Despite scrapped IPO, Babbel sees fast growth for its language learning service

Berlin-based language learning service Babbel was supposed to IPO on the Frankfurt stock exchange in late September. But only a few days before the initial listing the company pulled the plug with an eye on the developing Evergrande debt crisis that made the global stock markets very nervous. It has yet to announce a new […]

AngelList just closed a $25M fund to back startups based on hiring velocity

Over the past year, AngelList has grown from a platform that connects angel investors with startups to an end-to-end suite of tools, working on everything from fund operations to founder cap table management. Throughout this growth, the company has quietly amassed millions of data points that show appetite, both from investors and regular employees, for […]

TikTok rival Triller to go public via merger with SeaChange International

Short video app Triller is set to go public via a reverse merger with video-tech company SeaChange International, the two companies announced on Wednesday. The combined entity will be valued at approximately $5 billion. The boards of both companies have approved the proposed merger and the deal is expected to close in the first quarter […]

Serial fintech founder raises $20M for Ant Money to make micro-investing even more accessible

Serial fintech entrepreneur Walter Cruttenden founded Acorns with his son, Jeff, in 2012 with the goal of helping low- and middle-income households invest and save responsibly. The pair wanted to simplify investing for the millions that have trouble getting started or continuing to invest. Then in 2018, Walter went live with a new company — […]