Russian investment firm RTP Global has announced a $650 million early-stage fund – its biggest to date by far. The Moscow-headquartered company will plough its cash into startups in Europe, North America,…
Startups
Airbnb’s Losses Arrive Just in Time for IPO
In the first nine months of 2019, Airbnb posted a loss of $322 million, according to the Wall Street Journal, and the timing could hardly be worse. In the same period in…
Course Hero Valued at $1.1 Billion in Latest Investment Round
Course Hero has become the latest education startup to be valued at more than $1 billion, after securing a $10 million Series B funding round from NewView Capital. The Redwood, California-based company…
Better Kids Founder Ondine Bullot’s Journey from M&A to Teaching Kids Social and Emotional Skills
Around nine years ago, Ondine Bullot fell off her horse, in an accident which left her temporarily unable to walk. In the time it took her to recover, she made plans to…
African Tech Enjoys Record Funding Year
African tech companies enjoyed their best funding year to date, according to an industry analyst. The African Tech Startups Funding Report, now in its fifth year, revealed that 311 firms on the…
Casper Files for IPO Despite Perilous Conditions
Casper, the mattress startup, has filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange, prompting a flurry of jokes about the company not being spooked by the IPO troubles of other…
Layoffs Hit Hard as Unicorns Place New Focus on Profitability
There’s a new craze sweeping through Silicon Valley – profitability. After the public markets largely rejected technology’s loss-making giants last year, startups are now taking steps to hurriedly turn user growth into…
WeWork Begins Restructuring After IPO Debacle
WeWork executives have begun the daunting task of rebuilding the company, starting with 2,400 layoffs and possibly renegotiating founder and former CEO Adam Neumann’s $1.7 billion payoff. WeWork, which was temporarily renamed…
Virgin Galactic to go Public With SPAC
Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson’s space tourism company, is to go public by merging with the special purpose acquisitions company (SPAC) Social Capital Hedosophia. Virgin Galactic will raise around $800 million from the…
Here are Chicago’s Five Hottest Tech Startups
It’s rare to hear Chicago, America’s third most populous city, mentioned in the same breath as Silicon Valley, New York or Boston when it comes to the country’s tech industry. But make…