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TechCrunch’s Top 3
- Include that financeKenyan fintech startup Pezesha has raised $11 million in new capital as it seeks to provide financial products and address the $330 billion financing gap for 90% of small enterprises in Africa. businesses” Annie Reports.
- We are all connected: If you haven’t found yourself in one of Twitter’s social circles yet, you soon will. The social media giant is rolling out “Close Friends” features globally. Ivan Reports. Add more people to your circle and get tweeting.
- No shipping for you.The delivery platform Gopuff was only available in Europe from November 2021, but Natasha L He has announced that he has decided to end his service in Spain. She mentions that this is probably to focus more on the UK market, where revenue is growing by 30% per month.
Startups and VCs
Startup Capital was originally VC Gary Tan’s answer to an interest highlighted by Y Combinator. In the year As a partner at Accelerator from 2010 to 2015, after graduation, Tan spent time partnering with companies to better understand what they wanted from investors. This week, he announced his return to the leadership position at YC, and Natasha M He interviewed him about what’s next for Y Combinator.
Poprazzi, the company behind last summer’s hot social app, appears to be raising a second round following its $15 million Series A round announced in June. A new listing in the App Store by the developer’s label, TTYL, Made with Friends; Sarah Reports.
When the news hits your eyeballs, like a big pizza pie, that’s extra-news.
- Notification bubblesAs Devin reports, finally, there’s an underwater messaging app.
- For illegal moneyFlush with fresh funds, UK “eco laundry” startup Oxwash has raised $12 million to fuel its growth plans. Natasha L Reports.
- The faster the fartherThe UK’s £5 billion gigabit project has awarded the first contract to connect rural areas with high-speed broadband. Paul Reports.
- PriceOye has received the Thiel seal of approvalIslamabad-based startup PriceOye offers a range of electronic products including smartphones, TVs and home appliances. It has closed funding from investors, including Peter Thiel, reports Jagmet.
- Raising the SPAC point: Alex And Anna He wrote a very interesting piece on TC+ about SPACs, how they differ, and how Europe has missed a bullet on that front (use “DC” for a 15% discount if you’re not a subscriber yet).
How to connect with your crypto community when things aren’t going well
Image Credits: Peter Dazeley (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
Because it is a largely unregulated new industry, crypto companies are generally not adept at crisis communications. (We’re being generous here.)
When a bank or financial services company faces a major security breach or volatility shock, federal laws dictate how it must communicate with its customers. Crypto beginners, however, must rely on their own best judgment.
“Declaring the sky is falling and begging your community to invest doesn’t do much good, but an over-hyped attitude won’t fool anyone,” says Tahem Verma, founder and CEO of Mesha.
(TechCrunch+ is our membership program, which helps founders and startup teams get ahead. You can register here..)
Big Tech Inc.
Last chance to get your game in the Facebook Gaming app. The social media giant said it was shutting down its standalone app at the end of October. Aisha Reports. Don’t worry, you can still find your games on the game’s real Facebook. When he launched the separate app two years ago, Facebook found it harder than he bargained for, so he decided to join ’em instead of hitting it.
