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Speaking with Cointelegraph, Animoca co-founder Yat Siu noted that given the sources anonymity, it makes it difficult to ascertain exactly who or what the source or agenda is. 4115 Total views 13 Total shares Listen to article 0:00 News Own this piece of history

Collect this article as an NFT Venture capital firm and Web3 game developer Animoca Brands has refuted claims that it scaled back its metaverse fund target by $200 million, or 20% to $800 million, amid volatility in the crypto market and instability in the banking sector.

The firm also downplayed suggestions that its valuation has plummeted from $6 billion as of July 2022 to roughly $2 billion in March 2023.

Stemming from a March 24 Reuters reportcitinganonymous people familiar with the matter, it was claimed that Animoca initially halved its $2 billion metaverse fund target in January, and recently cut itanother 20% to $800 million.

The fund in question was announced in November 2022to allocate capital to mid-to-late-stage startups with a metaverse focus. At the time, Animoca co-founder and chairman Yat Siu outlined that the fund target was between $1 billion and $2 billion, depending on how much capital was raised.

In a public statement shared with Cointelegraph, Animoca stated that the claim that the Animoca Capital fund target was cut from $2 billion to $1 billion is not correct, because $1 billion has always been within the range declared.

The firm did acknowledge that the banking collapses in the United States have, of course, had an impact but stressed that the final amount raised for the fund has yet to be determined.

Theres no doubt that the FTX and banking crises have had a serious impact on available venture capital, but fundraising for the Animoca Capital fund is in progress. When the raise is concluded, we will inform the market with the appropriate details, including the final size of this fund, the firm stated.

Commenting on the leaked information, Siu told Cointelegraph that given the information came from unnamed sources, it makes it difficult to ascertain exactly who or what the sources and agenda are, which is unfortunate.

“Angry Birds was not created by Activision.” @viewfromhk, CEO of @animocabrands, explains in our exclusive chat at @ParisBlockWeek that major game companies don’t always drive innovation.

Is it time for a new generation of game developers to shine in Web3? #PBW2023 pic.twitter.com/UwcujLeGYY Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 22, 2023

Concerning the companys valuation, Animoca asserted that the figures reported by Reuters and an additional two other unnamed people cited were inaccurate.

Animoca, which trades as AB1, was initially listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in the firms early days. However, AB1 was delisted back in March 2020 due the ASXs assertions that Animoca had breached its listing rules by being involved in crypto-related activities, among other things.

Since then, its shares have traded on unlisted stock-focused exchanges such as the Sydney-based PrimaryMarkets.

Related No shortage of passion in the Parisian people for PBW amid protests Animoca Brands CEO

The data from this platform was used to calculate a total market cap of AB1 at around roughly $2 billion. However, Animoca argues that these figures dont fully represent the companys total valuation. AB1 stock price. Source: PrimaryMarkets

The claim […] that Animoca Brands now trades its shares on PrimaryMarkets is not technically correct. We terminated our arrangement with PrimaryMarkets in the second half of 2020, but PrimaryMarkets chose to continue to trade Animoca Brands shares on its platform, the firm stated, adding that: We do not consider the thin trading activity on PrimaryMarkets to accurately reflect the companys value. Trading volume is far too low to provide the price accuracy you would find on an actual primary market. #Business #Funding #Stocks #Games #Metaverse #Blockchain Game #Web3 #Gaming

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Crypto hacks are a wake-up call for DeFi

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Kia’s first electric hatchback is here and it has nearly 400 miles range: Meet the EV4 hatch

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Kia's first electric hatchback is here and it has nearly 400 miles range: Meet the EV4 hatch

Who said hatchbacks are going out of style? Kia’s first electric hatchback, the EV4, went on sale in the UK on Monday, offering the longest driving range of any of its EVs to date. Here’s a full breakdown of prices and specs.

Meet the EV4, Kia’s first electric hatchback

After launching the sedan version in Korea in April, the EV4 already took the top spot as the best-selling domestic electric sedan in its second month on the market. It’s already being called a “box office hit.” Now, the new hatch variant is officially on sale.

Kia opened orders for the EV4 hatchback in the UK on Monday, starting from £34,695 ($47,700). The EV4 is Kia’s first crack at an electric hatchback.

With an impressive 388 miles of WLTP driving range, it’s also the longest driving range of any EV Kia has ever produced.

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The hatch is based on the same E-GMP platform as the EV4 sedan and Kia’s other electric vehicles, but it’s custom-tailored for European buyers.

The base EV4 “Air” is available with two battery packs: 58.2 kWh or 81.4 kWh, providing a WLTP driving range of up to 273 miles or 388 miles on a full charge. Kia said it’s the brand’s first electric vehicle offering a range of over 380 miles.

Kia-EV4-first-electric-hatchback
Kia EV4 hatchback GT-Line (Source: Kia)

The sporty “GT-Line” and top-spec “GT-Line S” variants are available exclusively with the extended range (81.4 kWh) battery, which offers a range of 362 miles.

All EV4 hatchback models are powered by a single front motor with 201 bhp (150 kW) and 283 Nm of torque, good for a 0 to 62 mph sprint in 7.5 secs.

Kia's-first-electric-hatchback
Kia EV4 hatchback (Source: Kia)

The interior features a similar setup to Kia’s latest EV models, like the EV3 and EV9, with its new connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) at the center. The setup features dual 12.3″ driver clusters and infotainment screens in a curved panoramic display. An additional 5.3″ touchscreen for climate control is included for easy access to heating and ventilation functions.

Like the EV3, Kia’s electric hatchback will include an AI Assistant, powered by ChatGPT. It will also be the brand’s first vehicle with several entertainment settings, including “Rest mode” and Theatre mode.”

Kia-EV4-first-electric-hatchback-interior
Kia EV4 hatchback interior (Source: Kia)

With all the seats upright, the electric hatch has a boot space of 435 liters, which Kia claims makes it “one of the most practical vehicles in its segment.”

With a length of 4,430 mm, a width of 1,860 mm, and a height of 1,485 mm, the EV4 hatchback is about the size of Kia’s XCreed.

The EV4 hatch can recharge from 10% to 80% in 29 minutes, while the larger battery will take approximately 31 minutes to charge using a 350 kW DC fast charger.

Kia EV4 hatchback trim Starting Price Driving Range
(WLTP)
Air Standard Range £34,695 ($47,700) 273 miles
Air Long Range £37,695 ($51,700) 388 miles
GT-Line £39,395 ($54,000) 362 miles
GT-Line S £43,895 ($60,200) 362 miles
Kia EV4 hatchback prices and range in the UK

Kia opened orders for the new electric hatch on Monday, July 1. It will join the EV3, EV6, and EV9 in the brand’s European lineup. The EV4 hatchback will be built at Kia’s plant in Slovakia to expedite deliveries, which are scheduled to begin in the Fall.

Kia also announced on Monday that a new EV4 Fastback variant will join the lineup, but didn’t offer any additional details. More info, including prices and specs, “will be revealed in due course.” Check back soon for the latest.

What do you think of Kia’s first electric hatchback? Would you buy one in the US? Unfortunately, it’s not likely to make the trip overseas, but we will see the sedan version launch at some point in early 2026. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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