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TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 Applications Open Soon; Other News in Brief
TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 200, a competition for early-stage startups, is preparing to open applications this month for its next event at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. In other news, longevity guru Peter Attia stepped down from his role as Chief Science Officer at David Protein after his name appeared in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, India's Varaha secured $20 million to scale carbon removal, the Minneapolis tech community is grappling with immigration enforcement, and Y Combinator (YC) startups can now receive investment in stablecoin.
Each year, thousands of startups apply for one of the 200 slots in the Startup Battlefield cohort, which offers visibility and access to investors. The program is designed to prepare early-stage startups for investment and scale, according to TechCrunch.
Meanwhile, Peter Attia, a prominent figure in longevity and preventive health, left David Protein, a maker of high-protein nutrition bars. The announcement was made by the founder of David Protein on X on Monday. Attia's name surfaced in over 1,700 documents released as part of a file dump related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to The New York Times. Attia was an early investor in the food startup and served on its executive team.
In India, climate tech startup Varaha raised $20 million in funding to expand carbon removal projects in the Global South. The investment is the first part of a planned $45 million Series B round led by WestBridge Capital, with participation from existing investors including RTP Global and Omnivore. Founded in 2022, Varaha has raised approximately $33 million in equity to date, along with $35 million in project financing and $500,000 in grants. The company aims to position itself as a lower-cost supplier for verified emissions reductions.
The Minneapolis tech community is also facing challenges as U.S. immigration agents have escalated enforcement in the area. Eight Minneapolis-based founders and investors told TechCrunch that they have paused much of their work to focus on community support, volunteering, and providing assistance to those affected. Scott Burns, an investor in the area, noted the widespread fatigue and increased community involvement, stating, "There's a lot of commonality between how a teacher is reacting right now and how a tech professional is reacting."
Finally, Y Combinator (YC) is now offering startups the option to receive their seed funding in stablecoins. YC's standard deal involves investing $500,000 into accepted startups in exchange for 7% of their companies. Nemil Dalal, a crypto YC partner, told The Block that this option will be available starting with the upcoming spring batch and will utilize the Base, Solana, and Ethereum blockchains. Dalal said that stablecoin transfers are often more effective, specifically for founders working in emerging markets. Last fall, YC partnered with Base and Coinbase Ventures to encourage founders to build more blockchain-related companies.
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