José Barco

🚀 Important: This gathering is specifically designed for companies with a team size of approximately 30 or more—indicating they're beyond the early startup phase. In collaboration with IESE Business School, ranked among the top three business schools globally, 🏫 and partnered with Google for Startups, on behalf of Movens Capital we're thrilled to invite you to a one-of-a-kind event in #Warsaw titled "Foundations of Scaling Open Day Warsaw". This all-day workshop focuses on methods for scaling your business from a moderate size to beyond. 📈 🗓 Date and Time: May 13, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM 📍 Location: Google for Startups Campus, 10 Koneser Square, Warsaw 🔗 Registration Link and Event Details: Please see the LINK IN THE COMMENTS BELOW 💸 Price: Complimentary This workshop is part of the Foundations of Scaling (FoS) program, tailored for ambitious technology company founders ready to scale operations beyond 30 staff members. 🌟 🔍 Event Sessions: 📌Growth Strategy: Prof. @Germán Loewe will begin with a session on strategic planning, discussing the crucial role of market barriers, the relevance of profit pools, and strategic planning for expansion. He will also introduce practical tools to help you solidify your market position and growth strategy. 📌Scaling Your Leadership: Dr. Sebastian Ross and a panel including FoS alumni Ron Fridman 🇺🇦, Rafal Plutecki, and Pawel Bochniarz will cover the critical aspect of leadership in scaling operations. They'll discuss upgrading your leadership approach to keep pace with your company's growth. 🚀 📌Pricing Strategies: I'll be discussing the nuances of setting prices for products and services, focusing on balancing profitability with customer goodwill. 💲 📌Operational Growth Routines: Konrad Kwiatkowski will showcase how leveraging data and effective meeting strategies can support business planning and functional growth, helping foster a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement. 📊 Join us for an evening of networking and refreshments 🍹

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The 4 Forces Reshaping Your Business by @ztobi worth it! 🤖The speed of change 🤖The convergence of multiple technologies 🤖The importance of data 🤖The changing consumer behavior and focus on customer-centricity #rafAIgual #AI #business #transformation

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What Innovation Is and What It's Not At CES 2025, during the session “Engines of Innovation” moderated by Mark Marex (Nasdaq) and Ryan McCormack (Invesco US), this question caught my attention: how do we define innovation when everyone claims to have it? For VCs and indices like Nasdaq, innovation is not just marketing fluff—it’s a measurable, strategic advantage. Insights from Ami Badani, Ken Foo, and Ravi Subramanian shed some light on how investors separate buzz from substance: ⚙️ R&D investment: Companies from Nasdaq 100 show that real innovation requires serious reinvestment up to 35% of the revenue. ⚙️ Engineering & patents: Innovation thrives on talented engineers driving bold visions and patents tackling real challenges. ⚙️ Consumer involvement: Products shaped by real user feedback drive change that matters. ⚙️ Intangible value: In today’s world, what a company owns physically matters less than what it creates intellectually. This left me reflecting: how often do we confuse ambition with innovation in the professional AV industry? It’s easy to talk big, but are we building anything that transforms how we live, work, and thrive? Let’s cut the fluff and focus on results #avtweeps

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🌍 Take Your Business Global with B2C eCommerce! 🚀 In today’s fast-paced digital world, expanding your business beyond borders isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. B2C eCommerce exports offer incredible growth opportunities for businesses of all sizes. Here’s why: ✅ Reach global markets without the need for physical stores. ✅ Lower operational costs by cutting out intermediaries and leveraging digital tools. ✅ Diversify your revenue streams to reduce dependency on local markets. ✅ Build a global brand and showcase your products to an international audience. ✅ Enjoy faster payments with modern payment gateways. ✅ Utilize tools like Shopify for seamless cross-border selling. ✅ Benefit from tax incentives to boost profitability. ✅ Stay ahead by being competitive in the global arena. With tools like Shopify, streamlined logistics, and tailored strategies, taking your business international is more achievable than ever. 💡 Ready to unlock your global potential? Let’s connect and make it happen! 📞 +92 303 4192040 ✉️ [email protected] #eCommerce #GlobalExpansion #B2CExports #BusinessGrowth #YourAdvisorPro

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The world is for those who dare. When Ander Michelena reached out to us to brainstorm and execute All Iron’s rebranding, the premise was clear: the name had to reflect Basque heritage. They say that knowing your roots makes it easier to navigate the future. With this in mind, we decided to delve into history and uncovered the story of Magellan's voyage. The second captain, Elcano, hailing from Getaria, assembled a crew of Basque sailors. Tragically, Elcano returned with only a handful of sailors alive from the hundreds who set sail, and the sole surviving Basque was Juan de Acurio. And btw, Getaria also gave us another genius: Cristóbal Balenciaga. History and creativity run deep here. Echoing what Acurio Ventures has explained since its launching, this rebranding is built on three core pillars: 1) Becoming truly international 2) Emphasizing resilience, determination, and teamwork 3)Daring to play I want to share a couple of extra details that haven’t come up before: the graphic system is all about the sea and navigation maps. So, we naturally leaned toward shades of blue, but we also played around with some complementary tones that really capture that innovative spirit of Acurio. For more context, check out this piece from Sifted https://lnkd.in/dizZbZkU

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SME distribution across Europe (plus a global perspective) A recent analysis of SME density across EU member states in 2023 offers fascinating insights into the European economic landscape. Here are the key takeaways, now with a global perspective: 1. High SME Density in Central & Eastern Europe: 🇨🇿 Czechia leads with 102 SMEs per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by 🇸🇰 Slovakia (99) and 🇱🇹 Lithuania (96). These figures are among the highest globally, reflecting a strong entrepreneurial culture in these regions. 2. Moderate SME Presence in Southern Europe: Countries like 🇵🇹 Portugal (95) and 🇬🇷 Greece (75) show significant SME activity, highlighting the importance of small businesses in local economies, particularly in sectors like tourism and manufacturing. 3. Lower SME Density in Western Europe: 🇩🇪 Germany (31) and 🇫🇷 France (50) have fewer SMEs per capita. Although these nations are industrial giants, the relative size of their SME sector contrasts sharply with the high densities seen in parts of Central and Eastern Europe. 4. Global Comparison: - North America: The SME density in the U.S. and Canada is generally lower, estimated at around 30-50 SMEs per 1,000 inhabitants. Despite the large number of SMEs, the presence of many large corporations impacts the overall density. - Asia: Countries like 🇨🇳 China and 🇮🇳 India have lower SME densities (around 10-30 SMEs per 1,000 inhabitants) due to their vast populations, even though SMEs make up a significant part of their economies. - Oceania: 🇦🇺 Australia and 🇳🇿 New Zealand show higher SME densities, similar to Europe, with estimates ranging from 50 to 80 SMEs per 1,000 inhabitants. 5. EU Average: The EU-27 average of 57 SMEs per 1,000 inhabitants reflects a diverse economic fabric across the continent, aligning closely with some of the higher densities seen globally. Source: https://lnkd.in/dzgVkxPT

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Some boards thrive; others struggle. Success in board governance doesn’t happen by chance - it’s built on four essential pillars that elevate a board from passive to proactive, from stumbling to strategic. Corporate failures and high-profile scandals show what’s at stake. Effective boards drive value, resilience, and long-term stability for organizations and their stakeholders. Many boards face complex risks, demand for transparency, and strategic growth challenges. However, a board can become a weak spot or even a liability without a clear framework. Strengthening governance begins with the Four Pillars: - People - Information Architecture - Structures & Processes - Group Dynamics. Each pillar is essential, and together, they’re transformative. Here’s how: 1. People: High-caliber, dedicated members determine the board’s value. It’s not enough to have strong résumés; members must bring focused knowledge and commitment that align with the company’s mission. 2. Information Architecture: Boards need structured, strategic, and diverse information, going beyond management reports to include real-time insights and external perspectives. 3. Structures & Processes: Clear structures and processes keep boards on track with the right committees, reporting lines, and ongoing evaluations. Strategy, risk, and CEO succession processes are especially crucial. 4. Group Dynamics: Cohesive boards encourage respectful dissent, avoid groupthink, and ensure every voice is heard. Effective dynamics foster mutual respect and open, constructive dialogue. When these pillars are in place, boards become strategic assets. They safeguard against risk, drive innovation, and help the organization navigate challenges with confidence. Read the full article by Didier Cossin and José Caballero for more insights on building board effectiveness. https://lnkd.in/eR2BARGV

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Whole (23Apr24) by no one The saint is one who knows that every moment of our human life is a moment of crisis; for at every moment we are called upon to make an all-important decision — to choose between the way that leads to death and spiritual darkness and the way that leads towards light and life; between interests exclusively temporal and the eternal order; between our personal will, or the will of some projection of our personality, and the will of God. In order to fit himself to deal with the emergencies of his way of life, the saint undertakes appropriate training of mind and body, just as the soldier does. . . . Here the aim is primarily to bring human beings to a state in which, because there are no longer any God-eclipsing obstacles between themselves and Reality, they are able to be aware continuously of the divine Ground of their own and all other beings; secondarily, as a means to this end, to meet all, even the most trivial circumstances of daily living without malice, greed, self-assertion or voluntary ignorance, but consistently with love and understanding. Because its objectives are not limited, because, for the lover of God, every moment is a moment of crisis, spiritual training is incomparably more difficult and searching than military training. There are many good soldiers, few saints. ~ Excerpt from “The Perennial Philosophy” by Aldous Huxley For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. ~ Gospel of Matthew https://lnkd.in/gsnSdS45

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On a recent visit to Barcelona, I sat down with Marco Bertini, one of the world’s foremost experts on dynamic pricing. Bertini is a professor of marketing at Esade University and the author of the book, ‘The Ends Game: How Smart Companies Stop Selling Products and Start Delivering Value,’ which examines how technology and society stimulate accountability, prompting companies to profit from the outcomes they deliver rather than the offerings they bring to market.   If you ever wondered how Uber manages their surge algorithms, or why Wendy's had to abandon their dynamic pricing of burgers, you will enjoy our conversation for the Between Worlds podcast (link in comments). In addition to the impact of AI, we spoke about the origins of fixed pricing, and the psychological aspects of consumer behavior related to pricing decisions. Bertini also shared his insights on how companies can leverage pricing as a mechanism to create value for both businesses and consumers, emphasizing the importance of transparency and ethical practices in the process. #AI #Pricing #BetweenWorlds #Marketing #Podcast

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London is one of the biggest startup hubs in Europe, having the UK 4x more VC invesment volume than Germany, and over 10x more than countries like Spain.These are some of the most active VCs in the UK. Speedinvest Founded: 2018 Investments: 100+ Investment Stage: Seed Seedcamp Founded: 2007 Investments: 491 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Eight Roads Founded: 1969 Investments: 472 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Balderton Capital Founded: 2000 Investments: 376 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D LocalGlobe Founded: 2019 Investments: 341 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A Octopus Ventures Founded: 2008 Investments: 327 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Ascension Founded: 2012 Investments: 277 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A Anthemis Group Founded: 2010 Investments: 222 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Entrée Capital Founded: 2004 Investments: 221 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D 83NORTH Founded: 2006 Investments: 207 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Atomico Shoutout to Federico Ruosi Founded: 2006 Investments: 204 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Notion Capital Shoutout to Itxaso del Palacio, PhD & Chris Tottman Founded: 2009 Investments: 161 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Downing Ventures Founded: 1986 Investments: 166 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Frontline Education Ventures Founded: 2012 Investments: 134 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Connect Ventures Founded: 2012 Investments: 109 Investment Stage: Seed firstminute capital Founded: 2017 Investments: 109 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B AlbionVC Founded: 2004 Investments: 108 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B MMC Ventures Ventures Founded: 2000 Investments: 180 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Dawn Capital Founded: 2006 Investments: 114 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B SuperSeed Founded: 2018 Investments: 15 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A Felix Capital Founded: 2014 Investments: 95 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D 20VC Founded: 2017 Investments: 38 Investment Stage: Pre-seed Index Ventures Founded: 1996 Investments: 300+ Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth Crane Venture Partners Founded: 2015 Investments: 72 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Greyhound Capital Founded: 2015 Investments: 57 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B MassMutual Ventures Founded: 2014 Investments: 60+ Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B+ Here is some very good vc fund lists . https://lnkd.in/eCzm4WpK List of 398 French VCs https://lnkd.in/gEZQFHXN KFund - 200+ VC firms that invest in Spain https://lnkd.in/gjSRUf3i

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"The Digital World towards 2040: the rise of AI & Intelligent Autonomy", very interesting report published now in April 2024 by the European Internet Forum. 👇 This report offers a interesting view of the #future. It is structured into three main sections: #technology, #society, and #economy. Two additional sections provide insights into the impact on Europe and the challenges facing #policymakers. The report identifies #GenAI as one of the foundational #technologies leading towards the development of Artificial General Intelligence (#AGI). Link: https://lnkd.in/dyf6EBNq #ailaw #machinelearning #deeplearning #artificialera #web3 #web4 #web5 #fintech #digitalera #digitaltransformation #generativeAI #trustworthyAI #explainableAI #aiethics #artificialintelligence #explainableAI #responsibleAI #foundationmodels #GPAI #GAI #LLMs #NLPs #GenAI #frontierAI #narrowAI #AGI #ethicalAI #adversarialAI

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CEOs should memorize the following 7-word question, to know if someone pitching a strategic AI project is the real deal or not. “What about the models we have now?” That's what the CEO of a €4bn market cap infrastructure company asked me as I stood in front of his team.  Translation: do we need to trash the data and AI work we've done until now? Even more simplified version: how do I know we won't spend time and money on you guys to get to where we are right now? Super sharp, I have to admit. “The good data, the models, the people -- we'll reuse what we can,” I said. “We only add what's needed.”  Translation: We start with the goal. We align on a 3-year ambition. Then we work backwards from there. In his case, she wants to improve key customer metrics in a core business line. And see results in 6-9 months.  That means there's no time to lose. I knew we were good when I saw her smile as I walked her through our battle-tested approach:  * 1-2 months to sketch the end-game, do a full assessment of data models and business processes, and chart the path to validating our opportunity  * 3 months to build and test the PoC; here we're looking to see real flashes of the long-term potential, usually by seeing if users and customers love it, and first business impact. This gives us loads of info to refine our plans for the following phase * Scale big time. First we launch an end-to-end product. Applications that touches the end users, to the back-office, to IT and back. Then we expand to other business lines and markets. "What about the models we have now" is so powerful because it forces your potential partner to show their hand. Are they fussy about the tech, or are they focused on the bigger business picture?  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ✋ Hi, I’m Arje, Partner at Rewire 🤝 I’ve helped dozens of €1bn revenue companies with strategic AI projects 🛎️ Follow me for insights on the intersection of AI and corporate strategy

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Join the Pitch-Session in Barcelona powered by our P2S.vc investment program for startups on June 21st at 18:30 CET. If you're thinking of launching a startup and are not yet ready to raise investment, you can attend the event as a guest to ask questions and network. The event program: ✓ 18:30-19:00 - Gathering of guests. ✓ 19:00-20:00 - Startup Pitch Session. ✓ 20:00 onwards - Investors answering your questions and networking. The participation fee is €15. Moderators: → Denis Kalyshkin—Investment Director at I2BF Global Ventures, with 10+ years of experience investing in B2B companies in the US and a focus on transforming old and boring industries with modern technology. → Irina Baigozina—Founder of BCN IT HUB and international IT recruiting agency Hit Hunt, helping large companies and startups find tech talent. The meeting is aimed at Russian-speaking entrepreneurs. If you want to come to our pitch session, write in the comments, and I'll send you the information👇 Yellow Rocks! | AltaIR Capital | Smart Partnership Capital | I2BF Global Ventures #investmentprogram #p2s #preseedtosucceed #startups #fundraising #earlystagestartups #venturecapital

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A new and insightful paper by Esade by Professor Daniel Blaseg and Lars Hornuf shows that having a celebrity or well-known persona on your cap table could help your business grow. They used a sample of approximately 3,000 startups and businesses with relationships to similar formats of 'Dragons' Den' as it is known in the UK 🇬🇧 or 'Shark Tank' as it is known in the US 🇺🇸 . We know the format from across the globe with high profile investors such as Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary and Daniel Lubetzky in the US and celebrity entrepreneurs such as Steven Bartlett from Flight Studio and Peter Jones. In other countries like Germany you will find investors like Carsten Maschmeyer and in Israel Yasmin Lukatz and Oren Dobronsky. We already know that reputation and profile is a booster for startups, as we recently heard from Notion co-founder Akshay Kothari that their raise from 'celebrity funds' like Index Ventures and Coatue, helped them with stability and hiring. From personal conversations with founders, many founders are after 'celebrity GPs' like Peter Thiel, and once they secure that, everyone follow without any due diligence. The research shows that having such investor might be more beneficial for b2c and consumer businesses, due to the nature of the sales targets, but also there are areas like sports tech which include major angels that add access to network, audience but also specific domain expertise that is valuable for the startups. For example, one of the startups I work with is Movmenta (Ofir Dagan and Xavier SEGRI) who secured an investment from Mischa Zverev who brings years of experience in the tennis field. Having high profile celebrities also sometimes have bad press, and we all are aware of a wave of 'bad news' coming for many celebrities who were in touch with Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Diddy according to CB Insights (Anand Sanwal) has a portfolio of 13 investments with major and known fund as co-investors. It would be interesting to see the impact of his reputation on those companies. We know that Will Smith, Jay-z and others have done a range of angel investments as well. But celebrities don't stop with angel investments they are building funds, and personally I think more and more capital directed towards innovation is great. 📢 Serena Williams recently launched Serena Ventures investing in early stage companies from Fintech to health and sports tech. 📢 Omri Casspi and David Citron 🇮🇱 started Sheva to invest in Israeli founders. In climate 🌍 we have great funds supported and founded by high profile individuals: 📢 Nico Rosberg the Formula 1 champion started Rosberg Ventures to support climate tech founders. 📢 Robert Downey Jr. launched multiple funds such as FootPrint Coalition to invest in entrepreneurs to restore the planet. ♻ Liked this content? found it valuable? Follow Illai Gescheit, and share. #VentureCapital #AngelInvesting #Fundraising #Investments #Celebrity #Research #Startups

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A strong Operations background for Innovation Success? This article by Fernanda Arreola and Michel Philippart resonated strongly with my experience with corporate #innovation and working with #startups. 70% of startups will fail within the first 5 years! Innovation is not just about ideas—it's about execution. Operations act as the conductor, harmonizing the chaos, and ensuring execution from concept to reality. In my experience, operational knowledge and agility have been the keys to navigating the journey from ideation to commercialization. What do you think? Join the discussion below

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The week's ending today and I am already looking forward to the new one What's special ? It is none other than the #PE-VC Summit hosted by DealStreetAsia that I have come to respect greatly over time and be a part of as well, past few years Why is that ? I feel there are 2 kinds of events in the LP-GP ecosystem : ✳️ Pure networking or "Speed Dating" - Quantity over Quality ✳️ 50% Knowledge + 50% Networking - Quality - Quantity 1:1 For the 2nd one to be productive, it has to have the following ingredients : ✳️ Structured Agenda ✳️ Relevant Participants ( No sponsors on the panels selling their "stuff" ) ✳️ Efficient use of time ✳️ Meaningful networking There is nothing wrong with " pure networking" or " Speed dating" events but the panels in those events aren't meaningful and most people inside the audience are merely taking a break from their next 15 min catchup ! I find the #PE -VC Summit by DealStreetAsia to be in the 2nd bucket. I have always gained new relationships in this event, renewed old ones and gained new knowledge that makes me a better VC So, I couldn't be more delighted but to head there next week for discussing why : ✅ " India is a hot bet but, how to play it right" with fellow investors Anurag Ramdasan Veenu Mittal Rahul Shah and moderator Vibhuti Sharma who's been writing on #Indiainvesting over the years I promise to bring some great insights for the audience from past very "India-specific" investments led in : ✳️ #Climatetech : Battery Smart Varaha ✳️ #Fintech & #Financial Inclusion Karbon Business WeRize MobiKwik ✳️ #Edtech NxtWave Vedantu ✳️ #Platforms ixigo CarDekho Group ✳️#Healthtech BeatO Elda Health and more, including those I missed and which did not do as well for various reasons. Also, no shame in saying I love #Singapore for other reasons too ( link in comments ) especially authentic #Asian food ! Thank you for inviting me once again Joji Thomas Philip Paramita Chatterjee Andi Haswidi Adele Ku and team putting this together for our industry and the ecosystem across Asia- From Japan, SE Asia, India and China. Its no mean feat this one ! Looking forward to learning and growing ! #Venturecapital #Emergingmarkets #Indiainvesting #learningacrossasia

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Will AI Democratize or Kill Consulting? I asked 384 consultants and here is the answer... By 2025, a two-person AI-powered consultancy could outbid McKinsey for a Fortune 500 contract. Sounds far-fetched? Think again. It was a sunny day in Madrid. The South Summit 2024 was in full swing, and I had a clear goal - pick the brains of fellow speakers about AI's impact on consulting. I'd just wrapped my last meeting of the day. Sweat-soaked and brain-fried, I caught a phrase that cut through the haze: "80% of consulting will vanish because of AI." Bullshit, I thought. Then I paused. What if it's true? Maybe instead of killing, it would do the opposite - democratize it? We're witnessing the dawn of a new era - move from „knowledge” to „allocation” economy in consulting. In this paradigm, success isn't just about knowledge, but how effectively you can leverage AI to apply that knowledge at scale. This isn't just disruption; it's democratization. Continue reading -> https://lnkd.in/edFERRcc Re 📸 - I was looking for one where I am like "it will go this or that way" :D

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To successfully navigate and lead in a highly complex and turbulent business environment, a CEO needs to actively develop a team that can create a step change in business performance. We've identified three steps all CEOs should consider: https://lnkd.in/enQA3iiN

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