Ericsson, an international networking company, decided it needed a dose of modernization and this morning announced its intent to acquire cloud communications company Vonage in a $6.2 billion deal. With Vonage, Ericsson is getting a more modern approach to communications that includes a cloud contact center, communications APIs (like Twilio’s) and a voice over internet […]
Mmhmm eats Macro
Mmhmm has perhaps the noisiest take on the future of video-conferencing: virtual meetings will be fun, flexible and, as shown by its most recent acquisition, emotive. The video-conferencing software startup, founded by Evernote creator Phil Libin, announced today that it has bought Macro, a company that has created filters, reactions and tools to take the […]
Fieldin buys fellow agtech firm Midnight Robotics
It was going to be a big couple of years for agricultural robotics well before COVID-19 was on our collective radar. Population growth and environmental concerns have been big drivers for those working to figure out how to feed people in the future. The pandemic, meanwhile, has only accelerated concerns, as many farmers have struggled […]
Data center companies CyrusOne and CoreSite acquired in deals totaling $25B
It’s been quite a week for data center industry consolidation in the U.S. Two companies, CyrusOne and CoreSite, announced deals valued at $15 billion and $10 billion, respectively. It is unusual to see two companies in the same industry announce such large acquisitions on the same day, but that’s what happened on Monday. Let’s start […]
Rocket Lab acquires Planetary Systems Corporation in cash and stock deal
Rocket Lab is continuing its acquisition strategy, this time with a cash and stock deal with Planetary Systems Corporation (PSC). The news was announced ahead of the company’s third-quarter earnings. Rocket Lab said it would purchase the company for $42 million in cash, plus 1,720,841 in shares of common stock, with the potential for additional […]
E-scooter startup Tier buys Nextbike to double down on commitment to e-bikes
Berlin-based Tier Mobility, one of the largest e-scooter operators in Europe, has just acquired German bike-sharing platform Nextbike. The move signals Tier’s commitment to the same multi-modal approach that competitors like Lime and Voi have followed to take advantage of existing market share. It’s also the latest big acquisition in the micromobility industry that might […]
Twitter acquires Threader, an app that compiles and shares threads
Twitter announced today that it’s acquiring Threader, an app that lets people compile Twitter threads and share their favorites, making it easier to help people find long threads on the platform. When users reply to a thread, tag Threader’s profile and write the word “compile,” the Threader bot creates a link that presents the thread […]
TechCrunch+ roundup: Collecting zero-party data, Airbnb CEO interview, crypto volatility
On Wednesday, November 17 at 3 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST, I’ll interview Ben Parr on Twitter Spaces about how zero-party marketing best practices. To get a reminder, please follow @techcrunch on Twitter.
Spotify expands into audiobooks with acquisition of Findaway
In an effort to expand beyond music, Spotify has been investing hundreds of millions to build out its podcasts business. Now the company has set its sights on another form of audio, with today’s acquisition of digital audiobook distributor Findaway. Spotify declined to share the financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close […]
Investor consortium to acquire McAfee for $14B
The long and winding history of cybersecurity software company McAfee took another interesting twist today when an investor consortium consisting of six investment firms announced that they were purchasing the company for $14 billion. That purchase amount is based on a stock price of $26 per share, which the company said represented a 22.6% premium […]