Ryan Lawler
Senior Reporter, TC+
The Latest from Ryan Lawler
What Square’s acquisition of Afterpay means for startups
The main takeaways? "Buy now, pay later" may be effective at driving retail conversion, but scale matters and long-term margins look slim for BNPL startups.
A requiem for The Creamery
The Creamery was not a place you went for the memories. It was located firmly at the apex of convenience and comfort -- which is why it was the perfect place for the SF technorati to see and be seen.
Amitree raises $7 million to provide a Gmail assistant for real estate agents
Real estate tech startup Amitree is making life easier for real estate agents, which it hopes will make life even easier for the homebuyers they work with. The company has raised $7 million to grow
Mortgage technology provider Blend raised another $100 million led by Greylock
San Francisco-based Blend is simplifying the process of mortgage applications for both borrowers and lenders, but is looking to expand into other lending products. To do that the company has raised $
With $2.6 million in funding, Gabi wants to get you a better deal on insurance
Most people are overpaying for car or home insurance, but many don't know by how much or even how to compare different plans or carriers. That's where Gabi comes in. The startup, which has raised $2.6
All the companies from Y Combinator’s Summer 2017 Demo Day (Day 2)
We once again braved the traffic of the 101 to bring you all the companies presenting on the second of Y Combinator's day of demos, for what is the 25th batch of startups that have gone through the pr
Pre-owned jewelry marketplace TrueFacet now sells brand-new bling
Since launching in 2014, TrueFacet has emerged as the go-to place for fans of high-end jewelry and watches to find quality pre-owned merchandise for sale online. Now, after establishing itself as a t
All 50 startups from Y Combinator’s Summer 2017 Demo Day 1
Biotech and artificial intelligence have emerged as the top startup trends at Y Combinator‘s 25th Demo Day. The 124 companies presenting at the entrepreneur school’s twice-yearly graduatio
bxblue wants to move payroll-secured loans online in Brazil
Payroll-secured loans are a $40 billion a year business in Brazil, but that business largely happens offline. A startup in Y Combinator called bxblue wants to change that by creating a marketplace f
Original Tech helps banks offer better loan applications
Americans apply for more than 250 million new financial products each year, but the majority of those applications are completed on paper or over the phone. A startup called Original Tech wants to c
ZeroCater expands from meal catering to office snacks
San Francisco-based ZeroCater is one of a growing number of startups hoping to disrupt the lunch rituals of businesses by providing catered lunches to small and medium-sized businesses in cities arou
In a bid for more unique designs, Bucketfeet moves to on-demand shoe manufacturing
Bucketfeet wants to allow any artist to create an interesting shoe design. And it's take one more step in that direction, by moving its production fully on-demand and opening up its site to support h
Homelight raises $40 million to help home sellers find the best real estate agents
HomeLight was founded in 2012 to connect home owners looking to sell with real estate agents in their area who are likely to close quickly and get the best price for their homes. With its business q
Uber board ‘disappointed’ by Benchmark’s lawsuit against former CEO
The Uber saga continues, and the board of directors has weighed in on the brewing battle between early investor Benchmark and former CEO Travis Kalanick. In wake of a lawsuit filed by Benchmark again
WeWork acquires Israeli startup Unomy to boost its enterprise sales efforts
Global co-working behemoth WeWork is best known for providing flexible office rentals to startups and other small businesses, but enterprise clients are becoming an increasingly large portion of its
PayPal to acquire Swift Financial to bolster small business lending
Global payments processing company PayPal announced this morning that it has agreed to acquire Swift Financial, which provides small business owners with working capital. Terms of the deal were not di
Mens activewear startup Pistol Lake raises $600K from Slow Ventures
Los Angeles-based Pistol Lake has developed what it thinks could be the next thing in men's activewear -- a line of shirts and other products made with new fabric that could be worn at the gym or out
Guideline raises $15 million led by Felicis to make 401(k)s more widely available
Everyone should be saving for retirement, but not everyone has an employer that offers a 401(k) plan. Guideline wants to change that, and the company has raised $15 million to grow its base of small
With $5.3 million in funding, CarDash wants to change how you get your car serviced
For car owners, getting their vehicle repaired or even dealing with routine maintenance can be a pain. Launching today, a company called CarDash wants to make auto service less painful and more trans
Savings app Qapital now offers a checking account and debit card
Savings app Qapital wants people to make more conscious decisions around their money. While to date that meant helping its users build up savings, now Qapital will help manage their day-to-day spendi