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Snapcommerce raises $85M to make over your mobile shopping experience
by Mary Ann Azevedo on 4. March 2021 at 14:30
People are not only shopping digitally more than ever. They’re also shopping using their mobile phones more than ever. And for mobile-first companies like Snapcommerce, this is good news. Snapcommerce, formerly known as SnapTravel, has raised $85 million in what the company is describing as a “Pre-IPO” growth round to help further its mission of
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Papaya Global raises $100M more at a $1B+ valuation for tools to hire, pay and manage distributed workforces
by Ingrid Lunden on 4. March 2021 at 14:22
Remote working — hiring people further afield and letting people work outside of a central physical office — is looking like it will be here to stay, and today one of the startups building tools for that environment is announcing a big fundraise in response to the opportunity. Papaya Global, an Israeli startup that provides
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Robotics roundup
by Brian Heater on 4. March 2021 at 14:00
I’m excited for any opportunity to talk about soft robotics. There’s something other-worldly about the world of inflatable robotic bladders. Human beings are wont to develop robotics in their own image. The world of soft robots are something akin to what the technology would be like if it was developed by a sea creature. Certainly
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Income verification is white-hot right now, and Plaid wants in
by Mary Ann Azevedo on 4. March 2021 at 14:00
Fresh off the termination of its planned merger with Visa, Plaid announced Thursday a new income verification product, which it said is aimed at “improving the lending lifecycle” with payroll data. Dubbed simply Income, the new product — which is currently in beta — is designed to make it easier for people to verify their
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Square buys majority of Tidal, adds Jay Z to its board in bid to shake up the artist economy
by Alex Wilhelm on 4. March 2021 at 13:50
This morning Square, a fintech company that serves both individuals and companies, announced that it has purchased a majority stake in Tidal, a music streaming service. The deal, worth some $297 million, will Tidal allow artist-partners to keep their ownership in the music company. Square CEO Jack Dorsey used his other company, Twitter, this morning
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SpaceX launches 60 new Starlink satellites, while Starship moves closer to being able to launch up to 400 at a time
by Darrell Etherington on 4. March 2021 at 12:31
SpaceX has launched another batch of its Starlink satellites – the usual complement of 60 of the low Earth orbit spacecraft, which will join the more than 1,000 already making up the existing constellation. This is the fifth launch of Starlink satellites for SpaceX this year, and the 20th overall. Earlier this year, SpaceX opened up
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Hopin confirms $400M raise at $5.65B valuation
by Alex Wilhelm on 4. March 2021 at 12:30
This morning Hopin, a virtual events platform and video-focused software service, announced that it has closed a $400 million Series C. The new capital values Hopin at $5.65 billion. Both numbers match prior TechCrunch reporting that the company was targeting a $400 million raise at a valuation of between $5 billion and $6 billion. Andreessen