The Information

Photo by Bloomberg.

The Crypto World’s Fake Advisers

By Reed Albergotti, Jon Victor and Juro Osawa · Oct 17, 2017 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Steve Chen is a longtime Silicon Valley engineer who lately has turned his attention to blockchain. One of two blockchain startups he founded, Echolink.io, aims to check resumes for accuracy. The startup’s own website could have used the service.Until recently, Echolink’s website listed a team of respected blockchain industry people... Steve Chen is a longtime Silicon Valley engineer who lately has turned his attention to...

Docker founder Solomon Hykes. Photo by Flickr/Techcrunch

When Docker Said No to Google

By Kevin McLaughlin · Oct 16, 2017 10:44am PDT · 4 comments

In 2014, Google approached a startup called Docker proposing the two collaborate on software each was developing to help companies manage lots of complex applications, according to people with knowledge of the proposal. But Solomon Hykes, Docker’s founder and CTO, said no. He wanted to go it alone. Three years later, the cost of Mr.... In 2014, Google approached a startup called Docker proposing the two collaborate on software each...

Photo: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

The People Behind SoftBank’s Global Deal Spree

By Juro Osawa and Serena Saitto · Oct 16, 2017 7:02am PDT · 3 comments

SoftBank is synonymous with Masayoshi Son, the charismatic founder of the Japanese telecom and internet giant that is reshaping global tech with its colossal $93 billion Vision Fund. But behind Japan’s richest man is a team of trusted company veterans, recent banking hires and Silicon Valley tech executives. Mr. Son’s management team... SoftBank is synonymous with Masayoshi Son, the charismatic founder of the Japanese telecom and...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo: Bloomberg

Airbnb Tackles Home Improvements

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 12, 2017 12:12pm PDT

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo: Bloomberg

Airbnb Tackles Home Improvements

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 12, 2017 12:12pm PDT

For years, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has told employees that one of his regrets about how he shaped the company was that it didn’t vet hosts to make sure their homes were high quality, two people who spoke with him said. Now that the company plans to launch a program that will spotlight hand-picked homes, it is grappling with how to manage... For years, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has told employees that one of his regrets about how he shaped...

Spotify's offices in Berlin. Photo: Bloomberg

Fast Growth, Losses Continue as Spotify Eyes IPO

By Alfred Lee · Oct 12, 2017 7:03am PDT

As eyes turn to a potential Spotify public offering next year, the company’s recent financial performance might bolster its case to investors. But questions about profitability remain.The music streaming service recorded revenue of 1.9 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in the first half of this year, according to two people briefed on the... As eyes turn to a potential Spotify public offering next year, the company’s recent...

Bill Gurley of Benchmark and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank. Photo by Bloomberg.

SoftBank, Benchmark Face Final Hurdle in Uber Deal

By Serena Saitto and Amir Efrati · Oct 11, 2017 2:38pm PDT · 1 comment

It’s been a week since the Uber board agreed, in theory, to sell between $7 billion and $10 billion worth of Uber’s shares to SoftBank—yet nothing has happened. The reason: SoftBank and major Uber investors, including Benchmark, still haven’t been able to agree on the deal’s structure and price.Benchmark wants every... It’s been a week since the Uber board agreed, in theory, to sell between $7 billion and $10...

Huawei executive Richard Yu. Photo: Bloomberg

Huawei Hosts Private AI Confab in Vancouver

By Juro Osawa · Oct 11, 2017 10:02am PDT

Some executives and researchers from Amazon.com, Microsoft and Google are gathered this week in Vancouver, to talk artificial intelligence. Their host: Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies.The conference, which Huawei kept confidential and didn’t announce, reflects the Chinese company’s eagerness to work more closely with American... Some executives and researchers from Amazon.com, Microsoft and Google are gathered this week in...

An Auro autonomous shuttle. Photo by Auro

Ridecell Acquires Auro, Maker of Self-Driving Shuttles

By Amir Efrati · Oct 6, 2017 1:31pm PDT · 2 comments

An Auro autonomous shuttle. Photo by Auro

Ridecell Acquires Auro, Maker of Self-Driving Shuttles

By Amir Efrati · Oct 6, 2017 1:31pm PDT · 2 comments

Ridecell, a software startup in the car-sharing and ride-sharing market, is buying Auro Robotics, one of the earliest autonomous vehicle startups, Auro CEO Nalin Gupta confirmed to The Information, without elaborating. The all-stock deal is likely to value Auro at around $20 million, said a person briefed on the deal.Auro equips off-the-shelf... Ridecell, a software startup in the car-sharing and ride-sharing market, is buying Auro Robotics,...

DeepMind co-founders Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabis. Photos by Bloomberg and Flickr/TechCrunch.

Google Cloud’s AI Push Could Involve DeepMind

By Kevin McLaughlin · Oct 6, 2017 7:02am PDT · 6 comments

DeepMind may be coming to Google’s cloud service.The highly regarded artificial intelligence startup has operated as its own unit within Alphabet since it was acquired in 2014, helping improve Google services like Google Assistant but not generating much revenue on its own. But recently, executives from Google Cloud and DeepMind have... DeepMind may be coming to Google’s cloud service.The highly regarded artificial...

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Photo by AP.

SoftBank Money Comes at High Cost

By Alfred Lee · Oct 5, 2017 7:00am PDT · 5 comments

As SoftBank has been spraying money at tech companies in recent months, it has been negotiating unusually tough terms that sharply improve its chances of earning a big return, according to a review of previously undisclosed deal terms. In some cases, the terms allow SoftBank to assert control over many matters at the companies.For instance,... As SoftBank has been spraying money at tech companies in recent months, it has been negotiating...

Stars of Hulu's "Handmaid's Tale." Photo by AP.

Numbers Show Skinny Bundles Underwhelm

By Tom Dotan · Oct 4, 2017 10:01am PDT · 5 comments

Hulu plans to begin a major marketing push for its $40-a-month streaming cable competitor Hulu Live, a senior Hulu executive said in an interview, as it brings the service out of a test phase. But exclusive new data on subscriber numbers for streaming services suggests Hulu may struggle to sign up many people.Comparable “skinny... Hulu plans to begin a major marketing push for its $40-a-month streaming cable competitor Hulu...

A Social Bicycles "Jump" e-bike in front of the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. Photo: Social Bicycles

Bike-Sharing Startups Explore Going Electric

By Yunan Zhang and Cory Weinberg · Oct 3, 2017 10:00am PDT · 1 comment

A Social Bicycles "Jump" e-bike in front of the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. Photo: Social Bicycles

Bike-Sharing Startups Explore Going Electric

By Yunan Zhang and Cory Weinberg · Oct 3, 2017 10:00am PDT · 1 comment

Bike-sharing startups have captured billions of dollars in venture capital, blanketing China and growing quickly in the U.S. and Europe. Now, the biggest players in China and a few U.S. upstarts are eyeing expansions into electric bicycles, which could help attract more customers who might want help riding longer distances or pedaling uphill. ... Bike-sharing startups have captured billions of dollars in venture capital, blanketing China and...

Waymo CEO John Krafcik unveiling the Chrysler Pacifica outfitted with Waymo technology at the auto show in Detroit in January. Photo by AP.

Waymo’s Foes: Left Turns and the Mean Streets of Phoenix

By Amir Efrati · Oct 3, 2017 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Alphabet’s Waymo is gearing up to launch a self-driving ride-sharing service this fall, but major problems with the technology persist, interviews with people directly involved reveal. That initially may limit the capabilities of the service, expected to operate around Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix.Among the issues: The cars can’t... Alphabet’s Waymo is gearing up to launch a self-driving ride-sharing service this fall, but...

Testing out new Echos announced by Amazon on Wednesday. Photo by Bloomberg.

Poor Reviews Are No Joke for Some Alexa Developers

By Priya Anand · Sep 28, 2017 7:01am PDT

This has to be an app developer’s worst nightmare: An app designed to tell “knock knock jokes” on the Alexa voice-activated assistant has a glitch that causes the jokes to end prematurely. After a user asks “who’s there?” Alexa responds “goodbye” instead of giving the punchline. That’s what... This has to be an app developer’s worst nightmare: An app designed to tell “knock...

Airbnb-branded apartments are planned for the city of Kissimmee, Fla. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Michael Rivera

Airbnb to Test Branded Apartments in Florida

By Cory Weinberg · Sep 26, 2017 11:56am PDT · 3 comments

Airbnb is developing a branded apartment complex in Florida, the company’s first such move to create Airbnb-oriented accommodations from the ground up, according to people familiar with the matter. The arrangement, expected to be announced soon, would test Airbnb’s relationships with apartment landlords and developers, who have been... Airbnb is developing a branded apartment complex in Florida, the company’s first such move...

Google Cloud chief Diane Greene. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google Cloud Taps Former Dell Executive as New Sales Chief

By Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 25, 2017 12:59pm PDT · 1 comment

Google Cloud chief Diane Greene. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google Cloud Taps Former Dell Executive as New Sales Chief

By Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 25, 2017 12:59pm PDT · 1 comment

Google Cloud, as part of its longstanding efforts to sign up Fortune 500 companies, is bringing in a new sales chief with experience selling to large corporate customers. Paul-Henri Ferrand, a veteran of Dell who joined Google in 2014 as vice president of U.S. sales and operations, was appointed president of Google Cloud last month, according to... Google Cloud, as part of its longstanding efforts to sign up Fortune 500 companies, is bringing...

Symphony CEO David Gurle. Photo by Bloomberg.

Goldman-Backed Symphony to Raise $100M to Expand Beyond Banking

By Serena Saitto · Sep 25, 2017 10:20am PDT

Symphony Communication Services, the bank-backed messaging startup taking on Bloomberg LP in a key part of its business, is in talks to raise at least $100 million from new investors. The company plans to use the money to finance an expansion into health care, government, insurance and accounting, according to CEO and founder David Gurle. In an... Symphony Communication Services, the bank-backed messaging startup taking on Bloomberg LP in a...

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Photo by Bloomberg.

SoftBank Founder Builds an Empire on Debt and Charm

By Juro Osawa · Sep 25, 2017 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Last summer, OneWeb founder Greg Wyler flew to Tokyo to visit Japan’s richest man, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Mr. Wyler, whose startup wants to beam the internet from satellites in space, wasn’t desperate for funds. But his investors arranged the meeting anyway.What followed over the next eight-and-a-half hours was classic Masayoshi... Last summer, OneWeb founder Greg Wyler flew to Tokyo to visit Japan’s richest man, SoftBank...

The SEC's new chair Jay Clayton speaking at a congressional hearing in June. Photo by Bloomberg.

SEC Relaxing Private Tech Disclosure Rules

By Alfred Lee · Sep 21, 2017 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

The Securities and Exchange Commission is starting to relax financial disclosure requirements for private companies, a sign that the SEC’s new leadership may pull back on plans by former chair Mary Jo White to tighten regulations for Silicon Valley.Last week an SEC advisory committee recommended easing rules that require private companies... The Securities and Exchange Commission is starting to relax financial disclosure requirements for...

AWS CEO Andy Jassy at an AWS conference in San Francisco in April. Photo by Bloomberg.

AWS’ New Cybersecurity Could Help Bank Push

By Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 20, 2017 7:02am PDT

AWS CEO Andy Jassy at an AWS conference in San Francisco in April. Photo by Bloomberg.

AWS’ New Cybersecurity Could Help Bank Push

By Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 20, 2017 7:02am PDT

Amazon Web Services is developing a new security service that protects data and applications running either on its public cloud or in customers’ own data centers, according to three people with knowledge of the service. It is aimed at patching a gap in security for companies, like banks, that move data back and forth between AWS and their... Amazon Web Services is developing a new security service that protects data and applications...