AI-powered parking platform Metropolis raises $1.7B to acquire SP Plus

October 5, 2023
AI-powered parking platform Metropolis today announced that it raised $1.7 billion to acquire SP Plus, a provider of parking facility management services, in a combination of equity and debt. Eldridge Capital and 3L capital co-led the tranche with participation from BDT & MSD Partners’ affiliated credit funds, Vista Credit Partners, Temasek, Slow Ventures and Assembly […]

Zero-days for hacking WhatsApp are now worth millions of dollars

October 5, 2023
Thanks to improvements in security mechanisms and mitigations, hacking cell phones — both running iOS and Android — has become an expensive endeavor. That’s why hacking techniques for apps like WhatsApp are now worth millions of dollars, TechCrunch has learned. Last week, a Russian company that buys zero-days — flaws in software that are unknown […]

Likewise debuts Pix, an AI chatbot for entertainment recommendations

October 5, 2023
Likewise, the company behind an app that can recommend your next TV binge, movie to watch, podcast to stream, or book to read, is out today with its own entertainment-focused AI companion, Pix. Built using a combination of Likewise’s own customer data and technology from partner OpenAI, Pix can make entertainment recommendations and answer other […]

SBF’s trial has started, and here’s what you missed

October 5, 2023
Hello, and welcome back to Equity, the podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. Today, we have a special episode for you: we teamed up with the Chain Reaction podcast and our own Jacquelyn Melinek to talk about the ongoing trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman Fried, […]

Bastille challenges the iconic Brompton bikes with a new folding bicycle

October 5, 2023
Meet Bastille, a new French company that wants to challenge Brompton, the most emblematic brand for folding bicycles. The main difference with the British manufacturer is that Bastille wants to design a folding bike with normal wheels instead of the small 16-inch wheels that you typically find on folding bikes. In addition to the bike […]

Google agrees to reform its data terms after German antitrust intervention

October 5, 2023
Following preliminary objections over Google’s data terms, set out back in January by Germany’s antitrust watchdog, the tech giant has agreed to make changes that will give users a better choice over its use of their information, the country’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) said today. The commitments cover situations where Google would like to combine […]