Misfit

Jay-Z and Will Smith Back Rent-to-Own Firm in $165 Million Round A startup that helps renters build credit until they can buy a place is raising $165 million from a group of investors that includes Sequoia Capital, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Will Smith’s Dreamers VC.

A missing bee, a rare Pa. plant, and a Philly kid who helped tie it all together Anais Barnes, a Community College of Philadelphia grad now at Bucknell University, is co-presenting the research at a national conference. Her coadviser founded , also this month.