Investor in Rumble Boxing & Van Leeuwen Announces New Deals
*By Madison Alworth*
The venture capital firm that's already funded cult favorite start-ups like Rumble Boxing and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream has found its newest investments, and its co-founder came to Cheddar to announce them.
Tracy Dubb, partner at M3 Ventures, said Gen Z-centric media company [Brat](https://www.brat.com/) and dance-fitness company Forward Space are extensions of her company's values.
"It's become this second nature sort of desire people have to be healthy and to think of themselves that's affecting all elements of the consumer space," Dubb told Cheddar in an interview Wednesday. Her company focuses on start-ups that promote healthier living for young people.
"Rumble Boxing and Forward, for example, are in the fitness space, and they do well because people, rather than going out for an indulgent meal or a nightclub, they want to do something that makes them feel good about their bodies and give them a sense of community. Those things have come together to create a lot of successful businesses in the space," Dubb said.
M3's investment in Rumble is an example of the firm's commitment to finding trends before they catch on.
The boxing studio [continues to grow](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rumble-opens-third-nyc-studio-with-five-story-location-on-manhattans-upper-east-side-300690200.html) and includes celeb clients like Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and practically every other millennial in your Instagram feed. Dubb hopes Forward Space, which is set to launch in New York next month, can draw similar interest.
For the slightly younger consumer, M3 sees Brat as an ideal partner.
"It's our first toe in the water in the Generation Z market, which is going to be important. There's a lot of attention paid right now to millennials, but this is also a very important, very different demographic," Dubb said.
Brat creates original content for Gen Z viewers, and most stars on the network have their own viral social-media followings. The network taps influencers with the hope of converting followers into fans.
Among M3's other investments are medical scrubs brand Jaanuu, jewelry company Still House, and athleisure maker Spiritual Gangster.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/vc-fund-with-pulse-on-youth-culture-announces-two-new-investments).
Although still early in development, blockchain technology, Web3, also known as Web 3.0 has been getting a lot of attention from some top tech names lately. Web3 is based on blockchain technology, which powers NFT’s and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. With Web3, users would ideally control their own data, rather than have it be controlled by a few large companies. But, Tesla CEO Elon musk isn't buying into Web3 just yet, tweeting over the weekend that the decentralized iteration of the internet seems more like a marketing "buzzword" right now than reality. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey also chiming in to the conversation, expressing doubt over whether or not Web3 would actually be decentralized if ownership still belonged to venture capital firms. Parker McCurley, co-founder & CEO of Decent Labs explains the significance of Web3 catching the eye of the tech giants, and what Web3 could mean for the future of the internet.
Carlo and Baker cover the heartening news on the Covid front ahead of the holiday, plus President Biden punting student loan repayments again, a new space telescope and Love, Hate, Ate: Christmas Eve Eve Edition!
This year's worldwide semiconductor shortage limited the supply of everything from new cars to smartphones; and now, many in the chip industry expect the shortage to continue deep into 2022, and maybe even 2023. Semiconductor senior research analyst for Robert W. Baird & Co., Tristan Gerra, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Pavel Bains, the Executive Producer of MixMob and CEO of Bluzelle, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to elaborate on an opinion piece he wrote for CoinDesk in which he compares the cultural significance of crypto to hip hop in the 1990s.
Direct health care company Nomi Health recently raised $110 million in a Series A round. Nomi Health lets public and private organizations directly purchase healthcare at reduced costs, and pay providers in real-time. It also delivers healthcare directly to under-served communities via its fleet of mobile care units, which the company says is the largest in the country. Nomi Health says its mission is to improve the health care experience for all Americans. Nomi Health CEO Mark Newman joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Darby Fox, child and adolescent family therapist, joins Cheddar News to discuss how parents can navigate their child's mental wellness during the holidays.
A new series is looking to advance Black founders who have disruptive ideas and companies. 'Bet on Black' is a new series that allows black entrepreneurs to pitch their businesses in the hopes of securing $200,000 in funding. Revolt TV and Target teamed up to create the show. Detavio Samuels, CEO of Revolt, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Bitcoin's rise to the mainstream has been a wild ride this year. The cryptocurrency is trading a little under $49,000 Wednesday morning and is set to finish the year sharply higher than where it began earlier this year. Ether prices also soared this year, rising from $730 per coin to nearly $4,000. Ben Armstrong, founder of Bitboy Crypto, joins us to discuss what's in store for crypto in 2022.
