Jeffrey Katzenberg is looking to raise $2B for a new video startupAs tech giants like Apple and Facebook prepare to spend billions of dollars on movies and TV, longtime Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg is looking to write some big checks for original content, too. Katzenberg began his career at Paramount Pictures (where he worked on Star Trek: The Motion Picture), but is best known for running Disney’s motion picture division during the period in the late 1980s and early 1990s that saw the release of classics like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, and then for founding DreamWorks and leading DreamWorks Animation, which was acquired last year by NBCUniversal. [ Tech Crunch ] What SoftBank really wantsSome in Silicon Valley aren’t quite sure what to make of SoftBank and its massive, roughly $100 billion Vision Fund. At times, they say privately, it looks like a drunken gunslinger, firing off massive checks in quick succession. But sources close to SoftBank say there is a method to its madness. In fact, these same sources say SoftBank’s investors believe they’ll see at least a 20 percent internal rate of return (IRR) over time from Vision Fund as it funds whole sectors being disrupted by artificial intelligence and machine learning — from pharma, to utilities, to ridesharing — and whose data SoftBank can leverage into an endless stream of opportunities. [ Tech Crunch ] Meet the $50 million bedding startup that wants to raise as little venture capital as possibleIn some entrepreneurial circles, the amount of venture capital a startup raises had become a badge of honor. But there are signs that a new breed of digital-first consumer brands feels differently. Stitch Fix was profitable on an estimated $900-million-plus in revenue this past fiscal year, while raising just $42 million in venture capital to get there. It recently filed confidentially for an IPO. Then there’s Tuft & Needle, a mattress startup that was profitable on sales of around $100 million in 2016 and has never raised equity financing. [ Recode ] Silicon Valley’s Next Target for Disruption Is SocksStance makes the go-to hosiery for skateboarders, motocrossers, and Rihanna. The startup has also earned support from venture capitalists, who helped contribute more than $100 million in funding. Why This Founder Bootstrapped His Company for 6 Years Before Raising a Massive RoundHere’s a startup story you don’t hear every day: MessageBird, a cloud communications company, is bootstrapped, profitable, and on track to reach a $100 million revenue run rate this year. After six years of turning down investors, founder and CEO Robert Vis has finally decided to take outside capital. Based in Amsterdam, the company announced today that it raised $60 million in Series A funding from U.S.-based Accel and U.K.-based Atomico. [ Fortune ] A Day in the Life of Silicon Valley Power Player Kirsten GreenThe bustling commercial stretch of Hayes Street between Franklin and Gough in San Francisco is a testament to Kirsten Green’s instincts. First, there’s the Warby Parker store—the 45-year-old venture capitalist was an early investor in the now ubiquitous eyewear company in 2010. Then there are the offices of another of her investments, the prescription acne treatment start-up Curology, which sit just above what’s soon to be an Away store (Green’s partner, Eurie Kim, led the seed deal for the purveyor of suitcases in 2015). [ WSJ ] Saving for retirement is not an area of financial strength for Americans. It’s not difficult to see why - 401(k) plans can be confusing, time consuming and painful to think about for employers and employees. With complicated regulations around “fiduciary responsibilities” and potentially high fees to implement a plan, it can be daunting for many employers. With this backdrop, it’s no surprise that less than half of small businesses in the US currently offer a 401(k) plan to their employees. However, delaying these important decisions around retirement planning can have significant consequences for employees and their ability to retire in comfort. Introducing The New Generation Of Israeli VCStartup Nation is exploding. With more and more exciting Israeli tech startups like Waze, WiX, Mobileye, Outbrain and Taboola taking off over the past few years, the impact on the entire Israeli tech ecosystem is apparent. Today, there are more than 250 multinationals with research and development center in Israel, including the likes of Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo!, IBM, Verizon, Cisco, Barclays and Citi Bank to name only a few. Many of them are going one step further and taking a more innovative approach to Israeli tech, by setting up startup accelerators, or investing directly in growing companies. Add to that the Israeli entrepreneurial spirit that is being cultivated inside the Israeli Defense Forces, and lots of funding capital available for entrepreneurs with over 200 VCs operating in Israel, and you get a country full of innovation at every level of its DNA. [ Forbes ] Venture capitalists are betting big on real estate techE767: Jason Goldberg (Pepo, Fab.com) intros Simple Token for apps to launch branded crytpo tokensSalesforce Just Launched A $50 Million Impact Investing FundSilicon Valley isn’t just disrupting democracy—it’s replacing it‘Peace in the kingdom’ will be the goal for Uber’s board meeting todayFor-good investor Zinc.vc launches in London to solve world’s biggest problemsSilicon Valley's LSD habit is exploding, and now a 27-year old is offering how-to tutorials over SkypeDon’t take Silicon Valley’s ‘free speech’ ideals at face value, Ellen Pao saysWith Ola’s $2B Round, Uber Rivals Further Expand Their War ChestsQ3 2017 Global Report: VC Deal And Dollar Volume Projected To Reach Post-Dot Com HighsLooking Elsewhere: VCs go beyond the coastsThe segments healthtech and biotech investors are putting their dollars towards3 Startup Lessons From WeWork Founder Adam NeumannUK crowdfunding platform Seedrs hits £50m valuation following £6m raise |