Twitter chair and ex-Google CFO Patrick Pichette just backed deep tech startup Apheris in a $3 million seed round

* Twitter chair Patrick Pichette just backed Berlin-based deep tech startup Apheris in a $3 million seed fundraising round. * Apheris helps private companies navigate the complexities of local data privacy laws, allowing them to extract insights from datasets through the use of AI technology. * A growing industry, the application of deep tech in privacy is predicted to be worth $50 billion globally by 2027, according to analysts at Meticulous Research. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Patrick Pichette, the chair of Twitter's board of directors and Google's ex-CFO, has backed deep tech startup Apheris in a $3 million seed funding round. Founded in 2019, Apheris helps clients analyse data without risking privacy infractions. The free flow of internal data can be a minefield for private businesses, with large bulks of valuable information remaining unusable or unshareable due to privacy, compliance, legal or security concerns. Apheris is part of Europe's burgeoning enterprise software market, which has produced high-flying startups such as Darktrace and UiPath. Seed investor LocalGlobe led the round alongside Dig Ventures and Pichette. Additional investors include Another.vc, System.One, and angel investors Charles Songhurst, NaturalMotion founder Torsten Reil, and Songkick founder Ian Hogarth. "What this year has crystallized is that the world's largest problems — from fighting pandemics and disease spread to developing life-saving drugs and reducing climate change — require collaborative efforts to solve," said CEO and cofounder Robin Röhm. "Apheris is the solution to enabling new ways to solve the complex problems of our time without sacrificing privacy or security." Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: What it's like inside North Korea's controversial restaurant chain
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Tokyo installed see-through public toilets in a park to let people inspect their cleanliness before using them, at which point the glass turns opaque

* Two see-through bathrooms have been installed in public parks in Tokyo. * They are made from "smart glass" designed so people can see how clean they are inside before using them. The glass turns opaque when the bathroom is locked and in use. * The stalls are part of a project that is redoing 17 of the city's public bathrooms with different designers to make them more accessible and appealing. * The goal is to fight assumptions that public toilets are "are dark, dirty, smelly, and scary," said the nonprofit foundation behind the project. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Tokyo has installed two see-through bathroom facilities in public parks, allowing people to see how clean they are before deciding to use them, at which point they turn opaque. The bathrooms are made of colored "smart glass," which turns opaque when the stalls are locked, said Shigeru Ban, the architect behind the designs. You can see how it works her...

Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck London fintech Lanistar used to raise $19 million at a $190 million valuation

* London-based fintech startup Lanistar has raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Milaya Capital. * Founded in 2019, Lanistar is building a personal financial management platform that will launch later in 2020. * "We're expecting a huge amount of growth upon our launch and have already seen strong interest among our sign ups," Gurhan Kiziloz, founder and CEO of Lanistar, told Business Insider. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The coronavirus lockdown in the UK has brought the importance of managing money into sharp relief. A recent study from Money.com shows that 71% of UK households have saved cash during lockdown, and, with uncertainty about jobs and the economy looming, money management is now front of mind for many. Lanistar, a banking platform with a focus on personal finance, is one company offering tools for consumers to better manage their money. It has just raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Mil...

Europe's hot challenger banks risk losing their shine with mounting losses and customer 'flight to safety' during the pandemic

* Three UK challenger banks posted their financial results for 2019 through July and August. * Monzo, Starling Bank, and Revolut showed growth in revenues year-on-year but also mounting losses. * The trio have won customer loyalty and positive press for sleek app designs and colorful payment cards. * But their financial results and the challenge of COVID-19 raise fresh questions about their long-term viability. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The shine may be rubbing off a key part of Europe's burgeoning fintech market, after three British challenger banks posted mixed full-year financial results for 2019. Monzo, Revolut, and Starling Bank all saw revenue, customers, and deposits go up, in good news for the fast-growing disruptors. But all also posted ballooning losses, with each of the three companies at least doubling their losses in 2019 compared with the previous year. The additional challenge of COVID-19 may make the prospect of profitabi...

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