Boom Fantasy raises $2M, betting that fans want a simpler version of fantasy sports

 Daily fantasy sports are too complicated for the average fan. Or at least that’s the thesis behind Boom Fantasy, a daily fantasy sports experience designed for the everyday sports fan. Instead of sorting through thousands of players to craft lineups from scratch, Boom Fantasy players answer a series of simple questions – like “who will score more points tonight, Lebron James… Read More

The best Meeker 2017 Internet Trends slides and what they mean

 Here are the must-read stats about what’s happening with Internet adoption, smartphones, ads, ecommerce, entertainment, gaming, enterprise healthcare, China, India, and startups. We’ve picked the most important slides from legendary Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker’s massive 355-page 2017 Internet Trends report, deciphered the complex data, and explained why… Read More

Read Mary Meeker’s essential 2017 Internet Trends report

 This is the best way to get up to speed on everything going on in tech. Kleiner Perkins venture partner Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends report is essentially the state of the union for the technology industry. The widely anticipated slide deck compiles the most informative research on what’s getting funded, how Internet adoption is progressing, which interfaces are resonating,… Read More

Concord wants to become the Google Docs of contracts

 Concord wants to be your all-in-one solution for everything related to contracts. The startup just raised a $3.7 million Series A round from Alven Capital, with existing investors Streamlined Ventures, Bruno Deschamps and Thibault Poutrel also participating. Many departments rely on contracts to work with clients, suppliers, legal partners and more. But it’s still a tedious process as… Read More

India’s Magicpin raises $7M to connect consumers and local businesses

 Magicpin, an India-based company that combines elements of Foursquare with offline-to-online services, has closed a $7 million Series B round. The money comes from existing backers Lightspeed India Partners, Westbridge and undisclosed overseas investors, and it takes the startup past $10 million raised to date. The two-year-old company was founded by former Lightspeed investor Anshoo Sharma… Read More

Omise to raise $19M in first cryptocurrency sale from a major VC-backed startup

 The tech industry is opening its eyes to the possibilities of raising money using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and Ethereum through ‘initial coin offerings,’ and it’s about to see the first ICO from a major venture-backed company. Last week, Kik, a messaging app popular with young people in North America, announced an ambitious plan to launch its own currency as a basis for… Read More

Peer-to-peer travel agency TRVL raises $2.7m to crowd-ify travel planning

 Through Lyft and Uber, the sharing economy has taken a charge at cabs. Airbnb is making hotels palpitate in their pants. If TRVL has its way, it’s the travel agencies’ turn to tremble. Armed with 2.7 million freshly minted dollars from a conglomerate of angel investors, the company is hoping to augment services like Booking.com, Hotels.com and Tripadvisor by adding a soupçon of… Read More