Uber taxi app wins the hearts of US Congress members in 2014 midterm elections November 12, 2014 As taxi app service Uber continues to soar in popularity it's finding support among a group not usually known for their embrace of disruptive businesses with a hostility to onerous regulation. In the recent US midterm elections, Uber accounted for 61 per cent of rides taken by members of Congress and their staff. An impressive [...]
Now there’s an “Uber for laundry” for Londoners as Rocket Internet launches ZipJet November 4, 2014 Calling all those who hate doing laundry (that’s most of us) or those too lazy to get their washing done (students). There's now a solution to your problem which means you can spend more time with your feet up, rather than matching up odd socks. A new app has launched in London that offers pick-up [...]
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky: “We want to be regulated because to regulate us would be to recognise us” November 4, 2014 Six-year-old spare room rental app Airbnb has enjoyed an almost meteoric rise – along with Uber, it has become the tip of the spear of the so-called "sharing economy". The firm reached a $10bn (£6bn) valuation in April as part of a fundraising round where it received a $450m investment led by TPG Capital. Peter [...]
PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel talks quarter-life crises and how to tackle the state November 2, 2014 It's not every day that you get to speak to Silicon Valley royalty. And Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, first outside investor in Facebook, fund manager, and leader of multiple firms, is a dynasty heavyweight. Having just published his new book, Zero to One, he’s keen to talk about some of his latest ideas. [...]
Has Rand Paul’s Silicon Valley charm offensive worked its magic on Peter Thiel? October 30, 2014 "I remain committed to the faith of my teenage years: to authentic human freedom as a precondition for the highest good". So wrote Paypal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel back in 2009. With its hippie pedigree and laid-back working practices, Silicon Valley may traditionally be a hotbed of leftie activity, but Thiel – [...]
Let markets work: Uber, Lyft and the benefits of taxi deregulation October 29, 2014 The development of ride-sharing taxi-apps like Uber and Lyft has elicited much controversy. Customers can now have a cab pick them up in minutes with a simple touch of their smartphone. However, these kinds of services have faced fierce opposition from taxi unions and regulators across Europe and the US. A new report from the [...]
More $1bn startups bypass the US October 27, 2014 SILICON Valley’s stranglehold of creating leading software businesses is weakening as less than 40 per cent of the 134 software companies reaching a billion-dollar valuation over the past 10 years have come from the legendary tech hub. New research, created by London-based venture capital firm Atomico, led by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom, found that 82 [...]
Wolrd Health Organization: Ebola outbreak cases pass 10,000, death toll nears 5,000 October 25, 2014 There have been over 10,000 cases of the Ebola outbreak and nearly 5,000 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed in its latest situation report update. The total death toll from the latest outbreak has risen to 4,922 while the number of recorded cases stands at 10,141. All but 27 of those [...]
Uber vs Hailo: Why has the UK taxi app been unable to replicate its US rival’s success? October 24, 2014 Yesterday, the Hailo taxi app had its day in the sun unveiling two new features; Pay Hailo and Hailo Hub. However, the shadow of the company's withdrawal from the US after failing to successfully take on rivals such as Uber and Lyft still looms large. Things looked good for Hailo when it began its US venture three [...]
Ebola suit maker Lakeland Industries needs to raise $11.2m to keep up with demand October 24, 2014 Lakeland Industries, the New York-based company which manufactures protective suits used by those treating Ebola patients, has announced plans to raise $11.2m (£7m). The company said it will raise the cash through a private placement of common stock, at $10 per share, with the proceeds going towards paying off its debts and "supporting the increased [...]