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· Editorial Staff
This Young Entrepreneur Raised $8 Million For His Startup Wearing Flip-Flops
In one of Shark Tank’s recent episodes, we saw an interesting young entrepreneur named Garrett Gee take the stage to pitch his startup Scan, a QR-code-scanning mobile app. Wearing a hoodie and flip-flops, Garrett seemed quite ready to tackle all the tough questions from the…
· Benny Luo
Tile App Startup Founders: On Raising $2.6 Million via Selfstarter So You Never Lose Anything Again
Being the occasional careless person myself, I can’t count the number of mornings that I’ve had to find my misplaced keys before heading out the door. This is why I was excited when I discovered the Tile App at the recent Launch Mobiles and Wearables conference in San Francisco.
· Benny Luo
Soma Water Founder: How He Built The Best Biodegradable Water Filter & Raised $150K On Kickstarter
Being an avid water drinker (as I hope everyone reading this is as well), I’ve always hated the typical water filtration device. They are alway so big and bulky, which made it difficult to store, the top part loved falling apart every time I poured, and the charcoal pieces…
· Editorial Staff
11 Things You Should Never Do When Raising VC Funding
No matter where you are at in building your startup, chances are at some point you will contemplate on whether you should seek VC funding. You’ll most likely go through your network, your accelerator, or even cold call to get a meeting some of of these guys. However, how are you…
· Benny Luo
Digg Founder Kevin Rose Throws Raccoon Down a Flight of Stairs [VIDEO]
Words cannot explain how I wanted so much to write that headline after watching the video above.
· Editorial Staff
Steve Job’s Biopic Trailer Starring Ashton Kutcher Released [VIDEO]
The first trailer for Steve Job’s Biopic has been released; depicting Ashton Kutcher as the man himself.
· Editorial Staff
Snapchat Turns Down $3 Billion From Facebook
According to multiple sources, Snapchat recently rejected a $3 billion all-cash acquisition offer from Facebook. At this price, this would have been Facebook’s biggest acquisition, as it is triple the amount they paid for Instagram back in 2010.
· Benny Luo
Two Young Entrepreneurs Invent Hangover Cure — FINALLY! [INTERVIEW]
My Facebook news feed is constantly filled with people complaining about getting hangovers from drinking the night before. Hopefully, that will now come to and end because of the genius of two young entrepreneurs from Santa Clara University. Ron Alvarado and Matt McDonald…
· Editorial Staff
This Guy Makes $75 an Hour Cuddling With Strangers
Imagine being alone one night and you are in the mood to cuddle. The doorbell rings and you open the door to a shirtless Travis Sigley who will cuddle with you for $75 dollars an hour. Oh yeah, he used to be a stripper before becoming a successful entrepreneur. You might not…
· Benny Luo
Meet Aloe Blacc: The Voice & Writer Behind Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up’
Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” currently sits in #4 of the Billboard Hot 100 charts making it one of the hottest songs right now. However, the man behind the unforgettable lyrics of the song is rarely talked about, in fact he’s actually a well-accomplished independent artist in his own…
· Michael Tunney
11 Publicity Stunts Startups Can Learn From
It’s always been hard to break through the noise. Though publicity stunts might feel like some unique symptom of our 24/7 new cycle, they aren’t. Not by a long shot.
· Editorial Staff
Carrot Dating Apps Allows You To Bribe People For Dates — is it Really Prostitution?
A new app called Carrot Dating has recently been the talk of the town lately, stirring up some controversy. This dating app allows users to offer gifts as incentives to entice singles to a first date.
· Editorial Staff
AR Wear Invents Article of Clothing That Helps Women Resist Rape
Even today, sexual assault continues to be a huge issue in our society and around the world. This is where a company like AR Wear steps into the spotlight. Based in New York, AR Wear is developing a line of garments that offers women “wearable protection” against instances of…
· Benny Luo
Karmaloop CEO Greg Selkoe: Why Having Creative People Makes Successful Businesses
I’ve always been enamored by the work Mr. Greg Selkoe of Karmaloop has been able to produce over the years. I think its because I can relate to him on the level that we both have ADHD and suffered with it tremendously during our pre-college years. However, even with these…
· Benny Luo
Harvard Drop Out and Former VC Team Up to Create Sprayable Energy [INTERVIEW]
Last month, we told you about about an indiegogo campaign for Sprayable Energy, a cool alternative to coffee and energy drinks. The campaign was a huge success, raising over $169,000 when their goal had only been $15,000. Not too shabby! For those that don’t know, Sprayable…
· Editorial Staff
Tunezy CEO On Selling His First Company To EDM Giant SFX [INTERVIEW]
Today, Tunezy announced that they have entered an agreement to be purchased by SFC Entertainment, a public company currently listed on NASDAQ. For those of you who don’t know, SFX is a company that aims to grow electronic dance music culture. They own properties including…
· Editorial Staff
Green Heart Foods Founder: On Helping Entrepreneurs and Their Companies Eat Better Food
With recent research indicating that feeding employees makes happier employees, more companies are now making a concerted effort in proving quality food for their employees. This opens doors for companies like Green Heart Foods to come in and help make that happen. Started in…
· Michael Tunney
15 Reasons Why You Should Drop Out Of College
For more and more young people, college is being thought of as more of an option, rather than a necessity, and for good reason. The university system looks more like a shell game than a place to be educated. Hell, the symbol for America’s university system, Harvard, is a hedge…
· Thierry Godard
Startup Lessons from Craft Beer: Innovate and Build a Community
In 2001 Jeremy Goldberg was a Wall Street money pusher living a comfortable life in New York. But on September 11th everything changed, the disruptive events of that morning sent Jeremy on a life changing journey with four friends across the United States. Over the course of 48…
· Editorial Staff
Dorian Howard: How She Went From a Big Shot Studio Executive to Startup Founder
More and more people are now are starting companies at a young age, some of them don’t have any corporate experience whatsoever. However, could not having any corporate experience be a potential crutch? Meet Dorian Howard, she is the Co-founder of Milk & Honey Shoes, an…
Answer
BTS connects to HYBE, Weverse, memberships, merch, and tickets.
People & Works
Open
Person · Screen
Anna Sawai
Her 'Shogun' win cracked a category that had never gone to an Asian actor in 76 years of the Emmys — a ceiling break that arrived only once the industry let an Asian-led epic play in its own language.
Culture surface · Beauty
Beauty retail
Beauty retail is a culture-first entry point into the listed company behind it.
Person · Music
Dimash Qudaibergen
A Kazakh singer with a freakish multi-octave range conquered China's living rooms overnight and became Central Asia's most improbable soft-power export — a diaspora-of-one proving fandom now flows East before West.
IP · Anime
Haikyu!! films
Haikyu!! is the rare franchise that peaked commercially after its manga ended — the 2024 film cleared $100M worldwide and back-catalog sales grew ~50% post-conclusion, evidence that a well-timed theatrical event can reactivate a completed IP rather than merely close it out.
Platform · Platforms
Kakao Entertainment
Kakao Entertainment connects to Kakao and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kling AI
Kling AI connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kuaishou
Kuaishou connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kwai
Kwai connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Retail
Lifestyle retail
Lifestyle retail connects to Miniso and the broader retail story around it.
Results
Culture · brand
Uniqlo
Uniqlo connects to Fast Retailing, the company behind the stores, basics, and repeat buying habit.
Culture · routine / beauty brands
K-beauty
K-beauty connects to companies built around skincare routines, hero products, and travel retail.
Culture · platform
Weverse
Weverse connects to HYBE, the platform where memberships, merch, content, and fandom access keep moving after the song.
Company · Japan · TYO:7832
Bandai Namco Holdings
Bandai Namco sits behind toys, anime IP, games, and licensing that turn fandom into everyday consumer products.
Company · China · HKEX:1024
Kuaishou
Kuaishou is China's number-two short-video platform, where livestream selling turned everyday creators into a shopping channel and rewired how goods get sold.
Company · India · NSE:ZEEL
Zee Entertainment
Zee is one of India's largest media networks — the TV channels and ZEE5 streaming that carry Bollywood and regional-language entertainment to a billion viewers and the diaspora.
Company · Japan · TYO:9983
Fast Retailing
Fast Retailing matters because Uniqlo is an everyday consumer habit, not just a stock story.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035900
JYP Entertainment
JYP is tied to groups that drive albums, tours, subscriptions, merch, and international fan activity.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:041510
SM Entertainment
SM is tied to idol groups, tours, fan clubs, and the long-running system behind some of K-pop's most recognizable acts.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:122870
YG Entertainment
YG connects global K-pop attention to touring, brand deals, fan demand, and artist-centered entertainment revenue.
Company · China · NYSE:BABA
Alibaba
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Alibaba · Platforms · NYSE:BABA
The Grammys created an award for Asian pop. BTS said no.
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Fast Retailing · Fashion · TYO:9983
Your Uniqlo basics keep you coming back.
This shows up when you go back to Uniqlo for another pack of basics instead of treating the brand like a one-time fashion buy.
NetEase · Streaming · HKEX:9999
Your playlist depends on deals you never see.
NetEase helps explain gaming, music streaming, and online entertainment habits in Chinese consumer culture.
CJ ENM · Entertainment · KOSDAQ:035760
Before the first song drops, H//PE Princess already has a global Warner deal.
A debut deal matters less than whether the group turns into repeat listening, touring, merch, and fandom across markets.
Explainer · Sanrio
Hello Kitty is not just something you buy anymore. Sanrio wants you to play inside the world.
Sanrio shows how character fandom becomes retail, licensing, collabs, parks, and global consumer demand.
Explainer · Amorepacific
K-beauty won the Amazon cart. The real prize is your second bottle.
The first sale matters less than the repeat routine. If a product sticks, the brand can keep winning on replenishment, retail placement, and cross-market demand.