FiveStars, one of the most popular business startups, has raised $50 million funding from Series C round to expand its business across the US. With its innovative customer management tools, every customer is being identified with a number. So all the customers are new here and receive VIP treatment during every visit. Despite charging with a quite higher monthly fee in a competitive market, its clients feel like getting more than they spend.
Industry
AmEx to slash cost by $1bn by 2017
Feeling the heat of competition in the global payments industry, American Express (AmEx) is in the process of reducing costs by $1billion by end of 2017. AmEx posted losses for the fourth quarter consecutively. The net income dropped from $1.44 billion to $873 million or 80 cents per share for the quarter. The forecast for this year disappointed investors and analysts.
Average US rate drops to 3.81%
The major factors such as oil price fall, economy growth concerns and uncertainty in stock markets are keeping more pressure on mortgage rates in the US market. The average US rate on long-term mortgage dropped for three weeks in a row to 3.81 percent. The average rate on 15-year mortgages dropped to 3.10 percent from 3.19 percent.
Tor Project Ended Crowdfunding Campaign on Friday, Generating Over $200,000
The Onion Router (Tor) began as military intelligence research in 1995, before became a volunteer-based project in 2002. Now, the project tried to lessen dependency on U.S. government by launching a crowdfunding campaign.
S3 Ventures Raised $8 Million Series B Fund for Datical
Datical, an Austin-based data management company announced on Thursday of its $8 million Series B funding. The funding was led by S3 ventures with its existing investors Mercury Fund and Austin Ventures.
Latest News
cloudControl, German owning entity of dotCloud, has filed for bankruptcy this week. To facilitate operation for the European brand, it has decided to shut down the operation of dotCloud. The PaaS has sent mails to its users regretting its failure to continue service and expresses gratitude for keeping trust on the brand. The startup that has once independently backed Silicon Valley’s prominent startup, Y Combinator, is going to end its path on February 29.
The store who designed and manufactured the shirt keeps getting surge of orders. El Chapo, the drug lord captured last Friday, was shown wearing that shirt on a photograph with actor Sean Penn.
Hinrich J. Woebcken, a former BMW executive, has been appointed by emission scandal-hit Volkswagen to oversee business operations in the US, Canada and Mexico. Woebcken will assume charge from 1 April 2016. Audi and Porsche brand don't come under Woebcken's area of operations. However, Volkswagen has retained Michael Horn as CEO of Volkswagen Group America Inc. The emission-scandal hit Volkswagen has been facing regulatory investigations in the US.
Royal Dutch Shell is slashing the headcount as part of the cost cutting exercise. Anglo-Dutch company has decided to cut down 10,000 jobs in the wake of continuous drop in oil prices. The global energy major aims at reduction of costs by $3 billion in 2016 and it already reduced operating costs by $4 billion in 2015. Shell is also banking on synergy advantages from the BG Group Plc merger, which is expected to be completed in few weeks.
Leading risk management software developer, Prevalent Inc. received its first Series B funding last week. Led by Spring Mountain Capital Invest, joined by its existing investor, Fulcrum Equity Partners.
IBM has announced Thursday purchasing live video streaming platform, UStream. Details of the acquiring deal haven’t been disclosed, but the price believed to peg a price not more than $150 million in cash. IBM has furnished a press release in its website, which ends leaving probability for changing its narrated goals on forming cloud video unit.
The New York Times has published its first online edition on Jan 22, 1996. Marking the 20th founding anniversary, the news conglomerate has launched ‘History of NYTimes.com’, narrating chronology of the news website’s evolution and further development. The capsule offers video and audio contents including interviews with people related to the evolution.
The subprime online lender company Elevate Credit delays its IPO scheduled on Thursday. Teetering market has been the main reason of the postponement and high risk of online subprime lending service.
Austin-based tech company, Waldo Photos closes its $5 million seed funding on Thursday. The seed funding round was led by California's venture capital firm Upfront Ventures.
