Ryan Lawler
Senior Reporter, TC+
The Latest from Ryan Lawler
Online learning startup Codecademy launches paid Pro courses
Codecademy has spent the last several years building a large community of learners with free lessons aimed at teaching its users the basics of how to code. But now it's betting that many of them will
Juvo raises $40 million to bring financial inclusion to emerging markets
San Francisco-based startup Juvo wants to help mobile users in emerging markets improve their financial standing by combining data and identity to provide micro-loans. It's an ambitious goal, and to
With $4 million in funding, Kin wants to change how homeowners get insured
Insurance is one of those markets where startups see an opportunity to apply new technologies and data to lower costs and improve the consumer experience. And Kin Insurance is one of those startups
Eero acqui-hires smart home management startup Thington
Mesh Wi-Fi router company Eero wants to provide an easy way for consumers to connect and connect with all the smart devices in their home. As it looks to build more intelligence around how those dev
Judge rules Anthony Levandowski can be called to testify in Uber/Waymo trial
In the latest hearing to define the scope of the upcoming trial between self-driving technology rivals Waymo and Uber, District Judge William Alsup said Anthony Levandowski, the star engineer at the c
Stripe acquires Payable to help on-demand businesses manage 1099 tax reporting
With its Stripe Connect product, Stripe wants to make it easier for on-demand and marketplace businesses to not only process payments from their customers, but also make payments to contractors and
CPG investing platform CircleUp will now issue loans to help consumer brands grow
It's hard raising money as a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, but one startup wants to make it easier. CircleUp, which already helps consumer brands raise millions in equity financing, is now go
After raising $70M, Betterment expands financial advice to all users
On the heels of announcing a fresh $70 million in funding led by Swedish investment firm Kinnevik AB, Betterment is launching a new messaging feature that will allow users to ask questions and get an
Visa makes strategic investment in card processing startup Marqeta
Since 2010, Marqeta has quietly established itself as the underlying tech provider for businesses that are looking to issue virtual and physical debit and credit cards to employees, partners and cus
Mobile banking startup Varo Money has applied for a bank charter
Varo Money, which provides a mobile-first banking product to consumers, wants to take on the big banks. In an effort to offer similar -- but better -- checking, savings and lending products to consum
SoFi loses another senior executive, as chief revenue officer Michael Tannenbaum departs
Online finance startup SoFi has lost yet another senior executive, TechCrunch has learned. Chief revenue officer Michael Tannenbaum is the latest exec to leave, following a string of departures in the
Affirm now has 1,000 retail partners
Today Affirm has announced that it has more than 1,000 merchants signed up to offer its financing options at checkout, helping to reduce the friction around making large purchases and, by extension, i
Vimeo promotes Anjali Sud to CEO after canceling SVOD plans
IAC-owned streaming video site Vimeo has a new CEO: Anjali Sud, who previously led the company's creator business. The appointment comes as the company has scrapped plans to launch a subscription vid
Technical recruiting platform Triplebyte opens for business in New York
Triplebyte wants to make it easier for tech companies to hire engineers by pre-screening them for technical ability and even flying qualified candidates to the Bay Area for in-person interviews with
After relaunching its accounting platform, FreshBooks has raised another $43 million
For a decade and a half, FreshBooks has worked to establish itself as one of the most popular accounting software platforms for small businesses and the self-employed around the world. To accelerate
Beginning this week, automated savings app Digit will start charging users $3 a month
In April, Digit announced that in 100 days it would begin charging $2.99 a month to people using its service to automatically save for a rainy day or help pay their bills. Well, 100 days have almost p
Collectly raises $1.9 million to move debt collection online
A few months ago I wrote about a little startup called Collectly going after the big, inefficient debt collection industry by using modern tools to ease the process for debtors while also increasing
Blend releases a mobile app for mortgage lenders on the go
Since launching five years ago, Blend has helped major financial institutions make lending decisions to consumers, in many cases narrowing the time it takes to close a mortgage by seven to 10 days. To
With $1.6 million in funding, Zently now helps roommates split bills
Earlier in the spring we told you about Zently, a new app for renters that helps them pay rent on time and flag maintenance issues to their landlords. Now the app can hook into your bank account, all
PayPal makes it easier for its merchants to sell products globally
Payments provider PayPal has over the years made it easier for a wide range of businesses to accept payments from customers at home and abroad. Now with its Global Sellers initiative, the company is