How the mobile app ecosystem adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the mobile app ecosystem, according to an annual retrospective released today by app intelligence firm Sensor Tower. In the early days of the pandemic, a number of apps saw rapidly increased usage — like that focused on online shopping, entertainment, business and education, for example. Though much of the […]

Purple Dot, a waitlist and pre-order platform for the fashion industry, raises $4M

Because of the unpredictable nature of the fashion industry, fashion brands often have to ‘guestimate’ demand for their products, and if they get that demand wrong, they have to deal with the wasted inventory. All too often clothes end up being incinerated unnecessarily, adding to their environmental impact. UK startup Purple Dot has an ecommerce […]

E-commerce marketplace The List checks off new funding, new app

The new app is an extension of The List’s e-commerce marketplace, merging content, social networking and live commerce.

TradeDepot raises $110M from IFC, Novastar to extend BNPL service to merchants across Africa

Startups digitizing B2B e-commerce and retail in Africa continue to grab the headlines after the pandemic paved the way for widespread offline retail and commerce disruption. TradeDepot, a Nigeria- and U.S.-based company that connects consumer goods brands to thousands of retailers and help out with distribution, has raised $110 million in new equity and debt […]

Democrats Announce Bill Aimed At Stopping Bots From Buying All Your Consoles & Graphics Cards

A group of Democrats are introducing the “Stopping Grinch Bots Act”, a proposal with an incredibly stupid name that is aimed at preventing (or at least curtailing) the use of bots to snatch up stocks of goods from online retailers. Something many of yo…

3 ways fintech companies can help retailers launch financial services

As retailers expand banking opportunities, they will need help positioning their products, keeping them safe and selling to end users. Now is your chance to make connections in that world.