​Founded in 2008, Sydney Angels is an angel investing network that connects investors with startups in their early stages. Over more than 15 years of constant growth, Sidney Angels, comprising over 100 members, has stayed true to its cause, establishing itself as a key player in Australia's entrepreneurial landscape.

Sydney Angels members use an investment vehicle called Sydney Angels Sidecar Fund (SASF), a $10 million fund that co-invests with members in early-stage businesses. SASF follows a 50/50 investment structure, where for every dollar a Sydney Angels member invests, the fund matches it with an equal amount. By investing with members, SASF reduces the time it takes to complete an investment round. The fund also provides follow-on capital, offering additional funding in later rounds to startups that need it. Not every startup may approach the SASF directly. Only those already backed by a Sydney Angels syndicate can seek co-investment from the fund.

Various aspects set the group apart from others angel investors. Sydney Angels has invested in more than 90 carefully selected firms that show strong return potential. Its investment process is structured around "opt-in syndicates," where interested members collaborate to conduct thorough due diligence, both on their own and as a group, evaluating the merits and potential returns of each deal.

Membership with Sydney Angels offers several benefits. The group's 17-year strong reputation leads to a curated pipeline of solid investment options. Members also benefit from administrative support for daily operations and assistance from partner organizations. The group also employs a specialized online platform to make investing easier. For new members, Sydney Angels offers written guides and training on how to judge deals and manage investments.

​The pandemic, which hit five years ago, pushed healthcare systems, drug companies, and MedTech firms to step up their work on tools that save and enhance lives. Today, organizations have created healthcare technology and equipment and advanced procedures to improve diagnosis, treatment, and care quality.

In 2020, mRNA technology grabbed headlines with COVID-19 vaccines, marking a shift from traditional vaccine methods. This technology uses messenger ribonucleic acid, а molecule carrying DNA's instructions. In vaccines, mRNA directs cells to create а specific viral protein that triggers the body's immune system. After working well against COVID-19, experts are exploring its use for other diseases like Zika.

Gene therapy is helping in the development of solutions for hearing problems such as congenital deafness. Some people are born with a broken otoferlin (OTOF) gene, which stops inner ear hair cells from producing the protein needed to send sound signals to the brain. At Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, doctors performed a minimally invasive surgery to deliver a working copy of this gene into a child's inner ear using a harmless virus as a carrier. The young patient, profoundly deaf for eleven years, began hearing sounds. For deaf people, this treatment means they can now hear danger signals and feel less alone. Being able to hear sounds enhances safety and combats the sadness and dark thoughts that can come from being isolated from others.

At the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, researchers developed a method to help stroke patients move their limbs again. The technique involves implanting an electrode along the spine to deliver electrical pulses. These signals boost the weak nerve messages from the brain that strokes had blocked, enabling patients with long-term arm and hand paralysis to regain arm and hand mobility. The method showed immediate functional gains, with patients experiencing benefits even after removing the temporary implants.

Youth unemployment is a big challenge in developed countries, including the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in July 2023, the youth labor force in the country stood at 23.7 million. Here, youth refers to people aged 16 to 24 years. Only 21.6 million of these youth were employed, with a youth unemployment rate of 8.7 percent. This was more than double the adult unemployment rate of 3.5 percent and slightly higher than the July 2022 youth unemployment rate of 8.5 percent.

There are many reasons why youth unemployment is high. Two of these are lack of entrepreneurial support and capital to build businesses.

Inadequate entrepreneurial support limits the ability of youth to start and grow their own businesses. A possible solution for this is to match entrepreneurial college graduates with retired business people, providing a bridge through which the young can learn from the experienced about starting, running, and growing businesses. Pairing the seasoned with the young and energetic will increase the likelihood of youth building successful businesses.

Regarding access to capital, while there are currently many ways that youth can raise venture capital for their businesses, these support structures are inadequate. The government can step in by giving tax credits to youth-led businesses. This way, youth make up for the operating losses they incur when they start their businesses with the credits. This increases the probability of youth-led businesses growing and thriving.

​Neurostimulation, which uses small doses of electricity to disrupt pain signals in the brain, holds promise for people who have not responded well to back surgery or other treatments. Also known as spinal cord stimulation, the technology consists of a generator and leads connecting electrodes implanted near the backbone. The generator is usually placed in the lower abdomen or buttocks. In addition, a remote control for the battery-powered, doctor-programmed device allows the patient to adjust the signal for different positions and activities.

Neurostimulators have proven successful not only for failed back surgeries. They can also relieve pain from nerve damage, epilepsy, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Unlike medications that affect the entire body, neurostimulators target only the affected area. Moreover, doctors can implant one for a one-week trial to determine if the patient wants one permanently. However, it is not appropriate for people with mental health issues whose pain stems mostly from psychological sources.

​
One popular method of valuing tech companies is discounted cash flow (DCF). This method is deeply rooted in finance and is built on the premise that a company is worth the present value of all the cash it will generate in future.

To calculate the value of a company using DCF, investors first determine the revenue the company is currently generating. They then deduct expenses (operational, interest, and capital expenses) as well as taxes to get the cash it is currently earning.

Afterward, investors use growth projections to estimate the company’s net cash flows years into the future, typically five years out. Once they have projected earnings for each of the coming five years, they apply a discount rate on each year to get the present value of this cash, taking into account inflation.

Usually, the discount rate is the interest cost on debt capital. However, some investors use different rates in line with how risky they see the business or their preferred rate of return. Generally, the higher the discount rate, the riskier investors see the business. Hence, established businesses often get low discount rates while startups get high rates.

Afterward, investors add the present value of the future cash flows. This is the value of the business today. It’s worth noting that investors have to take cognizance of several factors while using DCF. An example is rapid technological advancements that may increase or disrupt earnings. Economic and regulatory changes may also affect future cash flows.

​ESG investing is an investment method that focuses on improved environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes. It is a way of investing sustainably, considering how the investment decisions will affect the well-being of the environment, human beings, and the economy.

One key strategy for ESG investing is negative screening, also known as exclusionary screening. This involves excluding certain companies or sectors from a portfolio by determining the exclusion criteria ahead of time, depending on a specific goal. For instance, if the objective of the investment is to minimize the impact of climate change, it may be worthwhile to remove all fossil fuel companies from the portfolio.

Another effective strategy for ESG investing is positive screening. This strategy, also known as best-in-class screening, involves selecting the best-performing companies from a given industry using certain characteristics as criteria. Unlike negative screening, which looks for exclusion criteria, positive screening looks for criteria and performance measures for including companies in the portfolio.

There is also the portfolio tilt method. As the name suggests, this ESG investment strategy involves adjusting the percentage of ESG investments in a portfolio. The idea is to have more ESG investments than non-ESG investments in the portfolio. This portfolio tilt strategy is a relatively low-risk investment strategy.

​In June 2023, researchers from Baylor University and Oregon State University made a groundbreaking discovery about how to significantly reduce the energy consumption of photonic chips, which are used in supercomputers and data centers. The research, supported by the US National Science Foundation, was published in Nature Scientific Reports.

Today, data centers are integral to the world’s digital infrastructure. However, just one data center consumes as much energy as about 50 office buildings. As of June 2023, the United States had over 2,600 data centers. Data centers must consume less energy to make the digital evolution more sustainable.

Currently, photonic chips use particles of light called photons to transmit data rapidly. Unfortunately, this means they require high electricity to stabilize their temperatures and maintain their performance.

In their breakthrough, researchers from the two universities made working prototypes of photonic chips whose temperatures they could keep stable using gate voltage, that is, without electric current. This new technology could reduce the need to control photonic chip temperatures by as high as 1 million. This will allow scientists to keep building on the speed and capacity of data centers without compromising the environment.

​Roots of Peace teaches farmers from countries impacted by war to grow crops with higher yields and greater financial value. Its staff sources the equipment, training, and chemicals needed to prepare the land, as well as farmers to grow the crops. Throughout the process, beneficiaries use techniques that promote environmental sustainability.

In addition, Roots of Peace installs equipment for packaging, preserving, and transporting goods. The organization connects farmers with local, nationwide, and even global markets so they can export their crops to the countries with the highest demand.

This holistic approach enables Roots of Peace to create lasting change. Because the organization targets subsistence farmers who primarily grow wheat, a crop with low profits that harms the land in the long term, it maximizes the impact of its programs on local economies and families. The new profits allow farm families to afford better health care and let their children attend school rather than work at home.

​Having previously served as an attorney in both Australia and the United States, Graham R. Taylor is currently a principal of Marquis Advisory, an international business consulting firm in San Francisco. Graham R. Taylor maintains a professional interest in new medical devices, such as a robot that mimics the movements of surgeons when operating on the female reproductive system.

Manufactured by the Israeli company Memic Innovative Surgery, the Hominis Surgical System can perform transvaginal hysterectomies, ovarian cyst removals, and other procedures. Duplicating human movements, the device uses shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints that move through 360 degrees. Under the control of the surgeon at all times, the system includes a console that allows them to monitor the operation through miniature cameras inserted through the abdomen. Since the surgery device is inserted through the vagina, fewer incisions are required than usual. Company officials say the robot produces less postoperative pain, reduces the chance of infection, and allows for a swifter recovery.

The FDA approved Hominis in 2021 and it is currently being used in three South Florida hospitals. A clinical study of 30 patients reported a 100 percent success rate.