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Plex raises $50M growth round to fuel ad-supported streaming, expansions
Streaming media software maker Plex announced today it has raised a $50 million growth equity round from existing investor Intercap ahead of its planned business expansion into rentals, purchases and
Upstack raises $50M for its platform and advisory to help businesses plan and buy for digital transformation
Digital transformation has been one of the biggest catchphrases of the past year, with many an organization forced to reckon with aging IT, a lack of digital strategy, or simply the challenges of grow
Outschool is the newest edtech unicorn
Outschool, a marketplace providing small-group, virtual after-school activities for children has raised a $75 million Series C led by Coatue and Tiger Global Management. TechCrunch first learned of th
Pale Blue Dot aims to be Europe’s premier early-stage climate investor and has $100 million to prove it
When Hampus Jakobsson, Heidi Lindvall, and Joel Larsson, all well-known players in the European venture ecosystem, began talking about their new firm Pale Blue Dot, they began by looking at the proble
Connected Cannabis Co. raises $30 million to bring its designer weed strains to more states
Connected Cannabis Co. was founded in 2009 and has since grown to become a leading cultivator of designer cannabis strains. Today, the company announced $30 million in debt and equity financing. This
This startup wants to use technology to help solve Austin’s housing shortage problem
The sheer volume of people migrating to Austin from all over the country, but particularly from the San Francisco Bay Area, has been making headlines for a while now. One result of this continued migr
The TechCrunch Survey of Tech Startup Hubs in England and Wales
TechCrunch is embarking on a major new project to survey European founders and investors in cities outside the major European capitals. Over the next few weeks, we will ask entrepreneurs in these citi
Boasting menus from chefs at French Laundry, vegetarian mealkit startup Simple Feast hits the U.S.
Offering a respite from processed foods for the richest 20% of Americans, Simple Feast has landed on U.S. shores with a mission to expand its presence on the back of $45 million in financing from inve
Slice raises $40M to power ordering and marketing for independent pizzerias
Slice, a startup that helps independent pizzerias build an online business, has raised another $40 million in Series D funding. The round was led by Cross Creek, with participation from KKR, GGV Capit
Messaging app Wire raises $21 million
Wire, the end-to-end encrypted messaging app and service, has raised a $21 million Series B funding round led by UVC Partners. As the company said a couple of years ago, the company is focusing on the
Vanadium ion battery startup Standard Energy raises $8.9M Series C from SoftBank Ventures Asia
Standard Energy, a vanadium ion battery developer, announced today it has raised a $8.9 million Series C from SoftBank Ventures Asia. The South Korea-based company says its batteries’ advantages ove
South Africa’s Quro Medical comes out of stealth with $1.1M to expand its hospital-at-home service
For a continent with such stark inequality, Africa has seen limited innovation to increase access to healthcare and reduce healthcare delivery costs. Over the years, there has been continued investmen
China’s Xpeng in the race to automate EVs with lidar
Elon Musk famously said any company relying on lidar is “doomed.” Tesla instead believes automated driving functions are built on visual recognition and is even working to remove the radar
Vietnam-based healthcare booking app Docosan gets $1M seed funding led by AppWorks
Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Docosan helps patients avoid long waits by letting them search and book doctors through its app. The company announced today it has raised more than $1 million in seed fundi
New Quest 2 software brings wireless PC streaming, updated ‘office’ mode
After a relatively quiet couple of months from Oculus on the software front, Facebook’s VR unit is sharing some details on new functionality coming to its Quest 2 standalone headset. The feature
FBI launches operation to remove backdoors from hacked Microsoft Exchange servers
A court in Houston has authorized an FBI operation to “copy and remove” backdoors from hundreds of Microsoft Exchange email servers in the United States, months after hackers used four pre
Daily Crunch: Spotify unveils an in-car entertainment system
Spotify wants to have a bigger presence in your car, Apple hints at iPad-centric announcements and Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop goes on sale. This is your Daily Crunch for April 13, 2021. The
Coinbase sets direct listing reference price at $250/share, valuing the company at as much as $65B
Coinbase, the American cryptocurrency trading giant, has set a reference price for its direct listing at $250 per share. According to the company’s most recent SEC filing, it has a fully diluted
Republican antitrust bill would block all Big Tech acquisitions
There are about to be a lot of antitrust bills taking aim at Big Tech, and here’s one more. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) rolled out a new bill this week that would take some severe measures to rei
Risk startup LogicGate confirms data breach
Risk and compliance startup LogicGate has confirmed a data breach. But unless you’re a customer, you probably didn’t hear about it. An email sent by LogicGate to customers earlier this mon