YouTube’s TikTok rival, YouTube Shorts, arrives in the US

YouTube Shorts, the company’s short-form video experience and TikTok rival, is launching today in the U.S. The feature allows creators to record, edit and share short-form video content that’s 60 seconds or less in length, optionally set to popular music. At launch, YouTube has deals wi

This new startup is weeding out the weed-out classes, instead of students

Five years ago, entrepreneur Dan Sommer bet big on the adult learning space when he was building out Trilogy Education, an online and in-person bootcamp in collaboration with universities to train workforces on the latest tech skills. In 2019, Sommer sold that company for $750 million to 2U in one

SecurityScorecard snags $180M Series E to measure a company’s security risk

SecurityScorecard has been helping companies understand the security risk of its vendors since 2014 by providing each one with a letter grade based on a number of dimensions. Today, the company announced a $180 million Series E. The round includes new investors Silver Lake Waterman, T. Rowe Price,

E-commerce marketing startup Yotpo raises $230M at a $1.4B valuation

Barely more than seven months after its most recent funding announcement, Yotpo is revealing that it has raised another $230 million in a Series F round that values the company at $1.4 billion (post-money). “Our round, in my eyes, it's all about celebrating the future of e-commerce,” co-fou

Airtel Africa sells $200M mobile money business stake to TPG’s Rise Fund

In February, London-listed telecom Airtel Africa said it was looking to sell a minority stake in its mobile money business in a bid to raise cash and sell off some assets. The firm seems to have found an investor as it announced that The Rise Fund, the global impact investing platform of investment

Miami startup Asteya launches to provide 'income insurance'

Asteya, a Miami-based disability insurance startup that is geared toward small business owners and gig workers, launched today with a seed round of $10 million. Co-founder and CEO Alex Williamson, who was Bumble's chief brand officer, describes Asteya as an “income insurance” startup.  The

Crypto infrastructure provider Fireblocks raises $133 million

Fireblocks has raised a $133 million Series C funding round led by Coatue, Ribbit and Stripes. The company provides several products that let you store, transfer and issue digital assets. In particular, Fireblocks provides custody to institutional investors — it currently stores $400 billion in

Saleor scores $2.5M seed round for its ‘headless’ e-commerce platform

Saleor, a Poland and U.S.-based startup that offers a “headless” e-commerce platform to make it easier for developers to build better online shopping experiences, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding. The round is led by Berlin’s Cherry Ventures, with participation from various

Financial API provider Brick is building the infrastructure for open banking in Southeast Asia

The adoption of financial apps is surging in Southeast Asian markets like Indonesia, the region's most populous country. Founded by fintech veterans last year, Brick develops APIs that make it easier for tech companies to add identity verification and access financial data from their users. It

Visualping, which scans the web for changes (including new vaccination slots), raises $2 million

Years ago, Serge Salager, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur who’d taken a small company public on the Toronto Stock Exchange, was approached by deep-pocketed buyer who was interested in the business. Flattered but also nervous about who else the potential acquirer was talking with, Salager found

Europe’s rush for a COVID-19 ‘digital pass’ stirs concerns

More detas have emerged today about the European Commission’s legislative proposal for a pan-EU ‘digital green pass’ to show verified COVID-19 status. The plan is controversial from a human rights and civ liberties perspective, given the clear risk of discrimination. But privacy a

Daily Crunch: Uber to classify UK drivers as workers

Uber changes driver classification following a legal defeat in the U.K., Facebook says it will crack down on rule-breaking Groups and Snap makes an e-commerce acquisition. This is your Daily Crunch for March 17, 2021. The big story: Uber to classify UK drivers as workers Following a

Cymbio raises $7M to help brands expand to more e-commerce markets

Cymbio, a Tel Aviv-based startup focused on what it calls “brand-to-retaer connectivity,” announced today that it has raised $7 mlion in Series A funding. CEO Roy Avidor, who founded the company with Mor Lavi and Gad Zirkel, told me that the platform is designed to help brands sell thei

How to recruit data scientists without paying top dollar

When it comes to building a data science team, many companies fail at the first step — creating a job posting. These mistakes have been amplified in the age of COVID-19. The increasing demand for AI and data science experts, driven in part by the pandemic’s economic impact, is showing no si