Byju's tries to placate angry backers: Indian edtech company Byju's CEO is trying a last-ditch effort to appease some of the company's investors and hold on to $200 million that it had raised via a rights issue. The company's board is considering offering those irked investors another chance to buy shares that they previously declined to purchase so that their stake in the company is better protected. Byju's desperately needs the money right now, so this could be a turning point for the company... Read More
'Tis the season for turnaround CEOs: After stepping down from the top job at Slack after just 10 months, Lidiane Jones now has a turnaround job at Bumble, where she's tasked with solving user fatigue and a fickle public market. As TechCrunch's Connie Loizos notes in this interview, Jones is hardly the only CEO in the market today tasked with returning a previously high-flying company to its prior glory... Read More
Kidsy's approach to selling childwear is a great idea: We cover startups that are building tools or software for other businesses. Better database software is great, but that kind of tech can sometimes feel a bit removed from daily life. Kidsy doesn't have that problem: Its business model of selling baby gear pulled from overstock piles and consumer returns could help parents save a buck while also cutting back on waste... Read More
Palmsy will lie to you to sate your dopamine addiction: Can't stop scrolling and posting because the likes and comments have you hooked? Palmsy wants to give you a break from all that. This iOS app will let you post and enjoy all the social interaction you crave, but with a caveat: it's all fake. The posts go nowhere and there's no interaction. Still, if it makes your brain sing, is that such a bad thing? Read More
The final countdown: Early Stage 2024 ticket savings end tonight, so hurry up and grab those tickets. See you in Boston in a month!
Zaver's big ticket BNPL service raises $10M: Doubling its total Series A funding to $20 million with an extension round, Zaver now has more capital on hand to offer a buy-now-pay-later service for those really big purchases. Sure, you can buy a new bike with Klarna, but Zaver wants to help make your supercar dreams come true... Read More
Activision investigating malware that targets players: If you like Activision titles, be careful. The company is looking into a hacking campaign that targets players by using malware to steal their credentials, crypto wallet info and more. The company says it is working to protect players, but if the issue has bubbled up enough to be on TechCrunch, it's got to be a mess... Read More
