Los Angeles-based ProducePay has inked a $190 million debt facility from CoVenture and TCM Capital to expand its lending business and marketplace for farmers.

ProducePay offers farmers cash advances throughout the growing season to smooth the sometimes lumpy revenues and give farmers a bit more predictability, the company said.

Since its launch in 2015, the company has seen $1.5 billion worth of produce flow across its marketplace; $750 million of those transactions were in the last year.

The marketplace service, which only launched in October, has already seen $100 million in purchases.

“This new debt facility will accelerate ProducePay’s impact, empowering more farmers and distributors to run their businesses more profitably, making high quality and affordable fresh produce available throughout the U.S.” | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576002607.1600275/ProducePay-nabs-$190-million-debt-financing-to-lend-to-farmers-–-TechCrunch?ref=audio_experience

In fact, you can probably get a service that’s far superior.

In short, talking to a managed service provider isn’t just going to save you money – it’s going to buy you an outstanding team that’s at the cutting edge of their field.

We’re talking now about a world-class IT team that’s going to cost you significantly less than building your own.

In reality though, this isn’t going to be a problem – since this is a team that’s going to be bringing best practice to you.

We started this article with the tantalizing prospect that by cutting your IT costs, you might actually save your startup – and it’s a sentiment we stand by. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576000815.0114274/Could-Cutting-IT-Costs-Save-Your-Startup??ref=audio_experience

The endeavour will be in the hands of Mexico’s Secretary of Communication and Transport, through its Federal Civil Aviation Agency.

Under this norm, drones can be used for private non-commercial, recreational, or commercial purposes.

If the drone isn’t for recreational use, then it must have a civil liability insurance policy to cover damages.

Drones for private, non-commercial or commercial purposes can be flown beyond a user’s line of vision.

“State of the art” drone legislation in Latin AmericaDrones have an immeasurable amount of uses. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575999008.3993566/The-411-on-Mexico's-inbound-drone-regulation?ref=audio_experience

North has ended the production and sale of the first generation of its Focals smart glasses, announcing on Tuesday Focals 2.0.

The second-generation smart glasses are set to begin shipping in 2020.

Waterloo-based North called the new Focals “the most significant product introduction to date in the [smart glasses] category.”“The first generation of Focals marked the evolution of traditional glasses to smart glasses, with a considered design representing the first true everyday smart glasses available on the market,” said Stephen Lake, CEO and co-founder of North.

“Focals 2.0 are at a completely different level, as the most advanced smart glasses ever made.

BetaKit first reported in September 2018 that North was set to launch the smart glasses in October of that year. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575997209.024356/North-ends-production-of-Focals,-set-to-launch-second-generation-smart-glasses-in-2020?ref=audio_experience

Portuguese startup HypeLabs announced today a €2.7 million seed round led by innogy Innovation Hub.

It will use the new funding to strengthen its team, support international growth and further its mission of providing internet-free connectivity for everyone.

The software works by intelligently connecting devices in local mesh networks using existing connectivity technologies, such as Bluetooth, WiFi, LoRa and others.

“What makes HypeLabs special is that they don’t rely on specific hardware or specific radio channels to manage the network.

“In a world where we see more connected and smarter devices in our daily lives, new connectivity paradigms need to emerge. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575995412.4597943/Porto-based-HypeLabs-raises-€2.7-million-to-provide-internet-free-connectivity-for-all?ref=audio_experience

Learn how event marketing technology can help you measure event success, boost your bottom line, and more.

“That way, we know we’re on the right path with our breakout sessions,” Summers says.

They bring some of their global marketing people to help with live tweeting, and live feeds.

After the event, all those conversations that were captured on site are fed back into Salesforce, including the data they’ve tracked with customer ratings.

You’ll learn how to:Pitch events as an important part of a holistic marketing strategy to leadershipRun an integrated event marketing program and optimize it for successCapture the data that uncovers attendee behavior at eventsSpeakers: | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575993616.7855463/The-ROI-of-event-technology-has-execs-sitting-up-and-paying-attention-(VB-Live)?ref=audio_experience

VeriShip, a Kansas City, MO-based SaaS shipping expense optimization platform, acquired Valence, a software and managed service company that tracks Amazon’s operational errors for sellers in its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program.

The acquisition enables VeriShip to offer managed services and insights for small to mid-sized businesses shipping across the world’s largest parcel shipping and fulfillment networks – Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), DHL (OTCMKTS:DPSGY), FedEx (NYSE:FDX), and UPS (NYSE:UPS).

VeriShip provides a SaaS-based spend management and payments platform that tracks, audits and analyzes shipping invoice data to support small and mid-sized businesses shipping with the four largest U.S. carriers.

Its platform gives SMBs control of their shipping data with a single source of cloud-based visibility into parcel spend.

Since 2006, the company has served nearly 6,000 businesses to optimize shipping on nearly $2 billion in parcel spend. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575991840.7029028/VeriShip-Acquires-Valence?ref=audio_experience

Flipkart owned online payment company Phonepe has raised INR 585.66 Cr ($80.26 Mn) from its Singapore-based parent entity PhonePe Pvt Ltd, formerly known as Flipkart Payments.

According to the Ministry of Corporates filings accessed by Inc42, Phonepe has allotted 13,81,278 shares to its Singapore-based parent company at a premium of INR 4,230 per share.

Previous to this infusion, Phonepe’s parent company had infused INR 698 Cr in the digital payments company.

Related Article: Flipkart Approves Separation Plan For Payments Unit PhonePeMoreover, Phonepe had also received INR 743.5 Cr in April this year.

For this, the company has already identified the offline industry as a major pillar to enhance its growth as a super app. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575990017.5927258/Phonepe-Receives-INR-585.66-Cr,-Will-Continue-Its-Super-App-Plans?ref=audio_experience

While starting a new business always involves tackling many new challenges, I’ve personally found myself reluctant to ask for help.

Thus, in my consulting with entrepreneurs, I always encourage them to get more comfortable asking for help.

Of course, there are good ways and bad ways to ask for help.

Sometimes asking peers in a different business can actually improve your chances of getting some real help.

Some of the best business leaders have found that collaboratively working on a problem with your peers yields the best solutions. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575988226.8591483/How-Smart-Entrepreneurs-Don’t-Hesitate-To-Seek-Help?ref=audio_experience

In 2010, 500 Startups started as a new kind of venture capital firm in Silicon Valley with a contrarian belief that talent can come from anywhere in the world.

500’s thematic funds are seed/Series A funds that focus on a particular region or theme.

So how do 500’s thematic funds really work?

TOTAL COMMITTED CAPITAL IS APPROXIMATED AS OF JUNE 30, 2019 BASED ON INTERNAL DATA ACROSS THE ENTIRE FAMILY OF 500 STARTUPS FUNDS AND HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANYTHING HEREIN BE CONSTRUED AS FUND MARKETING MATERIALS BY PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT INTO ANY 500 STARTUPS INVESTMENT FUND. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1575986409.955572/500’s-Past-&-Present:-Betting-on-International-Startups?ref=audio_experience