Apart from the initial seed funding and branding from Citi, the fledgling venture was on its own.

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Formlabs has received initial seed investments from the likes of Mitch Kapor, Joi Ito, and Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors.

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You can customize how it picks content, according to Michael Muller one of the researchers behind the Social Lens project, by changing the initial seed topics, or by selecting an emphasis on people or content items.

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The profiles can be set up on device or on the Netflix site, with toggles for a preference to its Just for Kids menu UI, as well as asking a bit about your preferred movies to seed initial recommendations.

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Monsanto had developed promising seed products following its initial investment, but it was a bit player, struggling to find a foothold in an industry with several well-established competitors.

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Now that NECTAR has been launched, the next step will be to establish a seed fund with regional donors like the BAHGAT Group in Egypt to cover the initial phase of the project.

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While their initial efforts were marked by only fits of growth, they continued to water their deep-sown seed of opportunity so it might flourish into full bloom.

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She did it by being as resourceful and imaginative as the entrepreneurs she backs--raising seed money, living on no salary, dealing with repeated rejection, surviving the loss of two initial partners.

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