Giant Leap’s Small Steps: Solving the Goldilocks Problem of Sleep in Startups
Every two weeks we share an edited version with the readers of Startup Daily.
Big step is Australia’s first impact venture fund, and they use this newsletter to bring forward the ideas and companies that intrigue and inspire them and broaden their own thinking about impact business.
Here’s what they have to say this week:
(Quick) kickstart
It’s NAIDOC Week, an opportunity to learn about and celebrate some of the world’s oldest First Nations cultures. View events here†
Giant Leap completed its first fund! And in the spirit of continuous learning that has served us well thus far, we share our key lessons for aspiring impact angels and VCs from the thrills and spills of Fund One.
Read the lessons of Giant Leap from Fund One
What we think about
Zzzstartups. Sleep is fundamental to well-being, but it’s a super weird field. Just look at the goldilocks factor, where both too little (<5 uur) als te veel (>8 hours) sleep is associated with increased mortality (not the best bedtime reading).
Despite this, many of us have trouble sleeping, with up to 26% of Australians suffer from insomnia† We’re fascinated by the Sleeptech pioneers improving snoozing with space-age trackers, edibles and headsets, and horrified by dystopian dreams of beer ads (watch Afterwork’s deep dive here†
Meanwhile, Apple’s Smartwatch just got FDA approval for a feature that can Track heart signals during sleep as accurately as clinical toolsopening up a world of possibilities for more in-depth Sleeptech.
Building healthy bridges. Trust is a fundamental bridge to adoption in health tech, and digital health startups are lacking.
A study of health technology startups was analyzed to find their “clinical robustness” score, the sum of the number of regulatory registrations and clinical trials. Of the 224 studied 98 had a clinical robustness score of 0 (ie no regulatory approval or no trials at all), while the median score was 2.5.
While it may seem old-fashioned, these points of evidence are critical to being taken seriously by the healthcare system, and founders looking to differentiate themselves and accelerate into a slow-moving industry should take them seriously, too.
Climatic Statistics† Climate Salad surveyed 171 ANZ climate founders in its first Climate Tech Industry Reportfind:
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$1.4 billion in capital raised so far
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1.4 GT of CO2 emissions avoided (self-reported)
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4000 jobs created, with 2000 new jobs forecast in the next 12 months
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40% of climate technology companies with at least one female founder
Earthshots† Interestingly, the report found that approximately 38% of ANZ climate technology founders believe they are working on entirely new technologies rather than improving existing ones, pointing to the development of new, moonshot technologies in the climate data, agri-food, renewable technology and carbon markets where ANZ companies have a natural advantage.
Globally, this is in the context of another peak year for climate technology, which is about to crack $54 billion investments this year driven by the tailwind of the policy with Australia the latest straggler to party withcontinued reductions in the cost of key technologies such as solar photovoltaics and batteries, and more climate capital than ever despite the downturn in the market†
Connect with us
Rachel will participate in a Gender Lens Investment Panel organized by Ecotone Partners on Wednesday, July 13 at 12:30 PM. Which can Register here†
Charlie will attend a Climate and Impact Lunch and Learn hosted by Scale Investors and EcoTone on Thursday 14th July. You can register here†
For on the road
Dreamtime founders† The Wade Institute partners with Minderoo to de Dream Ventures Masterclasses† The program aims to equip Indigenous Australians with the connections, capabilities and access to capital to be ready for investors.
A step back for equal treatment† The ramifications of the Roe v Wade Superme Court decision waver across the US and the world. As Gemma Lloyd from Work180 it said: “I work every day for women to get equal treatment. Today was a step back of monumental proportions, and it hurts.” In response, we are already seeing some companies taking action, for example removing Google visits to abortion clinics from location history†
Commercializing climate research† Last month Climate KIC launched its first Climate Kickstarter program aimed at turning research into business† It has led to the creation of some fascinating companies, including one that turns seawater into freshwater using gravity and an agricultural solution that can grow crops with 95% less water and no soil.
tThe latest stocktaking of Net Zero has arrived† The Good: Net Zero Commitment Has Increased Sixfold In Just A Few Years To Cover Now 91% of the world economy† The bad: a third of companies are already on track to miss their targets. Better policy support, reporting tools and employee engagement all help close the gap.
A spanner in the works for blockchain-enabled carbon credits as both surprise and the US Carbon Registry (ACR), two of the world’s largest carbon asset registries, banned the tokenization of credits unless specifically authorized.
Lifetime Expenses† The royal family of Suadi plans to $1 billion a year of its oil wealth is researching aging to find ways to extend the number of years people live in good health – this will make them the largest individual sponsor in the world.
What does a fish do?, have a guitar and basket in common? They are all inspiration for some of the world’s strangest buildings.
And pupper is the chosen one.
@bananna_k Reply to @badwolf8713 honestly, terrifying 😳 ⚠️fake swords⚠️
♬ Duel of the Fates ( Star Wars) – Rob Starr & The Hollywood Singers and Orchestra
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