The Information reveals the startups in its first media accelerator and plans hiring spree
Business is looking for good for subscription-based tech news site The Information. This summer it announced plans for an accelerator program to encourage others to leap into paid media and today, at its summit event, it revealed the five successful applicants in batch one as well as its own hiring plans. The accelerator has a pretty diverse bunch which cover subjects that include tech — of course — Hollywood, investing and local news. The companies — which hail from the U.S., Europe and Asia and are of varying maturity and size — each get a $25,000 check alongside mentoring from The Information’s staff and help figuring out
their distribution strategy and business model. The project is a first of kind, and one that has serious potential when you look at how a number of the early paid-for media entities have progressed. [ CrunchBase ]
Hidden figures: How Silicon Valley keeps diversity data secret
When the popular messaging platform Slack won a fastest-rising startup award last year, the company sent four black female engineers to accept it. Onstage at the TechCrunch awards show, one of the women praised Slack’s diversity, citing a statistic from the company’s 2016 diversity report: 9 percent of Slack’s engineering team were black, Latina or Native American women. “THIS Is What Diversity In Tech Should Look Like,” said one HuffPost headline. [ Reveal News ]
OpenTable CEO shares the unexpected way Silicon Valley is responding to the Google anti-diversity memo
In August, a leaked internal memo penned by former Google engineer James Damore criticizing the company's diversity efforts ignited a heated national discussion on women and people of color in the workplace. Immediately, the memo stirred up a whirlwind. Google terminated Damore. He announced he would seek legal recourse. And many prominent figures spoke out against it. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and author of "Lean In," wrote a social
media post saying, "Inequality in tech isn't due to gender differences. It's due to cultural stereotypes that persist." [ CNBC ]
Stitch Fix Is the Anti-Uber Silicon Valley Startup
We've gotten used to overgrown technology startups with hyped valuations, boardroom squabbles and business models that sound like headlines in The Onion. Heck, all those qualities apply just to Uber. Stitch Fix Inc. shows there's another way to be a tech startup in 2017: No drama. Just $$$. For those unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, the company is an online personal styling service. You tell Stitch Fix a little about your taste in clothing and other information, and then the company ships you five items of apparel for a $20 fee. Customers pay for the items they like minus the initial fee, and send back the rest. Customers can sign up for regular Stitch Fix deliveries, or only get them occasionally. [ Bloomberg ]
Madison Reed Announces $25 Million in Venture Capital Financing
Madison Reed, a prestige hair color brand, announced today that it closed a $25 million Series financing round led by Comcast Ventures with participation from previous investors including Norwest Venture Partners, True Ventures and Calibrate Ventures. "We have been a minority investor in Madison Reed and have worked closely with the company on TV and media expansion," said Sam Landman, managing director, Comcast Ventures. "We have watched the growth and execution, and we wanted to be a larger investment partner to the company as they scale and add Color Bars to their already fast-growing business. We are delighted to lead this round and look
forward to the continued growth and success. [ PR News Wire ]
As tech companies get richer, is it 'game over' for startups?
acebook has been breathing down the neck of the group video-chat app Houseparty for over a year. The app, developed by the San Francisco startup Life On Air, has been a hit with teenagers – an audience Facebook is desperate to woo. After months of sniffing around its tiny competitor and even inviting the team to its headquarters last summer, Facebook launched its own group video chat tool within Messenger in December 2016. In February, it invited teens to
its headquarters to quiz them, in return for $275 Amazon cards, on how and why they used video-chat apps. By July, Facebook was demonstrating a Houseparty clone, Bonfire, to employees and by early September the app launched in Denmark. [ The Guardian ]
WHY ZUCKERBERG’S NEW IMMIGRATION ACTIVISM RINGS HOLLOW
People are asking questions about GM's self-driving strategy — but the carmaker is sticking to its plan
Intel Capital To Lead $100M Round In China’s Horizon Robotics
Rebecca Kaden joins Union Square Ventures as general partner
The CEO of start-up WeWork reportedly bragged that he sold more than $100M worth of company shares
Grab raises $700M in debt to add more drivers to its ride-hailing service in Southeast Asia
China's Meituan-Dianping raises $4 billion, valuing firm at $30 billion
TONY FADELL’S NEXT ACT? TAKING ON SILICON VALLEY—FROM PARIS
What the CEO of 23andMe Teaches Us About Tackling Obstacles
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