Microsoft’s venture capital arm, M12, has been offloading its portfolio on secondary exchanges at discounts, sources say
M12, Microsoft’s venture firm, is offloading some of its portfolio on secondary exchanges, sources say. The fund’s shares in startups are taking haircuts of between 30% and 70%, three people said. M12 recently changed its strategy to become less like a VC and more like a business development team. M12, Microsoft’s corporate venture capital fund, has been…
An advertiser that made women’s sports a key marketing focus explains how the strategy is playing out and how it will capitalize on the World Cup
Ally Financial made a pledge last year to invest equally in men’s and women’s sports media. Since then, the brand’s likeability, preference, and awareness among women’s sports fans is up. The company is dropping a commercial featuring female athletes during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. When the Women’s World Cup begins today in Australia and…
Netflix is Hollywood’s most confident company this summer, with a soaring stock price and a global content machine to help it ride out the actors’ strike: ‘They just aren’t worried’
Writers’ and actors’ strikes notwithstanding, Netflix has been riding high. Its stock has soared and it’s added 5.9 million subscribers since its crackdown on password sharing. To outsiders, the company is projecting confidence and a business-as-usual vibe. It’s a bad time for Hollywood, with actor and writer strikes halting productions. The box office revival of…
E-bikes are too hot, literally. With a rise in exploding batteries, here’s how startups are stepping in to keep deliveries safe.
The market for e-bike delivery has grown dramatically in the past few years. However, more delivery drivers using these bikes has led to an increase in fires. Here’s how startups, delivery companies, and city governments are improving safety. The recent explosion of delivery startups and e-bikes has resulted in a new type of boom: increasing…
Buy these 6 stocks now to bet on the AI revolution and other rapidly growing industries, according to the managers behind a fund that’s rebounded from bottom 1% performance last year to a top 1% performance in 2023
One of this year’s top mutual funds is coming off back-to-back bottom-1% finishes. The fund’s managers stuck to their time-tested investing process during the bear market. Here are six top growth stocks in rapidly expanding industries like artificial intelligence. In a sea of growth-oriented funds, the Virtus Zevenbergen Innovative Growth Stock Fund (SAGAX) stands out…
How TikTok is wooing creators for its shopping program, including offering cash bonuses, private group chats, and other perks
TikTok is offering a slew of cash bonuses and rewards to creators that use its new shopping feature. The company is holding influencers’ hands as it rolls out TikTok Shop to more users. TikTok may be course-correcting its e-commerce strategy after a rocky start in the UK. Sharon Jayy, a beauty and lifestyle creator, visited…
Inside the private-equity recruiting tornado that just hit — and why it may be turning some young bankers away from a career on the buyside
Private-equity recruiting for 2025 roles officially kicked off Friday, including at Apollo and TPG. The frenzied, pressure-filled cycle started earlier than ever, catching some bankers unprepared. “I’m not doing private equity anymore. It’s not worth it. It’s not worth my life,” one analyst said. The annual private-equity recruitment process known as “on-cycle” officially began for…
Inside Adobe, some staff worry their AI tech will kill graphic designer jobs and undermine the company’s business model: ‘Is this what we want?’
Adobe employees worry their AI technology could kill graphic designer jobs. Adobe AI tools make it easy to add new graphic elements or edit photos with text prompts. Employees are also concerned about AI “cannibalizing” Adobe’s own business. Inside Adobe, there’s a debate raging over new AI technology that threatens to kill jobs among a key group of customers and…
Exclusive: AppHub, a Shopify app acquirer, raises $95 million to build and buy apps as the developer ecosystem matures
AppHub has raised $95 million from growth-equity firm PSG. AppHub builds and acquires apps that are geared towards e-commerce merchants. With its most recent acquisition Boost, it now has more than 25 apps in its portfolio. AppHub, an e-commerce enablement platform launched in 2021, has raised $95 million in funding from growth equity firm PSG…
