Highlights of the Week (November 12, 2021)

A story that caught our attention here at the Daily Stack recently came out of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Zenwork, a little-known startup in tax regulatory software, earned a staggering $162.5MM minority investment as its first round of funding. For us reporting daily on fintech and compliance software companies raising piles of cash, this story stands out as a true bootstrapper fairy tale. The company finds itself with the right product at the right time as more and more companies have turned to independent contractors to boost their workforce since the pandemic. The IRS expects to see 3.6BN withholding documents and nearly 107MM 1099s filed in 2021. The RegTech company counts Berkshire Hathaway and Allbirds among its customers.

Here’s a refresher on the stories we covered this week on the Daily Stack: 

• The latest jobs report reveals that the jobs that need filling are not the ones that those who have quit are looking for. 10MM jobs are available, but knowledge workers, in particular, are being picky. Find out more.

• We looked at the deep-tech landscape and one investor who is rallying to make good use of all that under-analyzed data (only 2% ever gets looked at). Walden Catalyst Ventures is on a mission to turn data into meaningful impact. Learn more.

• The COP26 summit has brought together world leaders, industry experts, and a whole lot of lobbyists determined to hammer out the details in the fight against climate change. See how they’re doing.

• By 2030, women will control two-thirds of private wealth in this country. The shift from male- to female-controlled portfolios will result in heavier investments into companies with a positive impact beyond the bottom line. Check out how women are leaning into ESG investing.