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Annasha

Annasha Dey is an NIT student, who apart from studying engineering is also a content writer. She has a great interest in photography, writing, reading novels, and travelling as well. She is a foodie who loves socializing and hanging out with her friends. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and a big fashion enthusiast. Dey also loves watching TV series, which includes F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Big Bang Theory. To be a better writer she prefers to read more

astroscale

Astroscale Is Cleaning Up The Orbital Debris For Future Generation

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Mankind has made many successful attempts of reaching into the vastness of space. And, after the first time, many new organizations have come up to serve the same purpose. Thousands of scientists have put their brains together to achieve bigger missions. Every year many nations launch spacecraft to take one more step towards broadening the human territory.

But, as unique as an idea of cleaning the orbital debris doesn’t come from any commoner. We don’t hear about this kind of idea every day which contributes to the well-being of the universe. Nobu Okada, founder of Astroscale made everyone realize why is it so important to remove trash from space and himself doing it.

What is Astroscale?

Astroscale is a worldwide famous company founded by Nobu Okada in 2013. It is a private company that serves the sole purpose of cleaning the spatial orbits. We know, every year a lot of spaceships are launched from earth. Some of which successfully land and the rest get lost in the way. The remaining parts of these gigantic machines can create problems in the future. When other spacecraft will be launched, these might come in its way and hamper the mission.

So, Nobu Okada came up with this idea and the company is going to launch its demonstration mission in 2020. The name of the program is End-Of-Life-Service and it’s determined to retrieve every piece of junk from the orbits.

Nobu Okada

Nobu went to the University of Tokyo and acquired his bachelor’s degree in Genetics. He also went to Stanford University for pre-MBA and in 1999 went to Purdue University Krannert School of Management for his MBA.

In 1997, Nobu joined the Japanese Ministry of Finance as a Government Office and continue his work for three years. While doing his MBA, he joined McKinsey & Company as an Engagement Manager and worked for four years. In August 2004, he became the CFO and Director of Turbolinux and then in 2006 became the Director of Kazaka Financial Group.

Nobu Okada
Image Source – Google Images

After serving as the Vice President of Brain Capital for a year he founded SUGAO PTE, an IT company. Currently, he is the CEO of his latest company, Astroscale.

The Beginning

Nobu Okada had no idea about aerospace engineering. This guy studied genetics, went for the finance industry, and established his career in the IT industry. No one but him came up with an idea mentioned nowhere earlier in the history of science. Nobu says he just wanted to do something meaningful in his life and a great contribution to society.

Nobu always had a soft corner for space and he also attended a space camp at the age of fifteen. There he received a message from Mamoru Mohri that space is a place where one can make great contributions. Nobu proved how much right he was.

Initially, when he thought of this idea, nobody supported him saying it wasn’t realistic enough. There was negativity everywhere, but he didn’t give in. Nobu thought when it is for the betterment of the world someone has got to do it. And, he became the knight in the shining armor.

Much Appreciation

Since Nobu has no idea about the study of space, he went through more than 700 research papers regarding space debris, contacted many academic institutions and people who are in an executive position in the space industry. He was too stubborn to give up!

Finally, a company called Yuki Precision Co. showed interest in this project idea. Another company called OSG Corp also showed interest. With their support, he finally launched the company. In 2015, the company raised the US $7.7 million and also established an R&D facility in Tokyo. The capital was invested to carry out researches for space debris removal missions and making small satellites.

In next year, the company raised another $35 million and in 2017 raised $25 million in Series C funding. This year, the company came into a partnership with JAXA permitting them to use JAXA’s testing facilities. In November 2017, the company launched its first rocket. The take-off was smooth but it didn’t reach the targeted orbit.

Currently, the company is busy working for the ELSA-d mission. The mission will consist of two spacecraft, namely, a Servicer and a Client. The mission will be operated from the National In-orbit Servicing Control Centre Facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire. Nobu wants to make a dynamic change as early as possible thinking about future space missions.

HopSkipDrive

Hopskipdrive- To Give Your Kids A Safe Traveling Experience

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Every mom wants to raise their kids with all the care and pampering in the world. So, when they are out of sight for a fraction of the section, moms are worried! Well, this only happens when we are kids, right? Our moms running behind us all the time with any stuff we need irrespective of how insignificant it is. Because we all will be the little one for them no matter how much we grow up. In most of the modern families these days, both the parents are working.

So, the demand for babysitters is never going down any sooner. But, apart from babysitting, they also need a travel companion. Who is going to drop your kids to school? Who is going to take them to their best friend’s birthday party? Worry not, especially when three strong independent women are fighting for a good cause.

HopSkipDrive is a transportation company that exclusively gives transportation facilities to the kids aging from six to seventeen. Janelle McGlothlin, Carolyn Yashari Becher, and Joanna Newman McFarland founded the company in 2015. This start-up is a blessing for every nuclear family in the United States who can now worry less about their kids.

HopSkipDrive is a transportation company that exclusively gives transportation facilities to the kids aging from six to seventeen. Janelle McGlothlin, Carolyn Yashari Becher, and Joanna Newman McFarland founded the company in 2015. This start-up is a blessing for every nuclear family in the United States who can now worry less about their kids.

About the Founders

Janelle went to the University of Pennsylvania and acquired his bachelor’s degree in International Relations. She also went to the Wharton School and received her second bachelor’s degree in Strategic Management. Apart from co-founding HopSkipDrive, Janelle has also founded Writebrand, a branding and copywriting company. She is married to Charly Kemp and has three small kids. Maybe her kids are one of the reasons she thought about this project.

Carolyn received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California. And, later went to UCLA School of Law and received Doctor of Law. She also went to The Hebrew University for a one-year program.

Carolyn worked as an intern at the Democratic National Committee. In the beginning, she worked as a Paralegal but later she became the Attorney at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP. Apart from HopSkipDrive, she co-founded Becher Law Group, New Los Angeles Charter School, and The Neuromuscular Disease Foundation. Currently, she also serves as a Mentor at Techstars.

Joanna also went to the Wharton School and completed her bachelor’s in economics. In 2005, she graduated from Stanford University with an MBA. She started her career life as a Financial Analyst at Salomon Smith Barney and then switched to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst. She worked at companies like Green Dot Companies, AT&T Interactive, OneWest Bank, and many more. Currently, she is the CEO of HopSkipDrive and an Investment Partner at XFactor Ventures.

The Story of HopSkipDrive

The company started of a simple conversation the three of them were having at a party. They were chatting with other moms too who were sharing concern about their children. It becomes a huge responsibility when both parents have the same working time. Because you don’t need a babysitter all the time. All you need is someone to drop them where they are supposed to be. So, the trio decided to work on the project of HopSkipDrive and made it a grand success.

A Quality Service

The screening process of HopSkipDrive is undoubtedly very strict. It’s the responsibility of taking care of children. So, the basic criterion of the company is to hire someone with a minimum of five years of experience. Since it is the caregiving experience that matters, most of the employees of the company are women. So, they basically work for a community their own kids are part of.

Parents can track their kids easily with the GPS tracking system. And, there is also a dual authentication process involving code word between the driver and the kid.

The Success

According to the reports of 2020, there are around 2.5 million homeless kids and 440,000 foster kids in the United States. HopSkipDrive wasn’t launched with the aim of taking care of kids from the upper-class society. So, the services have also extended their hands to these helpless kids who deserve equal opportunities.

Currently, HopSkipDrive is a team comprising of more than 100 people and conducting business with more than 7,000 contractors. They have expanded their services to more than eight states and the school districts in thirteen markets. The company has also raised $22 million from its last funding round.

Stairlift Founder Henry VIII

David Starkey Recalls Henry Viii As The Inventor Of Stairlift

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The stairlift is a blessed invention in today’s world. Medical patients throughout the world use it extensively. The main reason for inventing it was to help out the sick people. In the 1920s, C. C. Crispen invented the first stairlift in the world. But, recently, Dr. David Starkey, a famous historian has discovered that the famous king of England, Henry VIII is the inventor of the stairlift. Going down the historic lane, David discovered the fact that Henry VIII had a “stairthrone” in his possession. The discovery happened because of Henry VIII’s obesity and sheer laziness. But, due to his one invention, today it has a great positive impact on our world.

Early Life of Henry VIII

Henry VIII is famous mainly for having six wives and building the Church of England. Born on 28th June 1941 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, he served as the King for thirty-eight years. He was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. From the tender age of two, Henry VIII started gaining fame and received honorary positions like Earl Marshal of England, Warden of the Scottish Marches, Constable of Dover Castle, and many more.

Taking responsibility

After the death of Henry VII, Henry VIII became the king of England at the age of seventeen. Apart from how he reined the empire, he was very much inclined towards public execution. Anyone who crossed his path had their fate decided. But, he also pardoned some of the prisoners who were imprisoned by his father.

In 1510, Henry VIII decided to renew his relationship with Louis XII of France. But, after that, he invaded France twice as he was promised the title of Most Christian King of France. In his entire life, he married six women, namely, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.

Once he entered into his marital life, Henry VIII started gaining weight with age. Both his territory and waist started increasing simultaneously. After a point of time, Henry started suffering from gross obesity and might have suffered from gout as well. He survived under medical supervision for most of his life and moved from one place to another with the help of medical equipment.

The Invention of Stairlift

And, now you can understand why the invention of a stairlift was so vital in his life. It is a known fact that he roamed around sitting on his stairthrone. He mostly used it to get up a twenty feet staircase at the Whitehall Palace in London. It is also known that Henry VIII’s waist finally stopped growing after fifty-inches. His armor kept getting bigger every year.

David found out the fact about stairlift when he was going through the list of possession of Henry VIII. He also believes that the stairlift used by him was based on a block and tackle system where ropes were used to lift the king. After he falls prey to obesity, he avoided walking and started using his stairlift. But then they preferred calling it stairthrone. To some point, Henry VIII himself was also responsible for his bad health.

Henry VIII did horse riding and underwent a lot of exercises. But, everything stopped after he faced an accident at the age of forty-five. He stayed mostly in London after the accident. Though he was cured he didn’t prefer many physical activities. This led to his enormous weight gaining and on top of that he preferred having a thirty-course meal every day.

Starkey said that no one found any picture of Henry VIII sitting on a stairthrone. But, a person with his lifestyle is likely to have one of those in his possession. He died at the age of fifty-five due to obesity.

Stairlift in Today’s World

Commonly three types of stairlift are available these days, namely, straight, curved, and outdoor stairlift. When Henry VIII made this excellent invention there weren’t many high-tech features installed in it. But, today, many new features are available that are of immense help for the physically challenged people or those who have undergone any medical operations.

Remote control stairlift has also been invented to make this equipment more user-friendly. Many companies also provide stairlifts through a rental service for those who cannot afford to buy one or need it primarily.

LoanSnap

LOANSNAP- THE SMART LOAN SYSTEM FOR EVERY AMERICAN

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Both the social and economic status of a nation is equally important for the growth of a country. There will always be people from different financial categories, but the entire nation’s well-being is a big responsibility. The necessities are everyone’s right. Moreover, the loaning system has become very easier and simpler these days. So, whenever you are ready with your plan, there’s one or the other company arriving at your doorsteps with lucrative offers. But, most of the time the interest is too high and things become complicated. In these situations, we feel like having a customized deal with a company. Wouldn’t that be great to have a smart loan agreement for yourself keeping in mind your financial and another status? LoanSnap, a loan company founded in 2017 provides you with loans that are exceptionally made for you. Karl Jacob and Allan Carroll founded the company to improve the financial well-being of every American start-up. LoanSnap has a very strong founding team which turned the start-up to a huge success in three years.

About the Founders

Karl Jacob graduated from high school in 1986 and then went to the University of Southern California. He acquired his bachelor’s degree in computer science and graduated in 1992. Karl had an ample of experience before founding LoanSnap. He did a summer internship at Apple during his graduation.

In 1991, Karl joined Sun Microsystems as a manager and continued for two years. Apart from LoanSnap, he also founded Dimension X, Wallop, Coveroo, and Hangtime Inc. He is also a former Microsoft employee and served as the CEO at companies like Ingenio, Keen, Cloudmark. Karl is also a board member at Mayvenn and currently serves as the CEO of LoanSnap.

Allan went to Brigham Young University and studied computer engineering. He also went to the University of Washington and completed his master’s in computer science as well. Allan was an intern at Microsoft for four months.

Allan co-founded Familylink.com which came under the acquisition of Ancestry.com in 2011. He has also founded Piick and Hangtime Inc. Before co-founding LoanSnap he was an Advisor at VidAngel. He is currently the CEO of the company, LoanSnap.

The Aim

Both Karl and Allan are from a computer science background. They wanted to implement some strategies from their field that would help improve the financial condition of America. Karl noticed that most of the Americans lost money as they didn’t move their credit card debt at a high-interest rate. In 2017, this happened to many Americans resulting in a loss of $58 million.

This bewildered Karl and he realized Americans can’t visualize their financial condition and thus fail to plan accordingly. So, what can be better than someone analyzing the financial condition taking into account the American financial system?

Karl decided to make use of AI and ML and thus launching a tool to help Americans make better financial decisions and make them debt-free.

The Beginning

The co-founders realized that the loan market was running only on the basis of who can bring customers thereby providing loans at the lowest interest. The loan officers were only interested in this part and hence there was neither security nor proper future planning for the customers. This led them to establish LoanSnap and improve the loan market and make it more productive and efficient.

Funding and Investors

This AI-driven start-up raised $8 million in July 2018. The company also launched a service for military personnel in the same year. This was a huge step for LoanSnap as they started expanding their options and giving more than just conventional mortgages. Since then LoanSnap has received enormous positive feedback from its customers and also from many business tycoons. In 2018, LoanSnap also acquired Costa Mesa, a California-based start-up.

In January 2019, the company raised another $4.7 million from major investors such as Thomvest Ventures, Baseline Ventures, Branson’s Virgin Group, OVO Fund, Core Innovation Partners, and many more. After this funding round, the total capital raised by the company summed up to $17 million.

Success

Apart from the company making a lump sum amount of profit, it is highly dedicated toward making Americans take better decisions. So, it is not just a random loan company working at its best interest but also a community thinking about the well-being of its nation. They proved how technology can revolutionize every single product to a helpful asset in life.

Mirajobs

Mirajobs- The Dream Platform For Every Job Seeker

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Seeking a job either means mailing your resume to numerous companies or putting up your CV in different job portals. Most of us start for looking jobs when we are not satisfied with the current one. But, the major problem in this scenario is what if our boss comes to know about it? We can either lose our current job or get demoted. It becomes a very big risk for us to apply for different jobs when we are already working for a company. This is where the platform of Mirajobs comes as a boon in the life of every job seeker out there. Mirajobs, a job search platform launched in 2018 helps to shroud your identity and find the perfect job for you. This way one doesn’t have to risk the current job and can apply for better positions.

Anthony Jones, famous as a software engineer in Vancouver launched this platform in the Canadian market. Currently, the platform is active in the U.S as well.

Anthony Jones

Anthony is very much into programming and embracing his technical skills. But, at the same time, the sphere of entrepreneurship intrigues him deeply. He created mirajobs.com as a perfect amalgamation of technology and a contribution to the business world.

The platform is of huge interest to both the recruiters and the job seekers especially because of the confidentiality factor. Anthony created mirajobs.com mainly for the IT professionals. He also loves to write and thus maintains his blogging website.

What is Mirajobs?

There are several reasons why we can’t have enough satisfaction from our current job. Low pay scale, poor working environment, and lack of respect are some of the reasons. But, the main struggle comes when one needs to find a replacement. A lot of time and energy is invested in this entire process of sending resumes, going to interviews, etc.

But, in Mirajobs, the process of seeking employment is made easier than ever. It is very simple and efficient. The recruiter’s post for the position and basic requirements and the job seekers anonymously put up their resumes. If the recruiters like a particular CV they continue the process by contacting them personally. Since the name of the job seekers is not displayed in the first place, the platform serves the purpose of a secure job search perfectly.

Strategies and Uniqueness

The best part of applying through the platform of mirajobs.com is that your identity is secure. This way the candidate feels safer and more people tend to use this website for job search. Mirajobs also don’t demand cover letters or proper resumes form the applying candidates, which saves the time of both the recruiters and job seekers. Mentioning the skills you have are enough for the recruiters to proceed with any potential employee.

Another main reason why Mirajobs is getting very famous is the multiple profile strategy. One single person can make more than one profile thus applying for a variety of jobs. One just has to mention the skills he or she has for that position of responsibility.

The job-seeking strategies in Mirajobs do play an ace for the job seeker. Once the recruiters send the invitations to the candidates, the candidates have the high ground as they can decide whether to take the offer or let it go. Moreover, the salary negotiation is also a very vital point as the job seekers mention the minimum required salary in their profile. So, in case of an argument arises it is likely to happen what the candidate wants and not the recruiter.

Another best part about Mirajobs is you can always look for a better job even if you are satisfied with your new job. Because, if you are lucky enough to land a better-salaried job or a job with a better position you can always negotiate with your current company.

Growth

Mirajobs is a one-year-old company trying to resolve the employment issue in the American market. The company has received enough recognition in a year but haven’t landed any big investors yet. But, the vision of Mirajobs is innovative enough to make its success rate grow exponentially.

Currently, the company’s headquarters are based in Vancouver. And, there are less than fifty employees in the team. The goal of Mirajobs is to change the entire way people look at the process of employment. And, it expects every job seeker to sign in at Mirajobs for their betterment.

digit Insurance Logo

Digit Insurance Becomes Asia’s General Insurance Company Of The Year In 2019

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Digit Insurance is a general insurance company where one gets any type of insurance done under the same roof. Kamesh Goyal founded the company in 2016 and it received a license in 2017.

Insurance becomes a very vital part of our life when future planning comes into play. Medical insurance, car insurance, home insurance and whatnot. Insurance plays a key role in our present and future lives which cannot be ignored. Our well-being partly depends on proper insurance.

We often tend to make different insurance from different sources. And, most of the time we just listen to some of our relatives and go to the same company. But, a decision which is as vital as insurance should be a properly thought decision. And, moreover wouldn’t it be so much better if one single company providing you with all kinds of insurance?

Digit Insurance is a general insurance company where one gets any type of insurance done under the same roof. Kamesh Goyal founded the company in 2016 and it received a license in 2017.

Kamesh graduated with a B.Sc degree from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He also studied law from Delhi University and then pursued his MBA under the same. His first job was at The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. where he worked for nine years.

About the Founder

Kamesh also worked at the Allianz India Liaison office and served as both the CEO and COO of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. He also served in many positions at Allianz Asset Management. And, in 2016 he finally executed his plan of Digit Insurance.

The Beginning

Kamesh had good experience in the sector of insurance. He worked for different companies and in different prestigious positions for more than twenty years. One important thing that Kamesh noticed during this time is the communication gap is very vivid between the company and the customer.

The insurance sector has made significant development in the past seventeen years. But, only 29% of the total customers are satisfied with the services provided and the terms of the insurance. So, until and unless the company understands the needs and demands of their customers, they cannot come up with something fruitful. This sense of miscommunication drives Kamesh to establish a company providing what is necessary and basic.

Strategies

No matter what field one chooses today, high tech is always a pre-requisite. So, Digit Insurance from the very beginning decided to invest in technology.

When Kamesh established Digit, Fairfax Group saw a huge opportunity and potential in this company. So, they bought 45% stake in the company for 350 crores. This became the highest amount received by a start-up in the insurance sector.

Kamesh decided to offer every kind of insurance to his customers. For motor insurance, Digit collaborated with 250 strategic partners with increased over the years. One way to be on track without competitors is tying up with them. So, Digit also came in partnership with Paytm and Amazon.

A good start

Insurance is a sector which is in demand for every class of people. So, once the company starts making money, good policies and good terms can keep you on track. Within four months of launching, Digit Insurance landed 1.5 lakh customers and 100 crores in pocket.

Funding

In July 2018, the company raised $44 million in the second round of funding. This summed up the total funding raised by Digit Insurance to $94 million.

In 2020, the company raised $84 million from A91, Faering, and TVS Capital. The company which is just two years old is doing absolutely brilliant. The last funding has led Digit’s total fundraising to $224 million. Digit currently serves more than five million customers with extremely diversified categories of insurance.

Success

In 2019, Digit bagged the award of Asia’s General Insurance Company of the year 2019. The customer rating is highly lucrative and impressive. Digit Insurance has also been listed in India’s top two start-ups for consecutive two years. And, it is the only Indian insurance company to be listed in the Global Fintech List. It is absolutely remarkable to witness a young company growing so fast.

Since Digit focuses on the implementation of technology from the first, they are using AI and ML-based tools to prevent fraud. Because, for an insurance company, fraud is the biggest threat. They are experimenting with new tools now but this is going to be very effective in the long run.