Natasha Mascarenhas
Senior Reporter
The Latest from Natasha Mascarenhas
Haus, a VC-backed aperitif startup, is up for sale after Series A falls through
Haus launched in 2019 as an answer to a generation’s craving for a more transparent alcohol brand, raising millions in venture funding from angels such as Casey Neistat, Away co-founder Jen Rubio an
Groupon cuts over 500 staff, plans to focus ‘only on mission-critical activities’ from now on
Chicago-based Groupon today laid off more than 500 of its employees — 15% of its 3,416-person headcount — according to posts from former employees on social media. The reduction impacted w
Venture investors to founders: Turn down for what?
Welcome to Startups Weekly, a fresh human-first take on this week’s startup news and trends. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. Gumroad’s Sahil Lavingia broke into the venture world as one
Investors prepare for a founder downturn. Or influx. Wait, what?
There are two sides forming in early-stage venture capital: the investors who admit that talent has shifted and those who stand by deal flow that is as loud as ever.
A troubling startup layoff trend has emerged
We don’t need to tell you about the layoffs that are defining the tech landscape right now, concentrated particularly in late-stage companies that are struggling to raise extension rounds and grow i
Robinhood’s hangover, YC’s reduction and Uber’s return to form
Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. Alex, Natasha and Mary Ann got together with Maggie this week f
On Deck lays off a third of staff after cutting a quarter just months prior
On Deck, a tech company that connects founders to each other, capital and advice, has conducted another round of layoffs just three months after laying off a quarter of its staff. Sources say that mor
Is it the bootstrapper’s time to jump on the venture treadmill?
Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single to
Ro’s co-founder is leaving the company, last valued at $7 billion
Ro’s co-founder and chief growth officer Rob Schutz is stepping back from his current role and will stay involved with the digital health company in an advisory role, TechCrunch has learned. The sh
Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding environment
Y Combinator says it has intentionally shrunk the number of startups within its accelerator for the Summer 2022 batch. As first reported by The Information and independently verified by TechCrunch, Y
Robinhood lays off 23% of staff, CEO Vlad Tenev says, ‘This is on me’
It’s been a volatile year for retail investment behemoth Robinhood. The fintech company is slashing 23% of its workforce, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed by TechCrunc
Previ wants to subtract personal expenses from your paycheck with a cash-back twist
Why disrupt the bank account when you can go straight to the true source of all consumer spending: an individual’s paycheck? Brandon Rodman, who founded customer communications platform Weave but le
Public tech’s espresso shot is quite literally the cloud
Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. Last week we said that you needed to pay attention to the publ
Tech’s riskiest founders are getting a $650 million bet from Redpoint Ventures
For venture investors, noise is ironically important. Wading through constant streams of capital-seeking founders and startup pitches may be the hardest part of the job, but it’s also imperative to
The bootstrapped are coming, the bootstrapped are coming
Welcome to Startups Weekly, a fresh human-first take on this week’s startup news and trends. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. Bootstrapped startups, or companies that use their own revenue
Will once-bootstrapped startups turn to venture during a watershed moment?
As venture starts to be more interested in the stable fundamentals of the startup bunch, is it the bootstrapper's time to swing big?
Equal Ventures has a new pair of funds, filings show
Equal Ventures, a venture firm that debuted in 2020 with a $56 million first fund, has raised a pair of new investment vehicles, SEC filings show. The New York City-based firm has closed a $94.8 milli
Clearco cuts 25% of staff, considers ‘strategic options’ for international operations
Clearco, a Toronto-based fintech capital provider for online companies, tells TechCrunch that it has laid off 125 people, or 25% of its entire staff. Those impacted will receive severance pay, a two-y
Crypto and securities, back of the postcard version
Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. Alex, Natasha and Mary Ann got together with Grace once aga
Career Karma conducts layoffs as tech jobs face a massive stress test
Learning navigation platform Career Karma has laid off 60 people across its United States and global teams, CEO and co-founder Ruben Harris confirmed to TechCrunch. While he did not share the percenta