More top reads Sometimes you don't need a pitch deck: Learn how FYPM used Instagram Stories and thirst traps (a sexy or filthy picture) to raise $275,000. LoanDepot outage drags on: Some LoanDepot customers say they have been unable to make mortgage payments or access their online accounts following a suspected ransomware attack on the company last week. The company said it is working on it. Apple offers EU set of pledges aimed at settling Apple Pay antitrust probe: Apple has offered a set of commitments to competition regulators in the European Union aimed at resolving concerns focused on NFC payments and mobile wallet tech on iOS, its mobile operating system. The FTC bans another data broker: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission cracks down on another data broker, banning data aggregation company InMarket from selling consumers' precise location data. The FTC claims InMarket failed to obtain consent from users of its own apps. Plex confirms plan to launch TV and movie rentals: Next month, media streamer Plex has plans to finally launch a marketplace for TV and movie rentals after multiple false starts. Pitch Deck Teardown: Over on TechCrunch+, Haje dives into Rypplzz' (pronounced “ripples”) $3 million seed deck. He gives you a hint on how it went: "I have to admit: this deck didn't set me alight, so I was a bit surprised by its success. Still, it's worth exploring what could be improved here." Half of Apple's India smartphone shipments are now iPhone 15: That's right, the iPhone 15 and its many iterations comprised more than half of Apple's Q4 smartphone shipments of nearly 2.8 million units in India, according to a new report. Amazon's iRobot deal could be blocked by European Union: It's been 17 months since Amazon agreed to buy iRobot for $1.7 billion. Things have been going slow. And now the European Union is throwing a wrench in the deal that could mean the acquisition doesn't move forward. Private equity could be the last resort for startups struggling to exit: Over on TechCrunch+, Alex and Anna found another area where recent research from Cowboy Ventures' Aileen Lee applies — there's a towering pile of private companies in need of an exit, or a bailout. | 
