February 7, 2025

These documents are influencing the DOGE-sphere’s agenda

Reports from the US Government Accountability Office on improper federal payments in recent years are circulating on X and elsewhere online, and they seem to be a big influence on Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency and its supporters as the group pursues cost-cutting measures across the federal government.  The payment reports have been…

Technology

Meta pitches augmented reality to advertisers with new AR Reels Ads and Facebook Stories

May 4, 2023

Augmented reality is coming to Reels Ads and Facebook Stories, Meta announced this afternoon the IAB’s NewFronts as part of its pitch to advertisers. The update allows brands like Sephora, Tiffany & Co., and others to offer more immersive experiences and AR filters when marketing to Meta’s audience, including its younger Gen Z users. The […]

Meta pitches augmented reality to advertisers with new AR Reels Ads and Facebook Stories by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Senate Banking chair urges FDIC to look into Tellus, a fintech backed by Andreessen Horowitz

May 4, 2023

Tellus, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed fintech company that claims it can offer people higher yields on their savings balances by using that money to fund certain U.S. single-family-home loans, is under scrutiny by the U.S. government. On May 2, as first reported by Barron’s, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs […]

Senate Banking chair urges FDIC to look into Tellus, a fintech backed by Andreessen Horowitz by Mary Ann Azevedo originally published on TechCrunch

Europe’s top court clarifies GDPR compensation and data access rights

May 4, 2023

The European Union’s top court has handed down a couple of notable rulings today in the arena of data protection. One (Case C-300/21) deals with compensation for breaches of the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); and the second (Case C-487/21) clarifies the nature of information that individuals exercising GDPR rights to obtain a copy […]

Europe’s top court clarifies GDPR compensation and data access rights by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

HV Capital closes €710M fund amidst the wider European and global funding downturn

May 4, 2023

If you’ve heard of Flixbus, SumUp, StudiVZ, Seatwave, Cafe Press, Zalando, Wooga, HelloFresh, Depop, Delivery Hero, and Agreena, then you’ve heard of companies invested in by HV Capital. The German early and growth stage VC has been a stalwart of the European tech startup ecosystem since at least the early 2000s, funding largely German-born companies […]

HV Capital closes €710M fund amidst the wider European and global funding downturn by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch