Messaging social network IRL hits unicorn status with SoftBank-led $170M Series C

Social calendar app IRL has been busy building a messaging-based social network, or what founder and CEO Abraham Shafi calls a “WeChat of the West.” Following its pandemic-fueled growth and further push into the social networking space with group chat and other features, IRL is today an

Carbyne raises $20M more so when death knocks, you don't answer the door

Chaos and crisis are sisters, and none more so than when you dial for emergency help. A call to 911 in the United States (and urgent numbers globally) spins off a number of additional calls to emergency response teams, ambulances, hospitals and other actors who need to coordinate action to save you

CJEU ruling could open big tech to more privacy litigation in Europe

A long running privacy fight between Belgium’s data protection authority and Facebook — over the latter’s use of online trackers like pixels and social plug-ins to snoop on web users — has culminated in a ruling by Europe’s top court today that could have wider signifi

Home services platform Thumbtack raises $275M on a $3.2B valuation to double down on home management

On the heels of making an acquisition in December of home management startup Setter, Thumbtack — one of the pioneers in the home services gig economy — has raised a big round to double down on the model. The company has raised $275 million, money that the company plans to use to build o

Klaxoon introduces whiteboard-focused conference room for hybrid work

French startup Klaxoon is announcing a product update for its whiteboard collaboration platform as well as a new hardware product. With Hybridity, the company is going to sell ready-to-use conference rooms that optimize hybrid meetings between people currently in the office and people on the go. Le

G2 Venture Partners raises $500 million to fund sustainable tech

G2 Venture Partners, a firm that spun out of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, has raised $500 million to support entrepreneurs that aim to make existing industries more efficient, environmentally friendly and socially responsible.   With Fund II, G2 is most bullish about technologies in tran

Kai-Fu Lee’s Sinovation bets on Linux tablet maker Jingling in $10M round

Kai-Fu Lee’s Sinovation Ventures has its eyes on a niche market targeting software developers. In April, the venture capital fund led a $10 million angel round in Jingling, a Chinese startup developing Linux-based tablets and laptops, technewss has learned. Other investors in the round inclu

Duda, a WordPress rival, raises $50M to help agencies and bigger companies build better websites

Self-expression for many consumers today comes in the form of social media and apps. But if you’re a larger business, even if you can’t ignore platforms like Facebook, a website still remains central part of your digital equation. Today, Duda — which has built a platform for large

Formative, a student learning and analytics platform, raises $70M to challenge the summative, test-based approach to education

Tests are king in many school systems and other educational environments: they are seen as an efficient way to assess what knowledge students have retained, and how well they do on a level playing field where everyone has the same exam to take. Some, however, believe that system is flawed, and toda

Kia and Uber partner to give drivers in 20 European markets discounts to EVs

Uber and Kia Europe are teaming up to offer drivers in 20 European markets deals on buying, leasing, financing or renting Kia's e-Niro and e-Soul, the latest move by the ride-hailing giant to achieve its emissions goals.  Uber has committed to being a zero-emission mobility platform across Eur

Australian ID verification startup OCR Labs raises $15M Series A to expand into UK/Turkey/Europe

With the gig economy came the need for ID verification, thus startups like OnFido appeared, alongside several others. But this sector is by no means done yet. Now, OCR Labs, which emerged from Australia, has announced a €12.5 million / $15 million Series A funding round led by Turkish investors O

Golden Gate Ventures forecasts a record number of exits in Southeast Asia

Despite the pandemic's economic impact, Southeast Asia's startup ecosystem has proven to be very resilient. In fact, a new report from investment firm Golden Gate Ventures predicts a record number of exits will happen in the region over the next couple of years, thanks to factors like a mat

Upflow raises $15 million to manage your outstanding invoices

French startup Upflow has raised a $15 million Series A round. The company wants to help you chase late payments. It optimizes how you collect payments from your customers in order to improve your cash-cycle. Investors in today's funding round include 9yards Capital, existing investor eFounders

Jaguar Land Rover to develop a Defender-like hydrogen fuel cell EV

Jaguar Land Rover is developing a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle based on the new Defender SUV, and plans to begin testing the prototype next year. The prototype program, known as Project Zeus, is part of JLR’s larger aim to only produce zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles by 2036. JLR has also made