Abigail Avery

Subletting startup Kiki paid over $152K to settle charges after violating NYC short-term rental laws

Auckland-founded Kiki Club launched its peer-to-peer subletting startup in New York City in 2023 with the mission of helping renters sublet their apartments while traveling for extended periods.  However, Kiki’s model violated local short-term rental laws, leading to its shutdown this past June. The New York Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) announced on Wednesday…

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Credit risk automation platform Kaaj raises $3.8M seed from Kindred Ventures

Shivi Sharma spent a decade working in credit risk at places like American Express and Varo Bank.   At some point, she realized teams were spending equal amounts of time analyzing all types of loans — regardless of whether it was worth $100,000 or $5 million — meaning assessing smaller loans was ultimately an unprofitable and time-consuming process for lenders.   She…

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