New funding: Seattle-based Shield Compliance raised $5 million in Series A funding to build out its platform that helps pot companies and banks get along.

Company background: Shield’s software lets banks and credit unions manage risk and comply with the ever-changing regulatory environment around marijuana.

Total funding to date is $11.3 million at a valuation of $20 million, according to the company.

Market opportunity: An estimated 70 percent of cannabis companies lack access to banks due to regulatory uncertainty.

Congressional lawmakers are hoping the move the needle on this problem with the SAFE Banking Act, but companies like Shield can help banks navigate that uncertainty in the meantime. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574271005.0339491/Shield-Compliance-nabs-$5M-for-cannabis-banking-platform?ref=audio_experience

Superpedestrian, a Boston, MA-based transportation robotics company spun out of MIT, raised $20m in financing.

The company intends to use the funds for the rollout of its ultra-safe scooter fleet, now in mass production.

Led by Assaf Biderman, Founder and CEO, Superpedestrian is a transportation robotics company developing technologies for micro-electric vehicles that optimize safety, reliability and performance.

The company’s Vehicle Intelligence platform enables vehicles to autonomously detect and prevent issues that may cause malfunction.

It also designs and manufactures complete vehicles integrated with Vehicle Intelligence, including e-bikes, e-scooters, and more. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574269209.379533/Superpedestrian-Closes-$20M-in-Funding?ref=audio_experience

But Thea Messel, founder of new Nordic microfund Unconventional Ventures, which backs underrepresented founders, didn’t find it so hard.

“They want to do something good with their money.”AdvertismentMessel’s first backer was Arlan Hamilton, founder of US venture fund Backstage Capital, which has invested in over 120 companies led by underrepresented founders.

Other prominent backers of Unconventional Ventures include Johan Brand, founder of learning platform Kahoot!

Unconventional Ventures is also partnering with Lego Ventures to provide its portfolio with non-financial support.

To date, Unconventional Ventures has invested in eight startups led by underrepresented founders (defined as women, LGBTQ people, people of colour and immigrants). | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574267407.781142/Unconventional-Ventures-launches-new-Nordic-micro-fund?ref=audio_experience

If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one.

Trying to market your business without having an ideal customer profile is going to drive you crazy.

Continue reading this article and we will talk to you about best practices for creating your ideal client profile.

You might think that you’re marketing to people that make a certain amount of money, have a certain lifestyle, etc.

Get Your Ideal Customer Profile in Place & Rock Your MarketingNow that you know these tips for how to create an ideal customer profile, why not read some of our other articles? | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574265605.54402/Targeted-Marketing:-Tips-For-Creating-Your-Ideal-Customer-Profile?ref=audio_experience

As experienced by Imaging Spectrum, starting a t-shirt business is an attractive choice for beginners and veteran entrepreneurs.

Create a Business PlanWhile printing and selling tees may sound like a fairly easy endeavor, every t-shirt printing business needs a plan.

Your business plan should include a detailed outline of your target customer/marketplace, your product, your short-term and long-term sales goals, and your financial projects.

This name will stick with your company for years to come and should be able to grow with your t-shirt business.

Protect Your T-Shirt BusinessWhat would you do if you struck gold and your t-shirt business was an overnight success? | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574263806.3435543/The-Startup-Magazine-How-Start-Your-Own-T-Shirt-Printing-Business?ref=audio_experience

If your small business or sole proprietorship feels like it is being dwarfed by big competitors, take heart.

Have faith that you will grow, and in the meantime take some steps to make your small business seem bigger.

Constant AvailabilityYou want to give the impression that you have staff, even if you don’t.

Using just your first name makes the company seem small, as if you don’t expect to ever have two employees named Ryan.

Let potential clients know your business means business. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574262005.666982/How-Your-Small-Business-Can-Make-a-Big-Impression?ref=audio_experience

The WhatsApp Pegasus spyware scandal seems to be never-ending as it is taking newer turns every day.

The social media giant has now claimed that on September 5, 2019, it had informed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) about the privacy of around 121 WhatsApp users carried out by the Pegasus spyware.

Related Article: WhatsApp Says Govt Was Told About Pegasus In September TooMoreover, WhatsApp earlier had alleged that the Indian government or one of its bodies might have used the Israeli spyware to snoop on Indian users.

Subsequently, on May 20, 2019, WhatsApp reported an incident to the CERT-In stating that WhatsApp had identified and promptly fixed a vulnerability that could enable an attacker to insert and execute code on mobile devices.

Further on September 5, 2019, WhatsApp wrote to CERT-In mentioning an update to the security incident reported in May 2019. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574260204.514813/WhatsApp-Told-Govt-About-Pegasus-Back-In-September:-IT-Ministry?ref=audio_experience

CloudFactory, a Reading, England, UK-based provider of managed workforce solutions for artificial intelligence (AI), secured $65m in growth equity funding.

The round was led by FTV Capital with participation from Weatherford Capital.

As part of the transaction, FTV Capital partner Alex Mason and principal Abhay Puskoor and Weatherford Capital partner Sam Weatherford will join the CloudFactory board of directors.

Its managed teams can process data using virtually any tool.

Used by 130+ companies, the company annotates data for 11 of the world’s top autonomous vehicle companies and process millions of tasks a day for innovators including Microsoft, Drive.ai, Ibotta and nuTonomy. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574258408.1818295/CloudFactory-Raises-$65M-in-Growth-Equity-Funding?ref=audio_experience

Expanding on the need for moats, Dr. Sethi explained how to build value for the short- and long-term growth aspects of a startup.

Like any other startup, Vedantu too had to continuously experiment and iterate in the first few years,” Dr. Sethi added.

Vedantu’s journey captures three types of active moats or boosters that can be leveraged by any startup, ” Dr. Sethi noted.

According to Dr. Sethi, a startup can build active moats (or boosters) by looking at the frequency and importance of various activities.

Dr. Sethi signed off by highlighting that the network effects are another form of active moats. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574256604.8943508/TechSparks-2019:-Dr.-Ajay-Sethi-of-Accel-Partners-explains-why-a-startup-needs-to-build-moats-around-the-castle?ref=audio_experience

Customer Insights Drive Actionable InsightsData analysis is critical, but so too is the action plan as a result of it.

There are many powerful marketing software systems geared towards generating actionable insights.

Many marketers are enamored with the concept of ‘actionable insights’ gathered through customer experience insights.

All actionable insights have clarity, specificity, context, novelty, relevance, and alignment with organizational goals.

actionable insights. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1574254814.1928077/How-Marketing-Professionals-Are-Generating-Greater-Actionable-Insights?ref=audio_experience