TechCrunch roundup

The latest batch of Y Combinator startups have emerged from their Demo Day and the tech world is buzzing with anticipation. Meanwhile, a handful of Silicon Valley venture capitalists are turning to thrift stores for funding, and cybersecurity product challenges are providing a testing ground for the industry’s most innovative products. Here is a TechCrunch+ roundup of the latest news and trends in the startup world.

Y Combinator Demo Day:

This past week marked Y Combinator’s annual summer Demo Day, a showcase of new startups from the accelerator program. This year’s participants featured over 200 companies, many of which showcased products and services in the healthcare, education, finance, and enterprise software sectors. Among the most discussed products were GenomeBridge, a health data storage platform; PocketCampus, a digital education platform; and Datagres, a data monetizing platform.

Thrift Shop VCs:

With the influx of venture capital (VC) into the market, a handful of venture capitalists (VCs) are starting to find their funding sources in some unlikely places. Specifically, “thrift shop VCs” are investigating previously neglected secondhand and thrift stores, looking for products to invest in and cultivate. These VCs are looking for potential businesses that are just on the cusp of success and can be scaled quickly with the right financing.

Cybersecurity Challenges:

To encourage cyber security innovation, a number of leading industry players have come together to offer challenges and rewards to hackers and penetration testers. These challenges, such as the “Capture the Flag” event coordinated by the Defense Innovation Unit, have become popular with the hacker and security community. The challenges are helping to push the security community to develop new ways of thinking and provide a platform for testing the most cutting-edge cybersecurity products.

Conclusion:

The startup and venture capital world is full of innovation right now. Y Combinator’s latest Demo Day has brought to light a number of exciting new companies, while thrifty VCs are turning to thrift shops for funding. Finally, the industry’s leading companies are using challenges to foster the development of the best cybersecurity products on the market. All in all, the startup world has never been more alive.