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Lightspeed reports 38 percent revenue growth in Q1 2019(BETAKIT)
The now-public company reported $24.1 million in revenue, an increase of 38 percent from the same period last year.
India’s Reliance to buy majority stake in Google-backed Fynd for $42.3M(TECHCRUNCH)
More than 600 brands including Nike, Raymond, Global Desi, and Being Human, and 9,000 stores are connected through Fynd’s platform.
Saskatoon-based SalonScale Technology closes $1 million seed round(BETAKIT)
Saskatoon-based SalonScale Technology has closed over $1 million in seed funding for its smart technology-powered app helping salon owners and stylists.
Klarna raises $460M in equity funding(FINSMES)
Klarna, a global leader in payments and banking, and provider of smoooth retail services, raised $460m in equity funding.
Shopify to host program for developers reentering tech industry after extended leaves(BETAKIT)
Shopify has created a program supporting engineers and developers who choose to take time off work for personal reasons and want to reenter the industry.
Nike buys an AI startup that predicts what consumers want(TECHCRUNCH)
Nike’s market cap has swollen past $100 billion, but the shoe company still sees potential to learn more about what customers want and how to source and stock products to meet those needs.
Doubling down on the retail market, Microsoft acquires ad startup PromoteIQ(RETAILDIVE)
The terms of the deal were not disclosed. PromoteIQ listed 41 employees on LinkedIn before taking its page offline and has raised more than $6 million in private funding.
India’s Flipkart bets on free video streaming service and Hindi support to win next 200 million internet users(TECHCRUNCH)
Only 10% of India’s 1.3 billion people speak English. Flipkart said it has been working to customize its entire platform for several months to add support for Hindi.
Online jewellery startup JewelMaze raises $4M from Brand Capital(YOURSTORY)
According to the company, it will use the fund infusion for rapid expansion and widen its product base.
Future food: the new wave of protein might come from air, not plants(THESPOON)
At that time, we’ll be able to see if Kiverdi and others can indeed make a neutral-tasting protein from carbon dioxide in a cost-competitive manner (which they claim they can already do).
This startup is helping food app delivery workers start their own damn delivery companies(TECHCRUNCH)
Its big idea: turn today’s delivery workers into “solopreneurs” who build their own book of clients and keep much more of the money.