Natasha Mascarenhas
The Latest from Natasha Mascarenhas
Four views: Is edtech changing how we learn?
The COVID-19 pandemic compelled us to experiment with edtech, but it's still unclear whether attending school virtually with a laptop at the kitchen table offers the same benefits as sitting in a clas
Minneapolis-based VC shop Bread & Butter focuses on its own backyard
While many investors say sheltering in place has broadened their appetite for funding companies located outside major hubs, one firm is doubling down on backing startups in America’s heartland.
Contrary Capital wants to invest in the next big tech mafia
Contrary Capital, which has raised money from Tesla, Reddit, SoFi and Twitch, knows a thing or two about how to work with tech’s brightest mafias. Now it wants to invest in them, before anyone else.
Health class is outdated, so Lessonbee wants to fix it
Sex education in the United States is complicated. One example: For decades, the United States invested billions into abstinence-only programs. Eventually, schools rejected government funding for thes
The Venture Collective launches with a new bet on pre-seed investing
Venture capital has a long way to go when it comes to investing in underrepresented founders in a meaningful way. But according to The Venture Collective’s Cat Hernandez, the issue is too comple
13 Boston-focused venture capitalists talk green shoots and startup recovery
Welcome back to the second half of our two-part Boston investor survey. Catching you up, TechCrunch reached out to a host of Boston-area venture capitalists to get their take on the current state of t
After losing Grubhub, Uber reportedly hails Postmates
Uber has reportedly made an offer to buy food delivery service Postmates, according to The New York Times. According to the Times, the talks are still ongoing and the deal could fall through. For thos
From napkin notes to term sheets: A chat with Inspired Capital’s Alexa von Tobel
The next iteration of fintech is upon us, according to Inspired Capital’s Alexa von Tobel. “Fintech 1.0 was very much, ‘Let’s take what already exists and let’s do it better,R
Four views: How will the work visa ban affect tech and which changes will last?
Four TechCrunch staffers discuss the potential impacts of the government's decision to halt all new work visas through the end of the year.
Alexis Ohanian is leaving Initialized Capital
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is leaving Initialized Capital, the investment firm he co-founded in 2011 with Garry Tan, as first reported by Axios and confirmed by TechCrunch. The move comes weeks
Who really benefits from reskilling?
Nearly 40 million Americans are unemployed, and a recent study that examined more than 66,000 tech job layoffs found that sales and customer success roles are most vulnerable amid COVID-19. In respons
Squire balances clean fades with the coronavirus
As far as pandemic-proof businesses go, a startup for barbershops isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind — unless you raised millions just days before barbershops were shut down acro
Candidate Labs wants to be a modern talent agency for techies
In the first few minutes of pitching his new company, Candidate Labs, Jonathan Downey admitted that he’s operating in a market that is “done to death”: recruitment technology. But Downey, whose
Extra Crunch Live: Join Alexa von Tobel for a live Q&A now
Entrepreneurs-turned-investors are in a truly unique position in the tech world, with experience on both sides of the table and unique insights into how businesses should operate and grow. Alexa von T
How first-time fund managers are de-risking
After what felt like winter, investors say startup deals are back on — although the numbers suggest they never stopped. As Semil Shah of Haystack VC phrased it in a blog post, “It’s game on, pan
Extra Crunch Live: Join Inspired Capital’s Alexa von Tobel for a live Q&A on June 25 at 2 pm EDT/11 am PDT
Fresh off chats with distinguished founders such as Eventbrite’s Julia Hartz, Superhuman’s Rahul Vohra, and Plaid’s Zach Perret, Extra Crunch Live is turning the table around with Alexa von Tobe
4 months into lockdown, Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz sees ‘exciting signs of recovery’
“Eventbrite is in the unique club that nobody wants to be in,” says CEO and co-founder Julia Hartz. “Which is the first affected and one of the most directly affected businesses of the COVID-19
13 Boston-focused VCs share the advice they’re giving portfolio companies
TechCrunch is focusing a bit more on the Boston-area startup and venture capital ecosystem lately, which has gone pretty well so far. In fact, we had originally intended on releasing this regional inv
Extra Crunch Live: Join Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz today at 2 pm EDT/11 am PDT for a live discussion on leadership in the era of COVID-19
Through tickets and event organizing, Eventbrite empowers the experiences that we all enjoy. Yet with the advent of COVID-19, concerts have been canceled, trade shows shuttered and industry talks disp
Y Combinator’s Startup School relaunches to be ready when you are
About three years and more than 100,000 participants later, Y Combinator is relaunching its free online bootcamp Startup School as a continuous year-round program. “Over the last 15 years, startups