Byju’s has cleared all its dues to Blackstone by paying $234 million it owed the global investment giant for the $1 billion acquisition of Aakash, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch, addressing one of the criticisms levelled against the Indian edtech giant in recent months. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup, valued at $22 billion, had…
Days ahead of the Italian general election, the country’s privacy watchdog has sent Facebook’s parent (Meta) an urgent request for information, asking the social media giant to clarify measures it’s taking around Sunday’s election. The risk of election interference via social media continues to be a major concern for regulators after years of rising awareness…
A cloud kitchen — also known as a ghost kitchen or a shared kitchen — offers restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs a commercial kitchen space at a reduced cost for food delivery and takeout. This trend has been circling around the restaurant industry. More food entrepreneurs are turning to cloud kitchens to reduce their operation…
Australia telecoms giant Optus said current and former customer data was accessed following a cyberattack on its systems. Optus said in a press release on Thursday that an unspecified number of customer names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, and addresses and identity document numbers, such as driver’s license or passport numbers, were taken…
Dr. Michelle Longmire, physician/scientist-turned startup-founder, founded Medable with the goal of transforming patient connectivity in the healthcare system. Along the way in raising $479 million, Sapphire Ventures invested in several rounds, providing Longmire with new relationships and opportunities within Sapphire Ventures’ network. Join Cathy Gao, Partner at Sapphire Ventures, and Longmire on this edition of…
SoftBank, the largest backer of Oyo, has cut the Indian hotel chain’s valuation to $2.7 billion at a time when the startup is months away from going public, a person familiar with the matter said. An Oyo spokesperson said the startup has improved its finances in recent months, and it believes the speculation about valuation…
Code review is a key step during the software development process — it’s when people check a program by viewing and reading parts of the source code. But despite its importance, not all developers are pleased with the way traditional code reviews work. For example, a Microsoft study found that the outcomes of code reviews…
After an appeals court struck down key portions of a state law designed to prevent social media companies from freely making content moderation decisions, Florida wants the Supreme Court to weigh in. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a petition Wednesday asking the highest court in the land to wade into the issue after two…
Xpeng launched the G9 Flagship SUV, the fourth production vehicle in its lineup that will set a “new benchmark” for automated driving technology in passenger vehicles, the Chinese electric vehicle startup said Wednesday. The automaker says the G9 will come with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that eventually will cover both city and highway…
TikTok has announced an incoming tightening of its policies around political accounts using its video-sharing platform, such as those belonging to political parties, politicians and governments. The changes look intended to limit, er, political grifting (for want of a better term) — with an incoming ban on use of monetization features (like tipping, gifting and…
