Welcome to your newsletter featuring the most important news curated this week in tech and innovation.

Facts and Stats

Nokia pitches power of metaverse for enterprise. A study commissioned by Nokia and Ernst & Young (EY) reinforces Nokia’s vision that the industrial metaverse is an extension of Industry 4.0.

​Change Fatigue In Digital Transformation: Where Has All The Value Gone? The volume of change that organizations must absorb keeps increasing. Organizations can’t afford to progress fatigued employees, and those with progress fatigue will have a hard time staying competitive.

Gen Z customers would rather ghost you than complain. A recent customer service relevance report highlights a rising "ghosting" trend among Generation Z customers. Most of Gen Z now prefer silently disengaging from a brand without notice rather than raising a complaint.

High-performance products are boosting sales. A recent GFK study shows that consumers who still buy technology and durable products are more likely to choose high-performance products that offer an improved or richer experience.

Retail research from Kantar and Nexi reveals local shopping preferences in Europe. Research revealed that 68% of people surveyed had bought online from a local shop in the previous month. Consumers indicated they do so primarily (47%) because it feels good to support small / local businesses, while 29% indicated it is because it feels more personal or familiar. Find out more here.

YouTube’s Culture & Trends Report: Moving at the speed of culture. Youtube releases a new global report on YouTube culture and trends, which looks at how creators are using ground-breaking tools and technologies to take pop culture in an exciting new direction. The full report here.

The Number

100 millions

is the estimated number of workers around the world who take psychometric tests, designed to assess personality and aptitudes, which represents an annual market of 2 billion dollars, according to a recent article in the New York Times. 

Who’s Innovating

L’Oréal Announces Big Bang Beauty Tech & Innovation Challenge in North Asia. L’Oréal has announced the launch of the Big Bang Beauty Tech & Innovation Challenge (“Big Bang Program”) in North Asia, the first regional open innovation initiative focused on driving co-creation and co-development of innovative beauty products and experiences across China, Korea and Japan.

SiMa.ai Launches Partner Program to Accelerate AI Innovation at the Edge. SiMa.ai, the machine learning company delivering solutions for the embedded edge, today launched its Partner Program with leading vendors in the ML edge marketplace.

Top Takeaways from Dell Technologies World 2023. Resiliency is an essential quality in the ever-changing technology industry. Since its inception in 1984, Dell has proved its resiliency many times, reshaping its strategy and offerings to stay ahead of the technology curve.

9 ways young people are building the social and solidarity economy. These young peoples' mission is straightforward: they aim to transform the social and solidarity economy into a blueprint for their generation’s collective growth.

JCDecaux Oman unveils an extraordinary innovation. In a remarkable collaboration with Al Daud Restaurants, JCDecaux Oman has unveiled an extraordinary innovation that is set to revolutionize the coffee-drinking experience for residents and visitors in Muscat.

AWS launches $100M program to fund generative AI initiatives. Amazon, keen to avoid being left behind in the hyper-competitive AI race, is launching a new program to bolster customers and partners focused on generative AI.

ESG and Social Impact

Startup Stories

Google announces second edition of ‘Startup School’ starting July 11. Google on Friday said it was launching the second edition of its Startup School program starting July 11, in collaboration with Startup India which has helped with the program design and outreach this year.

The World's Top 100 Private Deep Tech Companies. The XB100 is the definitive ranking of the world’s top 100 private deep technology companies, brought to you by XPRIZE and Bessemer Venture Partners.

How 100 VC Rejections Led To A $26 Billion Startup For This 35-Year-Old. Despite having zero Silicon Valley connections, this founder pitched her idea to 100 venture capitalists and was turned down every time. But she did not give up.

Five Japanese Startup Companies to be Featured in Innovation Showcase of 2023 Japan–US Innovation Awards Program. Each year, the Innovation Showcase recognizes up to five exceptional Japanese startup companies built around new technologies and innovative business ideas that have the potential for major worldwide impact

Fortune Global 500 Companies Offer Suggestions for Open Innovation and Growth Strategies for Korean Startups. Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and Korea Development Bank (KDB) Diagnose Global Industry Challenges with Top 10 Global Companies.

Peer Interviews makes interview preparation a breeze. This startup lets you find suitable interview partners to practice with before your interviews.

Recruiting automation startup Humanly lands $12M as it doubles down on AI. Customers such as Microsoft, the Seattle Storm, and Moss Adams use Humanly to screen job candidates, schedule interviews, automate initial communication, run reference checks, and more.

This Swedish EV Startup Is The 'Anti-Tesla'. In many ways, Luvly is everything that Tesla isn't. Its vehicles are built primarily for urban environments, and its unique flat-pack design helps reduce shipping costs and emissions.

Y Combinator alum Rever revs up e-commerce returns with an additional €7.5 million. The Spanish startup provides e-commerce retailers with the ability to offer customers returns in just two clicks and money back in seconds.

Tech News

Best Practices

A CEO shares the exact scripts she uses to ask for clarification and communicate seamlessly with her team. If you have ever worked with a manager who thinks out loud, you will understand the value of these techniques.

How Creators Are Using MyyShop to Effortlessly Sell Online. Launched in 2020 by ecommerce leader DHgate, MyyShop simplifies social commerce with easy-to-create landing pages and AI-driven product recommendations to help creators find the best products for their audience.

Alibaba split: what are the six units of the Chinese eCommerce company? The e-commerce giant announced in March it will split into six business units, each with its own CEO and board of directors, and adopt a holding company management model, in the biggest revamp of its 24-year history.

Publicis Groupe and Born Bred team up to launch Born Blak initiative. This program aims to reduce First Nations disadvantage and create opportunities for First Nations content creators who have been underrepresented in Australian marketing and communications for far too long.

How Digital Flow Delivers High Velocity Moments That Matter. In an uncertain economic environment, companies face tough choices regarding their digital customer experience investments, despite strong consumer sentiment.

Coach transforms Boeing 747 into an immersive retail concept store in Malacca. American luxury brand Coach has introduced an extraordinary retail experience by converting a Boeing 747 aircraft into a unique concept store at the Freeport A’Famosa Outlet in Malacca.

Events

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