Latest news with #Redstone
Finextra
6 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Private credit fintech Credibur raises $2.2m
Berlin-based FinTech Credibur has secured $2.2 million (€1.85 million) in pre-seed funding to launch its credit infrastructure platform. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. The round is led by European FinTech VC Redstone, followed by Silicon Valley's MS&AD Ventures and Canadian VC Inovia. The round also includes several prominent business angels from the FinTech scene, including Malte Rau, Founder of Pliant, Topi Co-Founders Estelle Merle and Charlotte Pallua, along with super angel Bjarke Klinge Staun. From Manual Spreadsheets to Automated Solutions Nicolas Kipp, Founder and CEO of Credibur, knows the industry's challenges firsthand. As Co-Founder of embedded lending platform Banxware and Chief Risk Officer at Ratepay, he witnessed daily how funding and reporting processes can become operational bottlenecks that hinder growth. With Credibur, Kipp and his 10-person team are developing infrastructure that solves a central problem in the structured credit portfolio business between non-bank lenders and institutional capital providers: it automates complex, Excel-based workflows and provides all critical decision-making data in real-time. "Debt facility management is the underestimated Achilles' heel in non-bank lending – operationally complex and technologically neglected. With Credibur, we're digitalising this final frontier in the value chain and efficiently connecting institutional capital with new credit models," Kipp explains. The new platform for debt facility management goes far beyond traditional reporting tools, orchestrating the full lifecycle of institutional funding: from structuring through reporting and contract management, to capital calls and the administration of special purpose vehicles (SPVs). The solution targets alternative lenders such as buy now, pay later providers, factoring and leasing companies, as well as institutional investors, including asset managers, debt funds, and family offices. Private Credit: A High-Growth Market Facing Hurdles The majority of institutional capital providers continue to rely on manual processes or outdated systems to this day. Credibur replaces these with a modular API-and-AI-first infrastructure. This enables a more informed risk assessment and improved decision-making in the credit business. Time-consuming, error-prone Excel lists managing millions of euros become a thing of the past, as data is delivered directly from systems via interfaces. The volume of credit outside the banking sector is growing rapidly. Last year alone, global private credit volume reached approximately €2.1 trillion in assets under management according to the European Central Bank (ECB), with more than 20 percent (€430 billion) in Europe. With his experience in the structured finance business, Founder Nicolas Kipp positions Credibur as the infrastructure layer between alternative lenders and institutional investors – and as a key enabler for streamlining debt facility management. "Nicolas has already proven with Banxware and Ratepay that he can master the complexity of the credit business. With Credibur, he's now solving the next fundamental problem: manual debt facility management is slowing growth across the entire private credit sector. His infrastructure can finally digitalise this €430 billion industry in Europe", says Timo Fleig, Managing Partner at FinTech VC Redstone. "While everyone's talking about private credit as an asset class, many overlook the operational hurdles behind it. Credibur creates the technical infrastructure that institutional investors need to efficiently invest in this growing market. This is a classic infrastructure play with enormous scaling potential," adds Jon Soberg, CEO and Managing Partner at MS&AD Ventures. With this funding round, Credibur is emerging from stealth mode and is already launching with its first pilot customers. The fresh capital will flow into technical development of the API-and-AI-first infrastructure, customer acquisition, and team expansion.
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Trump lawsuit, DEI cuts, ombudsman; what's changing after $8.4 billion Paramount‑Skydance merger
FCC allows Skydance's $8 billion merger with Paramount. CBS and 28 station licences transferred; DEI policies scrapped; newsroom oversight introduced. Synopsis The FCC has approved the $8.4 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, transferring CBS station licenses and ending the Redstone family's control. David Ellison will lead the new Paramount, with Skydance promising editorial fairness and appointing an ombudsman. The deal includes ending DEI programs, a move praised by some but criticized by others for press freedom concerns. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved an $8.4 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, ending months of uncertainty. The decision clears the way for CBS, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures to come under new ownership. ADVERTISEMENT It will be the start of a new family dynasty at Paramount, historically run by the Redstone family. When the deal closes, David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison, will take control. As part of the approval, the FCC agreed to transfer licences for 28 CBS-owned television stations to Skydance. The move followed a $16 million settlement by Paramount to resolve a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a 2024 "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The FCC's approval came despite criticism from within the agency. To secure the green light, Skydance and RedBird Capital promised to maintain journalistic integrity. The company will appoint an ombudsman to review complaints of editorial bias and ensure coverage reflects a range of political and ideological Chairman Brendan Carr praised the move, saying, 'It is time for a change. Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once-storied CBS broadcast network is welcomed.' ADVERTISEMENT As part of the agreement, Paramount will end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The move aligns with the Trump administration's view that such initiatives are discriminatory. Carr called the decision a step toward ending "invidious forms of DEI discrimination." ADVERTISEMENT Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez opposed the merger, calling it harmful to press freedom. She criticised the agency for using its power to push Paramount into a legal settlement and accused it of enabling political influence over newsroom decisions.'Even more alarming, it is now imposing never-before-seen controls over editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment,' she said as quoted by India Today. ADVERTISEMENT David Ellison, CEO of Skydance and son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is expected to lead the new Paramount. Former NBCUniversal head Jeff Shell will become president. The merger also puts the future of several current Paramount executives in doubt, with reports of upcoming cost cuts. ADVERTISEMENT The deal, first announced in July 2024, faced delays and scrutiny but eventually moved forward after no higher bids emerged. The merger officially ends the Redstone family's decades-long influence over Paramount, once shaped by Sumner Redstone and later led by his daughter, Shari Redstone. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
Finextra
23-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Banxware co-founder launches credit infrastructure platform
Berlin-based startup Credibur has secured $2.2 million in pre-seed funding to launch its credit infrastructure platform. 0 The round was led by European FinTech VC Redstone, with participation from MS&AD Ventures, Inovia, and a host of angels. Credibur is the brainchild of Nicolas Kipp, co-founder of embedded lending platform Banxware and chief risk officer at Ratepay. In these roles, Kipp says he witnessed daily how funding and reporting processes can become operational bottlenecks that hinder growth. With Credibur, Kipp and his 10-person team has set out to build infrastructure that solves a central problem in the structured credit portfolio business between non-bank lenders and institutional capital providers: it automates complex, Excel-based workflows and provides all critical decision-making data in real-time. The majority of institutional capital providers continue to rely on manual processes or outdated systems. Credibur replaces these with a modular API-and-AI-first infrastructure for more informed risk assessment and improved decision-making in the credit business. With the funding in place, the startup is exiting stealth mode and is already launching with its first pilot customers. "Debt facility management is the underestimated Achilles' heel in non-bank lending - operationally complex and technologically neglected. With Credibur, we're digitalising this final frontier in the value chain and efficiently connecting institutional capital with new credit models," says Kipp.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
7 things to do after defeating Ender Dragon in Minecraft
Image via Mojang Minecraft allows players to explore, build, craft, and fight with various mobs and bosses in the Minecraft World. Ender Dragon is one of them and defeating it is considered one of the game's most impressive milestones. But it doesn't mean the game is over, in fact it just has started as it opens up a whole new world of opportunities. Regardless of you being a builder, explorer, or Redstone engineer, there's many things left to do. This article outlines 7 exciting things and activities which players can do or must do after killing the Ender Dragon in their Minecraft World. Things to do after killing Ender Dragon in Minecraft Here are the 7 things which players can do after defeating Ender Dragon in Minecraft: 1. Exploring & looting the End city to obtain an Elytra Players can look for End cities in the outer End islands. Players can explore End ships to collect Elytra. Collect valuable loot such as enchanted gear and shulker shells. 2. Killing Shulkers to make Shulker Boxes : Players can kill shulkers in End cities in order to obtain shulker shells. Players can craft shulker boxes through shulker shells to enhance portable storage. Shulker boxes are very helpful for mining and large building projects. 3. Collecting the Dragon Egg To collect the Dragon Egg players can use a piston or torch trick. Players can display it as a mark of achievement in their base. Also in future players can respawn the Ender Dragon for more experience 4. Building a base in the End Players can benefit from the flat terrain and unique ambience to create futuristic or alien builds. Players can also mine the End stone and purpur blocks as aesthetic materials. 5. Making an Enderman XP farm Players can build an endermen farm in the End as the natural spawning rate is in the End. Doing so players can collect large amounts of experience for enchanting tools and armor. Players can also have a steady supply of Ender pearls for teleportation or crafting. 6. Creating a Beacon Players can use the XP from the Ender Dragon to enchant gear. With the enchanted gears players can summon a Wither. Then players can use the Nether Star to build a beacon to buff their base. 7. Map out all End gateway portals Every time when players defeat the Ender Dragon again, a new gateway spawns. Which unlocks more outer End islands. These were the 7 things which players can do after defeating the Ender Dragon in Minecraft. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Business Insider
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Murdoch stood up to Trump. Did Paramount fold?
A shocking change in late-night TV. A salacious story about Jeffrey Epstein. What do they have in common? Donald Trump. Specifically, Trump's use of the Presidency to bend media companies to his will. It's a power he's used so effectively in his second term that any threat he makes has to be taken seriously. And that any decision a big media company makes will be seen through a Trump-colored lens, regardless of the facts — which ends up increasing that power. In the case of Paramount's call to end Stephen Colbert's late-night show, there's no evidence that the company's current owner, Shari Redstone, made the move to appease Trump by kiboshing a TV host who routinely rips into the president. The same goes for Larry Ellison and David Ellison, who plan to buy Paramount via their Skydance studio. Paramount itself took pains to say the decision was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." And as we constantly note here, late-night TV — and all TV — is very much challenged: Ratings for just about any conventional TV programming that isn't the NFL are shrinking. And the viewers who watch late-night shows like Colbert's have been dwindling, and aging, for years. Subtract Trump from the story, and this would be just another signpost telling us that the internet has supplanted TV. And that the TV industry doesn't know how to deal with it other than a never-ending series of cuts and garage sales. "Over the next few years, we expect virtually all linear TV programming outside of sports and news to shift to catalog content and reruns of what appeared on streaming; there simply will not be a business model to support original entertainment programming on linear TV," Lightshed analyst Rich Greenfield wrote in a research note Friday morning. The thing is, Trump is all over the story. That's because Redstone has already paid a $16 million ransom to Trump, in order to settle a seemingly spurious lawsuit he filed about a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris last fall. And the Ellisons, who plan to buy Paramount if the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission signs off on the deal this fall, are already deeply enmeshed with Trump. Larry Ellison, who Forbes says is now the second-richest man in the world, is a longtime Trump donor whose Oracle software company is doing lots of Trump-blessed business these days. His son David, who will run Paramount, has been actively seeking Trump's blessing — which is presumably why he was spotted hanging out with Trump ringside at two UFC matches this spring. So is there a world where Redstone agreed to move out Colbert as a way to placate Trump — or to do so on behalf of the Ellisons, for the same reasons? So far, there's zero reporting out there making that case. But plenty of people immediately wondered out loud if it was so, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff, who both put out statements Thursday night wondering if Colbert's show was killed for "political reasons." (Paramount declined to comment beyond its initial press release. A rep for Skydance, the Ellison-owned company that will control Paramount if the sale goes through, also declined to comment. Trump, meanwhile, applauded Colbert's cancellation: "I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. hear Jimmy Kimmel is next," he posted.) But if you're looking for more evidence that Trump expects America's media companies to do what he wants, you didn't have to look very hard on Thursday. After The Wall Street Journal published a story about a racy poem and drawing Trump allegedly gave to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Trump announced that he had told both Emma Tucker, the Journal's editor, and Rupert Murdoch, who owns the paper via his News Corp., not to publish the report. Because they did, Trump said Thursday night via his Truth Social platform, he would sue Murdoch and his publications. "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his "pile of garbage" newspaper, the WSJ.," Trump added in a follow-up post Friday morning. Will Trump actually do that? On the one hand, Trump is well-known for threatening media companies with lawsuits, and throughout his career has sometimes followed up. He's never actually filed a suit while he was president, however. And up until last year, he didn't have much luck with the suits he did file. That changed last fall, after Trump's reelection. Since then, we've seen a series of media and tech companies settle Trump's suits with multimillion-dollar payouts — settlements most legal experts say those companies would never have offered if he didn't have the power of the presidency behind him. Which in my mind gives his current threat much more currency — even though it would end up pitting Trump against the man who also owns and controls Fox News, an outlet Trump watches constantly, and uses to staff his administration. There's no point in speculating what would happen if Trump does follow through with his suit (the White House press office, asked for comment, referred me to Trump's Truth Social posts). But we don't have to speculate about Trump's presence in media boardrooms and everywhere else — he's in everyone's heads, whether they like it or not.
