Uber rival Ola raises $500m in funding round ahead of IPO July 9, 2021 Uber rival Ola today said it has raised $500m (£362m) from private equity backers as it gears up for a stock market float. The Indian ride-hailing giant, which is backed by Softbank, said the cash injection had been secured from Temasek and Warburg Pincus in the company’s first funding round for two years. Ola did [...]
Facebook ‘lost’ important rule on dangerous individuals for three years July 8, 2021 Facebook “misplaced” guidance on an important exemption to its rules on dangerous individuals and organisations for three years, the company’s oversight board has revealed. The board, which was created to rule on controversial content decisions, said it had overturned Facebook’s original decision to remove an Instagram post encouraging people to talk about the solitary confinement [...]
Former Barclays boss Bob Diamond to take crypto firm Circle public in Spac deal July 8, 2021 Former Barclays boss Bob Diamond is set to take cryptocurrency firm Circle public through a $4.5bn (£3.3bn) blank-cheque listing. The complex Spac deal will see Circle merge with Concord Acquisition Corp, which is backed by Diamond, before the combined entity is acquired by a new Irish holding company that will trade on the New York [...]
Instacart poaches top Facebook executive as new boss July 8, 2021 US grocery delivery giant Instacart has tapped one of Facebook’s most senior executives as its new boss ahead of a potential stock market float. Instacart today announced that Fidji Simo will take over as chief executive from Apoorva Mehta, who will take on the role of executive chairman and still be involved in day-to-day activities. [...]
Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement July 8, 2021 Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has thrown his weight behind the burgeoning right-to-repair movement despite resistance from the company he helped to build. The right-to-repair movement calls for new laws guaranteeing users access to information and parts to fix their own devices. Current laws in the US and Europe limit right-to-repair rules to vehicles and appliances [...]
London home to nearly a third of all Europe’s tech unicorns July 8, 2021 London is now home to almost a third of all tech unicorns across Europe as the capital continues to attract the continent’s top talent. New data from Dealroom revealed there are 71 private tech firms valued at $1bn or more in London, a large chunk of the total 268 unicorns across Europe. It comes after [...]
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi sued by US shareholders July 8, 2021 China’s dominant ride-hailing app Didi is facing two lawsuits, filed in New York and Los Angeles. They come a week after Didi’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange. The two suits, filed on Tuesday, state that Didi failed to disclose ongoing talks it was having with Chinese authorities about its compliance with cybersecurity laws [...]
Deliveroo lifts guidance as orders soar in second quarter July 8, 2021 Deliveroo this morning raised its guidance for the first year after a quarter in which the company said that orders increased nearly 90 per cent. In a trading update, the takeaway app said that it was now on track to see gross transaction value (GTV) grow between 50 and 60 per cent this year, up [...]
Airbnb inks deal with location tech firm what3words amid staycation boom July 8, 2021 Airbnb has launched a partnership with what3words to bring the startup’s location mapping technology to its platform ahead of an expected boom in staycations. What3words has divided the world into three-metre squares each with a unique three-word name to help pinpoint specific addresses. The London-based company said its technology helps to tackle the inaccuracy of [...]
Uber under pressure as Chinese rival Didi enters UK July 7, 2021 Uber will come under pressure from yet another ride-hailing rival as China’s Didi prepares to launch in the UK in the coming weeks. Didi is said to have secured its first licences in Manchester and Sheffield and is set to begin services as soon as this month, the Daily Telegraph reported. The arrival of the [...]