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81% of VC firms don’t have a single black investor — BLCK VC plans on changing that

Venture capital has a diversity problem . BLCK VC , a new organization founded by Storm Ventures associate Frederik Groce and NEA associate Sydney Sykes to connect, engage and advance black venture capitalists, is ready for a new era in the industry. Their mission: Turn 200 black investors into 400 black investors by 2024. “We think of ourselves as an organization formed by black VCs for blacks VCs to increase the representation of black investors,” Sykes told TechCrunch. “You can look around and say well ‘I know five black VCs,’ but you can also say this firm does not have a single black VC, they may not even have a single underrepresented minority … We want to make firms reckon with the fact that there is a racial diversity problem; there is a lack of black VCs and every firm should really care about it.” BLCK VC has been at work since the beginning of 2018, building and expanding a network of black investors in the San Francisco area, Los Angeles and New York. They seek to provide a...
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Here are the startups and the agenda for the TC’s first Startup Battlefield Latin America

In just a half hour, we’ll be starting Startup Battlefield LATAM in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Along with interviews with Nubank, Movile, Yellow, and a keynote from Facebook (TC’s partner for the event through FB Start), 15 startups from all across Latin America will be pitching their innovative companies on the TechCrunch stag for the first time.


We will be posting videos of the pitches, panels, and the competition winner on TechCrunch later today, so if you can’t be here in person check back.


In partnership with FB Start, this is the first year that TechCrunch is hosting Startup Battlefield in Latin America. TechCrunch reviewed hundreds upon hundreds of startups from all across the region, finally selecting 15 of the companies most promising startups to compete for Startup Battlefield. Startups are competing for a $25,000 prize (equity free), plus a trip for 2 to TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019 and the coveted, objectively correct title of “Latin America’s Favorite Startup.”


Founders have received extensive coaching from the TC team and are ready to launch on this prestigious international stage. For each round, teams will pitch for six minutes, including a live demo, followed by an intense six minute Q&A with the judges – elite VCs and product experts. After judge deliberations, five companies will move on to the final round of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield – the same pitch but a more rigorous Q&A.


Who are the 15 top companies? From rapid diagnostic TB tests and cattle weight management artificial intelligence, to finance banking solutions, management systems and point of sale solutions, this batch of companies impacts the lives of millions globally. Companies also include, at-work medical service innovations, music management platforms for brands, blockchain based prescription management, and even innovations in keyless entry for short term rentals and office spaces. Founders in the agricultural tech industry are poised to revolutionize how we grow food.


From innovations in utility tracking and management, farm management platforms, to women focused direct sales optimization platforms, Startup Battlefield LATAM is poised to showcase the regions top innovations. Stay tuned for videos on TechCrunch.com after the event.


Session 1: 9:35am – 10:40am


Cuidas, Nube, Beluga Pay, SimpliRoute, Unima


Session 2: 11:40am – 12:40pm


Elenas, Finerio, Space AG, Agilis, Olho do Dono


Session 3: 1:40pm – 2:40pm


LoopKey, 1Doc3, Brandtrack, RxChain by Prescrypto, Cuenca


Finals: 4:00pm


_________________________________________________


9:30 am – 9:35 am: Welcome Remarks by Jordan Crook (TechCrunch)


9:35 am – 10:40 am: Startup Battlefield Session 1


TechCrunch’s iconic startup competition is here and for the first time in LATAM, as entrepreneurs from around the region pitch expert judges and vie for US$25,000 no-equity cash prize and a trip for two to compete in the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2019.


10:40 am – 11:05 am: A China Twist to Brazil’s Mobility Revolution with Ariel Lambrecht (Yellow), Eduardo Musa (Yellow), Tony Qiu (Didi Chuxing), Hans Tung (GGV Capital)


With Didi Chuxing’s acquisition of car-sharing service 99 and GGV’s investment in scooter / bike mobility startup Yellow, what lessons from China’s mobility revolution will unfold in Brazil?


11:05 am – 11:20 am: Break


11:20 am – 11:40 am: Keynote by Konstantinos Papamiltiadis (Facebook)


Facebook’s Director of Platform Partnerships discusses the Facebook developer ecosystem. Sponsored by Facebook.


11:40 am – 12:40 pm: Startup Battlefield Session 2


TechCrunch’s iconic startup competition is here and for the first time in LATAM, as entrepreneurs from around the region pitch expert judges and vie for US$25,000 no-equity cash prize and a trip for two to compete in the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2019.


12:40 pm – 1:40 pm: Break


1:40 pm – 2:40 pm: Startup Battlefield Session 3


TechCrunch’s iconic startup competition is here and for the first time in LATAM, as entrepreneurs from around the region pitch expert judges and vie for US$25,000 no-equity cash prize and a trip for two to compete in the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2019.


2:40 pm – 3:00: Fireside Chat with Cristina Junqueira (Nubank) and David Velez (Nubank)


With $180 million in fresh capital and a $4 billion valuation, where will Nubank go from here


3:00 pm – 3:20 pm: Keynote by Rodrigo Schmidt (Instagram)


The director of engineering at Instagram discusses the rapid growth and development of the popular photo-sharing app. Sponsored by Facebook.


3:20 pm – 3:45 pm: Venture Investing In Latin America Today Eric Acher (Monashees),Veronica Allende Serra (Innova Capital ), Hernan Kazah (Kaszek), Fernando Lelo de Larrea (ALLVP)


The pace and scale of venture investing in Latin America is accelerating fast. How will the ecosystem adapt?


3:45 pm – 4:00 pm: Break


4:00 pm – 5:15 pm: Startup Battlefield Final


The final round. One of these five finalists will be the winner of Startup Battlefield winning US$25,000 no-equity cash prize and a trip for two to compete in the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2019.


5:15 pm – 5:35 pm: 20 Years Ahead of the Curve with Fabricio Bloisi (Movile)


Movile started with SMS and ringtones in 1998 and evolved into a powerful conglomerate of digital businesses on mobile platforms. Founder Fabricio Bloisi discusses the journey and what’s next.


5:35 pm – 6:00 pm: New Wave Latin Founders with David Arana (Konfio), Juan Pablo Bruzzo (Moni), Ana McLaren (Enjoie), Sebastian Mejia (Rappi)


The latest generation of tech founders in Latin America may be more disruptive than their predecessors but also face rapidly rising expectations at home and abroad.


6:00 pm – 6:15 pm: Startup Battlefield Closing Awards Ceremony

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