Jon Russell
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The Latest from Jon Russell
Go-Jek’s Get app officially launches in Thailand as Southeast Asia expansion continues
Go-Jek is extending its reach in Southeast Asia after its Thailand-based unit made its official launch, which included the addition of a new food delivery service. Get, which is the name for Go-Jek bu
Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI fund, leads $7M investment in English learning app Elsa
Google’s Gradient Ventures, the search giant’s dedicated AI fund, is casting its eye to Asia after it led a $7 million Series A round for Elsa, a startup that operates an app for English l
Online learning startup Skill-Lync promises India’s mechanical engineers a job, or their money back
You might hear stories that TechCrunch favors venture-backed companies, or will only write about startups that have raised from certain VCs. Well, I can tell you that is totally untrue. In fact, it co
SME lender Validus Capital raises $15M for expansion in Southeast Asia
SME lending was a hot topic in Southeast Asia last year, and companies continue to attract investor dollars in 2019. The latest to pull in capital of its own is Singapore-based Validus Capital, which
Japanese internet giant Recruit has a new $25M blockchain fund
Crypto market prices may be down significantly, but new investors continue to enter the blockchain space. The latest is Recruit Holdings, the $45 billion Japanese internet giant that owns Glassdoor am
Apple is offering interest-free financing to boost iPhone sales in China
Apple is looking to get over its sales woes in China by offering prospective customers interest-free financing with a little help from Alibaba. Apple’s China website now offers financing package
Rakuten’s Viber chat app plans to charge to operate chatbots in controversial move
Viber, the messaging app owned by Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten, is poised to implement a controversial new strategy that will see it charge companies that run chatbots on its platform. The convent
Vynn Capital snags investment from Malaysia’s MAVCAP for its maiden Southeast Asia fund
Vynn Capital, a new entrant to Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem, is gearing up to close its maiden fund after it landed an undisclosed sum from Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd (MAVCAP)
Uber is reportedly close to making a tactical exit from India’s food delivery industry
Uber has said adamantly that it won’t exit India (or any more markets) following a hat-trick of retreats from China, Russia and Southeast Asia, but does that include its food delivery business?
JD.com’s drones take flight to Japan in partnership with Rakuten
Chinese e-commerce company JD.com is taking its drone delivery system to Japan. Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce giant, just announced a partnership with JD that will see its drones and unmanned vehic
Clutter confirms SoftBank-led $200M investment for its on-demand storage service
There’s plenty of speculation right now around apparently disgruntled investors in SoftBank’s Vision Fund, but the drum continues to beat and the checks continue to be written. The latest
On-demand logistics startup Lalamove raises $300M for Asia growth and becomes a unicorn
Lalamove, a Hong Kong-based on-demand logistics startup, has closed a $300 million Series D round as it seeks expansion across Asia. In doing so, the company has officially entered the unicorn club. F
Xiaomi’s Mi 9 includes a triple lens rear camera and wireless charging
Mobile World Congress, the mobile industry’s annual shindig, is next week, but Xiaomi can’t wait to reveal its newest top-end phone. The Chinese company instead picked today to unveil the
German insurance giant Allianz increases its VC fund to $1.1 billion
Allianz X, the venture capital arm attached to German insurance giant Allianz, has increased the size of its fund to €1 billion, around $1.1 billion, according to an announcement made today. The fun
Binance releases a first version of its decentralized crypto exchange
Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, has launched an initial version of its highly anticipated decentralized trading service (dex), which is available now at testnet.binance.org. The la
Coinbase buys blockchain intelligence startup to boost security and new asset discovery
Coinbase, the world’s most valuable crypto company, is gearing up to add more cryptocurrencies to its exchange thanks to its latest acquisition. We already know the firm wants to offer a glut of
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal invests $92M in Ola
The money is starting to flow from India’s largest startup exit. Ola has added a major name to its ongoing financing round after it confirmed that Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has invested
‘There’s no way the US can crush us,’ Huawei founder claims
Huawei’s founder has come out fighting against the U.S. government after he claimed that “there’s no way the U.S. can crush us.” Ren Zhengfei, who founded the telecom company i
Australia’s government and political parties hit by cyberattack from ‘sophisticated state actor’
The Australia government suffered a cyberattack that it suspects is the work of a “sophisticated state actor,” according to the country’s prime minister. PM Scott Morrison said toda
Razer is closing its game store after less than a year
Razer is one of the dominant brands in gaming when it comes to buying equipment to play, but one of its biggest efforts to own a larger slice of digital spending hasn’t gone according to plan. A