Blockchain
SafeGraph Raises $45M Series B to Become the Ultimate Destination for Physical Places Data
SafeGraph, a data-as-a-service company focused on being the source of truth for data on physical places, announced today a $45 million Series B fundraise, led by Sapphire Ventures.
This investment follows a year of incredible growth for SafeGraph. While the market for accurate geospatial data was already accelerating pre-pandemic, the unique challenges posed by COVID-19 led many organizations to rely heavily on places data. SafeGraph’s points of interest and mobility datasets proved invaluable to organizations looking to understand how local landscapes continue to change, and how this impacted behaviors such as travel, leisure and shopping. During these uncertain times, many organizations such as Ares Management, Sysco and Choice Hotels have turned to SafeGraph as a truth set for the physical world.
In response to the impact of the pandemic, SafeGraph created a community of more than 7,000 data scientists who have been collaborating on numerous geospatial projects, resulting in over 300 academic papers published featuring data from SafeGraph and coverage from data journalists at major news outlets such as USA Today, Fortune and the Washington Post. During this time, SafeGraph doubled its year-over-year revenue while improving efficiency metrics, such as revenue per employee.
Over the past year, SafeGraph saw accelerated demand for places data among its traditional customer segments, including retail and GIS technology providers. As consumer demand and behavior shifted dramatically during the pandemic, the greatest increase in demand has come from the logistics industry. “From the beginning of our data sourcing process, SafeGraph provided the most comprehensive and actionable POI dataset,” said Ben Anderson, Senior Manager of Market, Customer, and Competitive Intelligence at Sysco. “Their coverage of the top 1,000 restaurants is unmatched and invaluable.”
“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Cathy Gao and the Sapphire Ventures team,” said SafeGraph CEO Auren Hoffman. “Cathy brings a wealth of knowledge to the table that will be invaluable while navigating and discovering new markets of data buyers. And Sapphire has deep experience in investing in data businesses. Their team understands what it takes to build category-defining companies.”
With this investment, SafeGraph plans to capitalize on the expanding market of data buyers and offer new ways for customers to buy data. As the market for places data increases, customer needs become more diverse. SafeGraph plans to adapt its model to meet these new demands. Through a growing partner network, new data delivery mechanisms and international expansion, SafeGraph will enable all interested parties to access the exact data they need, wherever they need it.
Multiple investors from previous funding rounds also participated in this Series B. Those include Alex Rosen of Ridge Ventures, DNX Ventures, and Peter Thiel. Investors are attracted to SafeGraph because they believe the company is well-positioned to lead a growing industry.
“What stands out about SafeGraph is how they’ve been able to quickly position themselves into a major player in the geospatial data industry,” said Cathy Gao, Partner at Sapphire Ventures. “By singularly focusing on providing the highest-quality places data to data science teams, they’ve earned the trust of some of the largest public and private institutions. The efficient growth to-date is a strong indicator of where we think the company is going and Auren’s track record of building consequential data businesses speaks for itself.”
Today, SafeGraph offers business listing, foot traffic and building polygon data for the United States and Canada, with a United Kingdom launch planned for April of 2021. With this Series B funding, SafeGraph intends to become the source of truth for data on all physical places in the world.
Exverse, a free-to-play game bringing a fresh take on AAA first-person-shooters to Web3, announces the launch of its native $EXVG token on ByBit, a top-three crypto exchange by volume with over 20 million users. The ByBit launch will be followed by spot listings on the MEXC and Gate exchanges. Ahead of its full alpha launch in mid-May, Exverse hosted a soft-launch tournament for 5,000 early registrees on April 15 with cash rewards for top performers.
During the last bull run, Web3 games rose to prominence under the play-to-earn mechanism that made games like “Axie Infinity” so popular. As this model became widely replicated, many of these blockchain-based games prioritized the crypto elements at the expense of the actual game aspects. This trend could be seen in practice by many titles opting to undergo a token launch before even having a working demo, disincentivizing developers to build a quality game, and leaving users with no ecosystem or functioning game to play and spend or the native currency in.
With Exverse approaching its full launch, players can earn $EXVG by performing well while using the native token to enter matches, purchase premium items, and more. The $EXVG token builds on Exverse’s extensive beta and serves as the ecosystem’s currency while the game’s community witnessed a 20 percent growth in verified signups within a month. Supporting Exverse in their token launch are prominent launchpads and incubators that include Seedify, ChainGPT, and GameFi.
To build momentum for its upcoming alpha launch in mid-May, Exverse showcased its game by holding an exclusive deathmatch-style tournament for 5,000 early wait listers on April 15. The five-day tournament, which took place on the game’s ‘Battle Planet,’ gives players a chance to demonstrate their skills and win rewards via stablecoins and tokens. With $50,000 in total up for grabs, the top 100 performers earned at least $200. Top five finishers earnings were dispersed accordingly:
1st place: $4,000
2nd place: $2,000
3rd place: $1,500
4th and 5th place: $1,000
Built using Epic’s Unreal Engine 5, Exverse utilizes blockchain technology to strike a balance between enjoyable, realistic, and immersive real-time gameplay. The game prioritizes skill over pay-2-win mechanics, enabling players to earn rewards by staking tokens before a season’s kickoff. Top performers receive a share of profits from in-game NFTs such as cosmetics and skins.
To support the ecosystem’s development, expansion, and growth while rewarding the team and its early supporters, 400 million $EXVG will be minted.
“We are extremely excited about our token launch and proud to work with a great partner like ByBit to make it happen,” says Fei Ooi Hoong, CEO of Exverse. “We worked tirelessly to develop a diverse, engaging, and intuitive first-person shooter capable of revolutionizing how the public views blockchain-based gaming. Our talented team tapped into its background in traditional gaming to develop a rich and immersive gaming experience and then strategically implemented the NFT elements and in-game economics to enhance the user experience.”
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According to a report from CoinTelegraph, nearly forty percent of institutional investors in Canada have exposure to cryptocurrency, as revealed by KPMG. This finding underscores the growing acceptance and adoption of digital assets among institutional investors in the country.
The report indicates that a significant portion of institutional investors in Canada are actively investing in or exploring opportunities in the cryptocurrency market. This trend reflects a shift in sentiment towards digital assets, with more investors recognizing the potential for long-term growth and diversification offered by cryptocurrencies.
KPMG’s findings highlight the increasing mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies among traditional investors, as well as the growing interest in blockchain technology and its potential applications across various industries. As institutional investors continue to enter the cryptocurrency market, they are expected to bring additional capital and liquidity, further fueling the growth and maturation of the digital asset ecosystem.
Overall, KPMG’s report signals a significant milestone in the adoption of cryptocurrencies in Canada, indicating that institutional investors are increasingly recognizing the value proposition of digital assets and integrating them into their investment portfolios. This trend is likely to accelerate the broader adoption and mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies in the country and beyond.
Source: cointelegraph.com
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Blockchain
BounceBit (BB) Megadrop Now Open: Participate by Subscribing to BNB Locked Products or Completing Web3 Quests
The BounceBit (BB) Megadrop is now open for participation, as announced by Blockchain.News. This event presents an exciting opportunity for users to earn BB tokens by engaging in various activities, including subscribing to BNB locked products and completing Web3 quests.
Participants can join the BB Megadrop by subscribing to BNB locked products or completing Web3 quests, both of which offer different avenues for earning BB tokens. By participating in these activities, users have the chance to accumulate BB tokens and potentially benefit from the rewards associated with the Megadrop.
Subscribing to BNB locked products allows users to earn BB tokens by locking their BNB assets for a specified period. This not only provides users with an opportunity to earn rewards but also contributes to the liquidity and stability of the BounceBit ecosystem.
Additionally, completing Web3 quests offers users an alternative way to earn BB tokens by engaging in various tasks and challenges related to Web3 technology. These quests provide users with a fun and interactive way to learn about blockchain and cryptocurrency while earning rewards in the form of BB tokens.
Overall, the BB Megadrop presents an exciting opportunity for users to participate in the BounceBit ecosystem and earn rewards by engaging in activities that contribute to the growth and development of the platform. As the Megadrop progresses, participants can look forward to additional opportunities to earn BB tokens and potentially benefit from the rewards associated with this event.
Source: blockchain.news
The post BounceBit (BB) Megadrop Now Open: Participate by Subscribing to BNB Locked Products or Completing Web3 Quests appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
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