Dubai Government Seeks Blockchain Projects for Startup Fund

A technology initiative backed by the Dubai government has launched a $275m startup investment fund (1bn AED) organizers say will likely back blockchain projects.

Announced last week, the Dubai Future Foundation officially opened the Dubai Future Accelerators initiative, a 12-week startup program based in the United Arab Emirates that will seek to encourage innovation in "strategically important" sectors.

A partnership with global investment firm Dubai Holding, the effort is centered around promoting the development of business ideas around six "challenges" in areas like transportation, law, education and public utilities.

The program is now accepting applications from companies seeking to prove a product-market fit for their ideas. Approved applicants, in turn, will spend three months developing pilot projects that are then eligible for additional funding.

Organizers said initial applications include efforts centered on smart meters, smart cities and business process improvements using blockchain.

The move is the latest that finds the Dubai Future Foundation promoting blockchain development. The agency has been among the more active government agencies globally to begin examining blockchain technology, most notably through the Global Blockchain Council (GBC) overseen by its Museum of the Future project.

Earlier this summer, the GBC unveiled seven pilot projects built by prominent area businesses and startups.

Disclaimer: - Following article come from CoinDesk

Fortune Just Launched a Startup Edition of Its Tech Newsletter.

Today’s startups could be tomorrow’s Fortune 500 stars.

Happy Tuesday, dear readers. No, you’re not hallucinating—this is an extra edition of Data Sheet.

Starting today, we’ll be publishing a Tuesday edition. In keeping with our weekend tradition, it will have a theme: startups.

Yes, startups—those fledgling companies building or using technology to create new products, services, or even categories. Startups continue to fascinate us with their ability to turn an idea into an industry. Startups can mint millionaires overnight and topple incumbents just as quickly. They can captivate an entire generation with a simple social app.

Fortune has traditionally focused on covering the world’s largest companies because of their outsized impact on industry. But readers of this newsletter know that today’s startups are tomorrow’s Fortune 500 companies.

Throughout the week we’ll continue to bring you the latest news about Apple, Google, and the rest of the mega caps—not to mention the mega unicorns. But on Tuesdays, we will use this newsletter to showcase genuine up-and-comers whose products could be the next big thing.

After all, even Apple (No. 3 on the Fortune 500) was once just a few guys tinkering with computers in a garage.

We hope you like this new Startup Tuesday edition of Data Sheet.

Disclaimer: - Following article come from FORTUNE

Steve Cohen, Now A Venture Capitalist, Invests In Trading Start-up.

A venture capital fund seeded by Steve Cohen and his employees at Point72 Asset Management is putting up to $250 million into a new fund managed by the start-up Quantopian.

The start-up is a trading platform that uses crowdsourcing to create new algorithms for investing capital.

The deal, which involves a $2 million investment in the start-up, as well as a promise to trade up to a $250 million of Cohen's Point 72's company assets using its algorithms, is the first major public deal struck by Point72 Ventures.

Point72 Ventures is the private-company investing arm launched by Cohen and members of his team in May.

The company — which is separate from Cohen's personal venture capital company, Cohen Private Ventures — focuses on finding new technologies that cater to the financial-services industry.

"There's a tremendous amount of information in the world right now, and if you're a portfolio manager sitting there every day, trying to process all that, that is a huge challenge," said Matthew Granade, Point 72's head of market intelligence and one of the architects of the Quantopian investment.

"So we're really interested in people that are helping you crunch down the information, synthesize it better, help make you more efficient in absorbing it."

Granade, who is also a board member at Quantopian, told CNBC on Tuesday that Point72 traders would begin using the start-up's trading algorithms in the coming months, as soon as both firms could get the technological "piping set up."

Quantopian already has a roster of prominent early investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Khosla Partners, and Spark Capital. Founded about five years ago, it has attracted more than 85,000 members, a developer base that includes nuclear-lab researchers, data-company workers, and even some precocious teenagers.

The designers of algorithms who use its platform, referred to by Quantopian as "authors," receive royalties from the use of their models if they're successful at generating returns. But the fact that a money manager the likes of Cohen is putting money into the platform is regarded by Quantopian officials as a key new vote of support.

"Even just the beginning of the conversation was incredibly validating to us," Quantopian John Fawcett said in an interview Tuesday, "that we were on to something and focusing on a problem in the industry."

The problem, as he described it? "Finding talent."

Disclaimer: - Following article come from CNBC

Try Not To Fail, Come To Success!

Jeffrey Seller is Broadway royalty.

He's the producer of "Hamilton," the runaway smash hit musical about the founding of America that is expected to generate over a billion dollars in revenue.

In addition to "Hamilton," Seller is the producer of "Avenue Q," "In The Heights" and "Rent." All four shows have won Tony Awards for best musicals.

Despite his intimidating track record of success, he is not infallible.

In a podcast with Kara Swisher, executive editor of tech site Recode, Seller said that for each of his big successes he's had equally bad failures.

"I fail all the time," said Seller. "And I have to be willing to fail in order to succeed."

Indeed You Are Not Infallible, Together We Succeed

As the producer of "Hamilton," Seller is responsible for the business end of the equation. He needs to organize sales, marketing, salaries, etc. Every show he runs is like a start-up: He has investors that he needs to pay back.

So what's gone wrong when Seller failed? What mistakes did he make as an entrepreneur?

"I didn't follow my heart," Seller said of his mistakes.

He cited the musical "High Fidelity," which ran on Broadway for only a few days. "My heart said, 'This isn't working,' but my head said, 'Keep going.'" He said he didn't like the movie the play was based on, but he believed in the artists so much he charged ahead anyway.

The lesson: "Every time I don't follow my heart, that's when I am bound to get in trouble."

Disclaimer: - Following article come from CNBC

Success Is Not A Matter Of Luck — It’s An Algorithm

How does someone like Jack Dorsey go from a 14-year-old computer science nerd to serial entrepreneur, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter and Square? How does 3M consistently innovate, developing simple but iconic products like post-it notes? It's not a matter of luck. It's an algorithm.

So what exactly is ENGAGE?

ENGAGE is a six-step process for discovering what drives you and using it to succeed in your career. Many people's careers stall because they see strategic, high-level thinking, like knowing what their purpose is or what values drive them, as a "soft skill." They don't prioritize it. But that kind of thinking is exactly what enables entrepreneurs to launch successful startups, executives to get promoted and politicians to be elected. You can progress in your career without following this model, sure. But you'll eventually plateau.

If you want to be not just good, but the best, ENGAGE is for you.

E: Explore your meaning
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't — you're right. — Henry Ford

What's the first step explore your meaning? Identify your top three core values, then define steps you can do each week to embody that value. You value creativity? Set 15 minutes aside to doodle. You love adventure? Visit one new place every week.

N: Narrow your goals
Life is short, fragile and does not wait for anyone. There will NEVER be a perfect time to pursue your goals.

What's the first step to narrow your goals? Even more important than identifying your smart goals and writing them down is knowing the things that you will NOT do. Learn to say no. One key to achieving your goals is being selective with your time so that the bulk of your energy goes to what counts.

G: Generate a plan
A goal without a plan is just a wish. — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

What's the first step to generate a plan? Business executives spend 90 percent of their time in meetings and answering emails. Set aside time to center your efforts on the people who matter. Find the one person who can help you accomplish a goal and create a plan on how to reach out to them.

A: Anticipate roadblocks
Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. — Mike Tyson

How do you start anticipating roadblocks? Break down your goals into steps. Want a promotion? Then you need to 1) complete an important project and 2) bring in new clients. Go over what can go wrong in the process: missed deadlines, only finding one new client, etc. Now remember that even if that happens, it's not the end of the world.

G: Gain persistence
If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done. — Thomas Jefferson 

How do you gain persistence? When you feel like giving up, switch things up instead. Do something totally out of your wheelhouse — it doesn't even have to align with your goal. Are you struggling to get recognized at work? Learn how to cook a new recipe, change the route you take on your commute, try a new sport, or simply spend your lunch break with someone you haven't met before.

E: Elevate yourself
To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart. — Eleanor Roosevelt 

How do you start elevating yourself? Start by acknowledging one person who helped you get where you are or who positively shaped your life. Showing respect inspires others and builds influence.


E.N.G.A.G.E. will help you design experiences that promote "successful thinking". However, the formula doesn't work unless you do. Your potential is there waiting to be discovered!

Disclaimer: - Following article come from CNBC

The retail entrepreneur helping over one million Brits shop the sales and get the best deals on products…

Inspiring women: Elizabetta Camilleri

Name: Elizabetta Camilleri

Co-founded: SalesGossip in June 2011 (launched November 2012)Start-up elevator pitch: Fashion marketplace bringing together discounts and deals from UK retailersIndustry: E-commerce

Why is she impressive?

If you love shopping the sales but hate having to trawl various sites to find the best deals then Elizabetta Camilleri is your new bff. She has co-created SalesGossip; the burgeoning site that lets consumers get first-look access to all the best fashion and beauty product sales from the likes of ASOS, Ted Baker, Debenhams, NET-A-PORTER and many other major industry names. The site works by collating promotions from across the UK in real time. Since launching the business in November 2012, the start-up has secured over one million registered members and around £1m from investors such as high-profile Dale Murray, and Andrew Graham of Mr & Mrs Smith. Not only that, but Camilleri has managed to combine four different revenue models in her start-up strategy including data mining, online advertising, custom marketing campaigns and affiliate store commissions.

The retail entrepreneur helping over one million Brits shop the sales and get the best deals on products…

Inspiring women: Elizabetta Camilleri

Name: Elizabetta Camilleri

Co-founded: SalesGossip in June 2011 (launched November 2012)Start-up elevator pitch: Fashion marketplace bringing together discounts and deals from UK retailersIndustry: E-commerce

Why is she impressive?

If you love shopping the sales but hate having to trawl various sites to find the best deals then Elizabetta Camilleri is your new bff. She has co-created SalesGossip; the burgeoning site that lets consumers get first-look access to all the best fashion and beauty product sales from the likes of ASOS, Ted Baker, Debenhams, NET-A-PORTER and many other major industry names. The site works by collating promotions from across the UK in real time. Since launching the business in November 2012, the start-up has secured over one million registered members and around £1m from investors such as high-profile Dale Murray, and Andrew Graham of Mr & Mrs Smith. Not only that, but Camilleri has managed to combine four different revenue models in her start-up strategy including data mining, online advertising, custom marketing campaigns and affiliate store commissions.