1st Week in Review — October. Andreessen Horowitz Opens School…
By: Nvelop Holding
Tags: VC, Crypto, Startup, Samsung, Blockchain

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Andreessen Horowitz Opens School Focused on Crypto Startups

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) announced on Oct 3 of opening a school specializing in startups aiming to develop cryptocurrency-related projects saying that it intends to “encourage more tech entrepreneurs to start crypto projects and help crypto-curious builders navigate the idea maze.” An array of industry players has rolled out education-related initiatives in recent months. Privacy-centric computing network and app ecosystem Blockstack announced partnership with skills-based online school Lambda School. Students enrolled in the program can reportedly now learn how to code Blockstack apps and earn monthly revenue through its App Mining Program.

Japan’s Kanto Region to Track Surplus Solar Energy with Power Ledger

Power Ledger, Australian tech firm will run another blockchain-enabled energy trading trial in Japan’s Kanto region with Japanese solar provider Sharing Energy and electricity retailer eRex by December 2019. The new Power Ledger’s trial will track surplus solar energy levels and electricity trading, integrating blockchain-enabled P2P platform with household smart meter systems in the Kanto region, the second largest sub-national economy in the world after California in the United States. The trial is expected to affect over 500,000 solar energy consumers. It intends to demonstrate the benefits of distributed energy systems in countering the significant feed-in-tariff (FIT) reduction, allow trial participants to set prices and track energy trading in real time to demonstrate settlement of surplus solar transactions.

Samsung-Backed Blockchain Firm Launches in UAE After Securing $16M

After securing successful funding of $16 million, Blocko, a South Korean blockchain provider, launched in the United Arab Emirates partnering with SEED Group, a member of the Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum in the UAE. The Fund raise took place in funding rounds. South Korea’s oldest bank, Shinhan Bank, as well as KEB Hana Bank, LB Investment and Dadam Investment are among those who participated in the funding round. The blockchain company is set to bring its Aergo platform to the Middle East. Blocko previously completed 38 full-scale enterprise blockchain solutions in South Korea for companies like Samsung, Hyundai Motors and Cisco.

Algorand Integrates Tech to Bring Users Detailed Analysis of Largest Blockchains.

PARSIQ monitoring system is enabling the ability to analyze the largest blockchains to Algorand’s platform. PARSIQ is a monitoring tool for compliance officers, market analysts, blockchain developers and researchers. It makes the “broad view” of the blockchain easier for users, from interpreting reams of data to tracking and analyzing movements on the network. “There’s a need to both simplify experiences and also give people better information about network application performance, and we think the work PARSIQ is doing will be a great addition for people developing on the Algorand blockchain.” Said by Algorand CEO Steve Kokinos.

Written by Colin Kaye, chief writer at Nvelop Holding, a middle east based investment firm focussed on Blockchain and fintech.