Picking out the future's biggest business winners in a crowded startup space isn't easy, but Sequoia Capital has been able to spot tech darlings such as Airbnb, Stripe, Instacart, and Dropbox. Bryan Schreier, Partner at Sequoia, was with us to give us the hottest trends in VC.
Schreier identified the common trait that these best-of-breed companies embody. He said these companies are going after "greenfield market opportunities" that tend to be new or ripe for disruption.
The venture capitalist is excited about the potential of virtual reality. He is also taking a look at a lot of cryptocurrency opportunities. Although still in the early days, Schreier said cryptocurrency technology reminds him of the beginning stages of the internet. Scheier says that he sees real estate as one of the industries ready to be disrupted by blockchain.
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Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
