Pandora CEO Tim Westergren plans to step downPandora co-founder and CEO Tim Westergren plans to step down as the streaming music company’s leader, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. Pandora hasn’t selected a replacement for Westergren, sources say; he will likely stay on at the company he founded 17 years ago until a new CEO is in place. A Pandora rep declined to comment. The Uber and the frogHow the mighty are fallen. Travis Kalanick is out, and Uber has become something of a headless horseman, with no current CEO, COO, CFO, CMO, VP of Engineering, or general counsel. Its alleged valuation has fallen by $18 billion and counting. How did this happen? Or maybe a better question is: how could this not have happened? [ Tech Crunch ] Nestle Targeted by Activist Third Point With $3.5 Billion StakeNestle SA is being targeted by activist investor Dan Loeb’s hedge fund Third Point, which has built a stake of more than $3.5 billion in the the world’s biggest food company. Loeb owns about 40 million shares and some options in the Vevey, Switzerland-based company, according to an investor letter released Sunday after Bloomberg first reported the activist stake. [ Bloomberg ] VC Justin Caldbeck raised funding in email to accuser ahead of scandal breakingTechCrunch has reviewed an email allegedly sent by VC Justin Caldbeck, of Binary Capital, to one of the female founders who have accused him of inappropriate behavior — which suggests he tried to use his influence as an investor to encourage the woman to drop the allegations against him. The email, dated June 8 of this year, was published earlier by Pando, and was sent to Evertoon founder Niniane Wang, who shared it with us. [ Tech Crunch ] #188 William Mougayar: Unpacking Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) and Token SalesPeter Thiel - Thoughts On Artificial Intelligence A.I. and the Future NASA just debunked Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest snake oilTristan Walker launches FORM to make it easier for women of color to manage their hairGrowing up, my hair was always a source of frustration, pain and embarrassment. Part of that was because there were very few products made for people like me, with naturally curly and kinky hair. Hence why I just dropped about $140, tax included, on Walker & Company Brands’ latest line of products, FORM. [ Tech Crunch ] How big is bitcoin, really? This chart puts it all in perspectiveTechCrunch Tel Aviv Pitch-Off: Here are your startups and judges!On June 28 in Tel Aviv, we’re hosting the TechCrunch Meetup + Pitch-Off in Tel Aviv — and it’s gonna be a blast! We have a great lineup of judges who are going to listen to the soon-to-be-announced startup pitches and crown the winner of the Tel Aviv Pitch-Off. Tickets are still available, so grab yours today. In addition to a few on-stage interviews, you’ll get to see ten companies pitching and fiercely competing for first place. [ Tech Crunch ] Easiest Path to Riches on the Web? An Initial Coin OfferingLogistics company GetSwift raises $24 million to explore new verticalsMelbourne logistics company GetSwift, which raised $5 million through an ASX listing last December, has raised $24 million from a collection of US-based and local investors, including IFM Investors, Thorney Investment Group, and Regal Funds. The funding will be put towards further expanding the business globally and supporting larger-scale deployments, with GetSwift to create ‘parachute’ teams overseas to support new clients. [ Startup Daily ] A former Twitter exec explains why ‘Zuck isn’t running for President’Doing The Heavy LiftingAfter Uber, more women speak up about Silicon Valley sexism#500Proud is the LGBTQ+ and allies group for 500 StartupsMeet Vitalik Buterin, the 23-year-old founder of bitcoin rival ethereumThere’s a better way to build your startupPlanGrid's Playbook for Startups to Crack Big, Established IndustriesWhy now? |