversification is good. If you invest a significant amount, you may divide it between several properties. Thus, reducing your risk. ✅ Easy to start. Passive quarterly income ✅ Low minimum investment ⛔️ Not for short-term investments. The average investment term is 5-7 years. Until then, you cannot redeem your share. The startup is working on developing a secondary market, but there are no guarantees. ⛔️For now, the choice of houses is limited by 102 properties. And they are all sold out Questions for you 1. Do you like such a post format? 2. What are your first thoughts on the Arrived business model?

Fun, money waste, or a profitable business idea? A robot turning a dull wall into an interactive canvas Here is a cool Scribit robot that automatically draws on the wall. The smartphone app has a library of 1000+ free, ready-to-use drawings. You can also upload your own drawing or a photo to the online converter tool. Then send it to your wall. The developer says the robot can easily erase the drawing if needed. The device costs 450 euros. It may use four different color markers simultaneously. The 48 markets kit's price is 76 euros. If your arms grow from the right place, you can probably use standard cheap markers and save tons of money. I imagine this thing is used for fun during interactive streams or parties. Business owners may apply Scribit for wall decoration in bars, cafes, etc. Another idea would be to buy this thing and offer it as a service to the same business owners. What are your thoughts? Is it a THING or money waste? 🌐 Website #robotics #businessidea

How to earn money for yourself and the planet by taking it from Facebook? The story of WeAre8 startup. Enter WeAre8 - a startup going to disrupt a $450 billion digital ad industry. Tech giants such as Facebook and Google make billions a day by pushing ads at people. Yet, statistics show people engage with under 1% of Facebook ads. So basically, brands waste their money paying Facebook. Social networks turned people and their attention into products. WeAre8 suggests there is a better way. Their social platform pays you cash for every ad you see. You watch an ad video for two minutes a day, answer a few short questions, and get between 10-20 pence. At the same time, the donation is made to charities making a positive impact on the planet. The startup is trying to put people and the planet back into the ad business model - not tech companies. 50% of the ad revenue goes to people. 40% goes to WeAre8 (out of which 28% is a gross margin). 5% goes to charities. 5% goes to a creator fund for "micro shows" and collabs on the platform's main feed. We may be skeptical that any startup betting against big tech is doomed to fail. But, WeAre8 is a creation of Sue Fennessy who has a strong track record in the industry. Her Standard Media Index, an ad data startup founded back in 2009 in New York, has become one of the core digital ad industry players. Sue already brought in institutional investors ($15 million) such as U.K.'s Channel 4 TV and Centrestone Capital. WeAre8 also has several large talent agreements and angel investors. Sports commentator Clare Balding. Former footballer Rio Ferdinand, Catch-22 actor Harrison Osterfield, and others. The startup is now running a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. Sue and the team aim to have 80 million people on the platform in 2022. What do you think? Would you download and try WeAre8? #startups #adindustry #software #apps

Building a $1BN clothes-fixing business Sifted posted a good interview with a 24-year-old Philips, founder of Sojo. Her company runs a bicycle courier network in London. It takes clothes to and from the startup's registered seamsters. Users request repairs and alterations via an app, seamsters set their price, and Sojo takes a 30% commission. Two-thirds of ripped or badly-fitting clothes gets thrown away. So that is a wonderful idea having great market potential. Yet, tapping into it requires Sojo to create a shift in consumer behavior. It looks like Philips has a good plan to do it. The company has now started to partner with brands with a large audience. Customers of those brands can order repairs and alterations from Sojo's seamsters. That, in turn, will encourage people to build a habit of fixing instead of throwing away. The other benefit Sojo brings to brands is data. If someone comes with a ripped fashion item, the common practice for brands is to give a new one for free. Almost no one has a repair scheme or gathers info on the problem. Sojo asks questions like "What was the rip? Was it that specific seam on the inside leg? Was it the zip at the top?" This data may help fashion brands improve the durability of their items in the first place. The startup has just raised $2.4 million to scale up operations. Let's wish the team to succeed. Because if they do, fewer resources will end up in a landfill. #startups #recycle #software #apps

Continued 👆 Replacing conventional type braking systems may have several benefits. Regenerative type improves battery efficiency. It can extend the life (or get rid of) of the friction brake pads. Those (along with tires) are a major source of fine-particulate pollution. The dust that we breathe. What you think? May it become the future conventional type of braking tech? #EV

Cars of the future have no brakes? This space jet is an EV prototype from Stellantis’ DS Automobile. Its called E Tense Performance. This post is not about its 2 seconds to 100 km/h. And not about the claims to complete charging in 5 minutes with a 350-kw DC fast charger. Though we don't know the battery capacity. This thing doesn't need brake pads. Completely. The E Tense regenerative braking is 600 kw - essentially the same as its forward power at 815 hp. Stellantis equipped the car with a conventional braking system too. But says it's "completely redundant." Such break systems are already used in many EV models. Yet, they have limitations. Some cannot make a full stop, others do not work (or almost do no work) when the battery is 100%. Braking charges the battery and when its full, there is no braking. Let's keep in mind E Tense is a prototype not available for public testing. So there are questions left on how its brakes will behave in real life. See next post 👇

$70 thousand to build on Mars Some great stuff from NASA. Together with Epic Games and Buendea VR studio, they've built 400 km2 (154 mi2) of Mars in virtual reality. Everything's for real. Simulation of full Martian days ("sols"), weather conditions, and gravity. Realistic terrain based on true satellite images. The problem is the current VR assets include spacesuits and rovers only. So there is not much to do on the virtual red planet yet. So NASA came up with an elegant solution. They are holding MarsXR Challenge with $70k in prizes. The competing teams will use Unreal Engine 5 to create Martian virtual assets and experiences. The scenarios are setting up base camp, maintenance, exploration, and scientific research. There is also a category called "Blow our minds", probably for those with the most fertile imagination. NASA will use those simulations to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. 24 teams from all over the world are already participating. They have to submit their work before July 26, 2022. #space #VR #challenge

Saving trees by selling them Here is another unusual business case to support sustainability and limit deforestation. The root of the deforestation problem is that forest price is very low. So there is a strong incentive to cut trees and make products from them. The idea behind the Forestbase startup is very simple. The team buys large chunks of forest land, splits it into hectares, and then brings them to the open market. Investors can buy and sell those assets in the same way as the commodities such as oil or wheat. That drives the prices up. And if the trees have higher value, there is an incentive to protect and save them. Buying primary land plots is often very challenging. There is a lot of work to find out who the owners of each part are. Also, buying a large chuck is a large investment. And that's where the Forestbase adds value. They deal with all legal formalities and divide large plots into smaller ones. A large, hard-to-sell asset transforms into smaller, tradable, and low-risk. Kjell Clarysse, a Forestbase founder, bets those forest assets eventually reach a retail market. People will start to trade them more and drive the price rise. That, in turn, will benefit countries and local communities owning those higher-priced hard assets. 💡 Article on Sifted 🌐 Startup's website #startups #deforestation

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A Space Van Exotrail is a French startup developing space mobility solutions. Their debut product, SpaceVan, is like a taxi for the satellites. The SpaceVan can deploy small satellites over several planes, altitudes, and inclinations. It has a 400kg capacity and a plasma propulsion system called ExoMG. It allows the van to change the constellation plane in less than 3 months and perform a 100 km altitude change in two weeks. Deploying satellite constellations over several orbits usually requires dedicated launches. That increases the launch costs and required time. With SpaceVan, Exotrail's clients get a cheaper rideshare vehicle. The first mission will go into space onboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 in 2023. Three other missions are planned throughout 2024. #space #mobility #startups

Apple is repairable. Officially Have you heard of Apple's Self Service Repair? The company announced it in November and recently opened it to US users. iPhone 12, 13, and 3rd gen SE owners now can buy genuine spare parts and tools to repair devices on their own. Apple published guides walking through common issues like display or battery replacement. Though the news is exciting, there is no sweet without the sour. Apple does not recommend self-repair for most users. As devices get thinner, their repairability sucks. Without proper experience and the right tools, the risk of damaging your device is very high. For example, to crack the phone open you'd better have a heating tool to soften the glue. Such a tool could cost hundreds of dollars. And if you're not opening a repair shop, buying that would be nuts. Yet, Apple has a rental option: $49 for 7 days and then sent it back to Apple. Sending back the replaced parts allows a discount on the purchased components. Repairing the device yourself does not void the warranty. Though, if you break something, it's a different story. Apple promises to do the same service for M1 Macs and to extend it to other territories. Europe first. It's a good initiative. It will help experienced users to extend their device life. And fewer phones will end up in landfills. Yet, I believe it will stay very niche. If you want reparability in the first place, buy a Fair Phone, meant to be repaired and serviced. #devices #phone #Apple #recycle

A swappable body and interior EV Here is another interesting EV manufacturer, Canoo. Based in LA, the company plans to enter the market with 3 models. First one, planned for the end of 2022 is a lifestyle van. Another two are a multi-purpose delivery vehicle, and a pickup truck. Their production planned for 2023. What's special about Canoo besides the non-traditional design reminding of VW Microbus? A couple of things. Canoo designed the vehicles with the idea of reusability. Owners, from first to last, can change vehicle body and interior design to suit their needs. Steering, suspension, major electrical components are all integrated into a "skateboard platform". That allows swappable "vehicle top hats." Battery modules are not part of the chassis and also serviceable. Instead of changing the whole battery pack, you may change individual "dead" cells. The other special thing is the ability to opt for a subscription model of ownership. The company promises an affordable monthly price with no commitment for the end date. The current specs for a lifestyle van are 250 miles range, 30 minutes to 80% charge time, and up to 350 HP motor. Prices start from $34,750 in the US. Those who invest may also read this. Canoo has an interesting story of executive departures and changes to its business plans. 🌐 Company website #EV #startups

Buying luxury 3-10 times cheaper Enter Italic, an unusual direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand founded by Jeremy Cai in 2018. Italic's business model is to remove middlemen between consumers and manufacturers. And to pass all the savings to consumers. The brand does not make money on products sold. Instead, their customers pay an annual membership, currently $120. And get their goods at the cost of manufacture and delivery. Customers are happy. So are the manufacturers who get extra yield on existing production capacity. For example, Italic's leather jacket is from the same factory as Alexander Wang, J Brand & Frame. Priced at $250, compared to $995 at Vince. Italic's luggage comes from the same production line as Lanvin, Raden & Samsonite. Priced at $100, compared to $875 at Tumi. The list may go on and on - Italic has hundreds of items in its online store. Jeremy managed to create a membership model that is in essence a software product with a 100% margin. Such margin affords Italic to be break-even or even take some loss on product purchases. Brilliant. The ultimate goal is to create a next-gen everything store, much like Amazon or Costco. And that's not a mere dream - the estimated value of the startup is already up to $500M. 🌐 Italic website 💼 Company's Crunchbase profile

Simplify immigration for the next billion Americans I adore startups with niche solutions and clear value propositions. Ellis, founded by immigrants for immigrants, helps international students move to America. One of America's competitive advantages has always been its betting on immigration. Yet, many immigrants describe their experience in moving to the US as agony. They struggle to get a prepaid phone plan. They have little to no guidance on how to set up a bank account without a social security number. Or apply for a social security card. Learning the nuances of tax treatment and doing the immigration documents become a quest. If you win, congrats, you will not be deported. Still, you've got long hours of stress guaranteed. Ellis offers a range of products for international students to adjust to a new life as an immigrant. US bank account, visa card, mobile phone plan - those the students may set up months before their relocation to the US. Ellis will only ask simple questions and request basic documents. Then the Ellis app will use the same info to automate applying for social security card. And for non-resident tax filings, work authorization, and visa extension. All done in the same app with a few clicks. Ellis has got investor attention with $5.6 million funding in the seed round. Besides institutional capital, the company received money from many successful startup founders. Many of them started their journey with a US visa. 🌐 Ellis website (they are hiring) #startups #apps

Computer chillout Since 2010, internet users worldwide have doubled, and global internet traffic has grown 15-fold. Moreover, the traffic growth is exponential. For example, it surged by 40% in 2020 with the rise of gaming, zooming, and social networking. Data centers, the foundation for Internet and computing, are a hot issue: cooling them is estimated to consume 10% of the world's electricity by 2025. That's where a Spanish startup Submer has a painkiller. Instead of traditional air cooling, Submer's tech uses electrically non-conductive, biodegradable liquid. Server units are submerged in the liquid, absorbing their heat and dissipating it through a heat exchanger for future use. That is called immersion cooling. Compared to air cooling, the Submer's immersion cooling efficiency is through the roof. It requires 50% less energy, 99% less water, and 85% less space. In addition, that method results in 50% less cost to construct a data center, 30% longer hardware lifespan, and 60% lower hardware failure rate. It is no surprise that Submer has already got a Spanish telecom giant Telefonica as a client. And that it has received a $34 million investment in January to expand into North America and APAC. Great problem has a great solution. 🌐 Submer website #startups

☀️ Here is the #weeksummary: 1️⃣ Solar cleaning - autonomous robots that clean solar panels without water 2️⃣ Free tech webinars - from Careerist education platfrom 3️⃣ AI for the better images - Dallas software developer with a range of products enhancing the quality of photos and videos using deep learning Tech for Good

AI for the better images Have you ever wanted to make a wall poster from a photo taken by phone? You probably know that enlarging such an image leads to not very good results. The bigger photo looks blurry, with a lot of noise, and often is not worth printing out. Topaz Labs is a software development startup from Dallas that deals with imaging technology. They have a range of products enhancing the quality of photos and videos using deep learning. For example, they've trained Gigapixel AI on millions of images. It can now increase the resolution of portraits, wildlife, landscapes, and other subjects by accurately filling in missing pixels. The results are not bad - you can see linked below. The other Topaz products deal with image noise, motion blur, and missed focus. They can work as a separate app or as a Photoshop extension. There is also an app for video quality enhancement - here is the before-after video example. The prices start from 60 bucks for DeNoise AI. The three image quality apps bundle costs $200, the same as an app for working with video. Such a price tag will work well for professionals working with images and video. Casual users may find it a little bit overpriced. Who knows, though. If your iPhone photo deserves to be printed in a size of a good kitchen table, how much could it cost? 📷 Image enhancement examples 🌐 Topaz Labs website #AI #apps #software #startups

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