Picsart acquires R&D company DeepCraft in seven-figure deal to aid video push

SoftBank-based digital creation platform Picsart, which recently hit uniciorn status, announced today it’s acquiring the research and development company DeepCraft. The deal is a combination of both cash and stock and is in the seven-figure range, but the exact terms aren’t being disclosed. Picsart today offers a range of digital creation and editing tools aimed […]

Social app IRL makes its first acquisition with deal for digital nutrition company AaBeZe Labs

IRL, the SoftBank-backed social app and recent unicorn, is today announcing its first acquisition. The company is purchasing, for an undisclosed sum, the “digital nutrition” company AaBeZe Labs and its portfolio of IP with the goal of making IRL a healthier and more ethically designed social networking app. AaBeZe’s founders Michael Phillips Moskowitz, the former […]

Playground launches in beta to help creators cultivate community

Launching today in beta, Playground is a social platform that seeks to help people discover and develop community while empowering creators to monetize their audience. Already, the website has a wide variety of users like the Museum of Modern Art, comedy host Alexis Gay, the Abolitionist Teaching Network, activist Nupol Kiazolu, and a Malaysian virtual […]

Instant grocery delivery startup JOKR bags another huge round to enter unicorn status

The company touts itself as “one of the fastest companies to reach unicorn status in history.” 

Hotel Engine raises $65M at a $1.3B valuation as corporate travel rebounds

With the pandemic heading into its second year, people all over the world are traveling more for work again. If you’ve flown anytime in the past few months, the packed planes are in part evidence of that. Further evidence that travel is rebounding lies in the number of people staying in hotels, and the money […]

Mexican BNPL player Kueski secures $202M in debt & equity as it nears $100M+ in ARR

Kueski, a Mexico City-based “buy now, pay later” and online consumer lender, announced today it has secured $202 million in equity and debt funding. StepStone Group (which recently acquired Greenspring Capital) led the $102 million equity round and Victory Park Capital led the $100 million debt financing. StepStone was joined by other new investors including […]

Shiftsmart, a marketplace matching shift workers to employers, grabs $95M

The days of shift work that involve “coming in at 2 p.m. or you are fired,” is a dated concept.

Meru.com takes in new capital toward its goal of being LatAm’s ‘Alibaba’

Meru customers can select and purchase products in minutes with a guarantee from the company that they will receive those products and at the best market prices.

Karamba Security raises another $10M for its IoT and automotive security platform

Karamba Security, an Israel-based security startup that focuses on the IoT and automotive industry, today announced a $10 million extension to its $12 million Series B round from 2017. This extension was led by automotive startup VinFast, a member of Vietnam’s Vingroup conglomerate, which itself is reportedly looking to raised $1 billion for VinFast. South […]