If you're searching for the future of transportation, look up. Transportation startup Skyryse just completed an end-to-end autonomous helicopter flight, where the pilot never had to touch the controls.
"This is a really large step toward realizing a transportation system in the sky that can one day move us away from the cars and the crumbling infrastructure that is throughout our cities," explained Mark Groden, the company's founder and CEO.
While the helicopter, called Luna, isn't to be overlooked, it isn't the main attraction as far as Skyryse is concerned. That distinction belongs to the Skyryse Flight Stack technology, which the company hopes will revolutionize short-distance air travel. The sector is flooded right now, with as many as 130 companies looking for a piece of the pie, including big names like Uber involved. Skyryse isn't looking to beat them, but assist them.
"What we're focused on is building the technology that will lead to this transportation system," said Groden.
Reliable, widely-used short-distance air travel has seemed like something of a pipe dream until now, but Groden is quick to point out the first automated flight actually took place decades ago, when the Lockheed-1011 safely crossed the Atlantic. The idea of automated air travel isn't a new one, and the CEO believes it will expedite the process of making it a reality.
"The pragmatic approach we're taking, following existing paths that the FAA is already very keen to work with us on, will allow us to realize this in single-digit years, and far sooner than I think a lot of people expect," he said.
Boxed, an e-commerce grocery platform that sells bulk consumables to businesses and household customers, began trading under the ticket symbol "BOXD" after completing a transaction with SPAC Seven Oaks Acquisition. Chieh Huang, co-founder and CEO of Boxed joins Cheddar News to talk about the company's growth.
Live music took a big hit last year, and many artists had to cancel or postpone their tours to 2022. Many partnered with the graphic novel company Z2 Comics to make money by creating unique comic book stories. Josh Bernstein, executive vice president of Z2 Comics, and Sridhar Reddy, founder and publisher at Z2 Comics, join Cheddar News to talk about the company's popularity.
Employees at a Buffalo, NY, area Starbucks voted to establish a union due to ongoing staffing issues, demands for higher pay, and complaints about non-functioning equipment. The development could clear the path for other locations across the country to unionize.
Caleb Silver, Investopedia Editor-in-Chief, joined Cheddar to break down Lululemon's Q3 earnings beat. Men's sales drove revenue up over the quarter, a key area that the company would want to grow, Silver said. He also noted that its $500 million acquisition of at-home fitness startup company Mirror could be a detriment for the company with its sales outlook slashed as more people head back into physical gyms and supply chain disruptions continue.
VMG Consumer Acquisition Corp, a blank check company targeting consumer and retail companies, has officially hit Wall Street. The company listed its $200 million IPO on the NASDAQ, trading under the ticker symbol 'VMGAU.' Aarti Kapoor, CEO of VMG Consumer Acquisition Corp, joined Cheddar Movers to discuss.
Goldman Sachs is getting into the holiday giving spirit with its sixth annual Analyst Impact Fund competition. The Shark-Tank style contest gives Junior Analysts the chance to pitch a charity of their choice to senior leadership, with the winner being granted $250,000 to donate to their chosen non-profit. The team representing Lime Connect, the world's largest network of people with disabilities, has taken home this year's top prize. For more on this, Jim Esposito, Goldman Sachs Co-Head of the Investment Banking Division, and Julian Sanchez, one of this year's winners, joined Cheddar Movers.
Sprinklr CEO Ragy Thomas joined Wake Up With Cheddar's Baker Machado to discuss the customer experience company's latest earnings report and forecasts for future growth.
