Travis Kalanick is launching a venture fundTravis Kalanick, the controversial co-founder and one-time chief executive of Uber, is launching a new investment fund called the 10100 Fund. According to an announcement on his Twitter account, the new fund will focus on “large-scale job creation.” Investment areas are to include real estate, e-commerce and emerging innovations in China and India. It’s the systematization of work that Kalanick had been conducting quietly with boards, nonprofits and through investments in young companies. [ TechCrunch ] More: Uber founder Travis Kalanick started his own fund to invest in companies that focus on ‘large-scale job creation’ [ Re/Code ] Magic Leap raises $461 million in fresh funding from the Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaMagic Leap still hasn’t released a product, but they’re continuing to raise a lot of cash to get there. The Plantation, Florida-based augmented reality startup announced today that it has raised $461 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign investment arm, The Public Investment Fund. The Saudi Arabian fund contributed $400 million of the raise, with “new investors” fronting the rest, the company said. Instacart’s Blueprint for Fighting AmazonNow that Amazon.com is delivering Whole Foods groceries ordered online in several major markets, including San Francisco, life is about to get much tougher for Instacart. The online grocery delivery service—valued at more than $4 billion by investors—once had an exclusive agreement to fulfill orders of perishable food from Whole Foods. Last year the grocery chain accounted for more than 10% of Instacart’s business, according to a person close to the company, although it lately has dropped to less than 8%. To stay competitive, Instacart is partnering with as many other supermarket chains as it can—and is also building a business selling advertising on its website, according to CEO Apoorva Mehta. [ The Information ] Ecobee scores a $61 million Series C with help from AmazonSmart thermostat maker Ecobee just wrapped up a $61 million Series C, bringing the Toronto-based company’s total funding to $146 million. This latest round features investments from Energy Impact Partners, Thomvest, Relay Ventures and, most notably, Amazon’s Alexa Fund, which has taken a particularly interest in the company’s products of late. [ Tech Crunch ] Startup nation: The most valuable VC-backed company in each US state [interactive graphic]Nine of the 10 most valuable VC-backed companies in the US are in California—and the other one is in New York. This lack of geographic diversity isn't surprising, but it does mean the other 40-plus states and regions don't always get a lot of attention from the tech community. Peter Thiel’s Money Talks, in Contentious Ways. But What Does He Say?Peter Thiel is Silicon Valley’s homegrown Cassandra. He warned for years that the big tech companies were arrogant and clueless and less good for mankind than they believed. Comeuppance, the billionaire investor warned, was coming. [ NY Times ] Airbnb poaches Amazon’s Prime bossAirbnb is bringing on Greg Greeley, Amazon’s current VP of Prime & Delivery Experience, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wrote in a blog post today. His first day at Airbnb will be March 18. At Airbnb, Greeley will be responsible for leading the home-sharing startup’s Homes unit. The Homes unit entails Airbnb’s standard offering as well as its recently launched Plus offering, which is geared toward bougie high-end travelers who prioritize “quality and comfort.” Greeley will also oversee Airbnb Collections, the Superhost program and eventual Superguest program. He will report directly to Chesky. [ TechCrunch ] 12 rising startups in JapanNew Rope is the AI-driven fashion startup that just raised US$473,000 from Reality Accelerator, Daiwa Corporate Investment, and Tsuzuki International Scholarship Foundation. Its product, CBK Scnnr takes photos of Instagrammers, models, and other fashionistas and automatically analyzes their outfits and then proceeds to finds similar items that one can purchase. [ Tech In Asia ] Blueprint 2018: The role of venture funds in supporting talent and growth in AmericaCorporate Bio VCs Are Backing More Rounds And Making Bigger BetsFemale founders, go for it! Everyone else, quit the patronising'Silicon Valley' Confronts a "Darker Side" of Tech Culture (and T.J. Miller's Messy Exit)Startup Attacks Splunk In $6B Cyberthreat Data MarketThe leading women in Australia’s innovation ecosystemStartup Investor School Day 3Startup Investor School is a free, 4-day course designed to educate early stage investors interested in investing in startups. We'll cover the fundamentals of investing, from investing instruments to legal and accounting basics to evaluating startups and managing deal flow. Our hope is that more people, from a wide range of backgrounds will consider investing in startups and that those who do will be better at it. The course will run from March 5th, 2018 through March 8th, 2018. The course will be offered live online and in-person in Mountain View. All of the course content, including the curriculum, lectures and other resources will be made available to the public once the course ends. [ YC ] Sales funnel metrics you should be tracking in your SaaS startupWho’s on rst? Analysis of the recent increase in rst-time venture funds WTF is Happening in Venture Capital & How Do We Change it PannelS&P Global snares Kensho for $550 millionThe United States Of Cybersecurity: The Most Well-Funded Cybersecurity Startup In Every US StateA fabulous dialog between Ray Dalio and Kathy Xu, Queen of China's Venture CapitalWomen leading startups on what motivates and inspires them |