Impossible Foods just announced its first new products since debuting its popular plant-based "beef" burger in 2016 — Impossible Sausage and Impossible Pork, the former of which will be launching in a breakfast sandwich available at select Burger King locations this month. The launch represents the startup's next major step forward as it competes with rival Beyond Meat to dominate the market for plant-based meat alternatives.

Impossible Foods will be testing its first sausage product at 139 Burger King restaurants at the end of the month. located in Savannah, Georgia; Lansing, Michigan; Springfield, Illinois; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Montgomery, Alabama. Those restaurants will be getting the Impossible Croissan'wich, a sandwich that consists of egg, cheese, and Impossible Sausage on a toasted croissant. 

The Impossible Burger can already be found at several popular fast food chains such as White Castle, which sells Impossible Sliders, and Burger King, which has Impossible Whoppers on the menu. But the launch of a sausage product at Burger King gives Impossible Foods even more ammunition to compete with rival Beyond Meat, which similarly can be found at a growing number of fast food chains, and which already provides the meat alternatives for breakfast sandwiches at chains like Dunkin' and Carl's Jr. 

In addition to the new breakfast sandwich, Impossible Foods is also launching Impossible Pork: a plant-based ground pork alternative that the company says can be used in any recipe that calls for ground pork. The company has not said when Impossible Pork will launch, but Rachel Konrad, chief communications officer of Impossible Foods, said it's likely to appear in restaurants before grocery stores, as with the Impossible Burger before it.

Like the Impossible Burger, the company's pork product is made using heme — the protein that gives the plant-based patties their signature "bleeding" look that simulates the texture and appearance of red meat. The Food and Drug Administration approved heme for use in food products sold in grocery stores in August, a victory for Impossible Foods that came after the FDA initially said that the data the company had provided about its burgers wasn't enough to "establish the safety" of heme.

The heme in Impossible Pork isn't the same as that found in the burger. Rachel Konrad, chief communications officer at Impossible Foods, told Business Insider that the company tweaked its heme formula to better replicate the consistency of pork rather than red meat.

Impossible Foods decided to make a pork alternative its next major product for two key reasons: there's a huge market for it since it's the most widely eaten meat in the world, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.  Plus, offering a plant-based alternative to pork could help cut back on the environmental impacts stemming from the pig farming industry, the company says. High-density pig production can release excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment, the FAO says. 

Impossible Foods is showing its new plant-based meat options at CES, the annual tech trade show that occurs each January in Las Vegas. The news comes after the company teased a major announcement just ahead of the conference. While this is the first time the company is officially unveiling its new pork alternatives, Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown told Business Insider in May that it had been working in this direction.

As for what's next for Impossible Foods, Konrad said the company's research and development team is working on the Impossible Burger 3.0, as well as steaks, and hinted that the company could consider expanding into poultry and fish in the future as well.

Alienware, the high-end gaming PC brand owned by Dell, just unveiled Concept UFO — an 8-inch handheld gaming PC inspired by the best-selling Nintendo Switch video game console.

As the name suggests, it's a conceptual prototype, and may or may not make it to market in this (or any other form). To that point, Alienware announced neither a price nor a release date for the Concept UFO.

Alienware announced Concept UFO during CES 2020, the massive annual tech conference held in Las Vegas, and a few early models of the new gaming computer were available for members of the press to try.

Concept UFO's 8-inch screen has a 1200p resolution, which is a big step up compared to the Switch's 6.2-inch, 720p screen. It also includes detachable controllers that open up new possibilities. Players can use Concept UFO as a handheld, or use its built-in stand to steady it upright and play with a controller in each hand.

Alienware will provide an extra controller grip to use the pair as a single controller too, but it doesn't seem like you can use the left and right sides of the Concept UFO for different players, as you can with the Switch's Joy-Con controllers.

While there's no guarantee the Concept UFO will become an official product, Alienware's test run could entice PC gamers who want a portable console without needing to invest in a whole new library of games. The Concept UFO also runs Windows 10, giving it added versatility. 

According to Alienware, the Concept UFO uses a 10th generation Intel processor and will have access to WiFi, Bluetooth, and Thunderbolt. The device has two USB-C ports and can be controlled using a keyboard and mouse like a normal PC computer. Alienware hasn't said anything about how long the battery life lasts, though the newest version of the Switch lasts about 9.5 hours at the outside.

While the Switch has a dock that gives it the ability to output to TVs, the Concept UFO should be able to connect using Windows 10's screen sharing options or the Thunderbolt port. 

Alienware has promised to show more of the Concept UFO and its other upcoming projects during Dell's keynote address at CES 2020. The presentation is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on January 7.

Two couples who allege that their Ring home security cameras were recently hacked filed a lawsuit seeking class action status against the Amazon-owned company, accusing it of negligence, breach of implied contract, and invasion of privacy, among other claims.

One couple, Ashley LeMay and Dylan Blakely, was at the center of an incident in December where hackers spied on and taunted their eight-year-old daughter after accessing an indoor camera they had installed.

The other couple named in the lawsuit, Todd Craig and Tania Amador, were allegedly harassed by hackers who accessed their doorbell camera and told them "I'm outside your front door" as well as threatened them with "termination" if they did not pay a ransom of 50 bitcoin, according to their attorneys.

The couples' attorneys said the lawsuit was filed "to hold Ring responsible for its defective devices and systems, require that Ring take all necessary measures to secure the privacy of user accounts and devices, and compensate Plaintiffs and the Class members for the damage that its acts and omissions have caused."

In recent months, Ring has faced growing criticism over its security practices after hackers repeatedly accessed Ring cameras, with multiple cases involving spying on children and one leading to a separate lawsuit against the company.

The lawsuit, which was filed in US federal court in the Central District of California on Friday, must win class action certification before it can proceed as a class action. The plaintiffs are represented by the law firms Stueve Siegel & Hanson, and Tycko & Zavareei.

Samsung has offered a look a few upcoming projects from its incubation program C-Lab, including an AI software that helps you create a virtual keyboard on an empty surface. The Verge shared a video of SelfieType in action.

SelfieType uses the front-facing camera on a smartphone, tablet or laptop to track the movements of your fingers and transfer them into the standard QWERTY keyboard layout. The SelfieType software won't require any additional equipment and if it's consistent enough, SelfieType could be a solid alternative to carrying around a full laptop or portable keyboard when working on the go.

Having a full keyboard feels essential for my workflow, but I've often found Bluetooth keyboards either too small to use comfortably, or too cumbersome to travel with. A software like SelfieType could help solve this problem and would acquire no advance planning from its users.

Samsung is offering live demonstrations of SelfieType and tons of other upcoming products during CES, the annual festival where tech companies show off their latest gadgets and innovations. SelfieType is one of nine C-Lab projects Samsung is showing off during CES, Samsung says that 40 C-Lab projects have gone on to become independent start-ups.

While Facebook has faced a storm of criticism over its move into financial services, it's seeking an advertising vet to run the program's marketing.

The company is seeking a head of brand and a head of media for Calibra, Facebook's digital wallet that will let people send money through Messenger and WhatsApp, including Facebook's own cryptocurrency Libra. The idea is to create an open set of standards for sending money that Facebook and other financial services firms can use to build products.

Both positions require people to have at least 15 years of advertising and marketing experience and 10 years of leadership experience. Ideal candidates will also have experience in financial services and fintech, say postings on Calibra.

For the head of brand, Calibra is seeking a person to "champion and build the company and product brand to support the growing needs of the product portfolio and target audiences," reads the listing. The person will also focus on marketing Calibra through Facebook's platforms and traditional media.

"As well as having the opportunity to create a brand from inception to launch and beyond, you will define the expected outcomes for all consumer and brand programs and campaigns — making it clear what the expected impact will be on company metrics and ROI," reads the posting.

The head of media will be responsible for running all of Calibra's campaigns and work with external agencies in addition to teams within Facebook, according to the listing.

A Calibra spokesperson declined to comment further about the role other than to say that the company is growing the existing team. At least two other Calibra employees share the "head of brand" title, according to LinkedIn profiles.

Calibra is hiring for about 30 positions across all departments, according to its careers page.

Facebook more broadly has hired a handful of agencies including Wieden + Kennedy and Ogilvy to create platform-specific work that aims to restore trust in its corporate brand that has been dented by events like Cambridge Analytica. In August, Facebook rebranded Instagram and WhatsApp to include Facebook's name, and Facebook plans to run its first Super Bowl campaign during next month's game.

Libra has had a tough start. Major partners like Visa, PayPal, Mastercard and Stripe have pulled out of the program. Last month, Switzerland's president and finance minister Ueli Maurer said that "the project, in this form, has thus failed," while Facebook executives have stressed that Calibra is part of a long-term initiative that could take years to get off the ground. In November, Kevin Weil, Calibra VP of product, told attendees at the tech conference Web Summit that he had a prototype of Calibra on his phone.

"At Calibra, what drives us is to make financial services available to more people around the world and make them dramatically cheaper," Weil said at the event. "People at Facebook are inspired by the ability to help people all over the world."

The most successful people (judged by history, not money) continually look for the most important thing they are able to work on, and that's what they do. They do not get trapped in local maxima, and they do not deceive themselves if they find something more important.

Work on what you consider to be important

However, they are willing to work on something for a long time even if other people don't get it. "Important" does not mean "popular."

You don't need to be right 100% of the time

The best work you ever do is what matters, not the time you worked on alchemy. Optimize for being spectacularly right some of the time, and low-stakes wrong a lot of the time.

There's always room for growth

You can almost always scale things up more than you think, and the benefits to doing so are almost always bigger and more surprising than you think. This goes from everything from technical systems to companies.

Understand the power of the power law

Scale benefits, network effects, and the power law are so powerful that people usually delude themselves into thinking otherwise. They are often the best way to make it hard for others to compete with you.

Make things happen in the world

If there is a single key to success, it is the trait of being able to make things happen in the world — willfulness, determination, execution focus, not giving up when you hit a roadblock, the ability to solve any problem that comes your way, and self-belief.

Move fast

Almost everyone underestimates the value of fast movers, in almost every context. Work with them. Be one yourself.

Surround yourself with innovators

Spend a lot of time with the kind of people who are constantly producing new ideas.

Don't sweat the small stuff

Low-stakes things should be low-drama, and high-stakes things can be high-drama if they have to be. It's important to get both of these right. Use your stress budget to really focus on the few things that matter.

Avoid the office politics

Getting caught up in the parts of a job that don't matter is a dangerous trap and for some reason one that a lot of people fall into. Let other people play political games and avoid them as much as you can. 

Follow your vision

Authentic, high-conviction vision is rare and valuable. Double down when you find it or find people who have it.

Be helpful before asking for help

It's really helpful to get someone to take a bet on you (hire you, promote you, invest in your company, whatever) early in your career. The best way to do this is to first do whatever you can to help them.

Figure out the thing that only you can do

The most value comes from doing something no one else can do, or no one else has thought of, in a way that is hard for other people to copy. If you try to be just like everyone else, and do just what they're doing, you will maybe do ok but certainly not great.

Follow your curiosity

Follow your own curiosity, and start looking internally instead of externally for the answers. Be honest with yourself about the intersection of your skills, your passions, and what the world values. 

Ask what changes come next

The best way to have valuable ideas is to understand the entire landscape of a field and figure out what can emerge now that couldn't before. 

You have to build something to make big money

If you want to get rich, remember that the way to do it is via equity, not salary.

Be in it for the long run

Compounding, in all ways, is a very powerful force. Long-term outlooks and long-term commitments are the easiest way to outperform other people. 

Haters gonna hate

The sooner you can learn to ignore the haters, the better. Avoid the temptation to become one or surround yourself with them — it's fun in the short term, but they are almost never successful at anything other than social media.

Have faith in a positive outcome

It is very hard to do good work without being optimistic, exceptionally determined, and intellectually curious.

Try to rack up some easy wins

Ideal goals are ones that you hit, but just barely. Setting goals that are always a bit too much of a stretch is demoralizing — people want to be on the winning team, and you want to be winning at life. Write your goals down, professionally and personally.

Recognize when employees hit their goals

Set and maintain high standards. If you have to be hard on people, do it with love and a genuine wish for them to improve. Praise people when they hit the standard.

A strong team has shared values

The strongest teams have a lot of diversity of thought but do not have much diversity of values or goals.

Success takes hard work

There are exceptions, but the people at the top of almost any field worked very hard to get there. Be skeptical of people who tell you that you don't have to work hard if you want to have an exceptional career unless they have exceptional careers.

Work on something interesting

The best way to get people to help you is to first help them. The second-best way is to be working on something interesting.

Meetings should be no longer than they need to be

Have long staff meetings and short 1:1s. It's much better for information flow and alignment.

Ask if an email can replace a large meeting

Don't overschedule yourself. Don't have long meetings except for really important topics, and then have very long long ones. Try not to have large meetings, but if you have to, try having large meetings be partially in writing. 

Growth takes care of a lot of problems

Compounding success (which means "growth" in the case of an early-stage start-up) solves almost all internal problems, particularly hard ones.

Make time to be productive

Try committing to one day per week (for me it only works on a weekend, but some people do it on Fridays) where you work in a long uninterrupted block to catch up on the previous week and prepare for the next.

'Cut all the BS'

Focus on what matters. Cut all the BS.

You can also read Altman's tweets on Twitter.

American Airlines said Monday that it's reached a compensation deal with Boeing related to the 737 Max plane that's been grounded for nearly a year.

The Dallas-based carrier will add $30 million from the confidential agreement with Boeing into its profit-sharing program for the year 2019. Those payments should be distributed to the airlines' more than 100,000 employees in March, it said.

"Despite the ongoing challenges the grounding has brought, American Airlines team members continue to do an incredible job caring for our customers," Doug Parker, American's chief executive, said in a press release.

American was one of the carriers hardest hit by the grounding of the plane worldwide following two deadly crashes involving Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines. American has 24 of the jets in its fleet. Last year, American said it expected a roughly $540 million hit from the grounding.

Only Southwest, which recently inked a similar deal with Boeing as recuperation for lost profits last month, has more in its fleet. 

Shares of American Airlines rose slightly, about 0.4% in after-hours trading Monday following the announcement.

There's still no word on when the 737 Max could return to the skies, as Boeing works with federal regulators for approval. Meanwhile, American has taken the plane out of its planned schedules until April at the earliest — a schedule that keeps moving backward. 

"Our ability as an airline to weather these unprecedented times is thanks to our phenomenal team, and it was important to us that we get a deal done before the end of the year," Parker said.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are proud to take the step of including this compensation in our 2019 profit-sharing program, even though the compensation will be received over several years."

Marc Benioff is the public face of Salesforce, the company he's led as CEO since the day he helped found it in 1999. In the last few years, however, Benioff has become an outspoken activist on social and political matters.

Now, while Benioff himself hasn't said anything, analysts say it seems like he's setting the stage to take a step back from his day-to-day duties at the company — a dramatic move that could see Keith Block, his co-CEO since mid-2018, take on more responsibilities, and shake up the company's management.

"I don't necessarily expect [Benioff] to step away entirely, but I could see him becoming a chairman, more of a hands on chairman, in the next year as he goes to pursue some of his more personal ambitions in the community," Newman said. 

Analysts say that Block is well-positioned to lead, if Benioff were to take a step back. Similarly, he may already have a top lieutenant in the making, when in December the company named Bret Taylor as chief operating officer.

Taylor came to Salesforce by way of the acquisition of his startup Quip, and was quickly named chief product officer for the overall company.

Zelnick thinks both Block and Taylor have the right expertise to lead Salesforce into the next decade. Block is one of the few enterprise software executives out there that knows how to run the business, and Taylor is a "luminary in terms of product vision and somebody that can very clearly take Salesforce into the next decade," he said.

"Marc has achieved what very, very few in our lifetime have achieved," Zelnick said. "He's got a very powerful voice, as it relates to broader social and political issues. So I wouldn't be surprised to one day see him move on to a position where he feels he can have more leverage to change the world." 

In today's gaming climate, it is very common for credit cards to serve as a quick method of payment for various features and add-ons to your gaming system. From online subscription services to digital games, adding a credit or debit card to your gaming system certainly has its benefits. 

Of course, as life goes on, you might need to change your credit or debit card information for your Xbox One account. Regardless of the circumstances, here's how to remove a credit or debit card on your Xbox One in two different ways.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Xbox One X (From $499.99 at Best Buy)

How to remove a credit card from your Xbox One using your console

1. Turn on your Xbox One console, then press the Xbox button to open the guide. 

2. Scroll over to "System" then click on "Settings." 

3. In "Settings," move your cursor down to "Account," then tap on "Payment & Billing." 

4. In "Payment & Billing," several payment options will appear, including the option to update and add a new credit card. Locate the credit card that you wish to remove by hovering your cursor over the card in question and clicking "Remove." 

Less than a week into the new decade, Cristiano Ronaldo is already bringing back 2010s nostalgia.

The soccer superstar was spotted wearing a years-old iPod Shuffle as he greeted fans before a game in Turin, Italy on Monday, TMZ first reported.

Ronaldo's iPod appears to be a 4th Generation Shuffle, which Apple first rolled out in 2010. The device was discontinued in 2017, but Shuffles are far from rare — used iPod Shuffles typically sell for around $25 online. Ronaldo is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world with a net worth of over $450 million.

It's unclear whether Ronaldo's had the Shuffle clipped on to his tie as humorous fashion statement, or because he genuinely enjoys the random song selection of the mini music player, which does not allow users to select particular tracks and which has a max capacity of 4GB, or 1,000 songs. 

While iPods were once a cash cow for Apple, the company has moved away from the devices now that most users store music on their phones — Apple has not rolled out a new line of iPods since the iPod Touch in 2015, which has only seen minor updates since then.

The internet reacted to Ronaldo's iPod with a mixture of bewilderment and admiration Monday.

 

 

When you make a new account on your Windows computer, that account will default to having "standard" permissions. It can open and edit most files, and it can use programs that are installed on the computer

If you want a user to have full permissions for Windows, then you'll need to give them administrator rights. You can also remove administrator rights to accounts you no longer want to have them. 

Here's how.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Windows 10 (From $139.99 at Best Buy)

Lenovo IdeaPad 130 (From $299.99 at Best Buy)

How to change the admin user on a Windows 10 PC

1. Click the Windows icon at the bottom-left of your screen, or press the Windows logo on your keyboard. 

2. Search for "Add, edit or remove other users" and click it when it appears in the search results.

Joe Vulpis went to college for filmmaking and thought he would pursue a career in TV production — but he ended up becoming a go-to editor for some of YouTube's top stars instead.

After graduation, Vulpis, now 29, packed his bags and with friends drove from New Jersey out to California to find a job in video.

"I took a gamble on LA, and within the first month I ended up shooting video for this app release party, and I met Jason Nash," Vulpis told Business Insider, referring to the popular YouTube creator with 2.5 million subscribers. "He was kind of my 'in' to this whole social-media world. From there, I was able to bounce around to different people and film videos."

Vulpis said he became obsessed with the exciting environment that comes with working around YouTube influencers and that he quickly grew relationships with other creators, even appearing in their videos and comedy sketches. He hasn't looked back since.

Since meeting Nash — an entertainer, comedian, and member of David Dobrik's popular YouTube group, the "Vlog Squad" — Vulpis has edited and helped creators like Dobrik (15 million subscribers), Liza Koshy (17 million subscribers), and Josh Peck (an actor and YouTube creator with 3.5 million subscribers) with their YouTube videos.

He'll film and edit videos for creators on a freelance basis and is known for helping Dobrik with his videos (he recently helped with Dobrik's annual rewind video, which has 7 million views) and podcast episodes. Vulpis has edited several episodes of Dobrik and Nash's podcast, "Views," and sometimes appears on the show for his own 25-second segment, "Joe's Teeny Weeny Podcast."

Vulpis also has his own channel, "Ugh it's Joe," with 575,000 subscribers.

Vulpis is a part of a group of YouTube-specific video editors who have gained popularity online for their association to top creators — like Andrew Siwicki, a full-time video editor for Shane Dawson, the YouTube star with 23 million subscribers. 

'It's a completely different environment than what college taught me filmmaking was like'

Unlike shooting video for a traditional film, many successful creators on YouTube with millions of views and subscribers prefer a simple camera: a smartphone.  

Vulpis said finding that out surprised him and that many of the YouTube creators he's worked with use just their smartphones to film clips, rather than an expensive camera. 

"When I first moved out to LA I would bring my $5,000 camera," he said. "But I soon found out that was overkill and unnecessary because these creators were getting millions of views shooting video on their iPhones."

Another thing that surprised Vulpis was how important a mention or shout-out from a popular creator would be for his career and business.

In the YouTube community, shout-outs — or when one creator links to another's YouTube page, or Instagram profile in the description of a video and asks their viewers to follow or subscribe to them — is one of the highest forms of currency, Vulpis said. Having his name in the description of a YouTube video acts like a work sample for securing more clients, in place of passing around a demo reel or resume.

In the description of Dobrik's recent YouTube video, "SURPRISING MY FRIENDS!! MY 2019 REWIND!!," there's a link to Vulpis' YouTube channel and a call-out to subscribe to it.

"If you get your name out there more, people see your work and want to hire you," Vulpis said. "That's what I would do in the beginning. Everything I get is from word of mouth."

Like other YouTube-focused editors, these shout-outs have also helped Vulpis gain popularity and followers online (he has 393,000 followers on Instagram), as well as his occasional appearances and mentions in videos. 

Overall, he said having this as a job is different than what he thought being a video editor would be like because of the people he's surrounded by and working for. 

"It's a completely different environment than what college taught me filmmaking was like," he said. "Right now, I'm shooting with Brandon Rogers for Comedy Central and we are doing it at his apartment. The other day I flew to Miami (with other creators) in a private jet."

Vulpis said there were "Lamborginis waiting for us when we landed."

A day in the life

From helping with one of Dobrik's wild stunts or surprises (which gain millions of views), to editing and appearing in a food mukbang video for Josh Peck's channel, Vulpis said working with YouTube creators is all about quick turnaround and getting videos up right away.

Vulpis is also more likely to be hired to help with a YouTube video if the video is sponsored by a company and is a part of a brand campaign, he said.

On an average day, Vulpis said he shoots around three videos for different YouTube creators, usually at their houses, he said. Then the second half of the day he'll edit footage or work on his own videos.

To edit videos, Vulpis said he uses a mix between programs like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and iMovie, depending on what software the creator uses.

"I don't have time outside of YouTube to do anything else," he said of his packed schedule. "But I'm so happy about it because it's what I love."

For more on how to become a successful influencer, according to YouTube and Instagram stars, check out these Business Insider Prime posts:

On January 5 at CES 2020, Sengled announced four new additions to its affordable smart home lineup. The company is known for selling smart home devices that are fairly basic, but affordable and easy for beginners to use. This year's offerings look to be no exception.

Later in 2020, you'll be able to purchase two new Sengled smart bulbs, the second generation of its Sengled Smart Plug, and the third generation of its Sengled Smart Hub. None of these devices are flashy or particularly advanced — but they're all cheaper than their major competitors. And for many new smart homeowners, a competent device with a low price is the best possible purchase.

Here's a list of Sengled's new products, and how much each one will cost when it launches later this year.

Zume, the startup famous for its pizza-making robot, plans to lay off about 400 employees on January 13, Business Insider has learned.

Several divisions will be affected, according to sources close to the company, but the highest concentration of layoffs will be in the engineering, operations, and corporate-development parts of the business. According to current and former Zume employees, those were the divisions that were rapidly scaled, somewhat haphazardly, as the company pitched growth goals and business objectives that were unrealistic. One source said the startup's Seattle office, which consists mainly of engineering teams, has chosen to not renew its lease amid the cuts.

"They hired so many people," one former Zume employee told Business Insider. 

Based in Mountain View, California, Zume was founded in 2015 and, as of Monday, had 496 employees listed on its  LinkedIn corporate profile. If 400 people were cut from the payroll, that would leave the heavily funded but unprofitable startup with a skeleton team of fewer than 100 employees to completely overhaul the business, which was most recently valued at $1 billion after a $375 million venture-capital investment from SoftBank's Vision Fund. 

It is not clear what the terminated employees will be offered as severance, but one source close to the company said that all affected employees would receive the same "generous" severance package. 

The layoffs are effectively a cost-cutting measure as Zume pursues additional funding, one source said.

In November, Recode's Teddy Schleifer reported that Zume was in talks with SoftBank for additional funding that could value the company as high as $4 billion. The report said SoftBank, which has suffered huge write-downs on investments in Uber and WeWork, may not lead the next round for Zume and that the funding may involve taking some debt.

The status of the new funding round is still very uncertain, and according to several sources, CEO Alex Garden has restricted communication between his leadership team and SoftBank's investment team and other outside investors. Some sources speculated that Garden was trying to retain control of the negotiations because of concerns that SoftBank might try to make him step aside as part of additional funding.

SoftBank did not return Business Insider's request for comment.

In an email reviewed by Business Insider, Garden called off a companywide meeting in December amid reports of turmoil at the startup and a rash of executive departures. In the email, Garden told employees that the meeting was intended to cover 2020 strategy but had to be adjusted because the plan had not yet been finalized. 

Zume's original mission was to create a robotic arm that could make and serve pizzas. But Business Insider previously reported that the robotic efforts have effectively stalled as the company's focus has shifted between efforts such as compostable packaging and food-truck services. In November, Business Insider reported that Zume was shuttering its standalone pizza business and folding it into Zume Forward, a division that will oversee technology and services for the food-truck industry.

The changes have come amid an exodus within Zume's senior leadership team, leaving the startup with little direction since June. 

Kartik Ramachandran, a Zume executive who served as interim chief financial officer and in other high-level roles, was terminated in June. Kira Druyan, the general counsel, departed in October, as did Susan Alban, the vice president of talent. Druyan's replacement, Reggie Davis, also left Zume in December after only weeks in the role.

Rhonda Lesinski, the president of Zume's original pizza business, is leaving the startup this month. 

Ron Storn, the head of human resources and recruiting as the chief people officer at Zume, left the company in December. Storn was one of Zume's earliest executive hires, joining in January 2018 after building the recruiting and benefits programs at Lyft as its vice president of people.

Mark Crumpacker, the chief marketing officer of Zume and president of its Zume Culinary food-truck-technology business, left the startup on December 2.

Do you work at Zume or another SoftBank-backed startup and want to share your story? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (331) 625-2555 using a nonwork phone, email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or Twitter DM at @megan_hernbroth.

One Medical’s IPO will test the value of tech-enabled startups