SoftBank Investment Advisers

57% of CHROs have had to rethink the employee value proposition since the pandemic, according to our latest survey of CHROs. “We’re in a space where people are more burned out and overwhelmed than ever before,” says Jennifer Dulski, founder and CEO of Rising Team, who also teaches management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. “People want stability, because nothing has been stable. And they want connection, because so many people are not together in the office.” Our recent story takes a deep dive into this data point, exploring how companies are navigating a new normal by shifting priorities and adapting policies, practices, and organizational culture to keep employees happy and stay ahead of the curve. https://lnkd.in/gVbGJP8e #data #chro #evp

Finding cures for diseases like Parkinson’s means leaving no stone unturned. On the verge of developing a new kind of molecule to help combat the neurodegenerative condition, Ventus Therapeutics screened a documentary film about Parkinson’s for the entire company. The next day they invited a specialist to speak to everyone. On the third day, a patient with a severe form of Parkinson's shared his experience living with the disease. All three events were mandatory for employees, whether they were an accountant or a chemist. What was the impact? “Try telling someone at the company today that we’re giving up on Parkinson’s,” says CEO Marcelo Bigal. “They’re going to fight for it. The accountant is going to find money for Parkinson’s. This is our disease. Those events touched everyone at the company. They changed us.” Read our full Q&A with Bigal that spotlights how Ventus’s approach to drug discovery is unquestionably people-centered. https://lnkd.in/gveCgDTF #biotech #medicine #innovation

Plagued by droughts and hampered by a lack of resources like fertilizer or seeds, many farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa are falling behind. Raised on a one-acre farm in a remote corner of Kenya, it’s a problem Benjamin Njenga saw firsthand — and then set out to solve. Today, he serves as the co-founder and chief customer officer of Apollo Agriculture, a company that’s leveraging AI, satellite data, and mobile commerce to help small-scale farmers just like his mother increase productivity and profitability. “The beauty with Apollo is that the more successful the farmers we serve, the more successful we are,” Njenga says. Read the full story for more on how Apollo has found business success while changing lives for the better. https://lnkd.in/gDcRN7aK #startup #agtech #ai

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At travel management platform TravelPerk, every single hire gets a culture interview. And if an employee doesn’t fit the culture, they let them go — even if their performance is high. “It’s tempting to ignore a high performer who’s a poor culture fit because you want numbers, growth, validation,” says CEO Avi Meir. “But for me, I’m willing to give those up. I trust that things will work out. And they often do when I stick to those values.” Today, TravelPerk has 1,200 employees spread between its Barcelona headquarters and offices across the world. Our recent Q&A with Meir dives into how human connection has been the key to the company’s success. https://lnkd.in/gX5Yjh-Y #tech #culture #talent

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“It’s like that old Jerry Maguire line: You had me at hello.” That’s how ContractPodAi founder Sarvarth Misra describes the buzz around selling generative AI. The startup’s generative AI-based legal services hub, Leah, has attracted widespread customer enthusiasm — but Misra stresses the ethical importance of tempering client expectations with a dose of reality. He makes sure to carefully outline what generative AI can and cannot do, and never promises perfection. Long term, he believes that AI can reshape the legal profession, but that change will be gradual. We spoke to Misra and three other founders about how they are prioritizing ethics while approaching AI. https://lnkd.in/gDBEdKAk #AI #tech #law

Congratulations to our colleagues and Tim Mackey for being recognized by the FT as one of the Top 10 innovative in-house legal teams in Asia Pacific. The team was named "standout" in the "commercial and strategic" advice category.  We were also delighted to see our portfolio company Klook make the list. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eFRjCHfG

Last week CNBC named a number of our portfolio companies on its Disruptor 50 List, which recognizes AI-led disruption. We’re proud to partner with these global pioneers at the forefront of “better, faster, and cheaper innovation": Alto Pharmacy - building the world’s most patient-centric pharmacy Cityblock Health - delivering tech-driven care in communities with complex health and social needs Chime - driving innovation, inclusion and access across the banking industry ElevateBio - powering the development of innovative cell and gene therapies Zūm- reimagining student transportation through its cloud-based platform Read more here: https://lnkd.in/diSYSSdQ

Well before ChatGPT or generative AI had entered the zeitgeist, contract management platform Icertis had put AI to work. The company developed testing regimens to validate the accuracy of its AI systems and organized itself for accountability in the ethical use of AI. That was in the 2010s. Today, nearly three-quarters of enterprise customers insist on AI ethics audits. As machine learning continues to evolve, it’s clear that the complexities of regulation will too. “This is all going to get harder to manage before it gets easier,” co-founder Monish Darda says. “Having some maturity helps.” Learn how Icertis and three other startups are navigating AI’s ethical challenges in ways that strengthen their products and companies. https://lnkd.in/gKpPJ3CK #AI #ethics #regulation