The Information

SoftBank managing partner Jeff Housenbold. Photo by Bloomberg

SoftBank Considers Investment in Delivery Startup goPuff

By Cory Weinberg and Amir Efrati · Jul 16, 2019 3:07pm PDT · 2 comments

SoftBank recently has been in discussions to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in on-demand delivery startup goPuff, three people familiar with the matter said. A deal would raise the profile of goPuff, which delivers beer cases, Juul pods and munchies largely to college students.If completed, the deal also would raise new questions about... SoftBank recently has been in discussions to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in on-demand...

Indiana governor Eric Holcomb with SF Motors founder John Zhang touring Seres' Indiana factory in May of last year. Photo by AP

Inside the Chinese Tesla Challenger’s Failed U.S. Plans

By Juro Osawa · Jul 15, 2019 7:01am PDT

The past year has been a time of intense activity for some employees at the Santa Clara headquarters of Seres, a Chinese-owned, Silicon Valley–based electric car maker once described in U.S. media as a Tesla challenger. One worker built a Lego Star Trek spaceship at his desk. Others played pool, foosball and UNO for hours. Some watched... The past year has been a time of intense activity for some employees at the Santa Clara...

A Bird electric scooter. Photo by Bloomberg.

Hit by Big Loss, Bird Seeks $300M in New Funds

By Cory Weinberg and Amir Efrati · Jul 11, 2019 7:00am PDT · 26 comments

The wintertime was bleak for Bird. In this year’s first quarter, the electric scooter operator lost nearly $100 million while revenue shrank sharply to only about $15 million, people familiar with the matter said. In the spring, it told people it was down to about $100 million in cash, even after raising more than $700 million over a year... The wintertime was bleak for Bird. In this year’s first quarter, the electric scooter...

Martin Schroeter. Photo courtesy of IBM

IBM Sales Chief Says Red Hat Poised for Growth

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 10, 2019 1:03pm PDT

Martin Schroeter. Photo courtesy of IBM

IBM Sales Chief Says Red Hat Poised for Growth

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 10, 2019 1:03pm PDT

Open source software provider Red Hat saw its revenue growth slow significantly in fiscal 2019 as sales of its subscription software faltered. But the top sales executive at IBM, which completed a $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat on Tuesday, says being part of IBM will help get Red Hat back on track.In an exclusive interview with The... Open source software provider Red Hat saw its revenue growth slow significantly in fiscal 2019 as...

An attendee at a Facebook conference using the Oculus Quest virtual reality headset. Photo by Bloomberg

Next on Facebook’s Shopping List: Acquisitions to Beef Up Gaming

By Alex Heath · Jul 10, 2019 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Facebook is looking to buy game studios and ink exclusive deals for virtual reality versions of well-known games to bolster its Oculus VR headset business, according to two people familiar with the matter. As part of the new effort, in which CEO Mark Zuckerberg is personally involved, Facebook has already signed deals for exclusive VR... Facebook is looking to buy game studios and ink exclusive deals for virtual reality versions of...

Elon Musk. Photo by Bloomberg

Frustrated Musk Shakes Up Autopilot Team

By Amir Efrati · Jul 9, 2019 7:00am PDT · 4 comments

Several key Tesla engineering managers working on its Autopilot semi-automated driving feature left the company after CEO Elon Musk told some employees he was unhappy with the progress in developing fully automated driving capabilities, according to one current and one former Tesla employee who have been involved in the effort. He is also upset... Several key Tesla engineering managers working on its Autopilot semi-automated driving feature...

AWS CEO Andy Jassy. Photo by Bloomberg

Open Source Battle Over AWS Intensifies

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 3, 2019 7:01am PDT · 7 comments

It’s a burning question in the open source community: Is Amazon Web Services friend or foe? New data provides a clue.AWS incorporates open source software in its services, which some say helps increase overall usage but others say undermines the small firms that developed the software and are trying to make a business out of it. It’s... It’s a burning question in the open source community: Is Amazon Web Services friend or foe?...

Illustration by Josh Brill

Alexa, Is Voice Still the Next Big Thing After Mobile?

By Priya Anand · Jul 2, 2019 7:01am PDT · 8 comments

Illustration by Josh Brill

Alexa, Is Voice Still the Next Big Thing After Mobile?

By Priya Anand · Jul 2, 2019 7:01am PDT · 8 comments

As buzz about Alexa, Amazon’s voice-activated assistant, spread throughout tech in early 2016, Uber pounced on the opportunity to let people summon cars with a simple command: “Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride.” More than three years later, Uber receives orders for only a few hundred rides a day through Alexa, said a... As buzz about Alexa, Amazon’s voice-activated assistant, spread throughout tech in early...

Didi Chuxing president Jean Liu. Photo by Bloomberg

Didi Chuxing in Talks With SoftBank to Raise Money for Autonomous Driving Unit

By Yunan Zhang, Amir Efrati and Juro Osawa · Jul 1, 2019 10:01am PDT · 1 comment

Didi Chuxing, China’s biggest ride-hailing app, is in talks with its largest shareholder SoftBank and other potential investors about raising fresh capital for its autonomous driving business, people familiar with the matter said.The discussions aren’t finalized and may not necessarily result in a deal, the people said. The... Didi Chuxing, China’s biggest ride-hailing app, is in talks with its largest shareholder...

The stars of Netflix's "Triple Frontier" movie at a premiere screening in Madrid. Photo by AP

Netflix Plays New Role: Budget-Conscious

By Jessica Toonkel, Tom Dotan and Beejoli Shah · Jul 1, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

In early June, Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos met with several dozen of his middle-ranking and senior film and TV executives and delivered a blunt message: Be more careful with money.Mr. Sarandos told the group that spending on film and TV projects, particularly big budget movies, needed to be more cost-effective, according to people... In early June, Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos met with several dozen of his middle-ranking...

Miranda Qu, co-founder of Xiaohongshu. Photo by Bloomberg.

E-Commerce Startup Xiaohongshu Seeks to Raise $500 Million

By Yunan Zhang · Jun 28, 2019 10:59am PDT

Xiaohongshu, a Chinese startup that’s a mashup of Instagram and Pinterest, is in talks to raise as much as $500 million at a valuation that could reach $6 billion, said four people familiar with the matter. The talks defy a slowdown in technology funding deals in China. A social media and online retailing startup that lets users post... Xiaohongshu, a Chinese startup that’s a mashup of Instagram and Pinterest, is in talks to...

Facebook's David Marcus. Photo by Bloomberg

Facebook Has ‘Outsized Role’ in Libra Now, Marcus Says, Will Take ‘Backseat’ Later

By Alex Heath · Jun 28, 2019 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

Facebook's David Marcus. Photo by Bloomberg

Facebook Has ‘Outsized Role’ in Libra Now, Marcus Says, Will Take ‘Backseat’ Later

By Alex Heath · Jun 28, 2019 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

Facebook has publicly tried to distance itself from the Libra digital currency it is creating, signing up more than two dozen companies to help run an organization to manage the currency called the Libra Association. But behind the scenes, Facebook has exerted early influence over the makeup of the association by hiring the handful of executives... Facebook has publicly tried to distance itself from the Libra digital currency it is creating,...

Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, and Chief Design Officer Jonathan Ive in 2018. Photo by Bloomberg

Before Departure, Apple’s Jony Ive Faded From View

By Aaron Tilley and Wayne Ma · Jun 27, 2019 9:01pm PDT · 2 comments

In recent years, one of Apple’s most important executives, its design chief Jonathan Ive, has spent much of his time working from an unusual location 50 miles north of Apple’s Silicon Valley headquarters. Inside a brick carriage house sandwiched between the gilded mansions of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood,... In recent years, one of Apple’s most important executives, its design chief Jonathan Ive,...

A WeWork office in New York City. Photo: Bloomberg

Is WeWork Worth $47 Billion? Not Even Close, Say Some Investors

By Alfred Lee and Cory Weinberg · Jun 26, 2019 11:12am PDT · 7 comments

Office space firm WeWork, which could be the next big test of the IPO market, is often called a $47 billion company. But investors lately have signaled they think WeWork is worth only about half of that, as questions mount about whether the tech-fueled real estate startup can sustain its breakneck growth.WeWork’s stock on the secondary... Office space firm WeWork, which could be the next big test of the IPO market, is often called a...

Brandless co-founder and former CEO Tina Sharkey. Photo by Bloomberg

Inside the Turmoil at SoftBank-Backed Brandless

By Zoë Bernard · Jun 26, 2019 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

Last March, when Tina Sharkey stepped down as CEO of Brandless—a maker of inexpensive foods and household items bearing generic labels like “Avocado Oil” and “Dog Shampoo and Conditioner”—she explained the move by saying she wanted to “wear fewer hats” at the company and focus instead on being its... Last March, when Tina Sharkey stepped down as CEO of Brandless—a maker of inexpensive foods...

ByteDance CEO Zhang Yiming. Photo by Bloomberg

How ByteDance Founder Is Building a Global Tech Giant From China

By Juro Osawa and Yunan Zhang · Jun 25, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

ByteDance CEO Zhang Yiming. Photo by Bloomberg

How ByteDance Founder Is Building a Global Tech Giant From China

By Juro Osawa and Yunan Zhang · Jun 25, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

In the fall of 2014, a little-known Chinese entrepreneur named Zhang Yiming toured Silicon Valley, visiting the offices of Facebook, Tesla and Airbnb. One thing that struck Mr. Zhang, whose startup in Beijing was beginning to gain traction, was China’s growing influence. He met some Facebook and Twitter employees who loved Xiaomi phones,... In the fall of 2014, a little-known Chinese entrepreneur named Zhang Yiming toured Silicon...

Hulu CEO Randy Freer. Photo by Bloomberg

Hulu Tells TV Studios: Give Disney a Stake in Shows

By Beejoli Shah and Jessica Toonkel · Jun 21, 2019 11:27am PDT

In a sign of how Hulu’s programming decisions have shifted since Disney took control of the streaming service, Hulu executives have begun telling outside studios that Disney will likely have partial ownership in most shows Hulu buys, according to multiple studio executives and Hollywood agents. In recent weeks, Hulu executives have told... In a sign of how Hulu’s programming decisions have shifted since Disney took control of the...

An Uber self-driving car. Photo by AP

Uber Eyes Acquisition of Mighty AI for Self-Driving Car Effort

By Amir Efrati and Nick Wingfield · Jun 18, 2019 2:04pm PDT

Uber has held recent talks to buy Seattle-based Mighty AI, a startup that helps autonomous vehicle developers train their computer vision algorithms to better identify objects on the road, said three people briefed on the discussions.The potential deal is another sign of a looming shakeout in the self-driving car field, where companies have... Uber has held recent talks to buy Seattle-based Mighty AI, a startup that helps autonomous...

A broken Lime scooter in Washington, D.C., last year. Photo: AP

Scooter Breakdowns Weigh on Lime

By Cory Weinberg · Jun 18, 2019 10:02am PDT · 1 comment

At the CES trade show in Las Vegas in January, Lime showed off a new model of its electric scooter with thicker tires, color display screens between the handlebars and stronger aluminum to help the vehicles last longer. But months later, the custom-designed scooter, called Gen 3, is having problems of its own. The screens frequently crack or... At the CES trade show in Las Vegas in January, Lime showed off a new model of its electric...

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Photo by Bloomberg

What’s Amazon’s Share of Retail? Depends Who You Ask

By Priya Anand · Jun 13, 2019 7:02am PDT

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Photo by Bloomberg

What’s Amazon’s Share of Retail? Depends Who You Ask

By Priya Anand · Jun 13, 2019 7:02am PDT

Critics who believe Amazon has gotten too big and powerful often quote estimates that the company accounts for nearly 50% of online sales in the U.S. But one widely cited source for that figure—the research firm eMarketer—recently revised Amazon’s market share estimate sharply downward after the ecommerce giant disclosed new... Critics who believe Amazon has gotten too big and powerful often quote estimates that the company...