MacKenzie Bezos, the world’s third-richest woman following her divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, has signed the Giving Pledge — a commitment that will see her giving away more than half her wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes, either during her lifetime or in her will. Bezos recently made headlines when she gave…
Last year IBM and Danish shipping conglomerate Maersk announced the limited availability of a blockchain-based shipping tool called TradeLens. Today, the two partners announced that a couple of other major shippers have come on board. The partners announced that CMA CGM and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company have joined TradeLens. When you include these companies together…
With no fanfare whatsoever, Apple just announced the latest version of its iPod Touch, a product it hasn’t updated since 2015. You’d be hard-pressed to tell that anything has changed, though, judging from the exterior. From what we can see from the press release images, the new iPod Touch — now in its seventh generation…
Future Positive Capital, an early-stage VC firm co-founded by ex-Index Ventures associate Sofia Hmich, breaks cover today. The new pan-European fund, which has a first close of $57.1 million, will invest in “deep tech” startups right across the region that are attempting to solve “the world’s most pressing problems”. Specifically, Hmich and her co-founders Alexandre…
The past year has seen Spotify embark on a series of acquisitions to beef up its service, particularly on podcast content. Now it is the turn of SoundCloud, another European music startup — albeit one that had lost its way in recent years — to go deal-making: the Berlin-based company has picked up Repost Network,…
IKEA fans will soon have the chance to shop with greater convenience after the home furnishings company announced major changes to its app. Online shopping and delivery is currently only available via IKEA’s web store, but adding the same functionality to the app will broaden the service as the company seeks to reach a larger…
Venture capitalists aren’t supposed to make their portfolio companies battle to the death. There’s a long-standing but unofficial rule that investors shouldn’t fund multiple competitors in the same space. Conflicts of interest could arise, information about one startup’s strategy could be improperly shared with the other, and the companies could become suspicious of advice provided…
A laptop infected with six of the world’s most dangerous malware was sold in an auction for $1.35 million. Titled “The Persistence of Chaos,” the malware within the computer are said to have caused financial damages worth $95 billion. The post Laptop with some of world’s most dangerous malware sells for $1.35 million appeared first…
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault are in talks that could result in merging vast swaths of their businesses, a move that illustrates the growing desire among automakers to consolidate in an environment of increased regulatory pressure, sales declines and rising costs aimed at bringing next-generation technologies like self-driving cars to market. Update: Fiat Chrysler has…
Alex Wilhelm is the editor-in-chief of Crunchbase News and co-host of Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast. More posts by this contributor Equity transcribed: How to avoid an IPO How to avoid an IPO On Wednesday a few unicorns were born. You’ve already forgotten their names if you learned them at all (Tip: It was Marqeta and Ivalua.) Don’t…
