The Information

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley, Idaho on Thursday. Photo by Bloomberg.

What We Learned in Sun Valley

By Tom Dotan and Amir Efrati · Jul 14, 2017 7:02am PDT

SUN VALLEY, Idaho—Despite the intense heat, the air at this year’s media-and-tech gathering run by investment bank Allen & Co. had a familiar energy. Media and telecom executives are struggling to retain their grip on power while complaining about tech companies exerting their overwhelming influence.Among the highlights: ad... SUN VALLEY, Idaho—Despite the intense heat, the air at this year’s media-and-tech...

An enrollment camp for Aadhaar in Mumbai, India. Photo by AP.

What’s Going Right in India Tech

By Amir Efrati · Sep 28, 2016 10:00am PDT · 1 comment

BANGALORE, INDIA—Despite the shakeout at the top of India’s private tech ecosystem, two projects promise to push forward India’s telecom and finance industries—and the web sector.One of the potential beneficiaries in the finance industry is Paytm, 40% owned by Alibaba Group of China. There’s also buzz about a slew... BANGALORE, INDIA—Despite the shakeout at the top of India’s private tech ecosystem,...

Promotional stickers for Ola on an auto rickshaw in Bangalore. Photo by Bloomberg.

What Went Wrong in India’s Tech Sector

By Amir Efrati · Sep 26, 2016 10:01am PDT · 2 comments

BANGALORE, INDIA—There’s a hangover feeling here in India’s Silicon Valley. The euphoria sparked two years ago by foreign investors writing big checks on absurd valuations for local companies has given way to despair in some pockets of the city. The early leaders in transportation and commerce, such as Flipkart and Snapdeal in... BANGALORE, INDIA—There’s a hangover feeling here in India’s Silicon Valley. The...

Square CEO Jack Dorsey at the New York Stock Exchange for Square's opening day on the stockmarket. Photo by Bloomberg.

This Week in Private Market Scuttlebutt

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 19, 2015 12:56pm PST

Square CEO Jack Dorsey at the New York Stock Exchange for Square's opening day on the stockmarket. Photo by Bloomberg.

This Week in Private Market Scuttlebutt

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 19, 2015 12:56pm PST

It’s been a big week for private tech. Those Square employees on pins and needles last night are breathing a bit easier. And questions about the state of the late-stage investing, the higher bar for A rounds, and LP appetite are running rampant. I had a bunch of meetings with investors and startup founders this week and pulled together... It’s been a big week for private tech. Those Square employees on pins and needles last...

The duck pond where Allen & Co attendees relax and meet. Photo by Amir Efrati.

Our Notes from a Subdued Sun Valley

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 13, 2015 10:47am PDT

Sun Valley, Idaho—There was something more mellow about Allen & Co.’s Sun Valley conference this year. Maybe it was the dwindling press corps—whittled down in parallel with reporters’ access to executives over the years. Maybe it was the lack of big deals and news in the press. Last year, attendees were buzzing about Google’s falsely-rumored... Sun Valley, Idaho—There was something more mellow about Allen & Co.’s Sun Valley conference...

Illustration by Matt Vascellaro.

U.S. and Chinese Internet Sectors are Diverging

By Jessica E. Lessin · Sep 22, 2014 11:02am PDT

To understand China’s Internet sector, start by thinking of the services you know and love in the U.S. Then change all their names, combine four of them into one, drop any fees and reduce the number of ads. Substitute Google and Apple with Tencent and Alibaba. Picture a typical IKEA-clad startup office, then add a row of beds for the long... To understand China’s Internet sector, start by thinking of the services you know and love...