At almost $14 billion, Whole Foods would be Amazon’s biggest acquisition by a lotAmazon is buying high-end grocery chain Whole Foods for almost $14 billion. If the deal closes, pending regulatory approval, this would be the biggest acquisition in Amazon’s 23-year existence. At $13.7 billion, it’s $12.7 billion bigger — more than 14 times — than Amazon’s acquisition of online shoe store Zappos in 2009, then Amazon’s biggest buy, according to data from Thomson Reuters. Amazon also spent around a billion dollars for Twitch, a video game streaming service, in 2014. [ Re/Code ] Slack is raising another $500 million — and has attracted interest from a range of big buyers like AmazonSlack, the popular business communications company, is in the midst of raising $500 million at a $5 billion post-money valuation, an effort that has attracted several potential buyers interested in taking out the company ahead of the funding. Those include Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Salesforce, several of which have previously shown interest in acquiring Slack. Bloomberg reported the interest by Amazon yesterday, with a $9 billion sales price. [ Re/Code ] [ PitchBook ] Uber rival Careem closes $500M raise at $1B+ valuation as Daimler steps inAmid ongoing struggles at Uber, one of its stronger regional rivals in transportation on demand has raised a significant round of funding, picking up a significant strategic investor in the process. Careem, a transportation startup currently in 80 cities across the Middle East, has raised another $150 million — closing out a $500 million Series E round that it confirmed in December when it announced the first $350 million tranche. [ Tech Crunch ] 500 Startups’ Japan fund closes at $35m with government backing500 Startups’ Japan-focused fund has closed fundraising after exceeding its US$30 million target, with an investment from a Japanese government-backed vehicle taking it across the line. 500 Japan received a reported US$10 million from Cool Japan Fund, a public-private entity that focuses on backing businesses that promote Japanese products and services worldwide, taking its total fund value to US$35 million. [ Tech In Asia ] The DIY Girls "How 12 teens invented a solar-powered tent for the homeless" As Daniela Orozco picks off excess plastic bordering a 3D-printed box, she recalls how many homeless people she saw on her way to school when she was a high school freshman. From Silicon Valley to Doha: 500 Startups launches accelerator program in QatarIn an effort to try to distinguish itself from other accelerators in the Bay Area, 500 Startups has been offering two different programs since last year: Seed and Series A. Today, the 500 team announced the launch of its first Series A program in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and provided VentureBeat an exclusive overview on why it chose Doha, Qatar to run the three-month program. [ Venture Beat ] Talking with Alda Leu Dennis, the newest partner at Initialized CapitalIt’s only been a few days since she started her new job, but Alda Leu Dennis, the newest partner (and COO) of Initialized Capital, seems like she’s ready to hit the ground running. Given her background, that’s not surprising. Dennis just joined the 15-person, San Francisco-based firm from the secondary investment firm 137 Ventures, where she led investments in Planet Labs, Wish and Course Hero. [ Tech Crunch ] The Best Advice We Overheard at First Round's CTO UnconferenceWhen First Round redesigned its annual summit of technical leaders, it had a goal in mind: participants leaving the event with notebooks chock-full of new tactics to try. So it opted for an unconference format, one that maximizes learning touchpoints by getting very smart people together in multi-dimensional discussions, rather than an audience of many receiving one point of view from a stage. [ First Round ] Justin Kan confirms $10.5 million in funding for his legal tech startup Atrium LTSIn April we reported that Justin.tv founder and Y Combinator alum Justin Kan had assembled a team to “disrupt the legal industry” and was raising $10 million to do so. This week Kan confirmed that the company has completed its fundraising process, raising $10.5 million in what ended up being one of the biggest “party rounds” I’ve ever seen. [ Tech Crunch ] Uber may be proof that 'brilliant jerks' are finally less welcome in Silicon ValleyAfter a four-month investigation into Uber's corporate culture that resulted in the firing of 20 employees, cofounder and CEO Travis Kalanick is taking a leave of absence. It could be a watershed moment for the tech industry and a sign that, finally, Silicon Valley will not tolerate "brilliant jerks" — effective leaders whose sometimes brash personalities can leave cultural issues in their wake. [ Business Insider ] [ CNN ] Hiro Tamura is the Atomico partner U.S. founders should know; here’s whyIf you’re a U.S.-based founder and you’ve ever wondered how to pitch the London-based firm Atomico or, more specifically, who to pitch, Hiro Tamura is someone you might get to know better. Though he’s based in London, Tamura is the general partner who spends the most time in the U.S. — about one week a month on average. [ Tech Crunch ] Sequoia Leads $400M New Round In Chinese Used-Car Trading Firm GuaziBrief: Jack Ma reportedly considering joining $1.5b investment in GrabMobike gets $600m as global expansion shifts into top gearSaudi Billionaire Alwaleed, Daimler Invest in Uber-Rival CareemKauffman Fellows Announces 22nd ClassCan your CTO still code?Walmart has confirmed it is buying Bonobos for $310 millionForesite Capital Fund IV, L.P. $650MHow Can Silicon Valley Help Save The World?Digital Coins Are So Hot, Startups Are Selling Them Like an IPOStill Soaring: Deals To Drone Startups On Track For 6th Annual HighDesign tool Canva launches in Indonesia, appoints country manager |