Cloud-based payroll processing startup ZenPayroll has closed on a $60 million Series B round, led by Google Capital. Emergence Capital Partners and Ribbit Capital also participated, along with existing investors General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Google Ventures. This now puts the total raised at $86.1 million at a $560 million post-money valuation for the… Read More
Buttercoin, a bitcoin exchange startup backed by Y Combinator and Google Ventures, is closing its doors at the end of this month after failing to raise new investment. Read More
The Roku 2 and Roku 3 streaming boxes are getting refreshed today, with new hardware providing faster movement through the interface as you jump around between channels and apps. Read More
Samsung has denied a report that claimed it paid people to pose as fans at the launch event for its new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge phones in Shanghai, China. Read More
What if buying something was as easy as Liking it? You’d probably buy a lot more, and buy it through whoever made it so damn simple. Becoming that conduit for payments means more than racking up transaction fees. For the portal to purchase influences not just how you buy, but what. Today, purchases are fragmented, and so too is that influence. We buy online and offline. Cash, Credit,… Read More
“The sky is falling!” VCs first sounded the alarm in September, claiming that startup burn rates had reached dangerous heights and companies must be wary lest they “vaporize”. Six months later amidst the frenzy of SXSW, many of the same voices raised concerns over valuations and cried bubble. Sensationalism makes for great press, and “burn rate” and… Read More
Wag, a startup that helps connect pet owners and dog walkers with a mobile app, has touched down in San Francisco. The company, formerly only in operation in Los Angeles, recently added the tip of the Bay Area as its second locale. Wag vets dog walkers using background checks, and then insures their activities. Dog owners can schedule walks for their dogs, and track their pooch… Read More
If you’re a reader of TechCrunch (which, at least right now, you are), then you might be interested to know that about the TechCrunch Radio show on Sirius XM.
Each Tuesday at 6pm ET (3pm PT), John Biggs and I go live on Sirius XM Insight 121 for one hour to discuss the latest in tech news and startups, including a weekly TechCrunch Radio Pitch-off. Read More
There’s a 21st century arms race happening across industries as organizations of all stripes look to unlock the true potential of their digital assets through APIs. For that data to generate value, it must first find new audiences—to reach those new consumers and markets, you must first reach developers. While it can feel like a leap of faith, giving developers access to rich… Read More
This column is my 100th for TechCrunch. Although I write weekly, I like to think that each post ages me roughly one year, or at least doubles Uber’s valuation (you’re welcome – you may send my equity check in the mail). No one ever told me that I would get grey hair from this job not from deadlines, but from writing about an industry that is at best, completely insane. Of… Read More
