More VC money sloshing around Europe: In what was probably one of the worst kept secrets in European VC, London-based Balderton Capital is announcing a new $375 million fund. I understand that it actually closed earlier this year, however, and I’m told has already been used to make ten investments. Read More
There are few greater threats to democracy in the world today than the proliferation of fake news and propaganda.
So it was no surprise that this year’s National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) prestigious Democracy Award focused on websites and research organizations that are countering the distribution of fake news. Read More
Earlier today, November 26 2017, I was turned away from immigration at Shanghai’s Hongqiao airport by Chinese officials. Alongside a number of other visitors, I had been waiting in line to take advantage of the city’s 144-hour ‘transit’ visa, which allows travelers with an onward flight to stay in Shanghai without needing to secure a visa before they travel. The… Read More
Update: Apologies, I’d written today a breezy — and very wrong — story titled: “Snap’s Evan Spiegel is clinging to billionaire status by his fingernails.” I cited reporting that this remaining 86,657,812 shares are reportedly worth $1.07 billion at this point. What I failed to note — and a source close to the company has brought to my attention… Read More
The weight of problems being demonstrably attached to heavily used tech services has acquired such a gravitational and political pull that it’s becoming harder and harder for these businesses to sidestep wider societal responsibilities. Read More
Thinking of starting a family but need a little help from science? IVF costs alone can be exorbitant, ranging from $12,000 to $20,000 per cycle, depending on where you live — and most couples will need to do two or three cycles just to get a baby. The good news is, Facebook, Apple and Google paved the way for fertility perks a couple of years ago in an effort to entice more women to… Read More
Well, it’s over $9,000. Even as you recoup from attempting to explain Bitcoin to your family over the Thanksgiving dinner table, the value of the cryptocurrency is growing at an increasingly hefty pace. As of the time of this writing, the value of a single Bitcoin was above $9,143, climbing nearly 6 points in the past 24 hours. At a certain point, news of clearing these incremental… Read More
You know everybody loves Tesla-the-company. But did you know that a whole lot of smart people hate Tesla-the-business? “From a return-on-investment-capital standpoint, Tesla is a catastrophe.” “The electric-car maker has been burning money at a clip of about $8,000 a minute (or $480,000 an hour.)” “Tesla is losing a massive amount of money with no competition, and… Read More
Being the richest man in the world wasn’t enough. After Amazon shares climbed on Black Friday, founder and CEO Jeff Bezos saw his net worth rise to $100.3 billion, according to Bloomberg estimates. Amazon’s stock has soared this year and Bezos has benefited to the tune of $32.6 billion. Yes, that’s the amount he has earned in 2017 alone. So what’s he going to do with… Read More
Three years and seven phones later, it’s hard to argue with OnePlus’s methods. That’s not to say it hasn’t made its share of missteps along the way (it definitely has), but the company has produced quality phones at affordable prices basically since day one. Read More
In May, when the FCC released an early draft of its plan to undo 2015’s strong net neutrality rules, I pointed out that its case rests almost entirely on a deeply incorrect definition of how the internet works. There can be no mistake now that this misrepresentation is deliberate; the agency has reiterated it in even stronger terms in the final draft of the proposal. Read More
As VC brands go, Rothenberg Ventures has seen better days. The firm built up a reputation as an up-and-coming early-stage investor. But Silicon Valley soured on Rothenberg Ventures last year; lawsuits ensued. So it hasn’t been a good year for Mike Rothenberg. But what about the Rothenberg Ventures portfolio? Read More
Smartphones are inarguably an addictive class of devices, and not just because they put an endless font of information at your fingertips. The experience of holding the phone and touching it is itself associated with that pleasure — so much so that you might wish you were doing it even when you don’t want to actually use the phone. That’s when you need one of these… Read More
There’s another battle brewing in Washington, though it may not matter all that much to the many venture-backed online lending companies that sprang into existence in the wake of post-crisis regulations. At the center of this particular drama: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was established under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act to protect consumers from predatory lenders and… Read More
Here’s a scary thought for decision makers inside large organizations grappling with digital transformation. You can actually be innovative and have mechanisms in place to react to disruptive forces, and still get steamrolled as layers of internal management turn your creative ideas into something unrecognizable. Kodak is a company that’s always held up as the poster child for… Read More
Board games are a blast. They’re cheap to buy, fun to give, and amazing to play. We’ve chosen twelve of our favorites that you can add to your stack of games this Holiday Season. Some pit you against each other; others have you working together to save the world. Order in, crack a few beers (or seltzers) and have a blast! Read More
It’s one of the biggest shopping days of the year, but retail giant Macy’s can’t get its credit card processors to work.
Customers have been waiting in lines across the United States to buy discounted items, only to find out that the machines won’t take credit cards or gift cards. Some Bloomingdale’s stores, which are owned by Macy’s, may have also been… Read More
It’s me, TechCrunch’s resident 20-something back for a third year to help you figure out what to get the millennials in your life. Here’s a great selection of gifts that any student, grad or freshly-employed person would be thrilled to get this holiday season. Read More
Pokémon Go creator Niantic has raised a new $200 million in funding, reports The Wall Street Journal. The Series B raise was led by Spark Capital, and includes participation from Founders Fund, Meritech, Javelin Venture Capital, You & Mr. Jones and NetEase, Inc. Spark partner Megan Quinn is also joining Niantic’s board as part of the new financing deal.
Niantic is known for its… Read More
The final figures for Black Friday online sales are in, and it’s another record-breaking day e-commerce in the U.S. Adobe says that shoppers spent $5.03 billion online in a race for bargains for themselves and to gift to others. The figures come the day after Thanksgiving racked up a record $2.87 billion in online sales Adobe analyses 80 percent of online transactions to the 100 largest… Read More
