The Information

Photo by Flickr/Merri

On Demand Food Service Sprig To Shut Down

By Reed Albergotti and Tom Dotan · May 26, 2017 9:23am PDT · 2 comments

On-demand meal delivery service Sprig is preparing to shut down, said a person familiar with the matter, and will announce the decision later Friday. The closure of the business is the latest sign of challenges for on-demand delivery services which blossomed a couple of years ago but have run into problems making money.Sprig, which prepared and... On-demand meal delivery service Sprig is preparing to shut down, said a person familiar with the...

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Bloomberg.

Inside Snap’s Growth Struggles

By Tom Dotan · May 24, 2017 7:00am PDT · 6 comments

Last summer, members of Snap’s growth team presented CEO Evan Spiegel and other executives with worrying data showing user growth had slowed sharply. In one week, the company had lost 1 million daily active users, out of its total of around 150 million.The growth team spelled out to Mr. Spiegel a number of likely causes. Among the top... Last summer, members of Snap’s growth team presented CEO Evan Spiegel and other executives...

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. Photo by Bloomberg.

Spotify’s Loss Widens Despite Big Jump in Revenue

By Alfred Lee · May 18, 2017 8:09am PDT · 3 comments

Spotify’s operating loss rose significantly to between 300 million and 400 million euros last year, the music streaming company has told its investors, from 184 million euros in 2015. That’s despite a 50% increase in revenues to 2.9 billion euros ($3.1 billion), according to two people briefed on its numbers. The wider loss... Spotify’s operating loss rose significantly to between 300 million and 400 million euros...

Huawei's former chief designer of user experience Abigail Brody. Photo by Florian Brody

Huawei Loses Ex-Apple Designer Hired to Revamp Smartphone Software

By Juro Osawa · May 18, 2017 7:01am PDT

Huawei's former chief designer of user experience Abigail Brody. Photo by Florian Brody

Huawei Loses Ex-Apple Designer Hired to Revamp Smartphone Software

By Juro Osawa · May 18, 2017 7:01am PDT

A former longtime Apple designer who joined Huawei two years ago with much fanfare to help improve the oft-criticized user interface of the Chinese company’s smartphones, has recently quit. Abigail Brody’s departure highlights the risks and challenges facing Chinese technology giants as they step up their recruitment in Silicon... A former longtime Apple designer who joined Huawei two years ago with much fanfare to help...

Photo by Flickr/Ian Lamont.

Top Sales Executive Quits Dropbox

By Eugene Kim · May 17, 2017 2:28pm PDT

Dropbox’s top global sales executive, Thomas Hansen, has quit suddenly, less than two years after joining, The Information has learned.Mr. Hansen, who came from Microsoft in July 2015, oversaw the company’s effort to sell more to corporate customers. His hiring was considered a key step in Dropbox’s desire to expand out of the... Dropbox’s top global sales executive, Thomas Hansen, has quit suddenly, less than two years...

Sentient CEO Babak Hodjat. Photo by Bloomberg.

Early AI Startup Sentient Diversifies As AI Field Gets More Crowded

By Kevin McLaughlin · May 17, 2017 7:00am PDT

Sentient Technologies was an AI startup years before AI became fashionable. Now that the field has become crowded with big and small rivals, Sentient wants to diversify its business.The company, whose founders include the engineers who went on to found high-profile AI startups Siri and Viv, has been looking to raise what would be its first round... Sentient Technologies was an AI startup years before AI became fashionable. Now that the field...

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. Photo by Bloomberg.

Uber to Give Ex-Employees More Time to Exercise Options

By Amir Efrati · May 15, 2017 5:42pm PDT · 3 comments

Longtime employees of Uber will find it easier to quit the company, thanks to a change in how it deals with stock options.The ride-sharing firm is dropping the requirement that employees who quit must exercise any options they have within 30 days, or lose them, according to three people briefed on the change. Instead the departing employees will... Longtime employees of Uber will find it easier to quit the company, thanks to a change in how it...

HBO's former programming chief Michael Lombardo with Silicon Valley producer Mike Judge. Photo by AP.

Apple in Search for Programming Chief

By Tom Dotan · May 15, 2017 2:41pm PDT

HBO's former programming chief Michael Lombardo with Silicon Valley producer Mike Judge. Photo by AP.

Apple in Search for Programming Chief

By Tom Dotan · May 15, 2017 2:41pm PDT

HBO’s former programming head Michael Lombardo met with Apple executives earlier this year to discuss Apple’s video programming strategy, says a person familiar with the talks. The talks suggest Mr. Lombardo could be a candidate to run Apple’s video efforts. Apple has been looking to fill that role, said another person briefed... HBO’s former programming head Michael Lombardo met with Apple executives earlier this year...

A smartphone app for Chinese auto information website Yiche.com, formerly called Bitauto.com, whose parent company is a big shareholder in Yixin. Photo by AP.

Tencent-backed Chinese Car-Financing Firm Plans $5 Billion IPO

By Juro Osawa · May 11, 2017 9:23am PDT

A Chinese online auto-financing marketplace backed by local tech giants Tencent, Baidu and JD.com, is planning a Hong Kong IPO that could value the company at nearly $5 billion, people familiar with the matter said.Yixin Capital, a closely-held arm of U.S.-listed Chinese online car information portal Bitauto, could go public as early as the end... A Chinese online auto-financing marketplace backed by local tech giants Tencent, Baidu and...

Uber's San Francisco headquarters. Photo by AP.

Uber Fired Lawyers Amid Debate Over Data Retention Policy

By Amir Efrati · May 10, 2017 1:33pm PDT · 1 comment

Uber fired two in-house lawyers before New Year’s after an internal debate over a proposed change in Uber’s policy related to how long internal documents and other company data are retained, according to people briefed about the episode. The lawyers went outside the company to get advice from several law firms, a move Uber deemed a... Uber fired two in-house lawyers before New Year’s after an internal debate over a proposed...

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins. Photo by Bloomberg.

Cisco’s Startup Shopping List

By Kevin McLaughlin · May 10, 2017 7:02am PDT

Cisco Systems CEO Chuck Robbins’ corporate shopping spree shows no signs of ending. He has lately kicked the tires of several startups in storage, security and networking software, looking to upgrade Cisco’s product portfolio with new technology tied into cloud computing. The tire-kicking has led to at least one previously... Cisco Systems CEO Chuck Robbins’ corporate shopping spree shows no signs of ending. He has...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo by Bloomberg.

Airbnb Negotiating Big SF Office Expansion

By Cory Weinberg · May 8, 2017 10:57am PDT · 1 comment

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo by Bloomberg.

Airbnb Negotiating Big SF Office Expansion

By Cory Weinberg · May 8, 2017 10:57am PDT · 1 comment

Airbnb is deep in negotiations for what would be the biggest office lease in San Francisco this year, according to two people familiar with the matter. It would also make Airbnb one of the biggest office tenants in San Francisco, giving it room to grow as it heads toward a possible IPO next year.The company is in talks to lease at about 250,000... Airbnb is deep in negotiations for what would be the biggest office lease in San Francisco this...

BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti. Photo by Bloomberg.

How BuzzFeed Is Betting on Tasty for IPO

By Tom Dotan · May 8, 2017 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

BuzzFeed is aiming for a 35% jump in revenue this year to around $350 million, as it tries to show investors that it can maintain strong growth while keeping costs low, according to two people familiar with the matter. Among sources of growth are its video ads business and e-commerce efforts like book sales, say people familiar with the... BuzzFeed is aiming for a 35% jump in revenue this year to around $350 million, as it tries to...

Google's Mountain View headquarters. Photo by AP.

Labor Board to Hear Employee Complaint Against Google

By Reed Albergotti · May 3, 2017 12:01pm PDT · 1 comment

A Google employee who complained to the National Labor Relations Board about the company’s confidentiality policies last year has won the first round of a case with broad implications for the tech industry.A regional director of the NLRB last Friday filed a complaint against Google, alleging the company’s rules against employees... A Google employee who complained to the National Labor Relations Board about the company’s...

Alphabet CEO Larry Page. Photo by Bloomberg.

Alphabet Shutting Asian Service That Sped YouTube

By Kevin McLaughlin · May 3, 2017 9:08am PDT · 1 comment

Alphabet is shuttering Accelerator, a year old-service designed to speed streaming performance of popular YouTube videos in Asian countries with slow Internet access, according to a person who has worked on the project. Alphabet wants to focus on Google Station, a more recently developed effort meant to be introduced in more countries, said a... Alphabet is shuttering Accelerator, a year old-service designed to speed streaming performance of...

Microsoft executive Julie Larson-Green at a Microsoft developers conference in 2013. Photo by Bloomberg.

Microsoft’s Larson-Green Takes a Step Back

By Eugene Kim · May 1, 2017 6:23pm PDT

Microsoft executive Julie Larson-Green at a Microsoft developers conference in 2013. Photo by Bloomberg.

Microsoft’s Larson-Green Takes a Step Back

By Eugene Kim · May 1, 2017 6:23pm PDT

Julie Larson-Green, a senior executive within Microsoft’s Office team who was once seen as a possible successor to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, is leaving the team, citing health reasons, according to an internal email sent earlier last month. She will take on a broader position at the company, serving as the chief experience... Julie Larson-Green, a senior executive within Microsoft’s Office team who was once seen as...

Tencent president Martin Lau and CEO Ma Huateng. Photo by Bloomberg.

Tencent Finally Makes a Big Bet on Artificial Intelligence

By Juro Osawa · Apr 28, 2017 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Tencent, the company behind China’s largest social network and the world’s biggest online games business, always gets props for its products—but not necessarily for its cutting-edge tech. Now the juggernaut is taking steps to change that perception with a big push into AI.The owner of the WeChat messaging app will soon open an... Tencent, the company behind China’s largest social network and the world’s biggest...

Dropbox COO Dennis Woodside. Photo by Bloomberg.

Dropbox Sees Growth in Business Sales But Challenges Remain

By Eugene Kim · Apr 26, 2017 11:50am PDT

Dropbox appears to be making progress in its efforts to expand in the large-business market but executive departures may complicate its efforts.Patrick Heim, Dropbox’s former head of trust and security, stepped down in January to join a startup called ClearSky Security, according to his LinkedIn page. Mr. Heim, who previously served as the... Dropbox appears to be making progress in its efforts to expand in the large-business market but...

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom. Photo by Bloomberg.

Instagram’s Latest Growth Hacks

By Cory Weinberg · Apr 26, 2017 7:01am PDT

To take on Snapchat, Instagram has done more than just copy its features. It’s also heavily ramped up advertising on its parent site Facebook, and adopted other growth strategies long used by Facebook, such as sending more messages to users to get them to reopen the app. Instagram last year boosted digital ad spending by 30% to 40% to... To take on Snapchat, Instagram has done more than just copy its features. It’s also heavily...

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. Photo by Bloomberg.

Controversies Take a Toll on Uber’s Stock

By Alfred Lee · Apr 25, 2017 7:02am PDT

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. Photo by Bloomberg.

Controversies Take a Toll on Uber’s Stock

By Alfred Lee · Apr 25, 2017 7:02am PDT

Investors have cut the price they’re willing to pay for Uber stock on the secondary market by about 15% in recent months to a level that values Uber at around $50 billion, according to a broker, a sign of how the recent onslaught of negative news has affected the company. Another broker said they had seen an uptick in the number of Uber... Investors have cut the price they’re willing to pay for Uber stock on the secondary market...