Mozilla expands its partnership with ad-free subscription service Scroll

Mozilla just announced a new initiative called Firefox Better Web with Scroll, which combines the tracking protection built into its Firefox browser with the ad-free browsing experience offered by Scroll .

Last year, Firefox turned on something called Enhanced Tracking Protection for all its users by default, blocking third-party cookies and

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Ceros launches MarkUp, a design collaboration tool for live websites

When designers need to collaborate with other teams, they can currently turn to products like InVision and Zeplin. But Ceros creative director Jack Dixon said there’s a “pretty interesting gap in the market” — once you move beyond prototypes and start working with websites that are either live or in staging, the process starts to become fragmen

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Twenty-eight percent of a nurse’s time is wasted on low-skilled tasks like fetching medical tools. We need them focused on the complex and compassionate work of treating patients, especially amid the coronavirus outbreak. Diligent Robotics wants to give them a helper droid that can run errands for them around the hospital. The startup’s bot Moxi i

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UK fintech community comes together to build Covid Credit and let sole traders self-certify lost income

It all started with a tweet from 11:FS co-founder Simon Taylor. If the U.K. government could be persuaded to provide financial support to the self-employed during the Coronavirus crisis, as it has already pledged for full-time employees, then Open Banking technology could be used to self-certify lost income, and therefore overcome one of the main

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For now, the late-stage venture world simply isn't as bad as we expected

$100M rounds are down but not out in 2020

Hello and welcome back to our regular morning look at private companies, public markets and the gray space in between.

This morning we’re taking a look at mega-rounds: funding events of $100 million or more.

What’s fun about these rounds is that they experience less temporal lag

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Crowd-lending platform October hits pause on loan repayments

French startup October wants to reduce the pressure on small and medium companies going through the coronavirus crisis. In order to give them some headroom, companies that have borrowed money on October won’t have to pay back their loans for the next three months.

October works with small companies in France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Germany

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European fintech startup Revolut is introducing its app as well as service in the UNITED STATE Beginning today, any person can join and also get a Revolut debit card. In the UNITED STATE, Revolut has actually partnered with Metropolitan Commercial Financial institution for the banking framework-- deposits are FDIC insured up to $250,000. In simply a few years, Revolut has actually managed to draw in over 10

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Excellent morning friends, and invite back to TechCrunch s Equity Monday, a short-form audio struck to start your week.Equity was busy recently, so capture up if you missed out on anything. We interviewed the CEO of Y Combinator, hosted a phone call with the TechCrunch team digging into our favored Demonstration Day firms, organized Equity Monday on a Tuesday, held a.

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Ohio-based Coterie, a startup working on in the commercial insurance space, has announced today it has raised $8.5 million Series A. The company had previously raised a little over $3 million in early investments, bringing its equity capital raised to nearly $12 million to date; the firm also told TechCrunch that it has raised $2.5 million in

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Imatag inserts invisible watermarks to track images around the web

Meet Imatag, a French startup that has been working on a watermarking product. Watermarking is nothing new, but the company has found a way to mark images even if they are resized, cropped, edited or compressed.

Many photographers and brands watermark their photos so that you can see who’s the original source when the photo gets re-uploaded around t

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Updated FDA COVID-19 testing guidelines specifically disallow at-home sample collection

While a number of companies who currently offer at-home medical and health diagnostics had rushed to produce kits that would allow for self sample collection by people who passed a screening and believed they might have contracted the new coronavirus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated its Emergency Use Authorization

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Scanwell aims to launch at-home 15-minute coronavirus test, but it still needs FDA approval

At-home diagnostics startup Scanwell, which produces smartphone-based testing for UTIs, is working on getting at-home testing for the novel coronavirus into the hands of U.S. residents. The technology, which was developed by Chinese diagnostic technology company INNOVITA and has already been approved by China’s equivalent of the FDA and used by “

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Oura partners with UCSF to determine if its smart ring can help detect COVID-19 early

Startups continue to find new ways to contribute to ongoing efforts to fight the global spread of COVID-19 during the current global coronavirus pandemic, and personal health hardware-maker Oura is no exception. The smart ring startup is working with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on a new study to see if its device can help

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Enable raises $13M to help distributors, manufacturers and retailers manage rebates

Enable, a U.K. startup that has developed a cloud-based “rebate management solution” to help distributors, manufacturers and retailers manage rebates, is announcing $13 million in Series A funding.

The round is led by Menlo Ventures, with participation from Sierra Ventures. As part of the investment, Menlo Ventures’ Steve Sloane has joined the E

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Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.

This week’s episode was a testament to making do, as we’ve had to cancel some trips, juggle a few guests, and get up and running as a podcast that have guests dial in without losing our stride. So, this week Danny and Nat

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Startups are helping cloud infrastructure customers avoid vendor lock-in

For much of the history of enterprise technology, companies tended to buy from a single vendor because it made managing the entire affair much easier while giving them a “single throat to choke” when something went wrong. On the flip side, it also put customers at the mercy of said vendor — and it wasn’t always pretty.

As we move deeper into the

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Global Savings Group acquires French cashback company iGraal for €123.5M

Germany’s Global Savings Group (GSG), the e-commerce content company, has acquired French cashback company iGraal for €123.5 million in a mixture of cash and stock.

Specifically, the deal was reached with iGraal’s majority owner M6 Group and consists of €35 million in cash; the remaining is made up of an exchange of shares. The acquisition is said t

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Claimer raises seed backing to make it easier for UK startups to claim R D tax credits

Claimer, a London-based startup that makes it easy for companies to claim R-D tax credits in the U.K., has raised £300,000 in seed funding.

Backing the already revenue-generating company is Ben Holmes (who was previously at Index Ventures), Nick Telson and Andrew Webster (the founders of DesignMyNight, which recently exited), Rupert Loman

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Smart thermometer manufacturer Kinsa has been servicing building exact, anticipating models of exactly how seasonal illnesses like the flu travel in and also among areas and its fever map is locating brand-new energy as the novel coronavirus pandemic grows globally. While Kinsa s US Health Weather Map has no means of tracking the spread of COVID-19 specifically,

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Long and short range travel have almost quit for lots of people at the minute. But looking ahead to a time when that may no more hold true, a firm developing flying taxis is today revealing a $240 million round of moneying to help continue developing its product.Lilium, a Munich-based start-up that is creating as well as constructing upright

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Wag! CEO Garrett Smallwood explains his firm‘radically different path to profitability&

Wag!, the petcare company known for connecting pet owners with local dog walkers, has recently undergone a series

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Horrendous online TV streaming service fuboTV introduced today it plans to merge with the virtual amusement technology firm, FaceBank Team. The recommended merging would absolutely preserve the name fuboTV for the combined business, having fuboTV s direct-to-consumer real-time TV streaming platform as well as FaceBank s modern technology IP in sporting activities, motion pictures and live peOver-the-top online TELEVISION streaming remedy fuboTV revealed today it means to incorporate with the digital enjoyment innovation firm, FaceBank Team. The suggested combining would certainly preserve the name fuboTV for the consolidated organisation, including fuboTV s direct-to-consumer online TV streaming system as well as also FaceBank s contemporary innovation IP in sporting activities, motion pictures and live performances.FaceBank is not a family members name, but is a developer of hyper-realistic digital individuals being composed of those of stars as well as clients for use in arising advancements, like Virtual Reality and likewise AR, in addition to in on-line home entertainment, interactive, media, social networking as well as likewise AI-driven applications.You may birth in mind the service from its development of the hologram of Michael Jackson at The Signboard Songs Honors in 2014, when it was after that called Pulse Advancement. It additionally created an on the internet Tupac in 2012, along with has the lawful civil liberties to establish electronic depictions of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and also others. The company has similarly functioned to establish digital animals in addition to individualities in films like The Lord of the Bands: Both Towers, Star Wars III: Retribution of the Sith, Transformers, Benjamin Switch and likewise a great deal a lot more, per its website.According to the proposed combining agreement, the strategy is to create a leading digital residence amusement company that incorporates fuboTV with FaceBank s IP in order to create an internet material distribution system for both basic and also future-form IP. That is to state, you ll have the ability to stream your real-time TELEVISION as well as these virtual/digital human efficiencies on one platform, it seems.FuboTV also claims it prepares to make use of FaceBank s IP sharing links with leading celebrities along with different other digital technologies to boost its showing off activities as well as satisfaction offerings. Organisation mix of FaceBank Group as well as also fuboTV accelerates our capability to establish a category-defining company as well as sustains our goal to supply clients with a technology-driven cable television service substitute service for the whole household, declared fuboTV CEO David Gandler, in a statement. With our growing solutions in the UNITED STATE, and also recent beta launches in Canada along with Europe, fuboTV is well-positioned to complete its purpose of ending up being a world-leading real-time TELEVISION streaming system for premium sporting activities, info as well as house entertainment material. In the existing COVID-19 setting, stay-at-home stocks make suitable feeling we prepare to increase our timing to uplist to a major exchange as swiftly as practicable. We look onward to collaborating with John and his group of innovative visionaries, he added. As a tech-driven IP organisation, FaceBank was seeking to situate the best shipment platform for its star and consumer-driven content, with a vivid user interface that can support the global customers promptly progressing strategies of material consumption, included FaceBank owners John Textor and Alex Bafer. David and also his team have a clear vision of the future and additionally fuboTV s contemporary technology is unequaled amongst the disruptor course of web content shipment a superb suit for FaceBank Group, their statement read.FaceBank is acquiring FuboTV or incorporating, as the authorized wording shows up to show for chosen supply, the SEC proclaiming reveals. The new shares, described as Collection AA Convertible Preferred Stock, will have 0.8 ballots per share, as well as transform to two shares of regular supply. The acquiring entity changed its brief articles of unification to get rid of all prior sorts of recommended shares in assistance of the new, Collection AA shares. It isn t clear yet the quantity of shares FuboTV financiers will certainly get in the deal, yet as the total number of Collection AA shares developed was 35.8 million, we can note that there is a cap.FaceBank furthermore states it took out a safeguarded rotating debt line of$ 100 million, the very first $10 plenty of which will absolutely be provided to fuboTV on April 1 or the closing date of the merging, whichever is later.The merger will allow fuboTV to continue its globally growth, using FaceBank Group s Nexway an ecommerce as well as payment platform reside in 180 countries, the company says.FuboTV was developed in 2015, initially as a soccer streaming solution, after that later boosted right into even more showing off activities as well as house enjoyment. It contends with YouTube TV, Hulu with Real-time TV, AT-T TV Currently in addition to, prior to its closure, PlayStation Vue.The deal complies with a variety of various other loan consolidations in online streaming as well as media, including Disney s purchase of 21st Century Fox, Viacom s procurement of pluto.tv as well as Fox Corp. s acquisition of Tubi. For smaller sized streamers, it s difficult to stay on the same level with the raising expenditures of shows in the center of competitors from larger rivals, like Disney(Hulu s majority owner)as well as additionally Google (which runs YouTube TV ). The boards of directors of both companies as well as the significant stockholders of fuboTV have really approved the deal, which is prepared for to close throughout the preliminary quarter of 2020, subject to the satisfaction of specific closing issues, the business mentioned.

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Voi, the European e-scooter rentals startup, ‘pauses& operations in several countries

Following similar moves by Lime, Bird, Tier and others, Voi Technology, the European e-scooter rentals and so-called micro-mobility startup, says it has “paused” operations in several countries due to the Coronvirus pandemic. This sees the company suspend operations in all but nine key cities.

In a short statement issued to media on Friday, Voi

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Gaming company Scopely adds $200 million more to its M A stockpile

Scopely, the mobile gaming publisher behind titles including Marvel Strike Force, Scrabble Go, Yahtzee with Buddies and Star Trek Fleet Command, has added another $200 million to its hoard of cash for mergers and acquisitions.

While some startups are fearing a cash crunch, other businesses seem to be preparing to go on a shopping spree. The

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Amidst assumptions that early-stage funding and appraisals will certainly decline as a result of an economic decline triggered by the novel coronavirus break out, young startups like the Brazilian dental firm SouSmile, which raised while prior to COVID-19, are feeling thankful for secured runway.SouSmile is a direct to consumer oral company based in S o Paulo In the middle of assumptions that early-stage financing and also valuations will decrease because of an economic decline caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, young startups like the Brazilian oral business SouSmile, which elevated in the time prior to COVID-19, are really feeling thankful for safeguarded runway.SouSmile is a straight to customer dental business based in S o Paulo. SouSmile has actually increased $10 million in Collection A financing from International Owners Funding, Kaszek Ventures and Canary, bringing the business s complete funding to $11.4 million. The two-year-old startup markets an unseen aligner and also bleaching gels through five retail stores in shopping malls across S o Paulo as well as Rio. SouSmile is a brand-new option for Brazilians wishing to get going on orthodontic job. The procedure contains an examination by a qualified dental expert that consists of a breathtaking X-ray, 3D check and also a professional examination. After that, the firm approves consumers for therapy. SouSmile s follow-up process consists of bimonthly consultations, and also expenses approximately $1,000, which co-founder Michael Ruah says is 60% less expensive than comparable treatments, as well as can be paid in installations. Treatment is quickly, taking between three to 9 months. SouSmile has a six-person co-founding team. The 100-person startup is composed of 50% qualified dentists.Ruah expects that the coronavirus pandemic will certainly have an adverse short-term revenue impact for the business, as they expect much less foot web traffic in retail stores over the coming weeks, possibly months. He wishes that since business is still young, macro indications won t have a big effect on the bottom line in the medium-to-long term. Ruah states that the most important thing is that SouSmile staff members and customers are secure and healthy and balanced now. Why is Brazil an excellent market for a D2C dental startup?With 2 million orthodontic cases annually, very heavily populated Brazil is just one of the largest oral markets internationally, yet the penetration of invisible aligners is less than 2% because of too high costs. Ruah contrasts this to the 40% penetration in the U.S. for grownups, pointing out Invisalign s numbers. There s still a dent to be made, as SouSmile states it saw even more than 10,000 reservations last year. Ruah also points out a social reason as to why Brazil is a smart market for an item such as this: Brazilians care a lot about both appeal and their dental health and wellness. Brazilians brush their teeth 3 times a day. They ll go out for lunch, they ll come back to the workplace as well as clean their teeth. Everyone has their toothbrush and toothpaste with them at all times, he explains. SouSmile s undetectable aligner expenses around $1,200. Therapy lasts in between 3-9 months.Branding: Aesthetic versus healthSmileDirectClub increased nearly $440 million at a $3.2 billion appraisal before going public in 2019. The teeth-straightening business developed its brand by leveraging the star charm angle with Instagram influencer campaigns that marketed the aesthetic outcomes of its item. While SouSmile wishes to see large numbers like its U.S.-based precursor, it intends to take even more of a healthcare-first method to its branding, as opposed to cosmetic. SouSmile is up versus some big challenges. Physical retail costs are expensive. Manufacturing is hard, and the company doesn t appear to be specifically tech-enabled, counting primarily on physical retail visibility for customer procurement. SouSmile isn t the only Latin American startup dealing with an anti-braces dental remedy, either. Moons, a Mexican undetectable aligner start-up that simply introduced out of Y Combinator, might have a head begin. Moons supplies a comparable product as SouSmile for around the exact same expense, and is also using 3D printing to produce its aligners. Moons is targeting the Latin America market with $5 million in financing and also the Y Combinator stamp of approval. Moons has currently opened 18 places across Mexico and also Colombia. But Brazilian tech can operate like a separate ecological community apart from adjacent Spanish-speaking Latin America as a result of country regulations, language barriers as well as delivery complications. Customer start-ups that can supply items that improve the every day lives of Brazil s large center course are the ones that prosper, as well as SouSmile now has the funding to fire its shot.

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Right now the world is at war. But this is no ordinary war. It’s a fight with an organism so small we can only detect it through use of a microscope — and if we don’t stop it, it could kill millions of us in the next several decades. No, I’m not talking about COVID-19, though that organism is the one on everyone’s mind right now. I’m talking about

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Despite canceled trade shows, gaming startups can still win an extra life

As organizers cancel events with massive attendance, like SXSW (400,000 attendees), E3 (66,000), GDC (65,000) and Mobile World

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Inside Planet 13, the worldlargest cannabis dispensary

Planet 13 is located blocks off the Las Vegas Strip and holds the title as the world’s largest cannabis dispensary. But it’s much more than just a storefront. There’s a lot to the 115,000-square-foot facility, including entertainment, restaurants and cannabis processing equipment where the company makes edibles and drinks. This is a destination, Ve

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Efforts to get at-home test kits for the COVID-19 coronavirus are ramping up quickly, and two more health industry startups are bringing their own products to market, with both Carbon Health and Nurx starting to ship their own in-home sample collection kits.

Both of these new offerings are the same in terms of approach to testing: They deliver

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GCNiko Bonatsos on Y Combinator, edtech and investing in the shadow of coronavirus

This week, Extra Crunch hosted a call with General Catalyst managing director Niko Bonatsos to discuss a number of startup topics, including what the novel coronavirus is doing to investing in the Valley, as well as his thoughts on robotics, homeschooling, edtech, SMBs, international investing and what he’s looking to see today in startups. J

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