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cassh24sg · 3 years

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Purdue shows freezing price of veterinary school is possible – News

Dean Willie Reed

Purdue University photo by Kevin Doerr

Purdue University isn’t the only institution holding tuition fees, but it’s the longest with a decade, says Dr. Willie Reed, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine (foreground).

There are two ways schools can use to lessen the crushing student loan debt faced by veterinarians entering the world of work with loans that are double their starting salary, says Dr. Willie Reed, longtime dean of Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

“They are fixing tuition fees or increasing scholarships,” he noted.

Purdue University, under the direction of its notoriously frugal President Mitch Daniels, chose to do both, largely by freezing tuition fees on campus in West Lafayette, Indiana for a decade.

The goal – to keep veterinary studies and fees at around $ 20,000 per year for Indiana residents and $ 44,700 per year for non-residents with occasional fee increases – is to make education more affordable, especially for those who live in the state. At the Veterinary School, half of Purdue’s students are Hoosiers.

Like many in the profession, Reed views educational debt as the profession’s Achilles heel and supports his institution’s commitment to affordability. Across the country, veterinary education is more expensive than ever – between $ 19,616 and $ 72,292 per year in tuition and fees, depending on the student’s program and residency status – which presents most aspiring practitioners with a tough choice: abandon their dream career or risk piling up heavens – heavy debts.

Both are unacceptable to Reed: “Not preventing people from training – that’s so important.”

It is not easy. As Daniels pushes an affordability mission, Reed must balance an annual operating budget of $ 75 million while building a $ 108 million teaching veterinary hospital due to open in March. His efforts are backed by an annual government grant of $ 18 million that goes directly to the program. Revenues from the existing teaching hospital and diagnostic laboratory have increased, and fundraising donations have increased, “so we did it,” Reed said.

Many other veterinary programs aren’t that lucky. Government funding for higher education in general has not fully recovered from the cuts made during the 2008 recession that put pressure on student revenues, according to a report by government higher education funding released earlier this year. That means climbing lessons and more credits to pay for. The total student loan debt in the United States is $ 1.71 trillion among 45 million borrowers with average monthly payments of about $ 300.

“Debt is growing steadily, and it’s not just for veterinary medicine,” Bridgette Bain, associate director of analytics for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said at a recent online symposium. “US Student debt has increased by 100% in all disciplines over the past ten years.

“We certainly don’t see tuition fees being reduced,” she said.

Veterinary borrowers had an average of $ 188,853 in debt after graduation in 2020 – up 43% from 2011. according to AVMA figures. The highest individual debt among fourth-year students who responded to an annual AVMA survey last year was half a million dollars.

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The average debt for Purdue’s completed veterinary class last year was $ 145,336, Reed said, and 88% of the class received help from the university in the form of scholarships and grants.

“Universities are not rolling back tuition fees,” he said. “Ultimately, for Purdue, I think the best we could hope for has been keeping tuition down. It’s expensive to train veterinary students.”

Going to the Veterinary School at Purdue is cheaper than most of the 33 schools in the US that American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges reported. Looking at 2020 data in the group’s cost comparison tool, four years of government research at Purdue cost $ 80,734, the cheapest option for Indiana residents and the cheapest program in the country when fees and cost of living are factored in. For non-residents, the program was ranked the sixth cheapest option over four years, with tuition fees of $ 180,089; $ 284,492 when cost of living is included.

A Cost of education card from the VIN Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the Veterinary Information Network, the VIN News Service, rates Purdue similarly.

According to data from AAVMC and VIN Foundation, only one US program charges its residents less: four years of veterinary class at North Carolina State University costs $ 78,479. The most expensive program in the country is at Midwestern University. The private four-year program in Glendale, Arizona alone costs nearly $ 260,000 in tuition. Add in cost of living and fees, and the cost to attend Midwestern could exceed $ 420,000.

When asked if Purdue’s shallow teaching piqued the curiosity of Reed’s colleagues in other programs, the dean replied with amusement. “You’d think I’d be inundated with questions from other colleges, but that’s not the case,” laughed Reed. “I don’t think I got a single question about how you do it.

“But that’s fine,” he continued. “We have a lot to be proud of. Our engagement office has secured millions of grants from the NIH [National Institutes of Health]. Our diversity programs are outstanding: In the last classes, 30% were underrepresented minorities. And there is no end date for keeping our tuition fees. I don’t see it going away that quickly. ”

Last month, Purdue University’s curators agreed to keep tuition fees frozen for the 2022-23 academic year.

Easier said than done

Tackling the student debt crisis was cited as a goal of a new veterinary school, the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, in its early stages of development in 2016 The program opened in August last year with 100 students, making it the 31st veterinary school in the country. Rather than following a traditional four-year calendar, the University of Arizona curriculum is condensed into three years, including summer, which ostensibly saves students time and money.

College officials initially aimed for tuition fees to be around $ 28,000 per year. They later found that this wasn’t financially feasible, soThe Arizona Board of Regents set tuition fees significantly higher: $ 45,000 per year for residents and $ 70,000 for nonresidents.

Dr. Julie Funk, who was hired as dean of the program in 2019, says she wishes she could do more keep student costs down, relying on divestments in higher education by state legislatures across the country, including Arizona. With little government funding other than a $ 8 million investment in 2016 to develop the college physically Institutions, the program relies heavily on tuition fees and start-up support from the university.

“The way we have our tuition fees, it’s a model that allows us to get from a startup to a break-even point between seven and ten years,” she said, noting that prices reflect the cost of resources Required for Starting a Business Veterinary College.

“To be honest, we have only just started generating sales,” continued Funk. “It’s like any other company. The university had to raise funds from other initiatives and invest in college, which we appreciate. But we also have to cover the cost of a veterinary college. That includes the cost of the faculty.” , Staff, student resources, facilities and animals. “

Funk came to Arizona from Michigan State University, where she served as Assistant Dean of Professional Academic Programs and Academic Achievement. In that capacity, she had a seat on the ring at the Economics of Veterinary Medical Education Summit, better known as the Fix the Debt Summit, the 180. pulled Attendees on the MSU campus in 2016 Brainstorm ways to reduce Student debt.

A common goal was set at the summit to reduce the debt-to-income ratio from 2 to 1 to 1.4 to 1 through a combination of measures, including obtaining interest waivers on student loans, Curb excessive student debt, increase staff salaries by 10% and reduce academic spending by 10%.

In many schools, however, enthusiasm for the initiative seems to have waned. “Paying off the debt,” said Funk, “is tough and very complex.” Many in academia are focused on government allocations and fundraising, maintaining accreditation, staffing concerns, and running a program amid the COVID-19 pandemic. You just don’t have the bandwidth to fully address the problem, she said.

“I don’t think people care,” said Funk. “I think it’s because there are no quick and easy solutions. I think there are some places where we’ve started initiatives, but other things are much more difficult. Certainly just the cost of veterinary training. ” “

The focus, she said, is on finding ways to cut overheads and invest in students.

“We’re really trying to use existing resources on campus so it’s not all de novo design and development, and the other part really focuses on the results of the first day so students are instantly productive in the field,” said Wireless. “Right now we can do that.”

Tomorrow: How Do Vets Do It Without Debt?

The VIN News Service comments are opinion pieces that present insights, personal experiences, and / or perspectives on current issues from members of the veterinary community. To submit a review for review, email [email protected].

source https://www.cassh24sg.com/2021/07/09/purdue-shows-freezing-price-of-veterinary-school-is-possible-news/

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brucetemmis · 3 years

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American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: small business relief

President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law Thursday, March 11. The new legislation comes as a follow-up to the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act.

The $1.9 trillion relief plan from the federal government includes benefits for individuals in the form of

Increased unemployment compensation funds

$1,400 economic impact payments

Increased child tax credits

Earned income tax credits

There are also several provisions that aim to help small businesses. The provisions place an emphasis on relief for restaurants and bars that have been severely impacted by COVID-19.

Note: The government has mentioned that there might be further negotiations and additions to what’s available under the new legislation. We will update this article as more information becomes available.

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Restaurant Revitalization Fund

One of the biggest small business resources in the American Rescue Act is the establishment of the $25 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which provides grants to make up for a restaurant’s pandemic-related revenue losses of up to $10 million, limiting the grant per physical location to $5 million.

Restaurants may use the funding for:

Payroll costs

Mortgage and rent payments

Utilities and maintenance expenses

Operational expenses

Paid sick leave

Supplies

The fund, which will be administered by the SBA, allocates $5 billion to restaurants whose gross receipts in 2019 were less than $500,000. During the first 21 days of the program, the organization will prioritize women- and veteran-owned restaurants. The SBA will also prioritize socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own businesses.

Public and government-managed businesses, entities, and affiliates with more than 20 locations are not qualified to receive the grant. You also are not eligible to receive the grant if you applied for a shuttered venue operator grant.

The SBA is planning on accepting applications in the next few weeks. We’ll update this article with a link when it becomes available.

Shuttered venue operator grants

Funding for shuttered venue operators grants increased by $1.5 billion. The grants are meant to help the following businesses whose revenue decreased by at least 25% during any quarter of 2020:

Live venue operators

Theatrical producers

Live performing arts organizations

Motion picture theater operators

Museum operators

Talent representatives

Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, businesses that received a PPP loan after December 27, 2020 were not eligible to apply for the grant. However, the American Rescue Act removed that restriction.

Instead, the SBA will deduct the PPP loan amount from the amount a business can receive in shutter venue operators grant funding.

Tax credits

Paid family and medical leave

The American Rescue Plan Act extends and increases the paid leave tax credits that were made available to employers under the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act.

Between April 1, 2021, and September 30, 2021, employers who voluntarily offer paid leave to eligible team members will receive a tax credit. The limit on the credit increased from $10,000 to $12,000 per employee. Providing leave is not required.

The tax credits are available to employers who provide paid sick and family leave for employees who are:

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine

Recovering from any injury, disability, or condition related to the vaccine

Awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test or diagnosis

The new law added a non-discrimination clause, meaning employers who discriminate against highly compensated employees, full-time employees, or employees with tenure when providing the leave will not receive the credit.

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Employee retention

The government originally set the Employee Retention Credit to expire on July 1, 2021 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act. But the American Rescue Act extended the provision availability to December 31, 2021.

The Employee Retention Credit encourages employers to keep their team on their payroll even if they aren’t working due to COVID-19 during the covered period. If you do keep your employees on your payroll, you can claim a credit for paying qualified wages to your team.

Businesses that saw a 50% decrease in gross receipts are eligible for a 50% refundable payroll tax credit against the employer portion of Medicare tax on wages paid up to $10,000 during the pandemic period.

Businesses with more than 100 employees can claim the credit for team members who are retained but not currently working. For businesses with 100 or fewer employees, the credit can be claimed for all employees. The new relief plan also extends eligibility to new startups that have annual gross receipts of up to $1 million.

The new rules also include a provision for “severely financially distressed employers.” If you experienced a gross receipts reduction of more than 90% when compared to the same quarter in 2019, you can consider all wages paid to employees as qualified wages, regardless of how many full-time employees you have.

Visit the IRS’ page on the employee retention credit to learn more about how to claim it.

Additional loan program funding

The American Rescue Act added resources to certain loan funds, including the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

Paycheck Protection Program

The new act added $7.25 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provides loans to small businesses that can be fully refundable as long as they are used correctly.

While the American Rescue Act did not extend the deadline to apply for the PPP from its current date of March 31, 2021, the legislation did decrease the eligibility standards for nonprofit organizations, digital media companies, sole proprietors, independent contractors, and people who are self-employed.

Learn more about the program in our articles about how to apply for the PPP and what it takes to receive full forgiveness.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan

The government also increased funding for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) by $15 billion. The program aims to provide aid to businesses who are experiencing loss of revenue due to COVID-19.

The SBA administers the loan and provides enough funding for businesses to cover financial obligations and operating expenses that they otherwise would have been able to pay for under normal circumstances.

The organization is targeting ⅓ of the funding to businesses that:

Have fewer than 10 employees

Suffered a revenue loss of greater than 50%

Are located in low-income areas

Learn more in our article about how to receive an EIDL.

The post American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: small business relief appeared first on Homebase.

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ericvick · 3 years

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Curaleaf expands its cannabis empire to Europe with a $286 million deal

Benzinga

Cannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana And Psychedelics Industry News Stories Of The Week

Welcome to the Cannabis Countdown, the Legal Marijuana Industry’s Number One Curated Weekly News Recap. In This Week’s Edition, We Recap and Countdown the Top 10 Cannabis and Psychedelics Industry News Stories for the Week of March 1st – 7th, 2021. Without further ado, let’s get started. * Yahoo Finance readers, please click here to view the full article. 10. Creso Pharma: A Global Cannabis Powerhouse in the Making With Canada Currently the Only Major Country at the Moment to Allow Recreational Cannabis Nationwide and Mexico and the U.S. Expected to Join Their Neighbour to the North By the End of 2021, Much of the Attention on the Cannabis Industry is Focused on the Americas These are no doubt groundbreaking advancements, but in an emerging industry in its infancy, it’s just the beginning. As the push for legalization in the U.S., Mexico, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific intensifies, Cannabis is ultimately going global. One company that is focused on exploring these international opportunities is Creso Pharma (OTC: COPHF). Based in Australia, and with operations around the world, Creso has emerged as a global cannabis industry leader. READ FULL CRESO PHARMA ARTICLE 9. Local Activists in Washington State Push For Psilocybin Decriminalization Voters in Spokane, Washington Could Make the City One of the Latest to Decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms Under a Proposed Ordinance That Was Recently Filed By Local Activists The initiative, which was introduced by the group Decriminalize Spokane, would make enforcement of laws prohibiting the personal possession, cultivation and limited distribution of Psilocybin for adults 21 and over among the city’s lowest priorities and would further ban officials from using “any city funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of laws imposing criminal penalties for the use, possession, transportation, cultivation, or distribution of psilocybin mushrooms.” READ FULL WASHINGTON PSILOCYBIN ARTICLE 8. The Race to Patent Psychedelics is Just Getting Started Psychedelics Now Appear in Patent Applications for Philip Morris E-Cigarettes, Periodontal Disease, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and Food Allergies Patent announcements are hard to miss in the Psychedelic field these days. Most recently, as Troy Farah wrote in Future Human, the biotech startup CaaMTech was granted a patent for the combination of Cannabis and Psilocybin. A patent application from mental health company Compass Pathways (NASDAQ: CMPS) garnered attention for including claims on very basic elements of psychedelic psychotherapy—from holding hands to using soft furniture. READ FULL PSYCHEDELIC PATENTS ARTICLE 7. Cannabis-Infused Beverage Sales Up 40%, Helped By Consumers Seeking Convenient Products Marijuana Beverage Companies, For Example, Have Been Cashing in on Health-Related Trends Such as Dry January, When Alcohol Drinkers Abstain for the Month and Look for Alternative Ways to Relax Sales of cannabis-infused beverages were up 40% last year, as companies sought to capitalize on new marijuana consumers seeking a familiar form of consumption and those looking for an alternative to alcoholic drinks. READ FULL CANNABIS BEVERAGES ARTICLE 6. Study Finds Ketamine Can Help Patients Manage Depression and PTSD On March 2, Associate Professor Monnica Williams, Who is Also the Canada Research Chair for Mental Health Disparities at the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology, Led an Online Seminar Entitled, “Psychedelics, Therapies, Research, and Training” During the seminar, Williams explained how Ketamine, a dissociative drug that can distort one’s environment and thoughts, can help patients overcome anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In her study, Williams wrote that ketamine can reduce depressive symptoms in patients and these benefits can last for nearly two weeks. Also in this study, Williams explains why ketamine alleviates symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ketamine, “produces [an altered] state of consciousness, promotes relief from negativity, [and produces] an openness to new perspectives.” READ FULL KETAMINE ARTICLE 5. Mexican Lawmakers Circulate Amended Marijuana Legalization Bill That’s Set For a Vote on Monday Lawmakers in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies Are Finally Set to Take Up a Bill to Legalize Marijuana Nationally in the Coming Days, But the Proposal Has Recently Been Subject to Several Significant Revisions Since Being Approved By the Senate Last Year First, a joint hearing of the chamber’s Health and Justice committees will take place on Monday, and a vote in the full chamber is expected the following day or on Wednesday. Advocates have been eagerly awaiting the introduction of new language, hopeful that it would address certain concerns with the Senate proposal, and now they’re getting details about what is being changed by the joint panels. READ FULL MEXICO CANNABIS ARTICLE 4. Peter Thiel-Backed Psychedelics Firm Hits $2-Billion Valuation Atai Life Sciences is Gearing Up for a Potential U.S. IPO as Soon as the Second Quarter, Sources Say Atai Life Sciences, a German startup looking into ways of using Psychedelic substances to treat mental health disorders, has been valued at about US$2 billion in a funding round ahead of its potential listing, people familiar with the matter said. Berlin-based Atai plans to hire Credit Suisse Group AG and Citigroup Inc. for a potential U.S. initial public offering that could take place as early as the second quarter, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. READ FULL ATAI ARTICLE 3. With Marijuana the Hot Theme of 2021, Here’s Why Red White & Bloom Could Be One of the Cannabis Sector’s Top Performers Anyone Remotely Familiar With Cannabis Investing Has Heard of High Times Magazine, However, Many Are Still Unaware of the Rising U.S. Marijuana Stock That Owns the Rights to High Times Branded Assets in Key U.S. Markets Red White & Bloom(OTCQX: RWBYF), a rising U.S. Multi-State Operator (MSO) with a growing American footprint that now includes California, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Massachusetts, has until now largely flown under most investors’ radar. READ FULL RWB ARTICLE 2. Will Hawaii Pass a Psilocybin Legalization Bill? Senator Chang Makes a Strong Case Last Month, a Group of Hawaiian Legislators Introduced a Bill That Would Legalize and Regulate Psilocybin, the Active Compounds in “Magic Mushrooms” “The reason I wanted to introduce this measure is that, as you know, in the 2020 election, a number of jurisdictions across the country, including Oregon, Oakland, Sacramento, Denver, Somerville, have moved forward with different legislation on Psilocybin and further research and application of its mental health properties. And I believe that Hawaii should be part of that movement,” said Hawaii Senator Stanley Chang, one of the bill’s proponents. READ FULL HAWAII PSILOCYBIN ARTICLE 1. Canopy, Creso, and Celebrities Including Martha Stewart Capitalize on Growing Pet CBD Industry While Developments in the Diversification of CBD Products Have Been Mainly Targeted Towards Humans, Celebrities and Companies Like Canopy Growth and Creso Pharma Are Cashing in on the CBD Industry Targeted Specifically to Our Furry Friends In addition to her best-selling Martha Stewart CBD gummies, Stewart has made the foray into CBD for pets, which is Stewart says is “a very fast-growing category,” when she appeared on Fox Businesses Mornings with Mindy on Monday, “That industry is going to be worth $10 billion by 2023, it’s estimated,” the popular house and home guru stated. Stewart has partnered with Canopy Growth (NYSE: CGC) to produce a variety of CBD-infused chews targeted at anxiety, wellness and mobility help for pets. Bruce Linton, the founder and former CEO of Canopy Growth, is now a strategic advisor for Creso Pharma (OTC: COPHF), which has been researching pet products in Switzerland. Linton called cannabinoids for pets a “big underserviced serious market”, noting that Creso’s focus on research and development is what sets their pet products apart, with other companies, notably in North America, putting “the marketing brochure before the effort of doing the work.” READ FULL PETS CDB ARTICLE Photo by Rick Proctor on Unsplash See more from BenzingaClick here for options trades from BenzingaCannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana And Psychedelic Stock News Stories Of The WeekCannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana And Psychedelics Industry News Stories Of The Week© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

#Cannabis #Curaleaf #deal #empire #Europe #Expands #million

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ezatluba · 3 years

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Search for a Snakebite Drug Might Lead to a COVID Treatment, Too

By Jim Robbins

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

Dr. Matthew Lewin, founder of the Center for Exploration and Travel Health at the California Academy of Sciences, was researching snakebite treatments in rural locations in preparation for an expedition to the Philippines in 2011.

The story of a renowned herpetologist from the academy, Joseph Slowinski, who was bitten by a highly venomous krait in Myanmar and couldn’t get to a hospital in time to save his life a decade earlier, weighed on the emergency room doctor.

“I concluded that I needed something small and compact and that doesn’t care what kind of snake,” Lewin said.

It didn’t exist. That set Lewin in pursuit of a modern snakebite drug, a journey that finds his Corte Madera, California, company, Ophirex, nearing a promising oral treatment that fits in a pocket; is stable, easy to use and affordable; and treats the venom from many species. “That’s the holy grail of snakebite treatment,” he said.

His work has gotten a boost with multimillion-dollar grants from a British charity and the U.S. Army. If it works — and it has been shown to work extremely well in mice and pigs — it could save tens of thousands of lives a year.

Lewin and Ophirex are not alone in their quest. Snakebites kill nearly 140,000 people a year, overwhelmingly in impoverished rural areas of Asia and Africa without adequate medical infrastructure and knowledge to administer anti-venom. Though just a few people die each year in the U.S. from snakebites, the problem has risen to the top of the list of global health concerns in recent years. Funding has soared, and other research groups have also done promising work on new treatments. Herpetologists say deforestation and climate change are increasing human-snake encounters by forcing snakes to move to new habitats.

Lewin’s research is centered on a drug called varespladib. The enzyme inhibitor has proven itself in in-vitro lab studies and has effectively saved mice and pigs dosed with venom.

Along the way, Lewin and his team have come across another potential use for the drug. Varespladib has a positive effect on acute respiratory distress syndrome, associated with COVID-19. Next year, Ophirex will conduct human trials for the possible treatment of the condition funded with $9.9 million from the Army.

The link to a snakebite? The inflammation of the lungs caused by the coronavirus produces the sPLA2 enzyme. A more deadly version of the same enzyme is produced by snake venom.

The other companies that have come up with promising approaches to snakebite aren’t as far along as Ophirex. At the University of California-Irvine, chemist Ken Shea and his team created a nanogel — a kind of polymer used in medical applications — that blocks key proteins in the venom that cause cell destruction. At the Technical University of Denmark, Andreas Laustsen is looking at engineering bacteria to manufacture anti-venom in fermentation tanks.

The days of incising a snakebite and sucking out the poison are long over, but the current treatment for venomous snakebites remains archaic.

A microscopic view of rattlesnake venom destroying cells. (Matthew Lewin)

Since the early 1900s, anti-venom has been made by injecting horses or other animals with venom milked from snakes and diluted. The animals’ immune systems generate antibodies over several months, and blood plasma is taken from the animals and antibodies extracted from it.

It’s extremely expensive. Hospitals in the U.S. can charge as much as $15,000 a vial — and a single snakebite might require anywhere from four to 50 vials. Moreover, anti-venom exists for little more than half the world’s species of venomous snakes.

A major problem is the roughly two hours it takes on average for a snakebite victim to reach a hospital and begin treatment. The chemical weapon that is venom starts immediately to destroy cells as it digests its next meal, making fast treatment essential to saving lives and preventing tissue loss.

“The two-hour window between fang and needle is where the most damage occurs,” said Leslie Boyer, director of the University of Arizona’s Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology and Emergency Response — VIPER — Institute. “We have a saying, ‘Time is tissue.’”

That’s why the search for a new snakebite drug has focused on an inexpensive treatment that can be taken into the field. Lewin’s drug wouldn’t replace anti-venom. Instead, he thinks of it as the first line of defense until the victim can reach a hospital for anti-venom treatment.

Lewin said he expects the drug to be inexpensive, so people in regions where snakebites are common can afford it.

Venom is extremely complicated chemically, and Lewin began his search by sussing out which of its myriad components to block. He zeroed in on the sPLA2 enzyme.

Surveying the literature about drugs that had been clinically tested for other conditions, he came across varespladib. It had been developed jointly by Eli Lilly and Shionogi, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, as a possible treatment for sepsis. They had never taken it to market.

If it worked, Lewin could license the right to produce the drug, which had already been thoroughly studied and was shown to be safe.

He placed venom in an array of test tubes. Varespladib and other drugs were added to the venom. He then added a reagent. If the venom was still active, the solution would turn yellow; if it was neutralized, it would remain clear.

The vials with varespladib “came up completely blank,” he said. “It was so stunning I said, ‘I must have made a mistake.’”

Dr. Matthew Lewin holds up a vial containing varespladib, a drug being tested for snakebite treatment. Varespladib may also help treat a respiratory condition caused by COVID-19. (Daniel Z. Lewin)

With a small grant, he sent the drug to the Yale Center for Molecular Discovery and found that varespladib effectively neutralized the venom of snakes found on six continents. The results were published in the journal Toxins and sent ripples through the small community of snakebite researchers.

Lewin then conducted tests on mice and pigs. Both were successful.

Human clinical trials are next, but they have been delayed by the pandemic. They are scheduled to get underway next spring.

Along the way, Lewin was fortunate enough to make some good connections that led to funding. In 2012, he attended a party at the Mill Valley, California, home of Jerry Harrison, the former guitarist and keyboardist for Talking Heads. Harrison had long been interested in business and startups — he said he was the most careful reader of the ’80s band’s contracts — and at the party he asked “if anyone had any ideas lying fallow,” Harrison said.

“And Matt pipes up and says, ‘I have this idea how to prevent people from dying from snakebites,’” Harrison said.

The musician said he was a bit taken aback by such an unusual and dire problem, but “I thought if it can save lives we have to do it,” he said. He became an investor and co-founder of Ophirex with Lewin.

Lewin met Lt. Col. Rebecca Carter, a biochemist who was assigned to lead the Medical Modernization Division of Air Force Special Operations Command, in 2016 when she attended a Venom Week conference in Greenville, North Carolina. He was presenting the results of his mouse studies. She told him about her first mission: to find a universal anti-venom for medics on special operations teams in Africa. She persuaded the Special Operations Command Biomedical Research Advisory Group, which specializes in getting critical projects to production, to grant Ophirex $148,000 in 2017. She later retired from the Air Force and now works for Ophirex as vice president.

More multimillion-dollar grants followed, including the Army’s COVID grant. Clinical trials are scheduled to begin this winter.

Despite the progress and the sudden cash flow, Lewin tamps down talk of a universal snakebite cure. “There’s enough evidence to say the drug deserves to have its day in clinical trials,” he said.

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magzoso-tech · 4 years

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New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/nuros-new-delivery-r2-bot-gets-the-first-driverless-vehicle-exemption-from-feds/

Nuro’s new delivery R2 bot gets the first driverless vehicle exemption from feds

Nuro, the autonomous delivery startup that raised $940 million in financing from SoftBank Vision Fund last year, is the first company to receive a driverless exemption from the federal government.

The exemption granted by the the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is for Nuro’s newest — and until Thursday, unseen — low-speed electric vehicle called the R2 that will be used for local delivery service for restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses. It’s a milestone for Nuro, as well as the autonomous vehicle industry, and signals how the federal government might regulate this technology.

The R2 will soon join Nuro’s fleet of self-driving Prius vehicles in Houston, making deliveries to consumers on public roads, the company said. This deployment follows Nuro’s partnership in 2018 with Kroger to pilot a delivery service in Arizona. The pilot, which initially used Toyota Prius vehicles, transitioned to the R1 delivery bot.

Nuro’s second-generation low-speed delivery vehicle was designed to be unmanned and operates exclusively using an automated driving system. Without a human driver, the vehicle doesn’t need some of the traditional and federally required features found in passenger cars, such as side-view mirrors or a transparent windshield.

“Since this is a low-speed self-driving delivery vehicle, certain features that the Department traditionally required — such as mirrors and windshield for vehicles carrying drivers — no longer make sense,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said in a statement.

The federal exemption allows the vehicle to operate without three features: side-view mirrors, windshield and a rear-view camera that shuts off when driving forward. This exemption is different from the one that GM is currently pursuing for its self-driving unit Cruise. That vehicle, which is not considered a low-speed vehicle, has a much longer list of exemptions.

The process was lengthy, even for those three exemptions. Nuro has been working with NHTSA for three years and submitted its application for an exemption in October 2018.

“What you have to prove is that even if the exemption is granted the vehicle will be at least as safe as other vehicles that are fully compliant,” Nuro’s chief policy and legal officer David Estrada said.

The new R2 delivery bot has a more narrow vehicle profile and rounded contours where the side mirrors would otherwise be placed. This design feature will create additional room for bicyclists and other “vulnerable road users,” Nuro said.

The R2 is equipped with lidar, radar and cameras to give the “driver” a 360-degree view of its surroundings. However, that required another exemption, Estrada explained. NHTSA’s exemption also allows the R2 to operate its rear-view cameras even as it moves forward. New passenger vehicles must have a backup camera that switches off once the human driver begins moving forward (to avoid distraction). Without a human on-board, those concerns are moot, Nuro argued.

There are conditions to this exemption. Nuro has the exemption for two years on a conditional basis and is required to submit reports on the AV driving system and provide proper notice to communities where the R2 will be deployed. The exemption allows Nuro to produce and deploy no more than 5,000 R2 vehicles during the two-year exemption period.

The R2, which was designed and assembled in the U.S. in partnership with Michigan-based Roush Enterprises, has a more durable custom vehicle body than its predecessor and a pedestrian-protecting front end that absorbs energy and can collapse inward to better protect those outside of the vehicle, according to the company.

The vehicle also has redesigned doors and a larger exterior screen for customers to interact with the vehicle and unlock the storage compartments. It also has 65% more capacity than the R1 and its compartments have temperature control to keep perishable goods fresh, including groceries or meals.

#Miscellaneous

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fundingfam · 5 years

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How to Get the Best Business Funding in Nogales Arizona 85621

How to Get the Best Business Funding for in Nogales Arizona 85621

Getting the best business funding options in Nogales Arizona 85621 to start a new business can be stressful. Starting a new business is already stressful enough, but can also be super fun. You simply must have the best funding to start your Arizona business all ready to go. Many people try to build their new company on the side while also managing a full-time job. It’s not always cheap to get a startup off the ground, but working a full-time job while also launching a new business just doesn’t seem to work. Do you wonder why the majority new businesses fail? They just don’t have the right business funding to scale. Every new business needs some business funding to flourish. Here’s a look at 5 new business funding options in Nogales Arizona 85621 for starting a new business in Nogales Arizona

5 Best Business Funding Options in Nogales Arizona 85621

1. Unsecured Funding for Starting Businesses in AZ

Small business or startup funding, as opposed to VC capital or business partnerships, is basically: you own your business outright and you don’t have to share the profits. The #1 reasons why our clients use us is to either scale an existing business or to start a new business in Nogales AZ that will support them and their families for years to come while freeing them up from the 9 to 5. Most of our clients are able to quickly make a solid ROI on the capital they invest in their business.

2. Self Funding Business Option

Self-funding has always been a safer choice. It refers to borrowing money from your relatives or utilizing your own savings for the same. In other words, you might have to beg everyone. But in cases of self-funding, the borrowers need to be clearer and extra careful as to when the money has to be repaid. Moreover, if it’s your sister’s money, only in cases of reliable businesses and success rates should the self-funding option be used as your best option for business funding in Nogales Arizona 85621

3. Equity Finance Business Funding

Equity financing is the act of borrowing money from investors. This is an excellent option for emerging businesses looking for capital for the sole reason that the amount works as an investment and not as a payback. No guarantee or personal assets need to be put at stake except in case of success the profit is then shared.

4. @State Business Credit cards or Overdrafts

A lot of emerging businesses in Arizona require only a little capital to be invested. In other words, you don’t need a huge business loan. For such cases, overdrafts and credit cards can usually get you enough money for your Arizona startup companies. In fact, there are a lot of Arizona banks offering interest-free business loans during year one which in itself is a very profitable and safer option for new businesses. Therefore, this could be the best option for your Arizona business loan

5. @State Bank Small Business Loans

Small business Bank Loans in Nogales Arizona 85621 has been a popular option for funding for a while now, however, in the present scenario, these are difficult to get. For instance, it is only granted in cases of good security or a super successful business track record. In other words, if you’re trying to start a new business in Nogales, good luck. If you can get a Arizona small business bank loan you’ll probably have to sign a personal guarantee and assets to compensate the risk. Not all banks offer these types of business loans in Arizona, but I can help you find one and get the best business funding in Nogales Arizona 85621

At the end of the day, there are so many different finance options for your AZ business. The best funding option will really be determined by your own personal preferences, your credit score, how long you’ve been in business, and how much money you need for funding your AZ biz. It’s hard to go wrong with any of the finance options written here. If you do need help getting financing for your AZ company, {email|contact|reach out to me here| [email protected] Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7708114

Other Options for @list:biz Business Financing

0% Interest Unsecured Credit Line 100 Percent Funding for Rehab 100% Financing for Fix and Flips Best A/R Financing The 7 Best Business Loans for Bad Credit Score Best Business Loans for New Doctors and Medical Equipment Get The Best @list:biz Business Term Loans Best Financing for Business Equipment 10 Best Gap Funding Lenders for Real Estate How to Find The Best Hard Money Lenders Near Me Best Private Money Funding for Real Estate Deals Best Revolving Line of Credit for @list:biz Business The Best Working Capital Loan Best Personal Term Loan Program with Bridge Loan Option The Best Business Funding Options for Startups and Small @list:biz Businesses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_finance If you want to find more business loan programs and funding options for startups, you can find more resources in the Funding Fam Blog

The post How to Get the Best Business Funding in Nogales Arizona 85621 appeared first on Funding Fam.

source https://fundingfam.com/how-to-get-the-best-business-funding-in-nogales-arizona-85621/

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youramelialee4488 · 5 years

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Custom app Development Company in San Francisco # E-bicycle App Development

California is one of the rule and issue zones for e-bicycles in the U.S. Regardless, Texas, Washington D.C., North Carolina and various states over the United States are moreover spotted.

As per the assessment, IOS App Development Agency "Electric bicycles were in higher intrigue diverged from electric bicycles."

Another creating e-bicycles market are in Asia-Pacific in view of speedy urbanization.

In the underneath given picture, you can check the typical regions where electric bicycles are going to dispatch in the United States. These locales are named as Texas, Arizona, Utah, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, etc.

The overall e-bicycle and bicycle market size was $12,961.8 million out of 2016. Furthermore, it is required to reach $22,192.0 million by 2025 with a creating CAGR of 6.9% during 2017-2025, as shown by the report from P&S Market Research.

Hence, in the wake of encountering the above bits of learning, it is shielded to express this is a high time to make e-bicycle applications like Spin and Bird.

Motivation That E-Scooter Startups Can't-Miss to Look Upon Before Developing e-bicycle Apps like Spin

1. Make sure to Include a Slew of Common and the Most Important Features

One of the essentials for new organizations is that they can't-miss to consolidate countless standard features that will pick the accomplishment of the e-bicycle application. IOS App Developer turn is known as one of the dockless bike sharing veterans, which has brought $8 million up in sponsoring. This year in February, Spin has devised its dockless vehicles.

Thusly, if you have to transform into an e-bicycle sharing or rental new business and need to build the versatile application for it, you need to take a gander at the going with typical features, which you can't-miss to join:

Grant to Find, Unlock and Reserve Nearby e-bicycles: One of the critical features is to empower the customer to find, open, and spare the near to e-bicycles, which are hard to disregard.

#E-bicycle #App #Development #Custom #Company #San Francisco

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ncmagroup · 5 years

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Quark Blog Team

One of the worst things a sales professional can do is fall into a routine when conducting a sales pitch. If you feel like you’re stuck in a sales pitch rut, or if you aren’t getting as many sales as you’d like, it’s time for you to break out of your comfort zone and make a few tweaks to your presentation. The harder you work on perfecting your sales pitch, the more successful you will be – especially if you go about it the right way.

We have rounded up 50 of the top sales pitch ideas to help you spruce up your sales pitch. From simple tips to more drastic mindset changes, our sales pitch ideas cover a range of things you can do to improve your sales pitch and get the results you want when pitching yourself, your product, your service, or your idea to an audience. Our tips come from sales pitch coaches, highly regarded publications, sales pros, and top-selling brands, and other sales leaders, to give you some of the best free advice for enhancing your sales pitch. Please note, we have listed our top sales pitch ideas here, in no particular order.

1. Make Sure the Sales Pitch Has an Objective @topohq

A research and advisory firm that helps sales and marketing adopt strategies that drive exceptional revenue growth, TOPO offers several ideas for creating the ultimate sales presentation in their article, The Sales Pitch: 17 Ideas for Creating the Ultimate Sales Preso. One of our favorite sales pitch from TOPO is to ensure that the sales pitch has a clear objective. You must have a clear focus if you are going to deliver a succinct sales pitch and get the prospect to take the next step with you.

Three tips we like from TOPO:

Develop a clear objective for your sales pitch by determining if you are trying to convey an overview of your company or product, if you are trying to learn as much as you can about the buyer, etc.

Keep in mind that the main goal of your sales pitch is to get the buyer to the next step in the sales process

Create your sales pitch with the objective and goal at its center

2. Focus on the How of Your Sales Pitch @ForbesTreps

In her Forbes article on giving a convincing sales pitch, Close.io CEO Steli Efti shares the 10 steps that are involved in building a quality sales pitch. One of our favorite ideas from Efti’s article is to focus on how you deliver your sales pitch, i.e. how you say what you say.

Three tips we like from Forbes Entrepreneurs:

You need to be just as aware of the “how” of your sales pitch as you are the “what” and the “why”

Be cognizant of your body language and tone of voice

Practice your sales pitch delivery in front of a mirror, friends, or a camera

3. Make It a Conversation That Puts the Buyer’s Needs First @SuperOfficeAS

SuperOffice is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of CRM solutions for the B2B market. Their sales pitch ideas from Steven MacDonald encourage sales professionals to transform the pitch into a conversation to put the buyer’s needs first. This helps to develop a relationship with clients.

Three tips we like from SuperOffice:

Invite conversation and discussion with prospects

Clearly, communicate how your product or service will benefit each individual buyer

Center your sales pitch efforts around the buyer’s needs to help build trust between you and prospects

4. Start with a Highly Targeted Mental Hook @vladblagi

Vladimir Blagojevic shares the lessons he’s learned on sales and growth hacking from his own experiences with startups and business at ScaleMyBusiness.com. Blagojevic emphasizes the importance of the mental hook as one of his top sales pitch ideas because reeling in potential customers requires hooking them with an emotional connection.

Three tips we like from ScaleMyBusiness.com:

Your audience remembers emotional, personal, and highly targeted mental hooks

Tap into positive emotions

Creatively tap into emotions that are linked to deep frustrations or challenges

5. Personalize the Strategy and Messaging @NewBreedMktg

New Breed Marketing, a Hubspot partner, helps B2B tech and software companies grow by delivering quality inbound traffic and leads. Their top sales pitch idea is to personalize the strategy and messaging because today’s prospects already know so much about companies, services, and products before the sales pitch even takes place.

Three tips we like from New Breed Marketing:

Take advantage of the relationships you already have with prospects to personalize your sales pitch

Pay attention to prospects’ personal information and work it into the sales pitch

Add personal touches to correspondences, like sending birthday cards or pet treats, if they mention having an animal, when they make a purchase

6. Do the Legwork to Know Your Customer @salesforce

Salesforce is a leader in connecting with customers, so it should not be any surprise that their sales pitch idea involves getting to know your prospects and customers. In fact, Stuart Leung’s Salesforce Blog post, How to Make a Good Sales Pitch in 7 Steps, explains the importance of researching your customers and gaining a true understanding of them so that you can make the perfect pitch.

Three tips we like from Salesforce:

Change your sales pitch each time you deliver it

Conduct thorough research on the buyer’s company, their industry, and their competitors

Ask the right questions during your initial contact to gain the information you need to address the buyer’s specific needs

7. Switch to Inbound and Permission Marketing @Fizzle

Fizzle is dedicated t helping indie entrepreneurs make weekly progress on their business. Specifically, Fizzle is for freelancers, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want to build their service or product online. Corbett Barr’s Fizzle article, The Best Sales Pitch Ever, examines the sales pitch idea of switching to inbound and permission marketing.

Three tips we like from Fizzle:

Utilize inbound Marketing to attract people, who are looking for information about topics relating to your industry, to your website or business

Avoid interruption marketing and reach out to people after they have given you permission to do so, with permission marketing

Demonstrate your expertise through published content so that interested leads contact you

8. Be Authentic @azcentral

Arizona’s number one local site, AZCentral presents the article, Sales Pitch Ideas, from Nancy Wagner of Demand Media. Wagner is a marketing strategist and speaker whose top sales pitch idea is for sales professionals to be authentic. As Wagner suggests, consider how much you don’t want to be approached by a stereotypical salesperson pushing a product, and then strive to be an authentic sales professional who does the opposite.

Three tips we like from AZCentral:

Use your natural enthusiasm about your product or service in your sales pitch

If you are authentic, it will help you to grab your audience’s attention within the first 30 seconds

Be passionate and enthusiastic while listening to the prospect’s complaints, concerns, and questions, so that you can answer them with honesty and warmth

9. Make the Pitch Sticky @AmericanExpress

As part of American Express’ OPEN Forum, Cardone Training Technologies, Inc.’s found and CEO Grant Cardone shares his How to Sell Your Idea in 20 Seconds. One of Cardone’s top sales pitch ideas is to make the pitch sticky so that the prospect remembers your first point of the pitch.

Three tips we like from American Express OPEN Forum:

The first thing you say should be sticky, with a pointed and memorable claim

Begin with one sticky sentence that captures what your organization does and includes a giant claim tied into your unique value proposition

Generate interest and be sharp and pointed so the prospect remembers your pitch

10. Use Alternatives to PowerPoint @PGi

PGi is the world’s largest dedication collaboration provider. Their sales pitch idea is to use alternatives to PowerPoint. While PowerPoint certainly is a valuable sales pitch tool, it is not the only tool that sales professionals can use.

Three tips we like from PGi:

Consider using Prezi, SlideRocket, or SlideShare

Think outside the box and outside your comfort zone

Utilize embedded videos, custom animations, advanced templates, and audio when you do use PowerPoint

11. Prepare for the Q&A @DArtOfManliness

The Art of Manliness is dedicated to guiding men to being gentlemen. Brett & Kate McKay’s The Art of Manliness article, Selling Your Idea: How to Give an Effective Pitch, shares the sales pitch idea of preparing for the Q&A. Being as prepared as possible for a sales pitch is critical, even for the most experienced sales professional.

Three tips we like from The Art of Manliness:

Brianstorm questions the buyer may ask prior to your meeting date

Concentrate on week points and write out answers to those questions

Study those answers as you prepare for the meeting

12. Keep the Attention Span of Your Audience in Mind @CareerAttract @kevinkermes

CareerAttraction.com offers “unconventional advice for high achievers.” In his CareerAttraction.com article, How to Present a Sales Pitch That Will Impress, writer Josh Hansen argues that keeping the attention span of your audience in mind is a critical component of a successful sales pitch.

Three tips we like from CareerAttraction.com:

Keep your sales pitch short and on point

Remember, the average attention span has been decreasing steadily over the last several years

Use images and try to limit information on slides to three key points per slide

13. Keep It Short and to the Point @JaneFrankland

Cybersecurity entrepreneur, author, and speaker Jane Frankland shares her tips for crafting a sales pitch in her article, Craft a 30 Second Sales Pitch Like a Pro in 3 Easy Steps. Frankland explains that a “short, sleek sales pitch is an essential marketing tool for your business.” Keeping your sales pitch short and to the point helps you take advantage of business opportunities at any time, anywhere.

Three tips we like from Jane Frankland:

Write down what you want to say and fine-tune it until you get it down to 30 seconds

Communicate clearly and make a personal connection

Stick to the core elements of a sales pitch: the who, what, and what’s in it for me (WIIFM)

14. Use a Physical Prop @BrightCarbon

BrightCarbon creates visual presentations that deliver visible results. In his BrightCarbon article on sales presentations, marketing strategist Joby Blume explores 14 ideas for improving your sales pitch to help you “stand out, engage your audience, and sell more.” Our favorite idea from Blume is to use a physical prop to improve your sales pitch.

Three tips we like from BrightCarbon:

The prop can be your product or an object that helps to explain a key aspect of your sales pitch

3D props are more compelling

Pass around the prop, talk about it, show it, allow audience members to hold it, etc.

15. Build Suspense @Inc @EricMarkowitz

Inc.com is the resource that delivers everything you need to know about starting and growing your business. Senior International Business Times writer Eric Markowitz shares his take mistakes people make when doing their sales pitch in his Inc.com article, 7 Deadly Sins of Sales Pitching. We think Markowitz’s top idea for improving the sales pitch, which he attributes to Pitch Anything author Oren Klaff, is to build suspense.

Three tips we like from Inc.com:

Your audience expects more after the 30-second elevator pitch

Hold your audience’s interest by building suspense

Set up a story and build tension through the ending of your sales pitch to hold your audience’s attention

16. Calm Your Nerves Before You Begin @MarketingDonut

The Marketing Donut gives small businesses reliable, up-to-date information and supports SMEs via business support services and growth hubs. Their sales presentations resource offers some fantastic advice for enhancing your sales pitch, including calming your nerves before you begin. The last thing you want to do is flub your presentation because of nerves.

Three tips we like from The Marketing Donut:

Channel your nervous energy to give your presentation life and enthusiasm

Take a few deep breaths before you begin

Make an effort to speak slowly, use confident body language, and project your voice

17. Use the Inverted Pyramid Approach @Toastmasters

A non-profit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a global network of clubs, Toastmasters International offers proven advice for improving the sales pitch. The sales pitch idea we like most from Toastmasters International is to use the interned pyramid approach so that you organize your ideas effectively.

Three tips we like from Toastmasters International:

Give the audience the most important information in the first few sentences, such as how much money they may save, how lives will improve with your product, etc.

Support claims with logic and evidence

End your sales pitch with a call to action

18. Use Authority Marks to Persuade Your Audience @pptpop

PPTPOP provides actionable material to help small businesses build killer pitches that persuade audiences to close more deals. PPTPOP’s founder Clemence Lepers shares her steps for crafting a sales pitch in her article, How to Pitch an Idea to Anyone in 7 Steps. Her sales pitch idea of using authority marks to persuade your audience is one of our favorites.

Three tips we like from PPTPOP:

Know the three keys to persuade people and building trust: authority, social proof, and scarcity

Using the authority marks in the right way is key

Keep the three authority marks in mind when crafting your sales pitch, so that you are more likely to close the deal

19. Perfect Your Timing @feargallkenny

An expert SaaS sales recruiter for marketing, eCommerce, and enterprise technology firms, Feargall Kenny has a great deal of experience in making sales pitches. While Kenny’s article, Interview Tips – 8 Pointers to Nail that Mock Sales Pitch, focuses on mock sales pitches to land an interview, his idea to perfect your timing is a sales pitch idea that anyone can use, whether in an interview situation or not.

Three tips we like from Feargall Kenny:

Know exactly how long you have (or want to take) for your sales pitch

Work backward when planning your sales pitch, so that you are sure not to run out of time for your closing

Don’t forget to leave enough time to get a commitment to a follow-up meeting, call, etc.

20. Relate to Your Audience @Point_Drive

PointDrive helps sales teams package, personalize, and track the materials you share with B2B buyers. In his sales pitch article for PointDrive, Brian Cuttica offers his advice for delivering a creative sales pitch. One of his ideas, to relate to your audience, is a key component of sales pitches.

Three tips we like from PointDrive:

Ask for audience input through shared memories or viewpoints to get them to relate to your pitch

Invite the audience to participate in the sales pitch

Match your pitch to your audience’s needs, perspectives, and desires

21. Use the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint @GuyKawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, author of 13 books, and former chief evangelist of Apple. His top sales pitch idea is to use the 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint, which applies to any sales presentation, from raising capital to making a sale, to forming a partnership, and others.

Three tips we like from Guy Kawasaki:

10 slides is the optimal number of slides in a PowerPOint presentation because people can only comprehend 10 concepts in one meeting

Your 10 slides should take 20 minutes, with 40 minutes left for discussion

A 30-point font is a must so that you are not putting too much text on a slide or reading it to your audience

22. Tell a Story @Bplans

Bplans offers business guidance, tactics, tips, and industry insight so that their clients can plan, fund, start and grow their businesses. In her Bplans article, How to Pitch to Investors in 10 Minutes and Get Funded, Caroline Cummings shares the format she and other first-time start-up CEOs have used successfully in their own sales pitches. One of Cummings’ top sales pitch ideas is to tell a story.

Three tips we like from Bplans:

Begin your pitch with a compelling story in order to engage them from the very start

Relate your story to the audience

Address the problem you are solving in the marketplace via your story

23. Approach the Sales Pitch Like a Game @businessdotcom

Business.com shares the latest business trends and news for growing businesses. In his business.com sales pitch article, How to View Your Sales Pitch as a Game (and Win), Ayush Vats explains that sales professionals can develop a winning mindset by imagining the sales pitch as a game.

Three tips we like from Business.com:

Put yourself on a verbal shot-clock so that you stop talking and start listening during the sales pitch

Control the conversation as you would a ball, by keeping it focused on achievable goals, relevant issues, and the objectives your plan achieves

Lay out the rules of the game by thinking of them as the problems the client faces and needs you to solve; verbally recap the problems and your solutions to be sure that communication is clear

24. Be a Problem Solver @HoustonChron

The Houston Chronicle’s Small Business section features several resources for running a business and sales, and Oneil Williams’ Sales Pitch Ideas is an article that offers some of the best advice for crafting a successful sales pitch. One of the top ideas from Williams’ article is to be a problem solver during the sales pitch.

Three tips we like from The Houston Chronicle:

Do more listening than talking

Understand the challenges your prospect faces and determine how your product or service will help him

Position yourself as the sales professional who can best solve the prospect’s challenges by doing business together

25. Identify the Value of the Product or Service @SalesScripter

SalesScripter is a sales training application that helps sales professionals, managers, and business owners improve sales performance by identifying how to best communicate with prospects. They offer a structured process to follow in order to craft successful sales pitches, and one of their top ideas is to identify the value of the product or service.

Three tips we like from SalesScripter:

Focus on how the product helps your customer

You may identify the technical value or business value

In order to sell your product, you must know why it is valuable to your prospects, from their perspective

26. Julian Treasure: How to speak so that people want to listen @juliantreasure

If you can’t get people to listen to your sales pitch, it is unlikely you will succeed. In this TEDTalk, sound expert Julian Treasure demonstrates some useful vocal exercises and tips on how to speak with empathy.

Three tips we like from Julian Treasure:

Eliminate negative sentiments

Use silence effectively

Use voice pace, pitch, and volume to get your message across

27. Use Consultative Selling Techniques @Mind_Tools

Mind Tools helps spread the best ideas in leadership, management, and personal effectiveness. Their article, Sales Skills for Non-Salespeople, proposes that consultative selling is a great idea for people who are not typically in the sales position. We think it’s a top sales pitch idea for anyone who is looking for a way to shake up the sales pitch game.

Three tips we like from Mind Tools:

Approach the pitch from the perspective as a consultant to help identify the prospect’s needs and then suggest products and solutions to meet those needs

Use the relationship you have with the client to your advantage

Use your intuition and instincts when crafting a consultative-selling-based sales pitch, while you focus on helping your audience

28. Use “Imagine” @Ethos3

Ethos3 is a group of tech-savvy pros who strive to help others get results with their sales presentations and pitches. Leslie Belknap’s Ethos3 article, How to Master the Art of the Persuasive Sales Pitch, introduces the idea of using the word “imagine” to enhance your sales pitch.

Three tips we like from Ethos3:

Use stories to get your audience to imagine themselves using your solution

Help prospects get a better understanding of why to purchase your product or service by giving them a better understanding through imagining

Gaining an emotional connection through imagining helps you to close a sale

29. Be Aware of Your Speed @NASPPRO

The National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP) is a leading resource for sales professionals. In her sales pitch article for NASP, Kimberly Schenk explains that the sales pitch begins with the first sentence and salespeople must make a good impression from the start. That means that the sales pitch speed must be appropriate from the get-to, or sales professionals will lose their prospects.

Three tips we like from NASP:

Train yourself to slow your speech pattern and enunciate clearly

Stand up straight and be sure you are speaking in a low, clear voice

Move your lips so that you ensure you are speaking and enunciating properly so that the audience can digest your message and has the opportunity to understand your message

30. Practice and be Prepared @CambridgeJBS @brewsterf

The University of Cambridge Judge Business School is a business school that advances knowledge and leadership through people who “leave a mark on the world.” Brewster F. Barclay is a mentor at Accelerate Cambridge in the Cambridge Judge Business School, and he shares his ideas for creating effective sales pitches in his article, The Elevator Pitch – Ideas on How to Create One. One of his top ideas for creating sales pitches is to practice and be prepared. Indeed, a sales pitch that is not polished and professional is doomed from the very start.

Three tips we like from the University of Cambridge Judge Business School:

By preparing, you will be sure to organize your thoughts and the content of your pitch in a way that the audience will better understand

Practice will help you to ensure that you are being relevant to your audience

Preparation and practice help you to craft a sales pitch that you can deliver anywhere and at any time

31. Use Visual Aids @CBSPulse

The CBS Small Business Pulse is the go-to, daily resource for small business owners. Their article and infographic, Using Visual Aids in Your Company Sales Pitch is the Way to Effectively Sell Your Ideas, suggests the idea of using visual aids. Visual aids add another dimension to your presentation and take it to the next level.

Three tips we like from CBS Small Business Pulse:

65% of the population consider themselves visual learners, so visual stimuli are vital to helping them gain and retain information

Handouts containing text, charts, and graphics are the most commonly used form of visual aid

Speakers who use visual aids are 43% more persuasive than speakers who do not

32. Create a Sales Pitch Book @vipbinders

VIP Presentation Products is a custom binder manufacturing company that specializes in presentation products. Their article, How to Create an Effective Sales Pitch Book, proposes utilizing a sales pitch book to boost the effectiveness of your sales pitch. Your audience is left with your materials that act as a reinforcement of your sales presentation.

Three tips we like from VIP Presentation Products:

Create a well-constructed, easy-to-follow sales pitch book

Compare competitors’ sales pitch books

Be sure the exterior of the book is attention-grabbing and matches the messages within

33. Give a Testimony

AMR Media has been helping businesses grow for more than 15 years through a collaborative process that maximizes ROI. Their sales pitch article, Examples of Effective Sales Pitch: Simple Strategies for Sales Pitches, provides an overview of their guide to creating sales pitches and suggests the top sales pitch idea of giving a testimony.

Three tips we like from AMR Media:

Introduce more benefits to your prospect by showing them how others like them have benefited from your product or service

Mention companies by name or speak about them in general terms when giving a testimony

Allow your prospects to see what others have said via surveys or reviews

34. Follow Up

Jyler offers practical ideas, tools, templates, resources, articles, and more to help business professionals and entrepreneurs increase their productivity and improve their businesses. The 5 Best Sales Pitch Ideas offers Jyler’s top sales pitch tips and tricks, and following up is the top sales pitch idea that we like from Jyler.

Three tips we like from Jyler:

A sales pitch is more likely to fail if you do not follow up with the prospect

Do not depend on prospects to get back to you or assume they will contact you

Set a follow-up date or time before you leave the pitch meeting and mark it on your calendar

35. Believe In Your Product @StylistMagazine

Stylist is a weekly magazine “for smart, successful, sophisticated women.” Their article, Top Tips for a Sales Pitch, features tips from Simon Dolan, founder of SJD Accountancy and the world’s first Twitter Dragon, who gave away £5 million of his own capital to entrepreneurs who wowed him with a 140-character business pitch via Twitter. We think Dolan’s top sales pitch idea is to believe in your product.

Three tips we like from Stylist:

Genuinely believe in what you are selling and how it will benefit the customer

Insincerity or a lack of confidence will affect the success of your sales pitch

Work off of the natural confidence you have in your product and communicate it without using hyperbole or false friendship

36. Be Sure to “Snap, Crackle, n’ Pop” @ZimmerJohn

John Zimmer offers informative and entertaining tips for improving public speaking at Manner of Speaking. In his article, Sales Pitches that Snap, Crackle n’ Pop, Zimmer builds on the sales pitch idea of Jack Vincent, author of the sales book Sales Pitches that Snap, Crackle ‘n Pop. Snap refers to stimulating interest, crackle refers to starting a conversation, and pop refers to building trust.

Three tips we like from Manner of Speaking:

Stimulate interest by getting prospects to understand that you have considered their interests

Begin a customer-centered conversation as soon as you complete your dynamic presentation

Demonstrate that customers can rely on you as a partner, rather than simply as a consultant or service provider

37. Do as Much Research as Possible @ecquire

Ecquire makes it possible to get data to your CRM automatically or in one click. The Ecquire Blog offers work productivity tips and CRM hacks for leading enterprises, and their article on mastering the sales pitch encourages sales professionals to do so in one simple email. In order to do that, you need to follow the sales pitch idea of doing as much research as possible on your prospects and customers.

Three tips we like from The Ecquire Blog:

Communication requires preparation, and preparation requires research

Present fact-based research that is specific to your audience’s interest

Ask questions that demonstrate you have researched the company and its challenges

38. Make Your Entire Pitch a Story @unreasonable @tejuravi

Unreasonable is designed for “misfit entrepreneurs hungry to put a positive dent on history.” The site contains content that includes advice, perspectives, stories, and more from some of today’s top innovators and investors. In his article, Forget Pitching. Tell a Story. Here’s How!, Unreasonable Institute co-founder and CEO Teju Ravilochan examines the vital importance of telling a story, rather than doing a typical sales pitch and encourages readers to adopt his idea of making the entire pitch a story.

Three tips we like from Unreasonable:

People love stories but hate pitches

Stories allow for connections between you and your prospect

Tell stories about how you discovered the problem, create tension with your problem, and show how your solution solves the problem

39. Use Conversational Language @Bruce_Gabrielle

Trainer, speaker, and author of Speaking PowerPoint: The New Language of Business, Bruce Gabrielle shares his tips for the sales pitch in his article, 3 Best Elevator Pitches. Gabrielle makes the case for sales professionals to use conversational language, especially when making elevator pitches because prospects do not like to feel trapped by marketing and sales jargon.

Three tips we like from Speaking PowerPoint:

Have a two-way conversation with prospects that relaxes them, rather than makes them feel like you are a “talking brochure”

Avoid buzzwords such as “synergy, optimize, efficiency, ROI,” and so on

Try replacing marketing jargon with one-syllable words

40. Prepare the Close @SCOREMentors

The nation’s largest network of free, expert business mentors, SCORE offers its 7 Ways to Improve Your Sales Pitch and More, an article focused on improving your sales presentation and strategies. Their idea of preparing the close is one of our top sales pitch ideas because it emphasizes the close as a key ingredient of a successful sales pitch.

Three tips we like from SCORE:

Prepare closing questions that do not allow for a “no” from prospects

As soon as you get a “yes,” stop selling and do not attempt to add something else that the customer could challenge

Focus on benefits and value in the close

41. Engage the Prospect @PeterLevitan

Peter Levitan is an advertising agency business development accelerator who has worked with agencies around the globe to help them grow more quickly. In his article, 6 Critical Elements of a Sales Pitch, Levitan shares the sales pitch idea of engaging the prospect. Too many sales professionals neglect to consider the buyer and her perspective.

Three tips we like from Peter Levitan:

Do not craft a one-sided sales pitch

Involve the client or prospect in the discussion by asking him a few questions at the right time

Entertain and answer all prospect questions, no matter when they ask; do not be afraid to go off script in order to engage the prospect

42. Stand Out from the Competition @EntreInsights

Cleverism provides practical and strategic insights into starting, funding, and growing businesses. Exploring the Anatomy of a Successful Elevator Pitch shares some of Cleverism’s top sales pitch ideas, and we are particularly fond of their advice to make a concerted effort to stand out from the competition.

Three tips we like from Cleverism:

Name your competitors

Address the competition and the key differentiators between you and them

Specifically, state what your competitive advantage is and how this speciality is unique and better than that offered by others

43. Connect with Your Audience @kickofflabs @joshaledgard

KickoffLabs is a lead generation platform with amazing landing pages, lead capture forms, and email marketing that helps grow email lists with viral campaigns and makes it possible to collect more leads, generate referrals, and more. In his article on sales pitches, KickoffLabs co-founder Josh Ledgard uses the example of this three-year-old to demonstrate the importance of connecting with your audience when crafting and delivering a sales pitch.

Three tips we like from KickoffLabs:

Keep in mind that emotion trumps logic

Create an association to something that you know the prospect likes

Create different hooks for each customer segment

44. Conduct Relationship Selling @lifehacker @LordRavenscraft

Lifehacker offers tips, tricks, and downloads for getting things done. In his sales pitch article for Lifehacker, senior writer Eric Ravenscraft explores the idea that sales professionals should focus on relationship selling when pitching ideas or products.

Three tips we like from Lifehacker:

Sell yourself before pitching an idea or a product because you need to establish trust and common ground with prospects

Keep in mind that relationship selling requires more effort than a scripted sales pitch

Relationship selling makes you and your ideas more attractive to your audience

45. Be Compelling @LifeHealthPro

LifeHealthPro shares insurance news, sales ideas, and more for life and health advisors. In their article on the most innovative sales ideas of 2016, LifeHealthPro examines the importance of being compelling in a sales pitch, because prospects have heard so many pitches before yours that yours needs to stand out.

Three tips we like from LifeHealthPro:

Clearly identify what makes you stand out

Know which parts of your story will resonate with prospects

Enter the sales conversation with a plan for being compelling

46. Utilize Fidgets @AnswersDotCom

Answers.com is a popular destination for internet users seeking answers to their most pressing questions. In the case of Marketing Strategy 101: Creative Ideas for an Awesome Sales Pitch, Answers.com shares some of the best tips for improving your sales pitch, including utilizing fidgets. Fidgets are items that fit in the palm of your hand and give you something to touch and play with to help you focus.

Three tips we like from Answers.com:

Keep the attention span of your audience in mind

Consider utilizing fidgets such as stress balls, key chains, or pens with your company’s logo

Small candy bars may be used as fidgets if your sales pitch includes several questions or encourages participation

47. Rethink Your Elevator Pitch @westfallonline

Chris Westfall is a pitch coach and author of The NEW Elevator Pitch and BulletProof Branding. In his article, Great Presentation Ideas: Coaching for Your Elevator Pitch, Westfall encourages sales professionals to follow his sales pitch idea of rethinking your elevator pitch, in order to be heard.

Three tips we like from Chris Westfall:

Understand that the new sales pitch is not a sales pitch at all, but a conversation that is persuasive, concise, and compelling

Your elevator pitch needs to make sense in today’s connected world, so it has to work online and offline

The traditional elevator pitch must change because the elevator platform has been replaced with the social platform

48. Build Bridges with Segues @psychotactics @seandsouza

Marketing strategist Sean D’Souza is the man behind Psychotactics.com. While not a psychologist, D’Souza understands how customers think and why they do what they do. As such, D’Souza shares his sales pitch idea, to build bridges with segues. As he points out, most people don’t like sales pitches, so sales professionals need to build a bridge, or segue, between the statements made prior to the pitch and the actual pitch itself, in order to elicit the emotions and logic from the prospect that are necessary for making the sale.

Three tips we like from Psychotactics:

Begin by educating your prospects about your product or service

Use the segue to build interest before launching into the heart of your sales pitch

Don’t move too fast from education to sales; incorporate the segue to make it a smooth transition for the prospect

49. Dress to be Memorable @startupstowers

Startups.co.uk is the UK’s leading independent online resource for anyone starting and growing a business. Oli Barrett, pitching veteran, shares his pointers for perfecting the two-minute pitch in the Startups article, 12 Must-Haves in the Perfect 2-Minute Pitch. We particularly like Barrett’s sales pitch idea of dressing to be memorable.

Three tips we like from Startups.co.uk:

While it may be shallow, the way you dress for your sales pitch is relevant because your clothing affects the prospect’s initial impression of you

Certain clothing colors may make you more memorable

Remove your badge or lanyard when you pitch to look more like a speaker and less like a delegate

50. Adapt Your Content to Meet Your Audience’s Objectives @philpresents

Phil Waknell, chief inspiration officer at Europe’s leading presentation specialists, Ideas on Stage, is the man behind Phil Presents. Waknell “aims to explore the art and science of communication and help you to think differently about presenting.” That’s why Waknell includes four tips for delivering a killer sales pitch in his article, Perfecting Your Pitch. Our favorite sales pitch idea from Phil Waknell is to adapt your content to meet your audience’s objectives.

Three tips we like from Phil Presents:

Don’t lose sight of the fact that you are focused on your product or idea, while your investors and prospects are focused on money

Your prospects need to believe in your ideas, rather than the first product you show them

Help the audience have faith in your abilities because they need to know that you are creative enough to deliver more products and services in the future.

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

50 Top Sales Pitch Ideas: The Best Free Advice for Improving Your Sales Presentation Quark Blog Team One of the worst things a sales professional can do is fall into a routine when conducting a sales pitch.

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un-enfant-immature · 4 years

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The Station: Starship expands, AutoX opens up shop, and a big moment for ebikes

Hi and welcome back to The Station, a weekly newsletter dedicated to the future (and present) of transportation. I’m your host Kirsten Korosec, senior transportation reporter at TechCrunch .

What you’re reading now is a shorter version of the newsletter, which is emailed every weekend. If you want to subscribe, go here and click The Station.

The transportation industry has seen an influx of “disruptors” in the past 15 years, including car sharing and ride-hailing apps and later shared ebikes and scooters. Now autonomous vehicle technology developers and flying car startups are working for that title.

COVID-19 could turn out out to be the transportation disruptor of this new decade. Yes, yes I know — it’s still early days. However, COVID-19 is already changing how we get around. Public transit has taken a hit and shared scooters have been pulled off streets. Meanwhile, ebike sales are booming and some cities are experimenting with how to provide transportation (and even space) that we need to move around without spreading the disease.

Shall we explore further? Read on. Before we dig in, here’s one more friendly reminder to reach out and email me at [email protected] to share thoughts, opinions or tips or send a direct message to @kirstenkorosec.

Micromobbin’

Electric bikes are having a moment. While shared micromobility companies have pulled scooters and bikes off streets, there is evidence that private sales are growing. Meanwhile, cities are taking action to make this means of transportation more available.

Here are three examples:

New York’s tentative budget agreement reached April 1 includes a provision that would legalize throttle-based bikes and scooters.

Lectric eBikes, an Arizona-based startup that launched in May 2019, told TechCrunch it has seen a spike in sales since mid-March. The company was selling an average of 25 bikes a day before COVID-19. By mid-March sales jumped to about 48 bikes a day. The following week, the company averaged daily sales of 55 ebikes. Lectric sold 175 bikes the week of March 7th. A month later, weekly sales hit 440.

Portland is trying to make its shared bike system known as Biketown more accessible and a helluva a lot cheaper. The city has reduced pay-as-you-go plans to a $0.10 one-time sign up fee and then $0.01 a minute. Yes, 1 cent a minute.

Autonomous delivery

COVID-19 has put a new focus on autonomous vehicle delivery. There aren’t fleets of delivery bots at the ready, but progress is being made.

Starship Technologies launched this month a robot food delivery service in Tempe, Ariz., as part of its expansion plans following a $40 million funding round announced last August.

Starship Technologies, which was launched in 2014 by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, has been ramping up commercial services in the past year, including a plan to expand to 100 universities by late summer 2021. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing traditional restaurants to close and placing more pressure on gig economy workers, Starship Technologies has an opportunity to accelerate that growth. The company recently launched in Washington D.C, Irvine, Calif., and says it plans to roll out to more cities in the coming weeks.

Nuro’s next milestone

Meanwhile, Nuro has been granted permission to begin driverless testing on California’s public roads. Nuro’s low-speed R2 vehicle isn’t designed for people, only packages.

And it’s well positioned to actually scale commercially in California. Under state law, AV companies can get a separate permit that allows them to operate a ride-hailing service. But they can’t charge a fee.

Nuro can’t charge a delivery fee either. However, it can generate revenue by working with local retailers to launch a commercial delivery business using the autonomous vehicles.

Other autonomous vehicle news

AutoX has opened an 80,000 square-foot Shanghai Robotaxi Operations Center, following a 2019 agreement with municipal authorities to deploy 100 autonomous vehicles in the Jiading District. The vehicles in the fleet were assembled at a factory about 93 miles outside of Shanghai.

AutoX, which is developing a full self-driving stack, has operations in California and China. It has been particularly active in China. The company has been operating a fleet of robotaxis in Shenzhen through a pilot program launched in 2019 with BYD. Earlier this year, it partnered with Fiat Chrysler to roll out a fleet of robotaxis for China and other countries in Asia.

The Shanghai operations center marks an escalation of AutoX’s ambitions. The company plans to unveil a ride-hailing app that will let users in Shanghai request ride from one of vehicles at the new operations center.

Trend Watch

Trend watch is meant to be a bookmark that we can look back on in a few weeks, months or even years and see if it actually caught on.

I’ll mention two this week.

Nauto is an automotive tech startup that combines cameras, motion sensors, GPS and AI algorithms to understand and improve driver behavior. The company’s platform is used in commercial fleets and some fresh data shows an uptick in last-mile driving and more distracted driving.

Nauto’s distribution and last-mile fleets averaged 41 miles driven every active driving hour in March, a 46% increase from the same month last year.

Meanwhile, distracted driving incidents increased. Nauto said that its distribution and last-mile fleets averaged 1.54 distraction events every active driving hour in March compared to 0.98 events per hour in the same month last year.

Now onto cities. Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf launched Saturday the Oakland Slow Streets initiative to help folks maintain physical distancing. The city has shut down down 74 miles of streets to through traffic to give people space to recreate.

Streets are open to local traffic only and residents are able to drive home. Fire, police, deliveries and other essential services won’t impacted by street closures either.

Other cities are experimenting with similar efforts. While streets will likely open back up after the pandemic passes, this could change how people, including planners, business owners and city officials view how we should use streets.

From you

Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared comments from readers about how COVID-19 has affected their business or how they use transportation. This week, I thought I’d share some advice from Laurie Yoler, a new partner at Playground Global, board member of Zoox and adviser to multiple companies. She was an early adviser and former board member at Tesla .

Here’s what she shared.

This is a time of deep reflection. Instead of viewing ‘social distancing’ as a prison, we can focus on the people we care about and reflect on our work and what gives us joy. Look at this time as an opportunity to be compassionate with yourself and the people around you, and pursue your curiosity. That doesn’t mean forcing yourself to complete a list of tasks with urgency and focus, but rather using this time for gentle creative exploration.

If your business needs to rethink its plans or is facing a substantial slowdown, as so many are, remember you can only be effective by focusing on one thing at a time. I have five “F’s” I run through with entrepreneurs I advise. Friends and family first, then physical facilities, in order to ensure business continuity. After that, you can move to finances, cutting costs and creatively thinking about your business model in order to give your company the best chance of survival. Next, it’s about planning for the future. Scenario planning is essential for all critical areas of your business. Ask yourself, “can I use this crisis to make the company stronger?” Lastly, we turn to faith in the world’s scientists and innovators to see us through this difficult time.

Remember, even amid the devastation around us, there is still space for optimism. This could be a catalyst for the sweeping innovation in healthcare and education that we so desperately need. Use this time of stillness to restore yourself. Watch inspirational TED talks, exercise, meditate, and check in with friends and colleagues often.”

— Laurie Yoler

#TechCrunch

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hostingnewsfeed · 5 years

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A Cab’s-Eye View of How Peloton’s Trucks ‘Talk’ to Each Other

New Post has been published on http://thefaerytale.com/a-cabs-eye-view-of-how-pelotons-trucks-talk-to-each-other/

A Cab’s-Eye View of How Peloton’s Trucks ‘Talk’ to Each Other

Techno-optimist prognosticators will tell you that driverless trucks are just around the corner. They will also gently tell you—always gently—that yes, truck driving, a job that nearly 3.7 million Americans perform today is perhaps on the brink of extinction. At the very least, on the brink of uncomfortable change.

A startup called Peloton Technology sees the future a bit differently. Based in Mountain View, California, the eight-year-old company has a plan to broadly commercialize a partially automated truck technology called platooning. It would still depend on drivers sitting in front of a steering wheel but it would be more fuel efficient and, hopefully, safer than truck-based transportation today.

The company employs ten professional truck drivers to help refine its tech, and I’m about to meet two of them out on Peloton’s test track in California’s Central Valley. Michael Perkins is tall, thin, and has been driving very big trucks for about 20 years. Jake Gregory is shorter and picked up truck driving in college, before taking a detour to the FBI.

We hit the highway first, because the rain has suddenly cleared. (Here’s an unfortunate reality about Peloton’s driver assistance tech: It doesn’t work great in the rain. Or snow. It’s a safety issue. More on that later.) Out on Interstate-5, Perkins’ long, white semitrailer cruises along in front of me. I’m on board the second, identical truck behind it, with Gregory behind the wheel. A small screen mounted on Gregory’s dashboard shows a camera view of what’s happening in front of Perkins’ rig. It’s like their trucks are connected. Which, in fact, they are about to be.

Peloton

Perkins radios in that he’s ready to go; Gregory says he is too. Inside the two truck cabs, each driver hits a button. Three ascending tones—la, la, la—means Peloton’s automated system has authorized the trucks to platoon on this stretch of highway. A dedicated short range communications (DSRC) connection is now established between the two vehicles. It’s like WiFi but faster and easier to secure. Now, whatever the front truck does, the back truck in will near-simultaneously “know”—and react accordingly.

Then Gregory speeds up, pulling his truck up so it’s tailgating about 70 feet from the leader. Sounds risky! But right now, the two trucks are platooning. Ours is on a kind of hopped-up cruise control, which means Gregory’s feet aren’t actually controlling the brakes or accelerator. At the same time, Gregory maintains control of his steering wheel. If Perkins were to brake, hard, Gregory’s truck would, too, faster than a human could. The robots have taken over. Kind of? Not really? More like, they’re collaborating, with some human oversight.

Peloton’s name, a reference to bicycle racing, helps explain how this platooning works. Just as the riders in the peloton, or main group of racing cyclists, preserve energy by drafting off of those around them, the following trucks in the truck platoon reduce their aerodynamic drag by drafting off the ones in front of it. The lead truck, meanwhile, get a little push. This saves fuel, according to Pelton—up to 10 percent for the following car and 4.5 percent for the first one, depending on the road and weather conditions and the following distance. It might also prevent crashes, since this tech has much faster reaction times (about 30 milliseconds) than puny humans (about 1 to 1.5 seconds).

Other companies in Europe, China, Japan, and Singapore are seriously experimenting with truck platooning. The American military has hosted platooning demonstrations. Just this week, the US Department of Transportation gave out $1.5 million in grants to universities studying the tech. And Peloton has tested in a bunch of US states: Arizona, California, Michigan, Florida, and Texas, where Peloton has immediate plans to run the majority of its routes.

Right now, the company says it does have paying customers, though it won’t reveal their names until later this year. According to Josh Switkes, the company’s CEO, some pair of US truck drivers are running a route while platooning on a Peloton-enabled truck every day.

And testing continues, on the software in its office, on its test track, and on actual highways, where it confirms the technology’s reliability. “The highway or field is not for testing,” Switkes says. “The goal of testing is to find failures, and you don’t want those failures to be on public roads.” In a report released today, the company lays out this approach to safety for regulators and interested industry parties alike. It borrow from automotive processes more than Silicon Valley-style software ones, amounting to something like, easy does it.

It turns out, the linking-up move Perkins and Gregory just performed on I-5 is one of the most safety-critical parts of truck platooning, says Switkes. The moment when the following truck has to move faster than the one in front of it is the most dangerous part.

To make sure drivers like Perkins and Gregory don’t crash into each other, or anyone else, Peloton needs to make sure that the platooning drivers know how the tech works. (Right now, the company’s driver training process takes about a half a day.) It also needs to understand exactly how heavy the trucks are when they start platooning, how their brakes are working, and how their tires function. For this reason, the company says, it has carved out partnerships with its suppliers, which means its trucks are built from the ground up with platooning in mind.

This is also why Peloton doesn’t platoon in the rain right now, or in the snow: The company can’t yet gauge exactly how tires deteriorate over time, which means it can’t quite predict how they’ll react in a hard-braking situation. Worn tires might slide in the moisture, leading to a domino chain of truck crashes. So no platooning in the Midwest in the winter, or anywhere during a rainy spring. “On certain routes, it’s a significant limitation,” says Switkes. “But we’re erring on the side of safety.”

And if that seems a little dull, Switkes would tell you that’s the point. His favorite word is “pragmatic,” and he doesn’t believe driverless trucks will prowl the highways any time soon. The technology is too complicated, he argues, and developers will have to go through years of safety testing before they’re ready for the roads—and before the public feels safe riding in their own bitty cars around 50,000-pound robot trucks. So Peloton is going all in on making human-based driving both safer and more efficient. With a bit of tech boost.

Not all manufacturers agree: In January, Daimler announced it would stop its platooning development to focus on autonomous trucking. Tests showed that “fuel savings, even in perfect platooning conditions, are less than expected,” the German company wrote in a press release. “At least for U.S. long-distance applications, analysis currently shows no business case for customers driving platoons with new, highly aerodynamic trucks.”

Platooning advocates disagree, but even the most supportive believe finding a market for this trucker assistance isn’t simple. Steven Shladover is researcher with the California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology program at UC Berkeley. He has studied platooning for two decades, and points out that the truck industry would need to execute a fair bit of choreography to pull off platooning. Fleet operators would have to coordinate deliveries, matching up trucks heading in the same direction at the same time. “Does the truck industry see enough of a benefit in platooning to fit it into their operational strategies?” he says.

While everyone in trucking waits to find out, Perkins and Gregory head back to Peloton’s test track and proceed to show off a few, freakier moves: some hard braking, some driving side-by-side to prove that the trucks can still “talk” to each other in that position. At one point, another company employee in a white Toyota Tundra cuts into the 55-foot space between the two trucks, and they smoothly part to make room for him. Maybe platooning will improve life for truckers—too bad it can’t fix the problem of everyday reckless drivers, too.