Author: TechBrunch
Europe is suffering from a huge hangover after the tech investment party of 2020-2021. That said, historically, compared to pre-pandemic levels, venture capital investments in European startups have increased, reaching $60 billion according to a new report. However, the unusual nature of the surge in investment surrounding the pandemic stands in sharp contrast to that growth, and although there are signs of green shoots, it is causing major headwinds. Global law firm Orrick analyzed more than 350 VC and growth equity investments completed by clients in Europe last year. Total capital raised in Europe was $61.8 billion. 2023 saw a…
As remote work becomes more prevalent, organizations around the world are adapting, especially when it comes to onboarding new employees and navigating the complexities of cross-border payments. This new era of work has led to a surge in demand for startups that provide human resources (HR), payroll, and compliance tools to help companies hire remotely. One such company from the UAE, RemotePass, has raised $5.5 million in Series A funding led by New York-based 212 VC. Other participating investors include Endeavor Catalyst, Khwarizmi Ventures, Oraseya Capital, Flyer One Ventures, Access Bridge Ventures, A15, and Swiss Founders Fund. CEOs Kamal Reggad…
Deal is on the acquisition march. On Tuesday, the HR startup announced it would acquire PaySpace, an Africa-based payroll and HR software and services company, in a deal that would be its largest acquisition to date. The move comes a week after Deel announced it had acquired Zavvy, a Munich-based AI-based “talent development” startup that builds tools for personalized career advancement, training and performance management. It was done within a short time. Financial terms of the PaySpace acquisition were not disclosed. Johannesburg-based PaySpace boasts more than 14,000 customers using its software and services in 44 countries across Europe, Latin America,…
Physical quantum computers are still years away from hitting the market at any scale and reliability, but don't give up on deep technology. The market for high-level quantum computer science, which applies quantum principles to manage complex calculations in fields such as finance and artificial intelligence, appears to be accelerating its pace. In the latest development, Multiverse Computing, a startup based in San Sebastian, Spain, announced that it has raised €25 million (or $27 million) in an equity funding round led by Columbus Venture Partners. The funding, which values the startup at 100 million euros ($108 million), will be used…
When you think of commerce platforms, big names like Adobe Commerce and Salesforce Commerce Cloud are likely the first to come to mind. Large companies that process millions of orders already have technology solutions to manage their operations. But small businesses with $5 million or $20 million in annual revenue don't really have the right tools for their size. They already use an ERP system, but spend a lot of time processing orders and entering information. That's why a French startup called Catalog wants to build a software-as-a-service product that seamlessly manages B2B sales across multiple sales channels. This is…
Indian companies whose apps were delisted by Google last week have reluctantly started complying with Play Store billing rules to get their apps back on the store. Apps like Shaadi, Matrimony.com and Bharat Matrimony have been restored after being removed from the Play Store on Friday. Other apps returning include Info Edge's Naukri and 99acres, audio storytelling apps Kuku FM and Stage, Alt Balaji's Altt, and dating service QuackQuack. Google currently offers three purchasing options for developers. A pay-as-you-go model where you don't pay for the service (developers like Netflix offer pay-as-you-go only to account holders). Google Play billing system…
In his quest to turn the simple, functional Twitter app into X, an everything app that doesn't do anything well, Elon Musk launched voice and video calling in X last week — and this new feature. is turned on by default and leaked Your IP address can be known to anyone you talk to, making it very confusing to understand how to limit who can call you To do. X's official news account posted on Wednesday, Announcing new features: “Voice and video calling is now available to everyone on X! Who will you call first?” wrote X. We looked at…
Streaming music service Deezer, along with Spotify, is rooting for a €1.84 billion EU fine imposed on Apple for antitrust violations in the streaming music market. However, the company has called on the European Commission to assess Apple's response to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), calling it “deceptive” and an “attempt to circumvent European regulation”. . In a statement released today, Deezer CEO Jeronimo Folgueira only cautiously praised the fine, saying, “The EU is taking action against Apple and firmly halting its anti-competitive behavior.'' “It is very positive that they have shown that they are prepared to impose sanctions.” However,…
Australian remote sensing startup Esper wants to capture hyperspectral images from space at a fraction of the price of its competitors. The company is entering a highly competitive field today with the launch of its first demonstration satellite on SpaceX's Transporter-10 mission. There's a reason for that. Hyperspectral is a very powerful type of remote sensing technology that uses a spectrometer to identify the spectral features of an object. This allows users to detect chemical fingerprints of a variety of substances, including minerals, chemicals, gases, and plants. Armed with just $1 million in pre-seed funding in its first mission and…
AI is “not open in any sense,” the battle over encryption is far from won, and Signal's principled (and uncompromising) approach could complicate interoperability efforts. warned company president Meredith Whitaker. But it's not all bad news. (I wrote the good news separately, so this is actually all bad news.) Whittaker, who spoke to me on stage at Strictly VC LA, called the resurgence of legal attacks on encryption “magical thinking.” “We are seeing a lot of narrow-minded and highly politically motivated legislation, many of which are based on the idea of protecting children, when they are actually being used by…