BioNTech, the German biotech which announced an apparent vaccine to coronavirus on Monday, is a classic European startup story: created by Turkish immigrants, funded by US and Asian investors and listed on the Nasdaq.

Along with pharma giant Pfizer, BioNTech is the first drug maker to show successful results from clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine. Trials on thousands of volunteers found no serious safety concerns, meaning the companies will seek emergency use authorisation for the vaccine in the US later this month. 

Accenture has launched a new immersive engagement and investment program targeting emerging technology software startups to help fill strategic innovation gaps for the Global 2000. Called Project Spotlight, the exclusive Accenture Ventures program represents a new approach to engaging with the global software startup community.

“Project Spotlight has had a profoundly positive impact in enabling SkyHive to achieve its mission of advancing economic prosperity and inclusion through the use of exponential technology”

Beyond making capital investments, Project Spotlight will offer unprecedented access to Accenture’s technology domain expertise and its enterprise clients. Startups will co-innovate with Accenture at its Innovation Hubs, Labs and Liquid Studios, working with subject matter experts to adapt their solutions to the enterprise market and scale faster and more effectively. Created by six-time Silicon Valley entrepreneur and CEO, Tom Lounibos, Project Spotlight seeks to transform the transactional nature of venture capital into an immersive engagement model.

The State Technology and Science Index (STSI) provides a benchmark for evaluating the knowledge economies of all 50 US states. The index compares each state’s capacity for achieving prosperity through scientific discovery and technological innovation, by performing a cross-sectional analysis of their rankings on key indicators using the latest available data from US federal government and private-sector sources.

The index is a composite of five sub-indexes, which cover a diverse range of topics: research and development (R&D) inputs, risk capital and entrepreneurial infrastructure, human capital investment, technology and science workforce, and technology concentration and dynamism. By comparing how states rank in these areas, the index assesses their capacities for generating new scientific ideas, as well as for commercializing technologies that contribute to firm expansion, high-skills job creation, and broad-based economic growth.

The road to becoming an entrepreneur is a journey, and it’s not a short trip. In my efforts of assist aspiring business owners like you, I find that too many see it as a short sprint to get over that one hurdle, like finding that innovative idea, or attracting an investor. In reality, I find that there are multiple stages to the process, each requiring a unique mindset and focused effort along the way.

Image: https://blog.startupprofessionals.com

NC State has long been known for its work with the private sector — making it simple for our partners to access cutting-edge research and engage with top-notch student talent, while enriching the core mission of the university.

NC State lands at fourth among all U.S. universities for share of research supported by industry, according to the latest study from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. And we’re often recognized as a top source for new recruits, ranking in the top 20 in alumni hired by Silicon Valley’s biggest employers.

Image: https://news.ncsu.edu/

AMES, Iowa (November 10, 2020) – The Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations announced today the Iowa State University Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship was named one of five finalists in the Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation award category by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) – the worldwide premier academic association of entrepreneurship educators. The award is given to honor a center that creatively supports the process of launching and accelerating university affiliated startups through competitions, incubators, accelerators, or other programs.

“We are so proud to be selected among other top entrepreneurship programs with this recognition,” said ISU Pappajohn Center Director Judi Eyles. “Iowa State truly enlists a cross-disciplinary approach, with all seven colleges across campus participating in our robust and comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem in an effort to support the university’s mission to create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place. Collectively, innovation and entrepreneurship is a top priority at Iowa State, and we couldn’t be happier to be recognized for the work being done to cultivate, support, launch and accelerate our university-affiliated startups.”

Challenges for leaders won’t end with a COVID-19 vaccine. Underlying societal issues that have long been simmering below the surface are raising questions and imperatives that will last long after the pandemic ends. The implicit social contract between institutions and stakeholders is rightfully being questioned. Individuals are frustrated; many don’t believe they are being heard by their leaders in government or by corporate institutions—or being treated fairly and equally.

On Nov. 9, the Biden-Harris transition team announced the members of its COVID-19 advisory board, and met with them for several hours in a virtual conference before President-elect Joe Biden made remarks stressing the importance of mask wearing as a continued “weapon” in the fight against COVID-19.

“As we work toward a safe and effective vaccine, the single most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19: wear a mask,” Biden said, as he held up his own mask. “The head of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) warned this fall that for the foreseeable future, a mask remains the most potent weapon against the virus.”

The demands of an executive role can wreak havoc on the self and on personal relationships. Without thoughtful planning, leaders can experience both physical and mental-health issues as a result of their work, and their relationships with loved ones can deteriorate. While there’s no easy way to make everyone happy all the time, leaders who think carefully about their goals, discuss them openly with their loved ones, invest in their own resilience, and check in with themselves and others regularly can help prevent the collateral damage that’s all too common at the top of the org chart.   close

As an advisor to early-stage entrepreneurs, I see a lot of dreams, but not so many business results. I’m always excited by the dream, and disappointed by what I perceive as a lack of courage in many people to take the actions required to realize the dream. I’ve always wished I had a magic metaphor to motivate the best dreamers to become the best entrepreneurs.

Image: https://blog.startupprofessionals.com

Oceans support the livelihoods of over three billion people, provide the primary source of protein for a third of the planet, and are the transportation corridor for over 90 percent of internationally traded goods. The global blue economy is expected to grow to $3 trillion by 2030. This explosive growth is fueled by exciting bluetech startups creating new technologies to increase our understanding and ultimately unleash the full potential of the oceans. In recognition of the important but yet untapped potential of the oceans, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development will launch next year.

Image: Image courtesy Open Ocean Robotics

Coronavirus had other plans. As the virus spread, the ripple effects on creative industries around the world soon followed. Concerts, festivals, sports tournaments, movie launches, fashion shows, stage productions, film and TV shoots and album releases have all had to contend with delays, postponements and cancellations.

Many of these sectors are now in grave danger, which is having a devastating impact on our cultural fabric, local economies and those who work in these industries.

Covid-19 testing at Washington State U. in early September.

Like many rural areas throughout the U.S., Whitman County reported very few coronavirus cases in the pandemic’s early months, even through the summer. Then, in August, Washington State University students came back to town, causing a big spike. Now, cases have fallen among students — but the virus is showing up instead in older adults, including residents of nursing homes. Last month, Whitman recorded a grim milestone: its first Covid-19 deaths.

Image: ROBERT HUBNER, WSU

At Tesla (TSLA) Battery Day, the company announced they plan to grow their battery production to 3TWh by 2030. Tesla say the globe will need 10TWh pa battery capacity for electric vehicles (EVs) and 10TWh pa for energy storage by 2030.

Tesla's battery demand represents a 86 fold increase. Yes you read that right. A 86 fold increase in Tesla's battery production capacity this decade (from 2019 to 2030), allowing Tesla to produce 20 million EVs pa and energy storage products by 2030.

Image: Source: Tesla Battery Day video

Pfizer has made an incredible announcement: Its COVID-19 vaccine looks like it is 90% effective at preventing the disease inside its clinical trial. It’s a remarkable number: In the last 10 years, flu vaccine efficacy rates have wobbled between 19% and 60%. Outside scientists are now keen to see the full data in order to validate the findings. In the meantime, many are rejoicing at the prospect of a better tool for fighting COVID-19.

Image: Pfizer

Azeem Azhar speaks with Yale Professor of Social and Natural Science, Internal Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, Nicholas Christakis, whose latest book “Apollo’s Arrow,” lays out the three phases of the world’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Christakis argues that each phase will be fraught with risk and will leave an enduring impact on our society, economy, and politics.

They also discuss:

• How a successful vaccine will influence global geopolitics as a soft power. 
• How to deal with the pandemic on individual and community levels. 
• How the “Swiss Cheese model” of accident causation can help policymakers build resilient prevention and response systems.

Image: https://hbr.org/

One of the biggest challenges in changing your lifestyle from an employee to starting your own business, is focusing on the right ownership elements, versus having a boss who sets the business goals, and provides performance feedback. Most entrepreneurs relish being their own boss, but find the transition to “ownership thinking” to be more difficult than anticipated.

Image: https://blog.startupprofessionals.com

It's been a year of twists, turns, upsets and turmoil.

No one has felt that more than the world of startups which saw massive layoffs in the spring when the pandemic lock-downs struck and then swung back to record venture deal making by the fall.

But, as the saying goes, the Chinese character for crises contains the characters for danger and opportunity. With every radical gyration in the industry comes opportunity for new ideas, new people, new rising stars. 

With that in mind, Business Insider has compiled a list of the 100 rising-star VCs who represent the future of venture capital. It is based on research from VC Guide, the Glassdoor of venture capital, where verified founders can post anonymous reviews of VCs. But it also includes a number of Business Insider's own picks.

Image: Atelier Ventures; Courtesy of Nikhil Basu Trivedi; CLEO Capital; Courtesy of Josh Buckley; Samantha Lee/Business Insider

For nearly four decades, Patricia Brubaker has been investigating the biological activities of anti-diabetic gut hormones secreted by the intestine.

Her work is focused on the fundamental biology of the hormones and has contributed to development of drugs for the treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes. The drugs work by stimulating the secretion of insulin, helping to lower blood sugar levels and reducing appetite, among other effects.

Image: U of T's Patricia Brubaker, who has spent nearly 40 years studying anti-diabetic gut hormones, says the future of diabetes research will be figuring out how to prevent the disease in the first place (photo by Johnny Guatto)

When all the votes are cast and counted in this year’s momentous November 3 election, the results will have deep and potentially long-lasting impacts on numerous areas of society, including science. President Donald Trump and his challenger, former vice president Joe Biden, have presented vastly different visions for handling crucial issues—ranging from the deadly coronavirus pandemic to the damaging impacts of climate change and immigration policies.