economy
Acquisition-happy space infrastructure company Redwire set to go public via SPAC
The latest in a string of space tech SPACs announced this year is Redwire, an entity created by a PE firm in 2020, which has acquired a number of smaller companies including Adcole Space, Roccor, Made
Hopper raises $170M and partners with Capital One on a new cardholder travel booking portal
Canadian travel startup Hopper has raised a $170 million Series F round, led by Capital One. The U.S. banks and credit card company is also coming on board as a strategic partner, to launch Capital On
Planting seed investments on tech’s frontiers nets KdT Ventures $50 million for its latest fund
Like other venture investors over the past year, Cain McClary, co-founder of the investment firm KdT Ventures, recently made the jump to Austin. But unlike the rest of them, he was coming from Black M
Secureframe raises $18M Series A to simplify cybersecurity compliance
Security compliance may not be the hottest conversation starter, but it’s a critical and often grueling process that companies have to endure every year to show that their security practices are
The Robinhood competitor landscape intensifies as Invstr raises $20M
One of the biggest gripes about investing apps is that they are not acting responsibly by not educating users properly and allegedly letting them fend for themselves. This can result in people losing
Investors Clara Brenner, Quin Garcia and Rachel Holt are coming to TC Sessions: Mobility 2021
The transportation industry is abuzz with upstarts, legacy automakers, suppliers and tech companies working on automated vehicle technology, digital platforms, electrification and robotics. Then there
Appfire, provider of Atlassian apps, raises $100M to continue its buying spree
Appfire, a Boston-based provider of software development apps, announced Tuesday that it has received a $100 million investment from growth private equity firm TA Associates. Founded in 2005, Appfire
Israel’s retrain.ai closes $13M to use AI to understand early signals in the changing jobs market
Israel’s retrain.ai, which uses AI and machine learning to read job boards at scale and gain insight into where the job market is going, has closed a $9 million Series A led by Square Peg. Since ret
Offering a service that prioritizes the highest-paying gigs in the gig economy, Stoovo raises funding
Semih Korkmaz and Hantz Févry launched Stoovo in 2019 as a way to help gig workers make the best use of their time. Févry, who immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti, knew firsthand the struggles that co
Calling Oslo VCs: Be featured in The Great TechCrunch Survey of European VC
TechCrunch is embarking on a major project to survey the venture capital investors of Europe, and their cities. Our survey of VCs in Oslo and Norway will capture how the country is faring, and what ch
SeedFi closes on $65M to help financially struggling Americans get ahead
Millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and struggle to get out of a debt cycle. One startup is developing financial products targeted toward this segment of the population, with the goal of
With Ironspring Ventures, Texas gets a $61 million new fund focused on ‘industrial’ technologies
From the chemical refineries that line the Gulf Coast to the oilfields of West Texas, heavy industry has always been a big part of the economy in the Lone Star State. Now, as venture capital moves in
Calling Danish VCs: Be featured in The Great TechCrunch Survey of European VC
TechCrunch is embarking on a major project to survey the venture capital investors of Europe, and their cities. Our survey of VCs in Copenhagen and Denmark will capture how the country is faring, and
With a reported deal in the wings for Joby Aviation, electric aircraft soars to $10B business
One year after nabbing $590 million from investors led by Toyota, and a few months after picking up Uber’s flying taxi business, Joby Aviation is reportedly in talks to go public in a SPAC deal
A Dallas-based founder looks to tackle the student loan crisis with his startup, College Cash
Demetrius Curry has spent the last couple years chasing a dream. His startup, College Cash, allows brands to petition users to create photo and video marketing content highlighting their product or se
Planning 500,000 charging points for EVs by 2025, Shell becomes the latest company swept up in EV charging boom
Shell’s plan to roll out 500,000 electric charging stations in just four years is the latest sign of an EV charging infrastructure boom that has prompted investors to pour cash into the industry
UpEquity raises $25 million in equity and debt for its cash-pay mortgage lending service
With a stated goal of aligning the mortgage industry with consumer interests, Austin-based UpEquity has raised $25 million in equity and debt funding to expand its business. Chief executive Tim Herman
LA-based SoLo Funds raises $10 million to offer an alternative to predatory payday lenders
SoLo Funds wants to replace payday lenders with a community-based, market-driven model for individual lending, and now has $10 million to expand its business in the U.S. Payday lenders offer high-inte
OptioLend launches new marketplace to become ‘the LendingTree of commercial real estate’
The commercial real estate industry is facing its share of challenges, considering the fact that so many people are working from home (and not in offices) and retail is riding a slippery slope as more
Launching Panoramic Ventures, Atlanta’s BIP Capital adds a new partner and plans $300 million new VC fund
Atlanta-based BIP Capital has a new name for its venture capital operations (Panoramic Ventures); a new partner (Paul Judge); and is launching a $300 million new fund in its bid to plant a flag as the