Drivezy, India’s vehicle sharing startup, is raising $100M+ at a $400M valuation, eyes US expansion

Drivezy — the startup out of India that wants to turn private car usage on its head through a car-sharing network where people lend their cars and two-wheeled vehicles but also have options to use vehicles from a fleet managed by Drivezy — said it is raising more money as it gears up for the… Continue reading Drivezy, India’s vehicle sharing startup, is raising $100M+ at a $400M valuation, eyes US expansion

Flight-hailing startup BlackBird raises $10 million to replace driving with flying

The origin story of BlackBird, a startup that links travelers to planes and commercial pilots through an app, didn’t begin with air travel. It was prompted by car sickness. BlackBird CEO and founder Rudd Davis, who was getting his pilot’s license at the time, asked his flight instructor if he would fly his family to… Continue reading Flight-hailing startup BlackBird raises $10 million to replace driving with flying

Uber’s self-driving car unit was burning $20 million a month

Uber thought it would have 75,000 autonomous vehicles on the roads this year and be operating driverless taxi services in 13 cities by 2022, according to court documents unsealed last week. To reach those ambitious goals, the ride-sharing company, which hopes to go public later this year, was spending $20 million a month on developing… Continue reading Uber’s self-driving car unit was burning $20 million a month

Uber agrees to pay drivers $20 million to settle independent contractor lawsuit

At a time when the gig economy is under heavy scrutiny around its practices of classifying workers as 1099 independent contractors, IPO-bound Uber has officially settled a six-year-long case regarding this exact topic. Today, Uber agreed to pay $20 million to settle the class-action lawsuit, brought forth by Douglas O’Connor and Thomas Colopy way back… Continue reading Uber agrees to pay drivers $20 million to settle independent contractor lawsuit

Report: Google’s Waymo seeks outside investment and a sky-high valuation

Alphabet’s self-driving vehicle subsidiary Waymo may raise outside capital for the first time at a valuation “at least several times” that of Cruise, the General Motors-owned autonomous vehicle business worth nearly $15 billion, according to a report published by The Information on Monday. We’ve reached out to our sources to confirm. Waymo didn’t immediately respond… Continue reading Report: Google’s Waymo seeks outside investment and a sky-high valuation

Tesla issues $13.8M in stock to buy trailers in bid to improve electric vehicle deliveries

Tesla is using more than $13 million worth of stock to buy trucks and trailers that will transport its electric vehicles to customers, the latest effort by the automaker to improve its logistics and delivery services. Instead of using cash, Tesla  issued $13.8 million in stock, a new securities filing posted Monday shows. Tesla used… Continue reading Tesla issues $13.8M in stock to buy trailers in bid to improve electric vehicle deliveries

Lyft lays off up to 50 in bikes and scooters as it gears up for another wave of launches

As Lyft continues to prepare for its IPO, the on-demand transportation startup is trimming staff to cut costs ahead of another wave of expansion. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Lyft has laid off around 50 staff in its bike and scooter division, mainly people who had joined the company when it acquired the electric… Continue reading Lyft lays off up to 50 in bikes and scooters as it gears up for another wave of launches

Uber pays $2.6M to settle historical charges it violated Dutch taxi laws

Another fine for Uber’s historical playbook: The ride-hailing giant has agreed to pay around $2.6 million (€2.3M) to settle charges in the Netherlands related to violations of local taxi law, dating back to when it was operating a peer-to-peer ride-hailing service in contravention of local transport laws. Uber offered its UberPop service in the Netherlands… Continue reading Uber pays $2.6M to settle historical charges it violated Dutch taxi laws

Hammerhead raises $4.2M to build a smarter operating system for bikes

Hammerhead founder and CEO Piet Morgan is a bicyclist, and he started the company because he wanted a better navigation system. So Hammerhead crowdfunded its first product, the H1, and subsequently built Karoo, a “cycling computer” that supports navigation and training. But Morgan told me his ambitions are bigger than that. After all, he sees… Continue reading Hammerhead raises $4.2M to build a smarter operating system for bikes

Airbnb agrees to acquire last-minute hotel-booking app HotelTonight

As Airbnb gears up for its big leap into the public markets, it’s expanding its accommodations platform to include more than just treehouses and quirky homes. Today, the company has confirmed its intent to acquire HotelTonight, the developer of a hotel-booking application that lets travelers arrange last-minute accommodations. The deal was previously reported by The… Continue reading Airbnb agrees to acquire last-minute hotel-booking app HotelTonight