Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. Want to save some dosh on TechCrunch+? Use the code “EQU
Darkstore, the tech-driven fulfillment solution to enable e-commerce companies to offer same-day delivery, has just released a consumer-facing app called FastAF. Right now, the app is only available i
New York-based chore wizard Hello Alfred is about to expand its mission to make life easier, one to-do list at a time. The company commands a small army of thoroughly trained home helpers who take car
Senator Elizabeth Warren has some choice words for Uber, TaskRabbit, Alfred and all the other companies taking part in the "so-called gig economy," as she put it in a speech Thursday for the New Ameri
August Smart Locks wants to usher in a new level of convenience for the on-demand economy. Instead of rushing home to meet your courier, cleaner, or assistant, or having to give strangers a copy of yo
It's been a year since 2014 Disrupt SF Startup Battlefield companies took the stage to compete for the coveted Disrupt Cup, a $50,000 prize, and the attention of media and investors. This is how far t
After nearly three years delivering anything you want on-demand (in the greater New York City area), WunWun is shuttering. As part of the close, Alfred is purchasing assets, including key WunWun techn
Alfred has had a busy year. The company has raised $12 million+, set up shop in NYC, and tripled the number of employees on the team. But at Disrupt NY, a little over six months after winning Disrupt
At this year's Disrupt NY, previous finalists and winners of Startup Battlefield will once again take the stage. But not to pitch their companies. Instead Alfred, Layer and Trello will update Disrupt
Hello Alfred, a startup that taps into existing on-demand services to automate your weekly chores, has raised $10.5 million in Series A funding.
The round was led by NEA and Spark Capital, with par
Magic, an SMS-based on-demand delivery service that started as a YC company's weekend project, is raising $12 million in Series A funding led by Sequoia, according to sources. Sources also say that th
Because there is no service that handles the mindless work of your daily life, it's almost impossible to imagine what life would be like without any household chores. But the folks at <a href="https:/
In our new conference venue at Pier 48, 26 battlefield competitors (and two Audience Choice winners) have pitched their hearts out onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt SF these past two days. It's been a ner
As we grow increasingly lazy, the on-demand space will continue to grow. But that doesn't mean that on-demand services are saving us <em>entirely</em> from the stresses of tedious chores.
That's w
We're excited to introduce you to a remarkable group of companies participating in this year's Startup Battlefield. The Battlefield serves to showcase the best and most promising early-stage startups
Looks like <a target="_blank" href="https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3001634?p=maps_android_latitude&rd=1">Latitude</a> wasn't the only Google product that got shut down yesterday in the wake
Back in July <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2011/07/18/cleversense-launches-alfred-personalized-local-recommendations-with-a-single-tap/">I wrote</a> about a nifty iPhone app called <em><a href="http
Back in June I <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2011/06/07/cleversenses-seymour-will-take-a-different-approach-to-local-recommendations/">wrote about</a> <a href="http://www.cleversense.com">Clever Sen