Natasha Mascarenhas
The Latest from Natasha Mascarenhas
Modsy confirms layoffs, 10 months after announcing its $37M Series C
Modsy, an e-commerce company that creates 3D renderings of customized rooms, has confirmed to TechCrunch that it laid off a number of staff. In addition, several of its executives, including CEO Shann
Cloudflare CEO pledges to double 2020 internship class
Internet security company Cloudflare has pledged to double its Summer 2020 internship class, and make the entire program remote if necessary, in response to cancellations of internships programs acros
What happens to edtech when kids go back to school?
In just a few weeks, homeschooling has gone from a rarity to a baseline in homes across the country. Jonah Liss, a 16-year-old student at International Academy of Bloomfield Hills in Michigan, was sen
Hio wants to put networking events back on your remote-only calendars
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and the COVID-19 pandemic has surged event cancellations across the country. Tech workforces have found ways to stay productive: back-to
Rebecca Minkoff has some advice for e-commerce companies right now
When Rebecca Minkoff first moved to New York City, the then-18-year-old was making $4.75 an hour. “I just kept working for this designer and someone was telling me what to do every day. I just d
Attorney Sophie Alcorn answers readers’ immigration questions
We had a great time hosting noted immigration attorney Sophie Alcorn on a live conference call with Extra Crunch members earlier this week. Sophie writes our “Dear Sophie” column, where she answer
Stripe goes Fast for $20M, D2C tips and tricks and what’s happening to tech internships?
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. The three of us were back today — Natasha, Danny and Alex 
TechCrunch’s favorite companies from 500 Startups’ latest demo day
Today 500 Startups hosted a virtual demo day for its 26th batch of startups, a group of companies that TechCrunch covered back in February. 500 is not the only accelerator that moved its traditional i
Plastiq raises $75M to help small businesses use credit cards more
When Eliot Buchanan tried to use his credit card to pay his Harvard tuition bill, the payment was rejected because the university said it doesn’t accept credit. Realizing the same problem exists for
Tech’s coveted internships are getting canceled due to COVID-19
Victoria Stafford, a third-year student at UC Berkeley, was set to begin working at Yelp in June as a sales intern — the only internship she applied to. And then it was canceled because of the C
Sequoia-backed Houzz scraps plan to create home goods in-house
Houzz, the home decorating startup backed by Sequoia Capital, has scrapped a plan that would have seen the company design and sell its own houseware. The plan, a pilot program called Private Label, wa
Former founders of SocialRank have launched a job board for COVID-19 layoffs
The COVID-19 pandemic has already triggered a number of layoffs across industries, from travel companies to scooter startups. But, as a gray footnote to all tragedies, we’re starting to see innovati
Where top VCs are investing in D2C
If you’re looking for toothbrushes, skin-care face masks, mattresses, glasses or even socks, there’s a digitally-native, direct-to-consumer (D2C) company or two that can help you out. And thanks t
Brex acquires three companies to build out its bank alternative for startups
Brex wants to help startups get the money that traditional big banks won’t lend them, and it just acquired three companies to help it do so: Neji, Compose Labs and Landria. Per Brex, 12 new people w
Instacart will bring on 300,000 new full-service shoppers due to coronavirus
San Francisco-based Instacart today announced it will bring on 300,000 shoppers for its grocery delivery platform over the next three months. The move is meant to manage an uptick in demand due to the
New Jersey launches online portal to give residents accurate answers about COVID-19
Fake news about the novel coronavirus disease is a rampant problem across our social timelines. Think misinformation about treatments, symptoms and anecdotes tainted with racism and xenophobia. As sci
Californians can now order alcoholic beverages to go
In a memo yesterday detailing relief efforts for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has temporarily allowed retailers to sell alcoho
Raising in a recession
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. This week’s episode was a testament to making do, as we’
California governor announces a statewide shelter in place
In a press conference this evening, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered “all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence” to stop the spr