All posts tagged: battlefields

From the stage to the future: Where are Startup Battlefield’s alumni now?

From the stage to the future: Where are Startup Battlefield’s alumni now?

Published by skeptic

Some of the most consequential companies in tech history didn’t launch with a splashy fundraising announcement. They started with a pitch. Dropbox demoed to a room of skeptics. Cloudflare took the stage before most people understood what edge networking meant. Discord was a scrappy game developer called Hammer & Chisel. Mint, Trello, Forethought, N26 — all of them passed through the same crucible: TechCrunch Startup Battlefield. That’s not a coincidence. Battlefield isn’t just a competition. It’s a launchpad, and the numbers back it up. More than 1,700 companies have competed on the Battlefield stage. Together, they’ve raised $32 billion in total funding and generated over 250 exits — including acquisitions by Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Salesforce, Twitter, Uber, and Amazon. The Startup Battlefield network runs so deep that alumni have even acquired each other: Dropbox acquired fellow Startup Battlefield alum DocSend in 2021. For thousands of founders, it’s become a defining milestone — not just a pitch competition, but the moment the world started paying attention. And you actually still have a chance to join that …

How the word ‘cravat’ came from the battlefields of 17th century Europe : NPR

How the word ‘cravat’ came from the battlefields of 17th century Europe : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Men dressed in traditional 17th century uniform line up during a ceremony marking the “Cravat Day” in central Zagreb on October 18, 2011. Hrvoje Polan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Hrvoje Polan/AFP via Getty Images For many in the business world, a return to work after the winter break will mean once again donning the dreaded suit and tie. The corporate neckwear is the everyday counterpart to the traditionally more luxurious cravat – a voluminous neckscarf that conjures up images of opulent dinners aboard a yacht sailing through the Mediterranean. President Abraham Lincoln wore cravats, as did Hollywood actor Cary Grant and the extravagant entertainer Liberace. In more recent times, the garment has been popularized in the American mainstream by the likes of Madonna and the late Diane Keaton. American pianist Liberace (Władziu Valentino Liberace, 1919-1987), waves as he descends the stairs of his plane on a visit to Britain, London Airport, March 30th, 1960. Evening Standard/Getty Images/Hulton Archive hide caption toggle caption Evening Standard/Getty Images/Hulton Archive In this installment of NPR’s “Word …