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Square, the point-of-sale system owned by Jack Dorsey’s Block, is announcing a number of new upgrades todayincluding one that will make it easier for business owners to accept payments in Bitcoin. On Wednesday, the company made three announcements: An expansion of its platform for restaurants (including AI-voice ordering and a bigger, broader Grubhub integration) A conversational AI assistant embedded in its dashboard to answer questions, called Square AI Square Bitcoin: An integrated Bitcoin payment and wallet system for business owners The upgrades and announcements are designed to help business owners control their costs, dig up more insights within their data, and plan ahead with more confidence, Willem Avé, Squares head of product, tells Fast Company. Were focused on anything we can do to help small businesses compete better, Avé says. That includes a smattering of new and beefed-up features for restaurant operators, specifically, such as AI voiced ordering, which allows customers to call in and place an order with an AI assistant (while also answering questions about the menu and make customizations). Meanwhile, a speedier kiosk will help orders get entered faster, and enhanced accounting and sales reportsplus an Order Guidewill help restaurateurs get a clearer picture of their costs and revenue. Avé says that the voice-ordering feature is particularly interesting, as the technology has only recently become good enough to launch. At the beginning of this past summer, for example, it wouldnt have worked, he says. We believe that the tech is finally here to build a natural, good, AI-based ordering system,” Avé adds. ‘The tech is there, the demand is there’ Perhaps the most interesting announcement of the day is the launch of Square Bitcoin, which allows businesses to accept Bitcoin payments, automatically store those payments in a designated wallet, convert other revenue to Bitcoin, and do it all with no processing fees through the end of next year. Square has always been about accepting any type of payment that comes across the counter, Avé says, and so giving businesses the power to integrate with crypto in a relatively simple way was a natural step for the company. The tech is there, and the demand is there, and from a cost perspective, Bitcoin payments are cheaper for businesses, he says. While some large merchant chains accept cryptocurrency paymentsa list that includes the Home Depot, Chipotle, and Whole Foodsits been, thus far, a difficult implementation for small companies. Squares announcement could change that, all while crypto adoption and prices reach a fever pitch. The timing isnt necessarily a coincidence, as Avé says the company has been trying to move quicker as customer needs evolve. “This release is highlighting that speed is the name of the game, he says, and were moving faster than ever.
Category:
E-Commerce
The worlds best engineers, entrepreneurs, and researchers face no shortage of opportunities. If youre building the future in frontier technologies like AI, you could base yourself anywhere. So the real question is where. The answer today points northto Stockholm. The European Commission recently declared Stockholm as Europes most innovative region. Ahead of Copenhagen, London, and Zurich, the Swedish capital took the top spot. Not just overall, but on a range of individual indicators, from lifelong learning and share of tech specialists employed to cross-border scientific publications, collaboration between SMEs, patent filings, and trademarks. Right after the European Commissions report, the citys own Lovable was declared the fastest-growing software startup in global history. This is another indicator of Stockholm as Europes capital of the futureadmittedly anecdotal, yet hard to ignore. STOCKHOLMS LIFESTYLE EDGE Of course, for youa global top talentthere are regions beyond Europe to consider. The U.S. and China still have metro areas that are more innovative, for now. But what Europes innovative center can also offer is another way of life. Sweden consistently ranks among the worlds most gender-equal societies. The childcare system is outstandingenabling both parents to combine engaged parenthood with career advancement. Society is cultural, creative, democratic, egalitarian, and open. Clean air and water, smooth public transportation, and buildings designed for light and ventilation make daily life in Stockholm unusually comfortable. Government bureaucracy is light for individuals and companies. Starting a business is easy, energy prices are among Europes lowest, and taxes not as high as Swedens reputation suggests. With no wealth or inheritance tax, low corporate tax rate, and minimal everyday costs for healthcare, childcare, and education, the benefits often exceed the income tax rate headlines. Add in generous parental leave (exported by Spotify to the U.S.) and EU freedom of movement, and this capital offers a package of benefits rarely matched in other hubs. For many specialists, flatter structures and shorter weeks tip the balance in Stockholms favor. Fast Company recognized our Stockholm-based real estate firm as one of the Worlds Most Innovative Companies. My job at Atrium Ljungberg can perhaps best be described as playing SimCity but in real life, with the city I love most as the game board. To be fully transparent, the job comes with a dose of stakeholder management and administration that SimCity leaves outbut still, the analogy is strikingly true. Stockholm is evolving, and its a thrill to be part of the ride: Atrium Ljungberg is redeveloping Slakthusomrdet, the worlds largest transformation of a meatpacking district, while also building Stockholm Wood City. The renewal of Slussen, a central hub, is nearing completion, as is the expansion of Hagastaden, linking the city with Europes top medical university and hospital. They knit old districts and new innovation hubs into a more connected city. FROM NOBEL PRIZES TO SPOTIFY: THE CITYS LONG GAME How did Stockholm become Europes most innovative region? It helps to start at the beginning. Stockholms tradition has long shown progress. By the 1880s, Stockholm had the most telephones of any city in the world. The Nobel Prize was established in 1901 and soon became the worlds most prestigious award across five scientific disciplines, later joined by a sixth in economics. A series of world-class companies were created here in the pre-WW2 industrial era, including Ericsson, Atlas Copco, and Electrolux. That period laid the groundwork for Stockholms rise. The city gained a reputation as a hub of practical innovation and engineering. In 1954, the Royal Institute of Technology hosted Swedens first nuclear reactor, built underground in the middle of the city. By the 1980s, Stockholms universities were among Europes first online. The 1997 Home PC reform gave Swedes tax-free access to computers via employers, driving mass adoption and digital skills. Since the 90s, Stockholm has produced another wave of champions: Spotify, the leading music streaming service globally; EQT, one of the world’s largest private equity firms; and Klarna, a fintech giant. Stockholm now counts more listed firms than any European city, including London and Frankfurt. Along the way, Stockholm also became a creative capital. The city that once exported timber and steel now exports pop music, design and gamingfrom Avicii to Acne and Minecraft, with billions playing our video games. In 1968, only a quarter of Swedes had eaten out in the last quarter, and kitchens still shut at 8 p.m. Today, Stockholm is a city full of Michelin stars, neighborhood bistros, late-night bars, and clubs. THE ECOSYSTEM BUILDING EUROPES NEXT GIANTS Sweden ranks first in Europe by VC investment per capita and unicorn creation per capita. But capital alone doesnt build companiestalent does. In Stockholm today, workplaces are increasingly designed to attract it: more like clubs or labs than offices, they give talent autonomy, wellbeing, and connection. A diverse set of Stockholm ventures is now breaking ground. Einride, putting autonomous electric trucks on roads across continents, and Candela, whose electric boats ferry Stockholms commuters, drive the future of transportation. Fashion and beauty names Toteme and Estrid stand beside music investor Pophouse, steward of catalogues from Avicii to KISS and Cyndi Lauper. Investors Creandum, EQT Ventures, Northzone, and Norrsken have underpinned the citys ascent as one of Europes leading venture hubs. Scaling companies consume vast amounts of energy. To support the soaring demand, national energy company Vattenfall and the government just announced that Sweden will build a series of small modular reactors (SMRs). The initiative is notable globally: While most countries are still piloting single SMR projects, Sweden is planning a program at scale, aimed directly at powering fast-growing industries. Propelled by clean energy, culture, and investment, few places combine beauty and dynamism like Stockholm: the Nordic Venice with its islands, a cultural city from Gustav IIIs opera house, to Max Martins pop, built on democracy and openness. Yet its real strength lies in its trajectory. For builders, creatives, and intellectuals, Stockholm has become Europes most attractive base to change the world from. Linus Kjellberg is head of business development at Atrium Ljungberg.
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E-Commerce
When I worked in tech, I often heard engineering leaders explain why they couldnt hire more women or minorities: the so-called pipeline problem. They claimed there simply werent enough qualified candidates entering the system, so naturally the pool of diverse talent remained thin. Many of us in the ecosystem called BS. The reality wasnt a lack of qualified people; it was a lack of imagination, access, and commitment to creating inclusive environments where diverse talent could thrive. Fast forward to my work today in womens sports. I find myself thinking about that same phrasethis time with a twist. In sports, a pipeline problem is very real, and very serious. Girls drop out of sports at far higher rates than boys, often by age 14. Not because they lack talent or ambition, but because hidden, solvable barriers stand in their way. Research points to a variety of reasons: lack of access to facilities, fewer female coaches, cultural pressures, and economic hurdles. But there are also subtler obstaclesmenstrual stigma, inadequate athletic gear, transportation gaps, or not feeling seen and supported in spaces where theyre underrepresented. These arent headline-grabbing issues, but they can determine whether a girl keeps playing or quietly walks away. This isnt just about missed opportunities on the field. Sports participation is directly tied to confidence, leadership skills, academic performance, and future career success. When we lose girls from the pipeline, we lose future team captains, CEOs, scientists, and community leaders. THE HIDDEN BARRIERS With gender equity in sports, the conversation often centers on the field of playmedia coverage, equal pay, prize money, sponsorship. These are important, visible markers of progress. Yet, what often goes unnoticed are the less visible, deeply practical barriers that prevent girls from staying in the game in the first place. This years Gainbridge Assists Powered by Parity grants, in partnership with the Womens Sports Foundation, expanded to empower changemakers addressing these obstacles. Thirty-two recipients across 20 states will receive $222,000 (total), funding projects ensuring girls can fully participate in sportand benefit from the resulting lifelong confidence, leadership, and health outcomes. In addition to funding camps, clinics, and playing opportunities in sports from basketball and soccer to fencing, lacrosse, and wrestling, this years grantees are tackling some of the obstacles head on. These efforts recognize that access alone isnt enough if hidden barriers continue holding girls back: Menstrual health. For many student-athletes, lack of menstrual products access is a silent barrier sidelining them from school and sport. In 2025, no girl should have to sit out practice because she cant afford pads or tampons, or because shes embarrassed to ask for them. Period Project Indianapolis is breaking that silence, distributing free menstrual products and normalizing reproductive health conversations in locker rooms and communities. Proper gear. For adolescent girls, a well-fitting sports bra can determine whether they stay engaged in sport. Athletes for Hope, partnering with Bras for Girls, provides gear and the education girls need while navigating puberty. Without this kind of intervention, physical discomfort and body image anxieties drive too many girls to drop out during adolescence. Mental health support. Sports can be a powerful tool for wellbeing, but only when participation feels safe and inclusive. The pressures young athletes facebalancing academics and expectationscan weigh heavily. When stress or anxiety go unaddressed, sports can feel like another impossible demand. The initiative supports programs integrating mental health resources into athletics. The Skills Center in Tampa will use its funding to host a girls sports and empowerment festival, combining physical activity with mental health workshops for Black and Latina youth. Meanwhile, ZGiRLS will deliver sport psychology programming to help girls manage stress, anxiety, and family pressures during the holiday season. Transportation. For many girls, the challenge isnt desire but logistics. Getting to practice is a barrier. Families without reliable transportation or parents working multiple jobs cant always shuttle daughters across town. Its a small obstacle with outsized consequencesoften ending in quiet resignation. Fisk University, home to the first HBCU womens gymnastics team, is working to overcome this hurdle. Each factor might sound small in isolation, but together, they form a web of barriers pushing girls out of sports before they can realize their potential. INNOVATION BEYOND THE GAME In business, we talk endlessly about innovation. We laud breakthrough technologies and new markets. But what if innovation also meant tackling the overlooked barriers that keep people from participating in the first place? Thats what these grantees are doing: rethinking how to support the game and the players. True innovation in womens sports identifies overlooked pain points and designs solutions rooted in empathy and equity. Theyre innovating at the most fundamental level. The demand is massive. Gainbridge Assists Powered by Parity received over 380 applications this yearmore than double last years total. Each $5,000 grant seems modest, but the ripple effects are significant. In 1974, Billie Jean King founded the Womens Sports Foundation with the $5,000 check she received for being named the Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year by the Bob Hope Cavalcade of Sports. In 2024, the program helped more than 5,000 girls pursue their athletic and academic goals. With this years expanded funding, the reach will only grow. THE PATH FORWARD Just as the tech industry confronted its excuses about the so-called pipeline problem, we must confront ours in sports. We can no longer shrug and accept that girls just drop out. Not when we know the reasons, and not when the solutions are within reach. Equity in womens sports must be defined broadly. Its not just about broadcasting more games or negotiating better contractsthough those remain crucial. Its also about removing the silent, practical, and cultural barriers that quietly push girls out long before they reach elite levels. King famously said, You have to see it to be it. But before girls can see themselves as champions, they must be given the chance to stay on the field, the court, the track, or the ice. That requires meeting them where they are, addressing their most pressing needs, and ensuring they know they belong. Leela Srinivasan is CEO of Parity.
Category:
E-Commerce
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