Fundings & Exits
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Fam raises $1.8 million for its iMessage-based group video chat app
The iMessage App Store may have its struggles, but one app aimed at bringing group video chat into the iMessage experience is reportedly taking off. Smack, the company behind the video chat app called Fam, has raised $1.8 million in funding for its Top 25 Social Networking app on the App Store that allows groups to chat with one another via iMessage with just a few taps. Read More
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An eBay for grain trading, FarmLead, raises $6.5 million Series A
Farmers work to feed the world. Yet somehow, corn, wheat and rice sales are still happening at a local level through antiquated paperwork and phone negotiations. Now, an Ottawa-based startup called FarmLead has raised $6.5 million in venture funding to connect grain producers and buyers automatically online, and help farmers get fair prices for what they grow. Read More
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How Spotify is finally gaining leverage over record labels
That’s why over the past few years, Spotify has been pushing five different paths to putting pressure on the labels to cut it a better royalties deal. They all hinge around the idea of making the labels need Spotify as much as it’s historically needed them. When Spotify launched in 2008, it had no power in the relationship since it had so few listeners. It needed to raise over… Read More
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Equity podcast: The return of IPOs and Tesla’s billion-dollar bet
One down, many more to go! The first episode of TechCrunch’s latest podcast, Equity, our venture capital-focused podcast is out.
This week, TechCrunch’s Matthew Lynley, CrunchBase editor-in-chief Alex Wilhelm and I sat down with investor and SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin to talk about Tesla’s $1 billion raise, the return of IPOs and recent acquisitions in the technology… Read More
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LimeBike raises $12 million to roll out bike sharing without kiosks in the US
A startup called LimeBike has raised $12 million in venture funding to make Chinese-style bike sharing mainstream in the U.S. Andreessen Horowitz led the round, joined by IDG Ventures, DCM Ventures and other investors who declined to be named. Rental platform Goodlord raises £7.2M from Rocket Internet’s GFC, LocalGlobe, and Ribbit Capital
Goodlord, a U.K. startup that has built a platform to handle transactions and the ‘paperwork’ normally associated with renting a home, has raised £7.2 million in Series A funding. Rocket Internet’s GFC led the round, with participation from existing backer LocalGlobe and new investor Ribbit Capital. Read More
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Baker raises $3.5 million to become a ‘Salesforce for pot’
As the legal cannabis industry grows in the U.S., competition for customers is heating up. Now, a startup called Baker Technologies has raised $3.5 million to become a “Salesforce for pot.” The company’s software helps marijuana dispensaries bring in new customers and inspire customer loyalty, without running afoul of ever-shifting regulations that govern precisely how… Read More
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Roblox nabs $92 million to power its massive social gaming platform for kids
Roblox has spent the greater part of the millennium creating a cool place for kids to play a diverse collection of games inside a single cross-platform world for its huge audience of tens of millions of monthly active youngsters. The company announced Tuesday that it has closed a massive $92 million funding round led by Meritech Capital Partners and Index Ventures. Read More
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It looks like Snap’s (at least perceived) successful IPO has officially opened the window: Following Yext officially filing for an IPO this afternoon, identity management software company Okta just dropped its official filing for an IPO. 
Yext, the company that powers location data in search results, has revealed its IPO filing. The business will be able to join the stock market as soon as April.