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85%The percentage drop in new unicorns in 2022A combination of geopolitical conflict, inflation, and rising interest rates has made tech investors across the world more conservative. Over the course of 2022, the number of new unicorns — startups with a valuation over $1 billion — fell 85% from the first quarter to the fourth, according to market research platform CB Insights.
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78%Percentage of startup founders who have left Belarus following a disputed 2020 election and the Russian invasion of UkraineTens of thousands of tech workers have fled Belarus amid accusations of election fraud and police violence against protesters. The exodus was exacerbated by Belarus facilitating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to a survey carried out last summer by Imaguru Hub, 78% of Belarusian startup founders had moved out of the country, with a lack of access to funding and investors cited as a key concern.
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23 millionThe number of subscribers YouTuber MrBeast has gotten on his Spanish-dubbed channelYouTubers around the world have been accumulating millions of more subscribers by hiring companies to release their videos in other languages. One dubbing company, Unilingo, estimates it has generated nearly $10 million for creators by re-releasing their content, dubbed and circulated in different languages.
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90%The percentage of kidnappings in São Paulo that originated from a dating appPolice statistics show that nine out of 10 kidnappings in São Paulo in the past year have occurred after a date was arranged through Tinder and similar apps. The rise in scams has coincided with the widespread adoption of dating apps and mobile payment. Criminals use fake dating app profiles to lure unsuspecting targets to a private place, and then take their money using an instant QR payment method.
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30%India’s tax rate for digital asset incomeHigh taxes have almost killed the cryptocurrency ecosystem in India. Since April 2022, all income from virtual digital assets has been taxed at a hefty 30%, with an additional 1% charged as tax deducted at source for every transaction over 10,000 rupees ($121). Trading volumes across Indian cryptocurrency exchanges fell by around 70% after this tax regime was announced, according to crypto exchange Giottus.