The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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Recent Editions

Photo of AWS CEO Andy Jassy by Bloomberg. Illustration by Mike Sullivan

Amazon Steps Up Silicon Ambitions With New Networking Chip

By Kevin McLaughlin and Amir Efrati · Mar 30, 2021 6:00am PDT · 9 comments

Over the past several years, Amazon has designed its own silicon chips to speed up the performance of servers in its cloud data centers and the artificial intelligence services it sells to customers. Now, in a big step toward seizing control over a key component in its technologies, Amazon is developing a chip to power the hardware switches that... Over the past several years, Amazon has designed its own silicon chips to speed up the...

A Deliveroo courier in London last year. Photo by Bloomberg

The Briefing: Deliveroo Lowers IPO Expectations, Amazon’s Union Vote

By Martin Peers · Mar 29, 2021 5:02pm PDT

Amazon-backed restaurant-meal delivery service Deliveroo on Monday downgraded the pricing expectations for its London IPO, showing just how much market conditions have changed. Just a few months ago, investors were tripping over themselves in their rush to buy into IPOs. In December, the offering of DoorDash, the U.S. equivalent of Deliveroo,... Amazon-backed restaurant-meal delivery service Deliveroo on Monday downgraded the pricing...

A virtual gathering on Rec Room. Image: Rec Room

TI Reality Check: What Rec Room Reveals About the VR Market

By Mathew Olson · Mar 29, 2021 12:46pm PDT

Are investors warming up to VR? After last week’s crowning of Rec Room as VR’s first software unicorn, which came hot on the heels of Roblox’s monumental direct listing, I’m wondering how much we can attribute either success story to faith in the future of immersive tech. Neither game platform is VR-exclusive, and the... Are investors warming up to VR? After last week’s crowning of Rec Room as VR’s first...

Ramp co-founders Karim Atiyeh (left) and Eric Glyman. Photo courtesy of Ramp.

Stripe Invests in Brex Rival Ramp at $1.6 Billion Valuation

By Berber Jin and Kate Clark · Mar 29, 2021 12:28pm PDT · 1 comment

Ramp co-founders Karim Atiyeh (left) and Eric Glyman. Photo courtesy of Ramp.

Stripe Invests in Brex Rival Ramp at $1.6 Billion Valuation

By Berber Jin and Kate Clark · Mar 29, 2021 12:28pm PDT · 1 comment

Ramp, a two-year-old startup that offers corporate cards and software tools for managing employee expenses, is close to finalizing two rounds of funding that will value the company at $1.6 billion, according to three people familiar with the deals. D1 Capital Partners led the first, $65 million round at a $1.1 billion post-money valuation with... Ramp, a two-year-old startup that offers corporate cards and software tools for managing employee...

When Tech Companies Are Returning to the Office

By The Information Staff · Mar 29, 2021 6:02am PDT · 1 comment

As vaccines roll out more broadly, U.S. tech companies are starting to set dates for when employees can begin returning to their corporate offices. Some Uber and Microsoft workers will trickle back to West Coast campuses Monday; at Facebook, employees will start returning to the company’s headquarters in early May. Most companies are... As vaccines roll out more broadly, U.S. tech companies are starting to set dates for when...

Why Media Brands Aren’t Dead

By Jessica E. Lessin · Mar 27, 2021 7:47am PDT · 7 comments

Today, credibility and affinity are primarily built by people—individual voices—rather than brands.—Ev Williams, Medium Williams wrote those words this week while explaining why he was winding down his investment in original publications on Medium and offering all editorial employees buyouts. In his view, the era of... Today, credibility and affinity are primarily built by people—individual...

A WeWork office in San Diego. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Briefing: Blizzard of Deals, Despite a Choppy Market

By Martin Peers · Mar 26, 2021 5:31pm PDT

Deal activity is as intense as ever, despite some volatility in the market. Today we got the details of WeWork’s planned SPAC merger, which will bring the co-working firm to the public market 18 months after its aborted IPO. Used-clothing e-commerce site ThredUp went public with a big pop. We also learned that news outlets Axios and The... Deal activity is as intense as ever, despite some volatility in the market. Today we got the...

Google’s Cloudy Future — The Information’s 411

By Cory Weinberg · Mar 26, 2021 3:44pm PDT

Google’s Cloudy Future — The Information’s 411

By Cory Weinberg · Mar 26, 2021 3:44pm PDT

This week, Cory and Kevin McLaughlin talk about why Google Cloud loses so much money, and why this year will be crucial for the company. Then, The Information’s Kevin Delaney talks with former Google executive and “Radical Candor” author Kim Scott about how women and non-white employees sometimes face prejudice when being... This week, Cory and Kevin McLaughlin talk about why Google Cloud loses so much money, and why...

ThredUp CEO James Reinhart. Photo by Bloomberg.

ThredUp CEO Predicts Used Goods Market Will Bounce Back After Pandemic

By Malique Morris · Mar 26, 2021 12:14pm PDT

Shares of used-clothing e-commerce site ThredUp rose more than 40% on its opening day as a public company, suggesting investors remain confident in the prospects for the secondhand goods market even as stocks of other companies in the sector have lost ground lately. “I feel like it’s sort of a surreal day,” ThredUp CEO James... Shares of used-clothing e-commerce site ThredUp rose more than 40% on its opening day as a public...

An Amazon delivery driver. Photo by Bloomberg

Amazon Drops Plan to Track Mask Wearing by Drivers With Cameras

By Mark Di Stefano · Mar 26, 2021 9:05am PDT

Amazon has scrapped a plan to use new high-tech surveillance cameras to verify whether its delivery drivers are wearing face masks on the job. The internet retail giant is in the process of installing the cameras—which will use artificial intelligence to identify driver drowsiness, distracted driving and other risky behavior—in its... Amazon has scrapped a plan to use new high-tech surveillance cameras to verify whether its...

The east gate of the Old City in Kashgar, Xinjiang autonomous region, China. Photo by Bloomberg.

Apple Hosts Apps Run by China Paramilitary Group Accused of Uyghur Genocide

By Wayne Ma · Mar 26, 2021 6:57am PDT · 4 comments

Apple’s App Store has been distributing more than a dozen apps created by a Chinese organization sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights abuses against Muslim minorities in China’s Xinjiang region, The Information has learned. The apps, which provide news, offer information about government services and help small businesses manage... Apple’s App Store has been distributing more than a dozen apps created by a Chinese...

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appearing at Thursday's virtual congressional hearing, as seen on a computer screen. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Briefing: Tech Executives Turn Feisty

By Martin Peers · Mar 25, 2021 5:01pm PDT

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appearing at Thursday's virtual congressional hearing, as seen on a computer screen. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Briefing: Tech Executives Turn Feisty

By Martin Peers · Mar 25, 2021 5:01pm PDT

Tech executives appear to be tiring of being treated as political punching bags and are pushing back, at least a little. Leading that charge was Amazon retail chief Dave Clark, who in a series of tweets yesterday attacked Sen. Bernie Sanders for Vermont’s lower-than-Amazon’s minimum wage. “The [senator] should save his finger... Tech executives appear to be tiring of being treated as political punching bags and are pushing...

Photo: Flickr

Key Takeaways on International Expansion From Leaders at Grab and Zoom

By The Information Staff · Mar 25, 2021 3:00pm PDT

On March 9th, The Information hosted a Video Summit on mastering hypergrowth and global expansion with speakers from Grab and Zoom. The live virtual event was in partnership with Singapore: Passion Made Possible, a joint venture between the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Singapore Tourism Board. As companies experience hypergrowth,... On March 9th, The Information hosted a Video Summit on mastering hypergrowth and global expansion...

A screenshot of VRChat. Image from VRChat

TI Reality Check: Making Body Tracking More Accessible

By Mathew Olson · Mar 25, 2021 11:23am PDT

For many people, the feeling of immersion that VR apps strive for can be shattered in an instant when the virtual bodies of their avatars don’t respond to the movement of their real bodies. While a number of tech companies are working on solving this problem, an especially interesting new startup, Tundra Labs, on Monday will open up orders... For many people, the feeling of immersion that VR apps strive for can be shattered in an instant...

Xiaohongshu co-founder Miranda Qu. Photo by Bloomberg.

China’s $6 Billion Social E-Commerce App Hires CFO as It Eyes U.S. IPO

By Juro Osawa, Yunan Zhang and Shai Oster · Mar 25, 2021 8:56am PDT

The list of Chinese tech firms heading to the public markets is getting longer. The latest to lay the groundwork for an initial public offering is Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like social e-commerce platform. The company recently hired a chief financial officer and is considering going public in the U.S. as early as this year, according to people... The list of Chinese tech firms heading to the public markets is getting longer. The latest to lay...

Xingsheng co-founder and CEO Yue Lihua. Photo by Xingsheng.

China’s Hottest Grocery Startup, Worth $8 Billion, Wants to Build an Online Version of Costco

By Yunan Zhang · Mar 25, 2021 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

Xingsheng co-founder and CEO Yue Lihua. Photo by Xingsheng.

China’s Hottest Grocery Startup, Worth $8 Billion, Wants to Build an Online Version of Costco

By Yunan Zhang · Mar 25, 2021 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

Yue Lihua’s background is as far from Silicon Valley as you can get: The founder of one of China’s hottest startups grew up in a poor village, located in a remote corner of rural China. He was one of seven brothers and sisters whose parents ran a modest grocery at a time when private enterprise was just emerging in the communist... Yue Lihua’s background is as far from Silicon Valley as you can get: The founder of one of...

Attendees at a Japanese anime convention in 2016. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Briefing: How the DOJ Might Strengthen Netflix at Sony’s Expense

By Martin Peers · Mar 24, 2021 5:00pm PDT

You might think antitrust lawyers at the Justice Department would be crazy busy, what with the lawsuit they have going against Google, as well as an investigation underway into Apple, as well as deals outside of tech. And yet, as we reported today, the DOJ has decided to undertake a close review of...wait for it… Sony’s $1.2 billion... You might think antitrust lawyers at the Justice Department would be crazy busy, what with the...

Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast on YouTube. Photo by Night Media.

Q&A

‘MrBeast’ Explains His Plans to Help YouTube Creators Raise Equity Finance

By Sam Lessin · Mar 24, 2021 11:38am PDT · 3 comments

Jimmy Donaldson, known as “MrBeast” on YouTube, today unveiled a new company called Creative Juice focused on providing equity-based financing for YouTube creators, including valuing and investing in YouTube channels. Creative Juice initially will focus on valuing and buying minority stakes in YouTube channels and supporting creators... Jimmy Donaldson, known as “MrBeast” on YouTube, today unveiled a new company called...

A Rec Room screenshot. Image provided by Rec Room

TI Reality Check: A VR Unicorn and Pikmin Particulars

By Mathew Olson · Mar 24, 2021 11:01am PDT

Virtual reality software has a unicorn: Rec Room, creator of the free-to-play social and gaming platform by the same name, announced it has raised $100 million in new funding at a valuation of $1.25 billion. The new round of funding, led by Sequoia Capital and Index Ventures with participation from Madrona Venture Group (all existing investors),... Virtual reality software has a unicorn: Rec Room, creator of the free-to-play social and gaming...

Screen grab of “Dragon Ball Super” from Crunchyroll.

Sony’s Hopes of Countering Netflix in Anime Market Delayed by Antitrust Probe

By Josh Sisco and Jessica Toonkel · Mar 24, 2021 9:35am PDT

Screen grab of “Dragon Ball Super” from Crunchyroll.

Sony’s Hopes of Countering Netflix in Anime Market Delayed by Antitrust Probe

By Josh Sisco and Jessica Toonkel · Mar 24, 2021 9:35am PDT

Sony Pictures’ hopes of countering Netflix and Amazon in the increasingly popular market for the Japanese-style animated videos known as anime has hit a snag. The U.S. Justice Department has extended its antitrust review of Sony’s proposed $1.2 billion acquisition of anime-streaming service Crunchyroll from AT&T’s... Sony Pictures’ hopes of countering Netflix and Amazon in the increasingly popular market...