The Technology Live: June 2020

FCC formally declares Huawei, ZTE ‘national security threats’

The Federal Communication Commission has declared Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE “national security threats,” a move that will formally ban U.S. telecom companies from using federal funds to buy and install Huawei and ZTE equipment. FCC chairman Ajit Pai said that the “weight of evidence” supported the decision. Federal agencies and lawmakers have long […]
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Fivetran snares $100M Series C on $1.2B valuation for data connectivity solution

A big problem for companies these days is finding ways to connect to various data sources to their data repositories, and Fivetran is a startup with a solution to solve that very problem. No surprise then that even during a pandemic, the company announced today that it has raised $100 million Series C on a […]
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YouTube bans David Duke, Richard Spencer and other white nationalist accounts

YouTube just took action against a collection of controversial figures synonymous with race-based hate, kicking the cluster of major channels off its platform on Monday. The company deleted six channels: Richard Spencer‘s own channel and the affiliated channel for the National Policy Institute/Radix Journal, far right racist pseudo-science purveyor Stefan Molyneux, white supremacist outlet American Renaissance […]
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Daily Crunch: Facebook faces an advertiser revolt

Facebook takes (small) steps to improve its content policies as advertisers join a broad boycott, founder Alexis Ohanian is leaving Initialized Capital and Waze gets a new look. Here’s your Daily Crunch for June 29, 2020. 1. As advertisers revolt, Facebook commits to flagging ‘newsworthy’ political speech that violates policy In a live-streamed segment of […]
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Equity Monday: Scandal, one IPO, and the Indian startup market

Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. This is Equity Monday, our week-starting primer, in which we go over the latest, look to the week ahead, talk about some neat funding rounds, and dig into the latest on the health of the startup market. Don’t […]
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Indian startups diversify their businesses to offset COVID-19 induced losses

E-commerce giant Flipkart is planning to launch a hyperlocal service that would enable customers to buy items from local stores and have those delivered to them in an hour and a half or less. Yatra, an online travel and hotel ticketing service, is exploring a new business line altogether: Supplying office accessories. Flipkart and Yatra […]
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Four views: How will the work visa ban affect tech and which changes will last?

Four TechCrunch staffers discuss the potential impacts of the government's decision to halt all new work visas through the end of the year.
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The Station: Amazoox, TuSimple seeks $250M and the next e-scooter battleground

The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive it every Saturday in your inbox. Hi friends and first-time readers. Welcome back to The Station, a newsletter dedicated to all the present and future ways people and packages move from Point A to […]
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Startups Weekly: US visa freeze is latest reason to build remote-first

While the US tech industry relentlessly tries to do business with the rest of the world, this week it became further embroiled in national politics. High-skill immigration visas have been suspended until the end of the year by the Trump administration, precluding thousands of present and future startup employees and founders from coming to the US and building companies here.
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This Week in Apps: WWDC20 highlights, App Store antitrust issues, tech giants clone TikTok

Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the Extra Crunch series that recaps the latest OS news, the applications they support and the money that flows through it all. The app industry is as hot as ever, with a record 204 billion downloads and $120 billion in consumer spending in 2019. People are now spending three hours and 40 minutes per […]
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Where to open a game studio

With the game industry booming, more entrepreneurs are evaluating where to base their new startup or open a new office for their existing company. The U.S. government’s block on H1-B and L-1 visas will encourage American game startups to add an office abroad much sooner than they otherwise would have. But where? This spring, I […]
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Now one of the largest Black-led venture firms by assets, Base10 raises $250 million second fund

Two years after closing their debut fund of $150 million, Base10 co-founders Adeyemi Ajao and TJ Nahigian are back with a $250 million investment fund and a sense of vindication for their thesis of investing in startups making automation for the people. For Ajao, an immigrant who grew up in Nigeria and Spain before moving […]
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Indian edtech giant Byju’s in talks to acquire Doubtnut for more than $125M

Byju’s is in advanced stages of talks to acquire Doubtnut, a two-year-old education learning app, as the Indian edtech giant looks to expand its reach in smaller cities and towns in the world’s second-largest internet market. Three sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that the acquisition offer from nine-year-old Byju’s values the younger startup […]
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Waymo, Volvo partner to develop electric robotaxis

Waymo’s self-driving software footprint is expanding — this time in a partnership with Volvo Car Group. The two companies announced Thursday an “exclusive” partnership to integrate Waymo’s self-driving software into a new electric vehicle designed for ride-hailing. Volvo and Waymo provided few details on the partnership and what this might actually look like except that […]
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Apple will let you port Google Chrome extensions to Safari

Apple unveiled macOS 11 Big Sur earlier this week and talked about some of the improvements for Safari. In addition to native extensions, Apple is adding support for web extensions. It’s going to make it much easier to port an existing extension from Chrome, Firefox or Edge. The company shared more details about how it’s […]
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Apple is bringing Face ID and Touch ID to the web with Safari 14

Apple’s Face ID and Touch ID have made it easier for users to log into their mobile devices like iPhones and iPads and on some Macs offering the Touch ID button. Now Apple is bringing Face ID and Touch ID to the web. At the company’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference this week, Apple introduced a […]
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Demand for fertility services persists despite COVID-19 shutdowns

Plenty of investments are made during a recession, and it’s no secret that smart investors will put money into recession-proof markets.
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Google’s piecemeal privacy changes now let users auto-delete their data

Google said Wednesday it’s making a handful of privacy changes for users. In a blog post, the search giant said it’ll make it easier for users to go “incognito” and pause data collection as they use Google’s mobile apps. It’s also adding proactive account security recommendations to its Security Checkup tool. Google also said it’ll […]
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3 days left to save on virtual founder workshops at TC Early Stage 2020

Startups don’t come with instructions — a fact that inspired us to create TC Early Stage 2020, a two-day online event packed with workshops designed specifically for early-stage startup founders. It’s the closest thing you’ll find to a blueprint for DIY success, and it all goes down on July 21-22. Early-bird pricing remains in effect […]
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Google’s 46-camera ‘light field videos’ let you change perspective and peek around corners

Google is showing off one of the most impressive efforts yet turning traditional photography and video into something more immersive: 3D video that lets the viewer change their perspective and even look around objects in frame. Unfortunately, unless you have 46 spare cameras to sync together, you probably won’t be making these “light field videos” […]
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Update: Amazon announces $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund

Update: This post has been updated to indicate that although Rodrigo Prudencio’s profile on LinkedIn stated, “I lead investments for Amazon’s $2B Climate Pledge Fund” the fund is led by Matt Peterson on Amazon’s corporate development team and and Kara Hurst, who leads the company’s sustainability team, according to an Amazon spokesperson. Prudencio deleted his […]
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Antitrust case against Facebook’s ‘super profiling’ back on track after German federal court ruling

A landmark regulatory intervention that seeks to apply structural antitrust remedies to cut big (ad)tech’s rights-hostile surveillance business models down to size has been revived after Germany’s federal court overturned an earlier ruling that had suspended enforcement of a ban on Facebook combining user data. The upshot is the tech giant could be forced to […]
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Big outdoor brands join #StopHateForProfit campaign, boycott Facebook and Instagram ads

As corporations fall over themselves to perform their mostly abrupt commitments to racial justice, a few companies are seizing the moment to call out Facebook for its own failings. A handful of the biggest names in outdoor gear have suspended ads across Facebook and Instagram for the month of July as part of #StopHateforProfit, an […]
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Apple is bringing spatial audio to AirPods Pro

It’s no AirPods Studio, but Apple’s got a pretty exciting update to last year’s AirPods Pro. The bluetooth headphones are getting spatial audio (or 3D audio, depending on who you ask). The addition of the feature gives audio a sense of locational awareness, with sound originating from different points. It’s a nice addition that should […]
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Apple’s Messages gets better group replies and Memoji updates, including face coverings

Today’s WWDC keynote has been much more Memoji-centric than usual. The invite art featured them and they were all over the intro. They also got a significant amount of face time during today’s iOS 14 Messages break down. According to the company the messaging app has experienced a 40% year-over-year increase. The biggest updates to […]
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Watch Apple’s WWDC keynote live right here

Apple is holding a keynote today on the first day of its developer conference, and the company is expected to talk about a ton of software updates. WWDC is a virtual event this year, but you can expect the same amount of news, in a different format. At 10 AM PT (1 PM in New […]
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Confronting racial bias in video games

Protests across the U.S. over police violence and systemic racism against Black Americans have sparked gaming companies like Electronic Arts, Epic Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation to publish statements of their support and make donations to relevant advocacy organizations. These are positive actions, but the most impactful thing game companies can do is take action […]
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The Station: DoorDash snags $400M, Bolt Mobility deploys self-cleaning tech, and disappearing Jump bikes

Startups Weekly: Which investor wrote the first check?

Which startups investors are actually first to backing the best companies? If you know this information before fundraising, you can avoid pitching investors who were always going to tell you that you're "too early" anyway.
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Startup Battlefield bonus: Application deadline extended one week

This one goes out to all the early-stage startup founders. Whether you’re overwhelmed by the state of the world, overworked — or procrastination is simply an intrinsic part of your DNA — it matters not. Here’s reason to smile. We’re giving you an extra week to apply to compete in Startup Battlefield during Disrupt 2020. […]
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A reading guide to Reliance Jio, the most important tech company in the world

Over the past few months, COVID-19 has brought much of the fundraising community to a standstill. However, amidst it all India’s hyper0growth telco Reliance Jio Platforms has put its fundraising efforts into full gear. Over the past three months, Jio has raised over $15.5 billion from a cohort of investors that include prominent financial institutions […]
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Ford Bronco debut date moved so it wouldn’t fall on O.J. Simpson’s birthday

Ford has changed the debut of its 2021 Bronco once again because its planned July 9 reveal falls on the birthday of O.J. Simpson, one of the iconic SUV’s most infamous passengers The automaker tweeted Friday that it has moved the unveiling to July 13. The reveal of the all-new Bronco lineup will now happen […]
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Clockwise CEO Matt Martin: How we closed an $18M Series B during a pandemic

It all started with an email from a customer: “Do you know why Bain Capital Ventures is reaching out to me about Clockwise?”
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TikTok explains how the recommendation system behind its ‘For You’ feed works

Open up short-form video app TikTok and you’re met with a stream of popular videos, tailored to your own interests. But when your friend launches TikTok on their own phone, they’ll see something different. TikTok calls this main stream of content the “For You” feed because of how it’s personalized to the individual user. But […]
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Facebook removes Trump campaign ads featuring Nazi symbol

Facebook removed a cluster of incendiary Trump campaign ads Thursday for violating its rules against hate group imagery. The campaign’s ads attacked antifa, the decentralized anti-fascist movement and a frequent target of the president’s ire, with imagery of an upside-down red triangle — a well-documented symbol worn by political prisoners held in Nazi concentration camps. […]
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What to expect from Apple’s WWDC 2020

Okay, so, first and foremost, this is going to be a weird one. Mostly because it’s 2020 and everything is just weird now and we have to deal with that until the next, weirder thing comes along. But while an online-only World Wide Developer Conference is certainly unprecedented for Apple, there’s some recent online precedent […]
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Twitch launches its own free broadcasting software for Mac users

Back in November of last year, Twitch rolled out a beta build of Twitch Studio — a free, straightforward broadcasting app meant to be the first step for anyone curious about streaming on the service. At launch, it was PC only. Today, however, they’re opening up the beta to Mac users. Twitch is pretty open […]
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Startups Tortoise, Swiftmile are combining their tech to solve scooter chaos

Sidewalk congestion is a major pain point for cities, and fully-charged scooters for riders are no guarantee. Those are the two main selling points of micromobility docking startup Swiftmile and remote-controlled scooter repositioning startup Tortoise, respectively. Today, Swiftmile and Tortoise announced a partnership to solve those problems. “These are incredibly complementary services,” Tortoise co-founder and […]
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Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Impact entertainment ‘accelerator’ inks deal with Netflix

Imagine Impact, the entertainment accelerator launched by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard to try and bring Silicon Valley-style mentorship and project development techniques to Hollywood, has inked a development deal with Netflix and is looking for submissions. Under the agreement, Impact will identify and develop film ideas in four specific genres over the next year […]
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Founders: Land a video interview with TC

Looking for a way to get your early-stage startup the massive attention it deserves? Look no further. TechCrunch is highlighting over 30 companies at Disrupt SF. Selected companies will get a video interview with TC editorial that will be shared with the masses. One of the best ways to get in front of thousands of […]
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After merger, T-Mobile lays off hundreds of Sprint employees

In a conference call on Monday lasting under six minutes, T-Mobile vice president James Kirby told hundreds of Sprint employees that their services were no longer needed. He declined to answer his employees’ questions, citing the “personal” nature of employee feedback, and ended the call. TechCrunch obtained leaked audio of that call, which was said […]
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As SaaS stocks retrace highs, a glance at today’s cloud fundamentals

The domestic stock market is advancing today on the back of some better-than-anticipated economic recovery data in the United States. While retail spending is still lower compared to the year-ago period, gains in May from April were better than anticipated. The American stock market, ready to trade higher on any scrap of good news — […]
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US Commerce Dept. amends Huawei ban to allow for development of 5G standards

The United States Department of Commerce today issued a change to its sweeping Huawei ban. Proponents of the move note that the change in policy ought not be regarded as a softening on the government’s stance toward the embattled hardware maker, but instead is an attempt to develop more streamlined standards for 5G, along with […]
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Ahead of WWDC, Apple’s Developer app adds Mac support, new features, iMessage stickers

Ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference starting next week, the company has today launched a new version of its Apple Developer App to better support its plans for the virtual event. Notably, the app has been made available for Mac for the first time, in addition to a redesign and other minor feature updates. With […]
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Apple expands Apple Card’s interest-free financing to iPad, Mac, AirPods & more

Last year, Apple introduced interest-free financing for new iPhone purchases when you pay with an Apple Card. Today, it’s expanding interest-free Apple Card monthly installments to a range of Apple products, including Mac and iPad, Apple TV, HomePod and AirPods, plus select accessories and related products. However, the financing options available will vary by product […]
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Sinch to buy India’s ACL Mobile for $70 million

Sinch said on Monday it has agreed to buy Indian firm ACL Mobile for £56 million (roughly $70 million) in what is the fourth acquisition deal the Swedish mobile voice and messaging firm has entered into at the height of a global pandemic. The Swedish firm said acquiring ACL Mobile will enable it to leverage […]
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Bit Bio’s “enter button for the keyboard to the software of life” nabs the company $41.5 million

Bit Bio, the new startup which pitches itself as the “enter button for the keyboard to the software of life” only needed three weeks to raise its latest $41.5 million round of funding. Originally known as Elpis Biotechnology and named for the Greek goddess of hope, the Cambridge, England-based company was founded by Mark Kotter […]
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Original Content podcast: The new season of ‘Queer Eye’ is exactly what we needed

With everything that’s going on in the world right now, it’s nice to know that we can rely on Netflix’s “Queer Eye” to continue tugging at our heartstrings. The latest season was filmed during what looks like a sweltering Philadelphia summer, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The basic “Queer Eye” formula hasn’t changed, with the Fab […]
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Startups Weekly: A Silicon Valley for everyone

Many in the tech industry saw the threat of the novel coronavirus early and reacted correctly. Fewer have seemed prepared for its aftereffects, like the outflow of talented employees from very pricey office real estate in expensive and troubled cities like San Francisco.
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This Week in Apps: Android 11 beta, Snapchat’s makeover, Apple’s WWDC20 plans

This week we're looking at the mobile news from the events that didn't happen this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Rocket Lab successfully launches its 12th Electron, carrying NASA and NRO payloads

Rocket Lab has returned to active launch status from its first launchpad in New Zealand, after the global COVID-19 pandemic temporarily paused its work there. Early this morning, it flew its 12th Electron launch vehicle from its launch site on NZ’s Mahia Peninsula, carrying payloads on behalf of the U.S. National Reconnaisance Office (NRO), NASA, […]
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