PhonePe aims to be a top Google Play alternative in India — but it has a challenging road ahead

Walmart-backed PhonePe is set to launch its Android app store this week with zero commission for in-app purchases for developers. The app store is based on Indus OS’ tech, a company that PhonePe acquired in 2021. In this story, we are going to take a […]

TechTaka raises $9.5M for its e-commerce fulfillment service

TechTaka, a South Korean online shopping fulfillment startup that provides third-party logistics services for e-commerce sellers, has raised $9.5 million (12.6 billion KRW) in a Series B round of funding from a sole investor, Altos Ventures.  The outfit helps e-commerce sellers manage the supply chain, […]

Planity raises $48 million because even hair salons need their own SaaS product

If you’ve ever traveled in rural areas in France, you may have realized a French peculiarity. Even in the seemingly less populated towns, there’s a hair salon. French startup Planity has been taking advantage of France’s love affair with hair salons to launch a SaaS […]

PhonePe aims to be a top Google Play alternative in India — but it has a challenging road ahead

Walmart-backed PhonePe is set to launch its Android app store this week with zero commission for in-app purchases for developers. The app store is based on Indus OS’ tech, a company that PhonePe acquired in 2021. In this story, we are going to take a […]

US, UK authorities claim seizure of LockBit ransomware gang’s dark web leak site

A coalition of international law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the U.K.’s National Crime Agency, have disrupted the operations of the prolific LockBit ransomware gang. LockBit’s dark-web leak site — where the group publicly lists its victims and threatens to leak their stolen data […]

Singapore-based fintech Xalts acquires digital trade platform Contour Network

In a role reversal, Xalts, a Singapore fintech startup founded 18 months ago, has acquired Contour Network, a digital trade platform set up by eight major banks including HSBC, Standard Chartered and BNP. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but the acquisition price was in […]

EU opens formal probe of TikTok under Digital Services Act, citing child safety, risk management and other concerns

The European Union is formally investigating TikTok’s compliance with the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the Commission has announced. Areas the Commission is focusing on in this investigation of TikTok are linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, and the […]

The UK moves another step closer to banning phones in schools

Mobile phone ownership has become standard for people of most ages, and, while there’s a convenience argument, experts and regulators alike have expressed concerns about children’s well-being and distraction while learning. To that end, the UK government has become the latest to announce guidance for […]