Natasha Mascarenhas
The Latest from Natasha Mascarenhas
3 views on the life and death of college towns, remote work and the future of startup hubs
The global pandemic has halted travel, shunted schools online and shut down many cities, but the future of college-town America is an area of deep concern for the startup world. College towns have don
PathSpot sells a scanner that fact checks your handwashing efficacy
The novel coronavirus disease has reminded millions that handwashing is a great way to avoid preventable diseases. Christine Schindler, the CEO and co-founder of PathSpot, has been preparing for the p
EdSights raises money to help schools reduce their drop-out rates
While the idea of baring your soul to a chatbot might seem uncomfortable, sisters Claudia and Carolina Recchi think that might be exactly what college students across the United States need right now.
MasterClass just raised $100 million for celebrity-fueled content
MasterClass, a startup that sells celebrity-taught classes to people, has raised $100 million in a Series E round. The round was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company with participation fr
Brex brings on $150M in new cash in case of an ‘extended recession’
Fast-growing fintech behemoth Brex is raising big money as its customer base itself — high-growth and spendy startups — is struggling. The company, which sells a credit card tailored for startups,
Tech for good during COVID-19: Snorkels, thank you notes and Headspace
Everyone is living a different pandemic right now. Your relationship with shelter-in-place mandates and social distancing can look wildly different depending on your profession, age, health and, often
Original Content podcast: Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’ turns teenage pain into comedic bliss
“Never Have I Ever” is a new Netflix comedy created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, loosely based on Kaling’s own teenage years. The show focuses on Devi (played by Maitreyi Ramakri
Where to shop online that isn’t Amazon, Target or Walmart
As shutdown orders extend indefinitely, online shopping has become a lifeline for people forced to avoid the outside world. Often times opting to shop with a mega corporation like Amazon, Walmart or T
Some investors turn to cutting fully remote checks while sheltering in place
By March 16, founder Janine Yancey was tired of playing the waiting game. After watching the stock market take yet another unprecedented nosedive due to coronavirus, she called up a potential investor
Forerunner Ventures’ Kirsten Green demystifies the COVID-19 consumer era
“In general, the consumer has proven to be more resilient than I would have thought,” said Kirsten Green, founder of Forerunner Ventures, which has investments in breakout D2C stars like G
Forget sourdough, these sisters are launching a starter to create authentic Asian food
For immigrants in the United States, representation can feel complex, celebrated and oftentimes a mix of the two. And that’s exactly why sister duo Vanessa and Kim Pham launched Omsom, a seed-st
Quizlet valued at $1 billion as it raises millions during a global pandemic
As millions of students and teachers shift to learn from home in response to the novel coronavirus disease, modern-day flashcard business Quizlet has raised $30 million in a Series C round led by Gene
Extra Crunch Live: Join Kirsten Green today for a live chat right now
When the world is in an unprecedented state, it’s fair — and appropriate — to challenge the status quo. Right now, Jordan Crook and Natasha Mascarenhas are hosting a Extra Crunch Live chat w
4 edtech CEOs peer into the industry’s future
When Zach Sims first started pitching his coding startup, Codecademy, he framed it to investors as a corporate tutoring company. That was intentional, despite the fact that edtech is a $5 trillion bus
Clyde raises $14 million Series A to help e-commerce businesses offer extended warranty plans
Four years ago, Brandon Gell was an architecture student who spent most of his time working on 3D printing modular housing. Now, he’s the founder of Clyde, an extended warranty startup that wants to
As funding slows in Boston, its early-stage market could shine
Chris Lynch, a founder and former general partner at Boston-based seed-stage fund Accomplice, remembers “VC Mountain in Waltham.” Back then, entrepreneurs on funding quests would visit a b
Is it better to be a private or public company right now?
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. Every week we write this post with some opening line akin to wow,
Workstream, a platform for deskless work, raises $10 million to serve local businesses
Deskless workers make up 80% of the global workforce, but to Desmond Lim, that job title is his entire world. Lim grew up in Singapore and saw his father wake up every morning, six days a week, at 5 a
Every Mother is a fitness streaming platform for new and expecting mothers
When Allison Rapaport was pregnant for the first time, in 2013, she struggled to find workout classes that didn’t completely go against the advice her OB-GYN gave her. Conflicted on whether to trust
What the new VC show-and-tell means for signaling risk
A month ago, we asked several venture capitalists if they planned to change the way they invest or lead rounds during COVID-19 — most said no, but they noted that valuations were coming down and fou