There's a reason venture capitalists, investment banks, institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals fawn over startups. The ones that eventually achieve great success, like Meta Platforms Inc. META, Dropbox Inc. DBX, Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR and Spotify Technology SA SPOT, tend to make early backers really rich.  Tens of millions of startups come to the market globally each year, but it's only a small percentage that hit it out of the park, accounting for the majority of investors' returns. Last year about 66 startups achieved unicorn status – valuations of $1 billion – and as of March, 34 have valuations of $10 billion or more. The successful ones often possess high margins, technology differentiation, strong managers and tons of experience. It is those types of companies venture investors are constantly hunting for Unfortunately for regular investors, getting access to these potential disruptors isn't an easy feat. Yes, there are venture capital funds, but they are traditionally reserved for wealthy individuals and institutional investors. The funds typically require high minimum investments if you're lucky enough to get access. Crowdfunding sites are another option, but the startups on these platforms tend to be smaller, catering to niche markets. Aside from a handful, the majority may not sport multibillion-dollar valuations. Other avenues like Destiny Tech 100 and Fundrise offer a diverse set of options, albeit in smaller sizes to more accessible names that are typically available on most secondary trading markets like Forge But that doesn't mean VC investing is absolutely impossible for regular investors. Companies like SuRo Capital Corp. SSSS are giving investors access – through its publicly traded stock That's particularly true of AI, a sweet spot for SuRo's investments. In the third quarter, the investment firm said it made a $17.7 million investment in OpenAI, one of the biggest artificial intelligence (AI) developers in the world, and increased its position in CoreWeave, an AI neocloud company that is preparing to launch an initial public offering in the middle of 2025. According to several people close to the company, they noted that while CoreWeave’s valuation soared from $2B to $19B in the past 18 months, the likely 2025 IPO could value it even higher

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to more accurately report a quote from Chris Christie that states he is not in favor of cannabis descheduling. "The U.S. government has got to get its act together and decide what it really thinks on this issue," says Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and longtime conservative voice, addressing the state of cannabis in America under a new Trump administration In an exclusive conversation with Benzinga Cannabis facilitated by Covers.com, Christie outlines his perspectives on the future of cannabis regulation and cryptocurrency adoption, framing both within a broader trend of deregulation he expects to see under Trump's leadership. As the country moves forward, Christie believes cannabis and crypto are poised to experience significant changes though each industry will need to navigate its own unique challenges Christie begins by tackling the complexities surrounding cannabis regulation, a topic he's been openly conservative about throughout his political career. Although he's traditionally opposed to federal legalization, Christie notes a potential shift under President-elect Donald Trump. "What I suspect he would really like to do is get it downgraded by the DEA so that it’s not illegal," Christie says. Cannabis remains a Schedule I substance, making it federally illegal despite a growing wave of state-level legalization. For Christie, the legal status presents an obstacle for the industry, particularly regarding banking and financial services. "The trouble the cannabis industry has now is that a lot of people still won't do business with them, because the proceeds are tainted by the fact they are created through a drug that is illegal in the United States." Beyond cannabis, Christie also weighs in on another hot-button topic: cryptocurrency. Known for its volatility and potential for high returns, crypto has seen a significant uptick in adoption over recent years. With Trump heading to the White House, Christie predicts a favorable environment for crypto's continued expansion. "I think it will develop because he’ll not be in favor of doing a lot of regulating on it," he says, suggesting that Trump's general stance on deregulation could encourage further growth in the crypto sector

As Occidental Petroleum Corp OXY gears up to announce its third-quarter earnings on Tuesday after the close, investors are asking: Can the oil giant overcome its stock slump? Occidental shares have taken a hit this year, down over 15%, while Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has been steadily increasing its stake, now holding 27.25% of the company With Wall Street's third-quarter consensus at 74 cents in EPS and $7.23 billion in revenue, analysts and Buffett-watchers alike are eager to see if Occidental can justify the Oracle's vote of confidence Buffett's investment rose to 5.93% of Berkshire's portfolio in the second quarter, signaling his bullish outlook — but can OXY deliver? OXY's stock chart and recent trading activity isn't exactly inspiring confidence

From clinical developments to an upcoming FDA trial anticipated in 2025, Mainz Biomed NV MYNZ, the molecular genetics diagnostic company, is making headway in growing its business on its path to profitability.  ColoAlert®, its flagship product, is a key driver of its growth. Aimed at revolutionizing the colorectal cancer testing industry, ColoAlert is an early detection screening that spots bleeding and non-bleeding tumors through tumor DNA analysis. ColoAlert analyzes samples for the four tumor markers associated with cancer: KRAS-mutation, BRAF-mutation, total amount of human DNA and occult blood. By analyzing tumor DNA, Mainz says ColoAlert detects 85% of colorectal cancer cases, often in the very early stages of the disease, compared to the closest US competitor, Exas Science, delivering only 43% of Sensitivity for Advanced Adenomas. That is a key edge for the company, given the company says 71% of diagnoses made are in the later stages of the disease The product appears to be making inroads, with the company demonstrating at two conferences what it says are significant clinical successes in U.S. and European trials. Presentations at Digestive Disease Week – the meeting for professionals working in gastroenterology, hepatology, GI endoscopy, gastrointestinal surgery and related fields – and the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting highlighted ColoAlert's success Mainz Biomed said in presentations that based on trials, ColoAlert's sensitivities exceeded 90% for detecting colorectal cancer and over 80% for advanced adenomas. Detecting advanced adenomas is crucial in preventing colorectal cancer, as identifying patients with these lesions allows for timely intervention through colonoscopy and adenoma removal, thereby averting cancer development, reports Mainz. The company was also awarded as a Poster of Distinction by the Digestive Disease Week judges for the presentation of industry-leading results "As we enter a critical phase in our company's journey, Mainz Biomed's vision remains focused on leading the way in cancer diagnostics," said Guido Baechler, CEO of Mainz Biomed. "Our groundbreaking clinical results with our mRNA based next generation CRC screening test and our strategic pathway to FDA trials, which we plan to start in 2025, demonstrate our commitment to expanding into the world's largest healthcare market. These efforts, combined with our growing international footprint, underscore why we believe Mainz Biomed is currently undervalued relative to its potential."

Wall Street saw the first surge in risk aversion after Donald Trump's election victory last week, as concerns grew over potential tariffs and trade policy shifts spurred by the incoming administration's key appointments. Trump is reportedly considering Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of state and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) for national security advisor. Both are vocal hawks on China and NATO, raising concerns of a tougher U.S. stance that could strain key geopolitical and trade relationships Adding to the cautious sentiment, investors are bracing for Wednesday's key inflation data release, with economists forecasting the annual rate to hit 2.6% in October As of midday trading in New York, none of the major U.S. equity indices posted gains, while small caps underperformed, with the Russell 2000 down 1.5%. Ten out of 11 S&P 500 sectors traded in the red, with consumer staples the only marking tiny gains The dollar, viewed as a hedge against tariff risk, strengthened, with a currency-weighted index reaching its highest level since May 2024

Palantir Technologies Inc.‘s PLTR market capitalization has exceeded that of traditional defense industry leader Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT, marking a significant shift in the defense and technology sector landscape. What Happened: The data analytics company’s market value reached $137.17 billion, surpassing Lockheed Martin’s $135.25 billion, reflecting Palantir’s growth in artificial intelligence and data analytics within modern defense and security Palantir stock reached an all-time high at $60.24 on Monday, with its stock up 263.33% year-to-date, pushing its market capitalization to $137.17 billion, surpassing Lockheed Martin’s $135.25 billion. Lockheed Martin's stock has risen 25.09% to $570.58 in 2024, according to data from Benzinga Pr The stark difference in valuation metrics between the two companies highlights their distinct market positions. Palantir trades at a premium price-to-earnings ratio of 304.78. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin maintains a more traditional defense industry P/E ratio of 20.64 Why It Matters: This development underscores Palantir’s meteoric rise in the market, reflecting its growing influence. This surge in market cap comes on the heels of a series of strategic moves by Palantir, including its partnership with Amazon.com Inc AMZN and Meta Platforms Inc META for U.S. defense initiatives

Increasingly, the concept of democratization – both in the social and economic realms – has become a central rallying cry for society. Digital marketing platform Thumzup Media Corp TZUP, recently uplisted to Nasdaq, takes this principle and applies it to the advertising ecosystem. Rather than the typical top-down approach deployed in this arena, Thumzup turns that business model on its head. Under the "analog" paradigm of advertising, businesses were forced to rely on major agencies and media outlets. At the time, only the largest enterprises controlled mass media channels such as television, radio, newspapers and billboards. Essentially, product and service messaging was funneled through centralized and hierarchical networks. Under this construct, the actual consumers were merely relegated to passive receivers of information However, the internet – especially social media – has ushered in a fresh framework for how advertisers can influence their target audience. Through various hubs of connectivity, individuals can foster product discovery through a bottom-up approach. Such peer-to-peer recommendations lend a certain weight of authenticity that celebrity endorsements may not quite be able to match and are the central focus of Thumzup's vision Best of all, to incentivize this organic engagement, Thumzup offers cash rewards to users. Effectively, consumers are rewarded for doing what they do naturally: making recommendations to their family and friends. On the other end of the spectrum, businesses can potentially see their advertising dollars go much further than they could with traditional celebrity endorsements, which carry high costs and unpredictable results Currently, 33.2 million small businesses operate in the U.S., accounting for 99.9% of all firms. Among this group, data from 2021 revealed that about 45% purchase digital ads, with the average monthly expenditure per business reaching $534. However, because of the meteoric success of digital ads, more recent research indicates that 69% of small enterprises use the medium to find new customers