Apple clarifies you can’t actually set a ‘default’ music service in iOS 14.5

Apple has clarified that the iOS 14.5 beta is not actually allowing users to select a new default music service, as has been reported. Following the beta’s release back in February, a number of beta testers noticed that Siri would now ask which music service they would like to use when they a

Fintech startup ClearGlass Analytics closes $3.6M for pension funds transparency platform

Fintech startup ClearGlass Analytics has closed a £2.6 million ($3.6 million) funding round for its platform, which aims to create greater transparency on fees in the long-term savings market, such as pensions and the wider asset management market. The £2.6 million seed round includes European VC

Social commerce startup Elenas raises $6M and plans for international expansion

Colombian startup Elenas says it’s helping tens of thousands of women make money by selling products online. And today, it announced that it has raised $6 million in Series A funding. That’s on top of the $2 million seed round that Elenas announced last fall. Founder and CEO Zach Oschin

Porsche unveils two new electric bikes alongside the Taycan Gran Turismo

Porsche is taking its electrification ambitions to two wheels. The German automaker unveiled two electric bikes Thursday, alongside the global debut of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, the latest variant to its EV flagship. Both electric bikes are said to be inspired by the Taycan,

This pan-African freelance platform is the first Zimbabwean startup backed by Techstars

On the 25th of January, Techstars Seattle announced its 12th class, featuring 10 startups from different parts of the world. The accelerator, which has accepted only a handful of African startups, included one from Zimbabwe in this class. AfriBlocks is a global pan-African marketplace of vetted Af

Bitfinex launches cryptocurrency payment gateway for merchants

Cryptocurrency exchange company Bitfinex is launching Bitfinex Pay, a cryptocurrency payment gateway. With this new product, online merchants can accept payments in various cryptocurrencies. It should make cross-border transactions easier in particular. While there are a few crypto payment gateways

GM, LG Chem studying the feasibility of a second battery cell plant in the US

General Motors is exploring building a second U.S. battery cell manufacturing plant with its joint-venture partner, Seoul, South Korea-based LG Chem. If the plant moves forward, it would be the latest in a series of investments aimed at building out the auto giant's portfolio of electric vehicl

Airlines warn of data breaches after SITA passenger system hack

Global air transport data giant SITA has confirmed a data breach involving passenger data. The company said in a brief statement on Thursday that it had been the “victim of a cyberattack,” and that certain passenger data stored on its U.S. servers had been breached. The cyberattack was

Luxury air travel startup Aero raises $20M

Aero, a startup backed by Garrett Camp’s startup studio Expa, has raised $20 million in Series A funding — right as CEO Uma Subramanian said demand for air travel is returning “with a vengeance.” I last wrote about Aero in 2019, when it announced Subramanian’s appointment

Snapcommerce raises $85M to make over your mobile shopping experience

People are not only shopping digitally more than ever, they're also shopping using their mobile phones more than ever. And for mobile-first companies like Snapcommerce, this is good news. Snapcommerce, formerly known as SnapTravel, has raised $85 million in what the company is d

Papaya Global raises $100M more at a $1B+ valuation for tools to hire, pay and manage distributed workforces

Remote working — hiring people further afield and letting people work outside of a central physical office — is looking like it will be here to stay, and today one of the startups building tools for that environment is announcing a big fundraise in response to the opportunity. Papaya Gl

Robotics roundup

I'm excited for any opportunity to talk about soft robotics. There's something other-worldly about the world of inflatable robotic bladders. Human beings are wont to develop robotics in their own image. The world of soft robots are something akin to what the technology would be like if it w

Income verification is white-hot right now, and Plaid wants in

Fresh off the termination of its planned merger with Visa, Plaid announced Thursday a new income verification product, which it said is aimed at “improving the lending lifecycle” with payroll data. Dubbed simply Income, the new product — which is currently in beta — is designed to m

Square buys majority of Tidal, adds Jay-Z to its board in bid to shake up the artist economy

This morning Square, a fintech company that serves both individuals and companies, announced that it has purchased a majority stake in Tidal, a music streaming service. The deal, worth some $297 million, will allow artist-partners to keep their ownership in the music company. Square CEO Jack Dorsey