Author: TechBrunch
Spotify is globally launching its Day List, a personalized playlist that evolves throughout the day based on a user's listening habits. This follows the company first introducing Day List to English-speaking markets last year. The playlist is available to both free and premium users. The company also announced it will add support for 14 additional languages, including Arabic, Catalan, French (Canada), French (France), German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico) and Turkish. Spotify introduced Day Lists in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland in September 2023. The feature will be available in…
Digital lending platforms have become an easy, fast and alternative source of loans for small businesses and individuals overlooked by traditional banking institutions. These platforms have become a lifeline for millions of unbanked people, and demand is expected to continue to grow, with the Middle East and Africa digital lending platform market expected to reach $2 billion in value over the next five years, registering four-fold growth since 2021. This is the market opportunity that Ghanaian fintech company Fido plans to exploit as it expands into new markets in East and Southern Africa, backed by $30 million in debt capital…
Indian online pharmacy startup FarmEasy was once valued at $5.6 billion but is still worth about 92% below its peak valuation, according to a new estimate from investor Janus Henderson. FarmEasy's estimated valuation at the end of June was about $458 million, according to a Anglo-American global asset manager that disclosed the valuation of the Indian startup's shares in a securities filing. This comes as a surprise, as FarmEasy said in April that it was raising about $417 million through a rights issue. FarmEasy co-founder Dharmil Sheth said in a LinkedIn post that the rights issue, which allowed existing investors…
At Uber, Gurjit Pannu remembers moving billions of dollars in cash between bank accounts around the world and quickly realising the importance of effective cash flow management. Meanwhile, Christian Sobkowski reminisces about his time working in the financial services industry, particularly at PayPal, where he helped expand the company across Europe. It's no wonder the two decided to join forces as co-CEOs and combine their finance backgrounds to found a company that, in retrospect, would have made Pannu's previous job that much easier. “Treasury is the department that determines how large companies move cash around the world, so it's clear…
Design platform Canva is dramatically raising prices for some customers, a move the company blames on generative AI. In the US, some subscribers on Canva Teams' older pricing plan have seen their five-person plan list price increase from $119.99 per year to $500 per year (with a 40% discount for the first 12 months), while in Australia, the flat rate of A$39.99 (roughly $26) per month for five users has increased to A$40.50 per user. Canva Teams is currently priced at $100 per person, or $10 per person per month, with a minimum of three members required for the Teams…
Sometimes a headline is all you need. Apple is unveiling the iPhone 16 at its “It's Glowtime” event on September 9. That much is certain. But Apple isn't going to ask us to fly across the country for a single product, much less book a hotel room for the 49ers' opening day. Football aside, the timing of the annual event is important: it's the last big chance to unveil a bunch of hardware before the holidays. The livestream will begin at 10 a.m. PST on Monday. Invites were sent out last week with the tagline “Glowtime” and a matching color…
Snap is testing a “simplified version of Snapchat,” CEO Evan Spiegel said in a letter to employees published on the company's website on Tuesday. The CEO said the simplified version is intended to improve the platform's accessibility and ease of use. For those who remember Snapchat's 2018 redesign, the news may do little to boost confidence. Spiegel sought to boost employee morale in his letter on Tuesday after a dismal year that saw the company's shares fall nearly 50% in 2024. “Investors are concerned that we are not growing fast enough,” Spiegel said in the letter. The “simplified” Snapchat may…
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, and today there's a growing number of flashy startups that are taking that concept seriously, literally and figuratively. Neko Health, co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek and Hjalmar Nilsson, is on a mission to improve preventive healthcare with yearly full-body scans and AI-powered insights that can detect ailments like heart disease and skin cancer. Now the Swedish company is expanding into London, its first city outside its home market. For a fee of £299 plus one hour, the company will carry out a series of scans…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a report on the rise of fraud at Bitcoin ATMs. These ATMs allow users to convert cash into cryptocurrency, but they have become a tool for scammers to carry out their scams. According to the FTC, fraud at Bitcoin ATMs has increased nearly tenfold since 2020, and consumers lost more than $66 million to these scams in the first half of 2024 alone. Scammers use tactics like fake phone calls, messages, and security alerts to convince people they are at risk and need to protect themselves by depositing their cash in a Bitcoin…
From idea to IPO, Disrupt charts startups at every stage of their roadmap to their next breakthrough. TechCrunch brings together the biggest names in the startup world, but our partners offer more than just financial backing. Their presence at Disrupt equips new and future founders with the tools, knowledge, and community they need to build successful startups. Check out our newest group of companies that can help take your company to the next level. Find out what they do and where to find them. In 2024, a breakout session will feature Venture Backed, providing granular visibility and insights to help…