TechCrunch Summary (2023-04-30 09AM)

Source: Warm intros are awful for diversity, so why do investors keep insisting on them?

Summary
Referrals and warm intros are limiting diversity in startups and the world of venture capital. Many companies and VC funds rely on employee referrals and recommendations from within their network to attract new talent and investment opportunities. This often results in a relatively homogenous group of people with similar education, socioeconomic backgrounds, and values.

Facts

🔍 Referrals limit diversity in startups and venture capital.

👨‍💼 Companies depend on employee referrals for hiring, leading to a relatively homogenous group of people with similar backgrounds and values.

💼 Many VC funds only consider investment opportunities through warm introductions, which limits the diversity of founders and ideas they hear from.

🤝 Warm intros are great for those already hooked into the startup ecosystem, but they limit opportunities for diverse networks outside of this sphere.

👥 Relying solely on warm intros doesn’t allow for diverse talent and innovative ideas that may come from outside of a startup or VC’s immediate network.

Source: The cultivated meat industry’s known struggles will take time to sort out, and maybe that’s OK

Summary
The cultivated meat industry faces challenges related to the production cost and scalability of their products. This has led to difficulties keeping prices at a level comparable to conventionally produced meat.

Fact

🐔 UPSIDE Foods has developed a process for making cultivated chicken that has been approved by the FDA for being safe to eat.

🥩 Companies in this sector make meat from animal cells that are fed growth factors.

💰 The production cost and scalability of cultivated meat must be improved in order to achieve price parity with conventionally produced meat.

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