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

Get smarter about the day’s news in tech, media and finance by following Silicon Valley’s most-read executive newsletter.

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Recent Editions

Apple’s Ive an Odd Exception on Stock Disclosures

By Jessica E. Lessin · May 23, 2014 1:03pm PDT

Former Apple executives and other industry followers have occasionally asked me why Jonathan Ive, the company’s high-profile design head, doesn’t disclose when he receives or sells stock as Apple’s eight other senior vice presidents, CEO and directors do. Ive now oversees the design of Apple’s software as well as its... Former Apple executives and other industry followers have occasionally asked me why Jonathan Ive,...

Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson. Photo by Bloomberg.

Specialty E-Commerce Soars, But for How Long?

By Tom Dotan · May 23, 2014 7:48am PDT

Big funding rounds in e-commerce have once again raised the profile of tech’s most finicky sector, one that has recently seen major stumbles (Fab, ShoeDazzle) and an apparent turnaround (Gilt Groupe). But with companies like Blue Apron and Birchbox now creeping into half-billion dollar valuations, there are still questions about how these... Big funding rounds in e-commerce have once again raised the profile of tech’s most finicky...

Alibaba headquarters. Photo by Bloomberg.

Alibaba Mulls AppNexus Stake as U.S. Strategy Takes Shape

By Amir Efrati · May 22, 2014 2:44pm PDT

In the latest sign of Alibaba Group’s aspirations to be a major player beyond its home base of China, the soon-to-be-public Web giant is considering making an investment in U.S.-based advertising technology firm AppNexus, according to people briefed on the recent discussions. According to one U.S. Internet executive who was briefed by... In the latest sign of Alibaba Group’s aspirations to be a major player beyond its home base...

Photo by Bloomberg.

Real Estate Crowdfunding Brings Promise and Peril

By Katie Benner · May 22, 2014 7:28am PDT

Photo by Bloomberg.

Real Estate Crowdfunding Brings Promise and Peril

By Katie Benner · May 22, 2014 7:28am PDT

As a financial reporter a few years ago, I watched real estate morph from the great creator of Main Street riches to the primary weapon of global economic mass destruction, all in the course of about 18 months. So few things trigger my skepticism like the proliferation of real estate crowdfunding sites that promise amazing investment... As a financial reporter a few years ago, I watched real estate morph from the great creator of...

Jenny Lee. Illustration by Matthew Vascellaro

Q&A

An Internet Business with Chinese Characteristics

By Eric Newcomer · May 21, 2014 2:51pm PDT

American companies have long complained about Chinese copycats, but Chinese firms have created some powerful new business models that their American counterparts might want to mimic themselves. A service called YY has enabled rural Chinese karaoke singers to make a living singing online. Qihoo 360 has shown how a security product can be a... American companies have long complained about Chinese copycats, but Chinese firms have created...

Google CEO Larry Page. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google Preps Plan to Offer Business WiFi Networks

By Amir Efrati · May 21, 2014 10:16am PDT

As part of its broad push to get more people using its revenue-generating Web services, Google has developed plans to offer heavily subsidized Wi-Fi network hardware and software to small and medium-sized retail businesses, according to a confidential document reviewed by The Information and a person briefed on the project. The planned offering,... As part of its broad push to get more people using its revenue-generating Web services, Google...

Byliner Hits a Rough Patch as Co-Founder Resigns

By Jonathan Weber · May 21, 2014 7:51am PDT

One of the most prominent companies in the much-hyped niche of long-form narrative publishing has hit a rough patch, with its co-founder and editor-in-chief departing amid investor efforts to find a new path for the company. Launched in 2011 as a digital publisher of top-shelf non-fiction stories that were shorter than books but... One of the most prominent companies in the much-hyped niche of long-form narrative publishing has...

Cambrian Genomics founder Austen Heinz (right) with Jared Leto. Courtesy photo.

Custom Babies? Ethical Issues Loom as DNA Tech Advances

By Eric Newcomer · May 20, 2014 9:53am PDT

Cambrian Genomics founder Austen Heinz (right) with Jared Leto. Courtesy photo.

Custom Babies? Ethical Issues Loom as DNA Tech Advances

By Eric Newcomer · May 20, 2014 9:53am PDT

Austen Heinz has seen the future of human reproduction, and it’s not one that everyone will like. “Every human being will be designed on a computer, and that’s something we’re starting right now with Happy Healthy Baby,” says Mr. Heinz, founder and CEO of Cambrian Genomics. The company, backed by Peter... Austen Heinz has seen the future of human reproduction, and it’s not one that everyone will...

George Church. Illustration by Matthew Vascellaro.

DNA Printing Promises New Wave of Biotech Innovation

By Eric Newcomer · May 20, 2014 9:37am PDT

Nobody could accuse startup biotech companies like Gen9, Cambrian Genomics and Twist Bioscience of failing to think big enough. Along with a handful of other firms in the booming DNA business, they’re doing nothing less than manufacturing the building blocks of life—and in the process laying the groundwork for a new generation of... Nobody could accuse startup biotech companies like Gen9, Cambrian Genomics and Twist Bioscience...

Disney CEO Bob Iger. Photo by Bloomberg.

Deals Mark End of an Era for Video Startups

By Tom Dotan · May 20, 2014 6:35am PDT

A wave of acquisitions is bringing an abrupt end to a brief era of startup fever in the online video business, with companies that once looked poised to challenge the big media conglomerates instead becoming their digital beachheads and proving grounds for new talent. The latest turn in the cycle comes with the news that Twitch, the... A wave of acquisitions is bringing an abrupt end to a brief era of startup fever in the online...

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. Photo by Bloomberg.

As TV Battles Heat Up, Comcast Launches New Web Delivery Service

By Amir Efrati · May 19, 2014 7:38am PDT

As regulatory battles and mega-mergers roil the media business, Comcast is preparing to offer a new service for Web content companies that will enable them to bypass network middlemen and deliver their services directly to Comcast Internet customers. The new service allows companies publish their content inside of Comcast’s network so... As regulatory battles and mega-mergers roil the media business, Comcast is preparing to offer a...

Airbnb vs. Uber: Which is a Better Business?

By Jessica E. Lessin · May 16, 2014 12:39pm PDT

Airbnb vs. Uber: Which is a Better Business?

By Jessica E. Lessin · May 16, 2014 12:39pm PDT

Not a week goes by that I don’t get pitched about some new sharing economy startup that’s the “Uber” or “Airbnb” of dog sitters, makeup artists, private golf courses or something else. On-demand ride and room-sharing companies have a lot in common, and the market leaders could even be assigned the same... Not a week goes by that I don’t get pitched about some new sharing economy startup...

Zendesk CEO Mikkel Svane. Photo courtesy of LeWeb.

Zendesk IPO Boosts Battered Software Sector

By Eric Newcomer · May 15, 2014 12:21pm PDT

The fast-growing software as a service (SaaS) business, which has fallen out of favor with public market investors in recent months, got a much needed lift Thursday as customer service company Zendesk went public and saw its shares climb from their $9 offering price to around $13 in late afternoon trading. The 7-year-old company, which... The fast-growing software as a service (SaaS) business, which has fallen out of favor with public...

By Matt Vascellaro · May 15, 2014 8:14am PDT

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Photo by Bloomberg.

With Billion-Dollar Funds, Venture Firms Stay Bullish

By Katie Benner · May 15, 2014 7:55am PDT

Public markets may be souring on Internet companies, but a wave of fresh cash flowing into the venture capital business will go a long way in keeping many parts of the startup ecosystem afloat. While late-stage fundraising will get complicated, a broad pullback in traditional venture investing does not appear to be in the offing. “If I... Public markets may be souring on Internet companies, but a wave of fresh cash flowing into the...

Karin Hibma. Illustration by Matthew Vascellaro.

The Art of Creating Great Names

By Tom Dotan · May 14, 2014 12:24pm PDT

Karin Hibma. Illustration by Matthew Vascellaro.

Q&A

The Art of Creating Great Names

By Tom Dotan · May 14, 2014 12:24pm PDT

A good company name is like a good song: It somehow sounds familiar even if you’ve never heard it before. Creating such names is no simple trick though. If it were, Karin Hibma and her late husband Michael Cronan wouldn’t be the legends that they are in Silicon Valley. The couple is responsible for some of the most iconic names and slogans in... A good company name is like a good song: It somehow sounds familiar even if you’ve never heard it...

A trader at the New York Stock Exchange. Photo by Bloomberg.

As M&A Heats Up, Some Possible Targets

By Katie Benner and Tom Dotan · May 14, 2014 9:06am PDT

Corporate deal teams, bankers and analysts say the technology sector could see lots of buying and selling over the next few quarters. (See related story.) Signs of a boom are already evident. The value of global tech M&A has hit $104 billion so far this year, Dealogic data shows, a pace that’s on track to hit deal values not seen... Corporate deal teams, bankers and analysts say the technology sector could see lots of buying and...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Photo by Bloomberg.

New Wave of M&A Seen Coming to Tech Industry

By Katie Benner · May 14, 2014 7:56am PDT

Changing market conditions have set the stage for a wave of dealmaking that could bring dramatic consolidation in Internet sectors including security, cloud computing, adtech and social media, investors and analysts say. Global M&A activity this year is already on a pace not seen since before the financial crisis. And with old-school tech... Changing market conditions have set the stage for a wave of dealmaking that could bring dramatic...

Partying on the roof of the Industry Standard, circa 1999. Photo courtesy of Stacey Foreman.

The Bubble and the Ripple Effects

By Jonathan Weber · May 13, 2014 1:23pm PDT

The question of the moment in Silicon Valley—is there a bubble that’s about to burst—is one I take very personally. As editor in chief of the Industry Standard, I saw it all last time around: the ludicrous business models, the lavish parties, the soaring rents, the hubris of smart people who thought the laws of capitalism... The question of the moment in Silicon Valley—is there a bubble that’s about to...

Qihoo CEO Hongyi Zhou. Photo by Bloomberg.

China’s Crafty Qihoo Goes International

By Amir Efrati and Eric Newcomer · May 13, 2014 7:42am PDT

Qihoo CEO Hongyi Zhou. Photo by Bloomberg.

China’s Crafty Qihoo Goes International

By Amir Efrati and Eric Newcomer · May 13, 2014 7:42am PDT

Alibaba Group may be the talk of Silicon Valley as it prepares for an IPO, but another Chinese Web giant is quietly putting down roots in the Bay Area as it looks to develop new products for Western markets. Qihoo 360 Technology, the fourth-largest Chinese Web company by market value, recently dispatched its 38-year-old chief engineer, Shu Cao,... Alibaba Group may be the talk of Silicon Valley as it prepares for an IPO, but another Chinese...