We work hard to make tickets as inexpensive as possible for an event of this scale and type.

And even now you can use this special code to come for $400 off.

Realistically, any CEO or VP at a post-revenue start-up can afford to come to Annual.

So 500 (previously 250) of the top Rising Stars come to Annual — on us.

You’ll probably get to meet a unicorn speaker or two, get to know the SaaStr team, and learn how it all works. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576992753.5543141/3-Ways-to-Come-to-2020-SaaStr-Annual-—-For-Free!?ref=audio_experience

In this article we will discuss how cultural diversity can be created in the workforce and how it can help increase the overall productivity of the organisation.

Cultural diversity refers to the presence of people from different backgrounds of race, religion and locations within society.

The presence and involvement of people from different cultural backgrounds give an organisation a lot of benefits and opportunities to increase their productivity.

Cultural diversity can be directly correlated with innovation as with increased creativity, innovation can be enhanced which in turn will increase the overall productivity of the company.

As discussed here, diversity training facilitates positive interaction among employees having different cultural background. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576990806.3263528/Cultural-Diversity-At-The-Workplace-To-Increase-Productivity?ref=audio_experience

What has $12 trillion in market opportunities?

According to The Responsible Business Summit New York 2020, the coming decade will be the time to enter this industry in a big way.

So, if you are a small business in this segment or looking for new opportunities, take a look at this event.

Register NowEvents, Contests and AwardsMore ContestsThis weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends.

You can see a full list of events, contest and award listings or post your own events by visiting the Small Business Events Calendar. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576989170.9625044/Will-the-Environmental-Industry-Provide-a-Natural-Fit-for-your-Business??ref=audio_experience

By Alejandro CremadesBillion-dollar startup exits are cool.

Yet, are they really as great for startup entrepreneurs as they are for startup investors such as VCs?

Why VCs need billion-dollar exitsVC firms don’t just crave billion-dollar exits, they need them.

Other Articles From AllBusiness.com:The bottom line is VCs need really big wins, because those wins are very few and far between.

Why founders don’t need billion-dollar exitsI’ve interviewed several founders with billion-dollar exits, and some founders have had even more than one exit. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576987348.7923207/Why-Startup-Investors-Need-Billion-Dollar-Exits-and-Entrepreneurs-Don’t?ref=audio_experience

Valocity Global from New Zealand bagged the prestigious Fintech Startup of the Year trophy at India FinTech Awards (IFTA) presented by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and organised by India FinTech Forum.

The event's agenda consisted of innovative startup demos, panel discussions, fireside chats and keynote speakers.

Valocity Global from New Zealand won the prestigious Fintech Startup of the Year trophy.

The Keynote Address was given by Ms. Suniti Nanda, Fintech Officer, Mumbai Fintech Hub and she spoke about Initiatives of Mumbai Fintech Hub.

A lot of great conversations happened during India FinTech Awards that brought together different perspectives on all the latest developments in fintech.”About India FinTech ForumThe India FinTech Forum is a non-profit initiative that offers a platform for fintech companies to collaborate and voice their opinions on the relevant policy issues. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576985545.5893261/Valocity-Global-from-New-Zealand-bags-the-prestigious-Fintech-Startup-of-the-Year-trophy?ref=audio_experience

Kaleidofin Private Limited, India’s first neobank for the informal sector customer, today announced "it closed an INR 360 million Series A round led by Oikocredit, an impact investor with four decades of experience in financial inclusion".

Founded in 2017 by Sucharita Mukherjee and Puneet Gupta, Kaleidofin provides curated, goal-based financial solutions to customers in the underbanked segments using proven financial planning and wealth management principles.

It creates individual “personas” of households through multiple sources of information, such as the demographic profile, income sources, asset ownership, among others, to tailor specific financial solutions for its customers.

“India is witnessing a transformational change in the way financial services are available and accessed, especially in the underbanked sector.

Omidyar Network India is part of The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of companies, organizations and initiatives, supported by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576983745.4897153/Oikocredit-leads-INR-360-million-Series-A-funding-of-Kaleidofin?ref=audio_experience

The year 2019 was a mixed bag for India’s ecommerce industry, beginning with new government regulations that aimed to streamline the sector.

It also had to weather a slowdown, but the direction remained strong as ecommerce made inroads into the hinterlands of the country.

Despite the lack of clarity on policies and the economic downturn, the Indian ecommerce industry revealed its robust spirit and came up trumps in a challenging year.

At YourStory’s first ‘Early Investor Summit’, Vaibhav spoke about the key trends that dominated the internet space in India in 2019.

YourStory Founder & CEO Shradha Sharma (right) in conversation with Sameer Nigam (left). | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576981818.9322717/{Weekly-Wrap}-Why-Indian-ecommerce-industry-is-resilient-amid-slowdown-blues-(and-other-top-stories-of-the-day)?ref=audio_experience

A white Christmas table settingDid you know that a popular Christmas song, Jingle Bells, is not a Christmas Carol?

What makes a song a ‘song’ and a carol a ‘carol’?

Don’t miss our interviews with carollers who spend the month of December visiting homes, singing carols and spreading some Christmas cheer.

Here are six Christmas themed movies you should be on your must-watch list this year.

Read all about the top books of 2019 in her list of the best non-fiction works of the year. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576980006.0790014/Best-of-Weekender:-Picture-perfect-homes-for-Christmas,-travelling-through-Finland,-and-the-best-books-and-movies-of-the-year?ref=audio_experience

Design and display: comfort at its bestThe Fossil Gen 5 sports a minimalistic design.

Despite being a metallic accessory, the Fossil Gen 5 doesn’t feel too heavy on the wrist.

Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch has upgraded internals, including a Snapdragon 3100 processor, GPS tracking, a heart-rate sensor, and a built-in speaker.

Battery life: strictly decentThe Fossil Gen 5’s battery life is much better than most other WearOS watches’.

Unlike other smartwatches, Fossil Gen 5 comes with its own battery modes: daily mode, extended battery mode, custom mode, and time-only mode. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576978206.8267367/Fossil-Gen-5-puts-style-over-functionality-but-makes-for-a-decent-WearOS-smartwatch?ref=audio_experience

Dharamveer Singh Chouhan started Zostel with an initial investment of $15,000, which he accumulated by winning a poker game.

In his first year at IIT, Dharamveer founded Bright Ants Gaming Studio in 2009.

“At Bright Ants, I would build social games, the likes of Farmville and Mafia Wars, focused on cricket.

However, Bright Ants was too early in the market, and there was no way to monetise the business and eventually.

Dharamveer Singh Choihan, Founder of ZostelBackpacking across EuropeDuring summers, the same year, Dharamveer cracked a four-month-long internship as a software engineer at SenoCAD Research in Karlsruhe, Germany. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576976409.5939348/[The-Turning-Point]-How-backpacking-across-Europe-led-this-entrepreneur-to-found-hospitality-startup-Zostel?ref=audio_experience