April 4, 2018 @ 10:44 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Y-Combinator-backed Request Network Foundation launched its cryptocurrency payments service which allowing users to send and request payments or make money transfers in cryptocurrencies. “We’re very excited to see the ways in which developers connect with the technology, and use it to make cryptocurrency payments mainstream,… Read More

January 25, 2018 @ 11:28 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Instavest, a money management platform similar to multi-billion dollar robo-fintech platform Wealthfront, aims to differentiate itself by using “complex options strategies” to make users money in up or down markets, similar to hedge funds. Founded in 2015, Instavest also does not charge management fees; the… Read More

October 10, 2017 @ 1:17 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

OpenInvest, an online investment advisor empowering individuals to drive social change with their dollars, today launched its first iPhone app that features “the world’s first digital democracy,” the ability to vote in the shareholder resolutions with a simple swipe. The Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz-backed socially responsible investing… Read More

April 22, 2017 @ 10:36 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Earlier this week, Kickstarter’s design and tech team announced the launch of their new Request for Projects Feature. According to the team’s lead, Julio Terra, this feature was inspired in part by Y Combinator’s request for startups. “As part of our endless quest for projects,… Read More

January 24, 2017 @ 1:13 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Sleep technology startup Eight announced on Tuesday it raised $5 million during its Series A financing round, which brings the company’s total funds to $11 million. Investors including Yunqi Partners, Azure Capital, Y Combinator, Stanford StartX fund, Comcast Ventures, and Sinovation Ventures. This news comes just… Read More

January 21, 2017 @ 2:10 am By Jessica Pham  |  

Gaza Sky Geeks is running another crowdfunding campaign called “Power Up Gaza’s Geeks”.  There is just over a week left in the campaign, and the group is currently at $277,869 — or 292 percent of its original goal. Initially, Gaza Sky Geeks had a goal… Read More

December 26, 2016 @ 5:48 am By Jessica Pham  |  

Do you often get phone calls and mailers from your college alma mater asking for donations?  I do, and as a recent grad, I wonder how much help I really contribute with my puny annual $5-10 donation.  Enter crowdfunding among alumni for high school and… Read More

December 19, 2016 @ 11:23 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Monday, Nigeria-based fintech startup, Paystack, announced it raised $1.3 million during its seed funding round. Those who participated in the round included Tencent, Comcast Ventures, and Singularity Investments. The company, which was founded by Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi, is a Y Combinator-backed startup,… Read More

November 25, 2016 @ 11:54 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Magic Instruments, a San Francisco-based musical instrument startup, has recently launched a Reg CF offering on WeFunder. The company successfully raised $415,000 through its Indiegogo campaign in June 2016 and was graduate of Y Combinator’s Winter 2016 class, and graduate of Highway 1 Fall 2015… Read More

August 4, 2016 @ 10:37 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Over 3118% funded. Since its launch last month, the San Francisco startup Andromium’s Kickstarter campaign has secured over $1,560,000 for The Superbook, a device that turns Android smartphones into laptops. Over 9,612 backers have subscribed to the idea, described as a smart laptop shell that consists of an 11.6″ HD screen, keyboard, and… Read More

April 27, 2016 @ 12:20 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Income tax returns e-filing website ClearTax has secured an angel investment of $1.3 million from top Silicon Valley angels. ClearTax was founded in 2011 by the father-son team of Raja Ram Gupta and Archit Gupta, Srivatsan Chari and Ankit Solanki, ClearTax is the fourth Indian start-up  funded… Read More

March 21, 2016 @ 4:24 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Tovala, a Chicago-based Y Combinator-backed food startup, recently launched a Kickstarter initiative to raise $100,000 for its self-titled smart oven. Just hours after launch, the project surpassed $60,000. Now, just two weeks later, it has secured well over its initial goal thanks to nearly 1,000 backers…. Read More

March 8, 2016 @ 3:02 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Tovala, a Chicago-based Y Combinator-backed food startup, has launched a Kickstarter to raise $100,000 for its new self-titled smart oven. Within just hours of its debut, the campaign has successfully secured over $60,000 thanks to nearly 200 backers. The Tovala oven is described as a… Read More

March 6, 2016 @ 4:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

Investing via online platforms, be they a marketplace lender /P2P site, or a real estate crowdfunding platform, takes time and typically entails jumping from platform to platform.  As the internet finance industry matures, it is inevitable that new channels crop up to help facilitate investors… Read More

March 1, 2016 @ 7:24 am By Erin Hobey  |  

SOUNDBOKS got the party started after overfunding within three hours of its Kickstarter campaign launch. At this writing, the campaign has exceeded $133K with the help of over 278 backers for its loudest outdoor speaker on the market. Readers, please keep this product on the down low from… Read More

February 28, 2016 @ 8:58 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

At age 22, recent George Washington University grad Julia Kurnia co-founded the world’s first microfinance organization built entirely from crowdfunding capital sourced over the internet, using funds raised from Kiva.org in Senegal, West Africa. She spent the next four years managing U.S. government grants to small businesses in… Read More

February 16, 2016 @ 10:02 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Protonet, a  European provider of project management and collaboration solutions, today announced it is entering the U.S. market with the opening of its new office in the San Francisco Bay area. The company, which was awarded the Crowdfunding World Champion by Seedmatch, with an investment… Read More

February 11, 2016 @ 5:10 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Y Combinator announced that the five year partnership with Imagine K12 has taken its next step on its Posthaven blog, the original edtech accelerator, has joined Y Combinator to form an edtech vertical within YC. Agreeing that 2016 was the right time to create YC/Imagine K12, the team decided to… Read More

February 3, 2016 @ 10:10 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Wednesday, Kickstarter alum Petcube, Inc.,  announced it has raised $2.6 million during a recent funding round led by Almaz Capital. It was joined by AVentures Capital and Y Combinator. Petcube is part of the Y Combinator Winter 2016 class. The company will use the funds… Read More

October 27, 2015 @ 11:15 am By Erin Hobey  |  

The Indian fintech platform Razorpay has raised US$9 million in Series A funding led by leading VC firm Tiger Global, with participation from existing investor Matrix Partners, according to a release.  Including its US$2.5M seed funding round, the company’s total fundraise to date is US$11.5 million.  Funding will be used to build Razorpay’s product and… Read More