SiriusXM is partnering with audio entertainment production studio Audio Up to develop new original scripted podcasts. The two companies have entered into a creative programming and strategic agreement, under which Audio Up is expected to create new podcasts for SiriusXM and its platforms, including the SXM app, Pandora and Stitcher. Audio Up, which was established […]
Ex-minister predicts ‘huge battleground’ over UK’s plan to set Internet content rules
The former UK minster of state for what is now the digital and culture department, DCMS, has warned of the looming battle in parliament over the exact shape of incoming online safety legislation. In an interview with TechCrunch, Ed Vaizey — a former Conservative Party MP, now Lord Vaizey of Didcot, who was head of […]
Tiger Global backs African fintech Mono in $15M Series A round
Mono, an African startup that helps connect consumers’ bank accounts to financial applications, has raised a $15 million Series A round, the company confirmed to TechCrunch today. The round, led by Tiger Global — the VC firm’s third major investment in Africa this year after Flutterwave and FairMoney — also had participation from new investors […]
Mobile gaming startup Homa Games raises $50 million
Just days after Voodoo acquired Beach Bum, another French mobile gaming company has news to share. Homa Games is raising a $50 million Series A round led by Northzone. The company partners with indie game studios and acts as a publisher. Other investors in today’s funding round include Singular, King, the founders of FuboTV and […]
Gogoro launches battery swapping stations in China
Five months after announcing a deal with two of China’s biggest two-wheel vehicle makers, Gogoro officially launched there today, opening 45 battery swapping stations in Hangzhou. The company’s co-founder and chief executive officer Horace Luke told TechCrunch that it targets 80 stations by the end of the year, before expanding into other major cities with […]
The growing pains of Apple’s subscription addiction
Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review! Last week, we talked about how YouTube has managed to skate along while Facebook has gotten pummeled over platform responsibility concerns. This week, we’re looking at another slippery slope Apple is dancing on the edge of. If you’re reading this on the TechCrunch site, you can […]
On ten years of ‘The Vertical Farm’
Roughly two hours pass between my initial email and our first Zoom chat — on a Sunday, no less. I skip the post-gym shower and pop on a baseball cap, because I’m not sure when the opportunity will present itself again. After more than two decades of espousing the benefits of vertical farming around the […]
BaaS served three ways: A closer look at a rapidly evolving market
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but having a better understanding of how BaaS providers position themselves between banks and fintechs can help potential customers determine which model is best for them.
The Theranos fiasco shows how much startup advisory boards matter
What Theranos’ board needed was people capable of scrutinizing every aspect of a system, that, if real, would make every other diagnostic testing system out there look like child’s play.
There’s always a startup angle (even with ‘Squid Game’)
Welcome to Startups Weekly, a fresh human-first take on this week’s startup news and trends. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. This week on Equity, we chatted about why the metaverse is inevitably coming for “Squid Game.” More specifically, we explored how the world of gaming is changing through the lens of startups […]