DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

AdvertisementSome venture capitalists expect US President Donald Trump to dial back regulation, potentially making it easier to develop new technologies and do business in Silicon Valley. Related VideoWhile many in Silicon Valley dislike Trump, many VCs and startup founders crave more freedom to pursue riskier new technologies unburdened by regulation. E-acc," referring to the recent Silicon Valley movement that wants technological advancements in AI to move as fast as possible, without any guardrails. Regulation has held Silicon Valley back in recent yearsVCs during Biden's presidency have complained about how tough it's been to get deals done. AdvertisementVCs anticipate an innovation boomAmerica is a country of entrepreneurs, and that's especially true in Silicon Valley.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Elon, Ben Narasin, we've, Trump, Musk, cheekily, Vance, Augustus Doricko, Kamala Harris, Aaron Levie, Harris, Mark Pincus, Biden's, Louis Lehot, Foley, Lardner, Lina Khan —, it's, Biden, JD Vance, Khan, Mason Angel, who's, he's, Narasin, Ben Thompson, Rainmaker's Doricko, Angel Organizations: Service, Elon, Venture, White, Department of Government, Zynga, acc, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Trump, Republican, Big Tech, FTC, SpaceX, Space Force Locations: Silicon Valley, Silicon

☆ Gaming giant Take-Two is in talks to sell its Chartboost adtech division
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Take-Two Interactive is in talks to sell its adtech division Chartboost. AdvertisementTake-Two Interactive, the video games giant behind franchises like "NBA 2K24" and "Grand Theft Auto," is in talks to sell its adtech division Chartboost. Adtech companies AppLovin and LoopMe have emerged as potential buyers for the Chartboost assets, the people said. AdvertisementTake-Two acquired Chartboost through its 2022 $12.7 billion purchase of the mobile gaming company Zynga. AppLovin offers a similar, but larger, business to Chartboost — offering developers adtech to make money from their mobile games and find new users.

Persons: —, LoopMe, AppLovin, It's, Maggie Mesa, LUMA Organizations: AAA, Service, Business, Zynga, Mayfair Equity Partners, LUMA Partners Locations: FarmVille, Chartboost

☆ Unity's new CEO pitches 'fundamentally different company' after rough year
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Five months into his tenure as CEO of Unity Software , Matt Bromberg is overseeing his first big product launch as he tries to push the company past an extended stretch of challenges. On Friday, the video game software company announced the sixth version of its flagship product, Unity Engine, a set of tools developers can use to produce games across a number of devices, including iPhones and Android phones. He previously spent almost six years as COO of mobile game company Zynga, which was acquired by Take-Two Interactive in 2022, and more than four years at Electronic Arts . James Whitehurst, former CEO of Red Hat, was serving as interim CEO until Bromberg joined. The new CEO's first big challenge was unwinding Riccitiello's decision to implement what became known as the "Unity Runtime Fee."

Persons: Matt Bromberg, Bromberg, we're, John Riccitiello, James Whitehurst Organizations: Unity Software, CNBC, Zynga, Electronic Arts, Bromberg's, Red

☆ 4 things an executive learned from reporting to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-04 | by ( Jaures Yip | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewDuring his decade at Airbnb, Vlad Loktev picked up some pointers from CEO Brian Chesky. Although Loktev noted that their booking numbers were up and things appeared to be running smoothly, the CEO responded, "Things are just too calm. Loktev said he learned from how Chesky strategically inserted some disarray into an otherwise calm process. And he learned it from Chesky, whom Loktev said would continuously grow. AdvertisementIt's not about hitting the goalWhen it came to thinking big, Loktev said Chesky taught him how to rethink big goals.

Persons: —, Vlad Loktev, Brian Chesky, Loktev, Chesky, you've, That's, Brian, Paul Graham, Graham, Steve Jobs, they'll, it's Organizations: Service, Zynga, Ventures, Business, Airbnb, VP, Apple Locations: Airbnb, Chesky

Read previewElon Musk and former President Donald Trump live-streamed a wide-ranging discussion on Monday, eliciting reactions from tech and business leaders. Gavin Newsom of California, who has a strained relationship with Musk, got a jab in at both the X CEO and the GOP nominee. Related storiesMark PincusMark Pincus, the founder of Zynga, the gaming company behind FarmVille, praised the former president during the conversation with Musk. Pincus said in an X post. The Harris campaignVice President Kamala Harris' campaign hit out at both Musk and the Trump campaign right after the livestream ended in a statement on X.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Mark Cuban Mark Cuban, Michael Reaves, Joe Raedle, Mark Cuban, Musk, Trump, Gavin Newsom Gov, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Aaron Levie, Justin Sullivan, Hannibal Lecter, Levie, Mark Pincus Mark Pincus, Pincus, Elon, David Sacks David Sacks, Sacks, Biden, Harris, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump's Organizations: Service, Trump, Business, Getty Images, Getty, GOP, Lambs, Zynga, Craft Ventures, Democratic, Hollywood Locations: Cuban, California, FarmVille

☆ Activist investor Starboard says it's acquired 6.5% stake in Match Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Smith has been speaking with Match management about its plans, according to the letter, which was viewed by CNBC. In the letter, Smith wrote that Tinder enjoyed enviable and viral growth for years but has been stymied of late by sluggish innovation. But if Match is unable to more broadly turn around its business, the company should consider going private, Smith said. A Match spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the company is in communication with Starboard and other investors. Starboard isn't the first activist to put pressure on Match.

Persons: Jeff Smith, Starboard's Jeff Smith, Bernard Kim, Smith, Tinder, Kim, Anson, Elliott, Salesforce, Splunk Organizations: Bloomberg Television, CNBC, Wall Street, Zynga, Elliott Management, Autodesk, Cisco Locations: New York, U.S, Tinder, GoDaddy

☆ I'm the son of a billionaire who forged my own career path
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Jane Zhang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

And if you're not going to do a job, don't do a job." AdvertisementThe next summer, I got a product management internship at a startup called Travelnuts, which I liked. At a certain point, maybe I'll plateau or stop progressing, and I'll have to choose to stop because I'm just not good enough. I'm 29 now, so the idea that in about five years, I'm supposed to roughly know my trajectory kind of haunts me. I'm pretty confident in my comedy, so I'm full speed ahead on being a comedian.

Persons: Pete Ballmer, Steve Ballmer, would've, Harry Potter, he'd, I'd, I'm, I've, wouldn't, Jane Zhang Organizations: PCWorld Magazine, Business, Stanford, Zynga, Friends Locations: San Francisco, TripIt, Farmville, Expedia, Bay, janezhang@businessinsider.com

☆ Zynga opens preregistration for new Game of Thrones mobile game
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Katie Bartlett | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Preregistration has opened for Zynga's new "Game of Thrones"-themed mobile game, the company announced Monday. Zynga, a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive , released a trailer and opened preregistration on the App Store and Google Play for their new mobile puzzle role-playing game "Game of Thrones: Legends." The game was licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on behalf of HBO to incorporate content and characters from "Game of Thrones" and its prequel series "House of Dragons." Zynga Executive Vice President Yaron Leyvand said the game "combines skill-based play with the unrivaled depth and lore of the 'Game of Thrones' universe." Players can build teams, go on missions and face off with "Game of Thrones" enemies.

Persons: Preregistration, Yaron Leyvand Organizations: Zynga, Warner Bros, Interactive Entertainment, HBO

☆ Jim Cramer is a 'huge fan' of Akamai — not for content delivery but for a hidden jewel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Matthew J. Belvedere | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Akamai : Shares dropped more than 7% after the company missed quarterly earnings on content delivery network weakness. "I'm a huge fan of Akamai," Jim Cramer said Friday. "Buried within this company, almost 50% of the company, is a jewel of a cybersecurity company." Array Technologies : The solar company reported a strong quarter, highlighted by an unexpected profit. Unity Software : The platform for creating interactive content had a mixed quarter: a sales beat and an earnings miss.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Cramer, wasn't, Nextracker, Unity, hasn't, Matt Bromberg Organizations: CNBC, Club, Technologies, Unity Software, Zynga

☆ Union Square Ventures slashed the value of 7 of its funds by 26%. Insiders say this will be the 'start of a cascade' of lower valuations for VC funds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Union Square Ventures is widely considered to be one of the top performing venture firms of all time. USV marked down seven of its funds by nearly 26% this year, a far steeper writedown than other firms. Union Square Ventures — an early backer of Robinhood, Coinbase, and Etsy— is widely considered to be one of the top performing venture firms of all time. Venture firms are required to value their holdings at fair market value, but assessing the value of illiquid assets leaves considerable room for discretion. USV's 2004 fund returned more than $305 million in cash from a $22 million UTIMCO investment, with an IRR of 66%.

Persons: USV, —, VCs, Vincent Harrison, Combinator, Fred Wilson, Wilson Organizations: Square Ventures, Union Square Ventures, UTIMCO, University of Texas, Venture, Bay, Sequoia, Twitter, Zynga Locations: Robinhood, Texas, USV

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Disney, Costco, Nike, Imax, Walmart, Meta & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: UBS reiterates Nike as buy UBS said it's getting incrementally bullish on the stock and that it could double. " BTIG upgrades Zscaler to buy from neutral BTIG said its checks on the IT stock have been "consistently positive." Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating heading into Apple earnings next week. Goldman Sachs reiterates Apple as buy Goldman said it's standing by its buy rating heading into earnings next week. Morgan Stanley names Elevance a top pick Morgan Stanley named the health insurance provider as a top pick and said it sees further earnings per share growth.

Persons: it's, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Piper Sandler, Wells, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Mizuho, Oppenheimer, TSCO, Citi downgrades Goldman Sachs, TD Cowen, Wolfe, Baird, HWM, Elevance, Comm, Flywire Organizations: UBS, Nike, Apple, Walmart, Piper, Signet, Superior Unit, Costco, Citi, adv, 2Q, Meta, Digital Ad, Bank of America downgrades, Supply, Bank of America, HSBC, Zynga, Disney, Mizuho, Howmet Aerospace, Airbus Locations: Wells Fargo, 2Q23

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Pepsi, Yelp, Chewy, Netflix, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"We are initiating coverage with an ONON with an Outperform rating and $38 price target. Citi opens a positive catalyst watch on Valvoline Citi opened a positive catalyst watch on Valvoline and says it has robust fundamentals. "We open a 30-day upside catalyst watch based on strong fundamentals and the stock's relative under-performance post completion of the Dutch tender offer on 6/8." Citi opens a positive catalyst watch on Bank of New York Mellon Citi opened a positive catalyst watch on the investment bank ahead of earnings Tuesday. Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Apple to $220 from $190 and says India is the company's "next frontier."

Persons: TD Cowen, Cowen, Goldman Sachs, it's, Wells, Tesla, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Morgan Stanley downgrades Conagra, Morgan Stanley downgrades Pepsi, Raymond James downgrades, Raymond James, Bernstein, Aramark, Oppenheimer Organizations: Citi downgrades AT, Citi, Valvoline Citi, Bank of New York Mellon Citi, BK, Nvidia, Deutsche Bank, Netflix, Baidu, Apple, Pepsi, Barclays, LT, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Zynga, NXP Semiconductors, Intel Citi, Intel, AMD, Meta, Suisse, Arista Networks, ISI Locations: eCommerce, China, India, Apple India

July 10 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley (MS.N) has hired senior investment banker Marco Caggiano from JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), where he led the bank's North America mergers and acquisitions (M&A) business, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. Caggiano, a veteran investment banker who spent 23 years with JPMorgan, will join Morgan Stanley as vice chairman of M&A, the sources said. JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley declined to comment. Caggiano trained as a lawyer and worked at Paul Hastings before he joined JPMorgan. He was co-head of North America M&A before Chris Roop, his other co-head, exited JPMorgan last year to join Jefferies Financial Group Inc (JEF.N).

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Marco Caggiano, Caggiano, Elon Musk, Paul Hastings, Chris Roop, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis Organizations: JPMorgan Chase &, JPMorgan, Twitter Inc, Elon, Zynga, Hasbro Inc, Alta Fox, Jefferies Financial Group Inc, Svea, Thomson Locations: America, Rhode Island, New York

☆ The biggest takeaways from Microsoft's courtroom showdown with the FTC over Activision Blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +21 min

The impulse to expand Microsoft's gaming business on mobile devices at least in part inspired the Activision acquisition. The impulse to expand Microsoft's gaming business on mobile devices at least in part inspired the Activision acquisition. Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, wasn't happy with a Microsoft-generated list of Activision Blizzard games that would remain accessible on the PlayStation after the acquisition closes. Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, wasn't happy with a Microsoft-generated list of Activision Blizzard games that would remain accessible on the PlayStation after the acquisition closes. Activision Blizzard and Microsoft have agreed to terminate the deal if it's not done by July 18.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Phil Spencer, Spencer, James Weingarten, Weingarten, Jim Ryan, Sony, Ryan, Amy Hood, Bobby Kotick, Sarah Bond, Kotick, Amazon Weingarten, Bond, Tim Stuart, Nadella, Bernstein, Mark Moerdler, Hood, Stuart, it's, Jacqueline Scott Corley, she'll Organizations: Northern, Northern District of, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Sony, PlayStation, Mobile, Activision, Xbox, Zynga, Sega Sammy, Nintendo, Enix, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Management, Sony Group, Amazon, Microsoft's Xbox, Bernstein Research, Symantec, Sony PlayStation Locations: U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, San Francisco, cybersecurity, United Kingdom, FarmVille, Asia, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Check out the 24-page pitch deck that the startup SuperScale used to raise $5.4 million to help video game companies monetize their library
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The startup SuperScale raised a $5.4 million Series A.SuperScale sells a platform that helps video game companies monetize their libraries. Check out the pitch deck that reveals how SuperScale raised its latest round. Video game companies often have vast gaming libraries, but not enough resources to monetize them through ads or downloadable content. SuperScale is trying to take advantage of the fact that today, the video game industry tends to update existing video games rather than develop new ones. "Rather than launching a sequel, you update the core game," Trancik said.

Persons: SuperScale, Ivan Trancik, Trancik Organizations: Venture, Future Fund, Private Investments, EA, Zynga

☆ Microsoft says it looked at acquiring Zynga but opted to go bigger with Activision
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Zynga was originally for the Facebook hit social game FarmVille, before eventually expanding into mobile games, largely through acquisitions. Prior to the Microsoft offer, Activision met with a financial firm to work on topping Take-Two's purchase of Zynga, CNBC reported at the time. Spencer didn't say when Microsoft was in talks with Zynga, and the company wouldn't provide further comment. Spencer said that after the company went to Zynga, he worked with Microsoft finance chief Amy Hood to look for mobile opportunities. Activision grew its portfolio of mobile games with the 2016 acquisition of King, publisher of Candy Crush Saga.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Justin Sullivan, Spencer, Spencer didn't, Tencent, Amy Hood, King, Candy Organizations: FRANCISCO, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, Activision Blizzard, Zynga, Federal Trade Commission, Facebook, FarmVille, CNBC, Sony, Apple Locations: CALIFORNIA, San Francisco , California, San Francisco

☆ Take-Two stocks soars 13% after earnings come in mixed but guidance hints Grand Theft Auto 6 will be released in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Take-Two Interactive soared 13% on Thursday after the company offered strong guidance that suggests a 2024 release for Grand Theft Auto 6. While the company expects its fiscal 2024 net booking to be as much as $5.55 billion, it expects its fiscal 2025 net bookings to surge to more than $8 billion. Take-Two's fiscal 2024 year is in calendar-year 2023, while its fiscal 2025 year is in calendar-year 2024. Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto series has been wildly successful, with the 2013 release of Grand Theft Auto 5 driving lifetime unit sales of 180 million. Investors got a taste of what Grand Theft Auto 6 could look like after a massive data leak in September 2022 led to gameplay videos being posted online.

☆ Read the pitch deck a social-gaming startup used to raise $7 million to disrupt fantasy sports by catering to Gen Z audiences who want shorter, faster play
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Nhari Djan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Champions Round is a social media platform for fantasy sports. Read the 13-page pitch deck Champions Round used to to fundraise. Champions Round also plans to introduce tools that would allow creators or brands to build their own games and earn a cut of the revenue generated from them. The company shared with Insider the exact deck used to pitch potential investors during its latest round. Here are 13 key slides from the pitch deck Champions Round used to raise its Series A round:

☆ Saudi $5 bln gaming play only works on some levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Saudi Arabia is defriending read more Uncle Sam on oil, while deploying its video-game war chest in his backyard. Savvy Games, owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund, announced on Wednesday that it was buying U.S. mobile games specialist Scopely for $4.9 billion. Though privately held Scopely doesn’t disclose its financials, Savvy looks to be getting a good price. Less clear is how Scopely contributes to Saudi’s aims of becoming the “ultimate global hub” for gaming and pivoting its economy away from fossil fuels. If Saudi wants to create jobs from the rapid growth of domestic game consumption, it needs to turn its games M&A into gaming boots on the ground.

☆ Match Group CEO spent $50,000 on 'Clash of Clans' in 3 months: 'I still look back at that with lots of shame'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

CEO of Match Group Bernard Kim spent $50,000 on the mobile gaming app Clash of Clans. Speaking at a dating summit, Kim said the rewards of mobile gaming don't compare to those of of online dating. Kim was previously steeped in the mobile gaming industry as the president of mobile gaming group Zynga, known for creating Words With Friends. Like mobile games, many dating apps — including those in Match's portfolio — offer in-app purchases, including a new $50-per-month Hinge subscription. "I've personally spent $50,000 in three months in 'Clash of Clans,' and I still look back at that with lots of shame," he added.

☆ Want to quit your job and run your side hustle full time? Start by working at one of these 5 companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the case of many a successful startup founder, that means working a day job before they're ready to strike out and start their own new business. Multiple big-name companies top the list, according to a new report from small-business lending platform OnDeck, which examined large U.S. companies with high rates of former employees launching their own businesses. The top four companies on OnDeck's list all hail from the consulting world, which isn't surprising: Consultants at those companies are often tasked with helping clients hone their management and business strategies. Goldman Sachs leads the way among financial services companies on OnDeck's rankings, with 5.92% of former employees becoming founders. By focusing primarily on large companies, OnDeck's report doesn't provide a comprehensive list.

☆ Private venture-capital returns from one of the largest endowments reveal Union Square Ventures has been wildly successful. Sequoia and Y Combinator have lost money so far.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

USV's 2004 fund returned more than $305 million in cash from a $22 million UTIMCO investment, with an IRR of 66%. Thrive Capital, the venture firm Joshua Kushner founded in 2009, has delivered -34% IRR on two funds from late 2021. UTIMCO's $6.7 million invested has been marked down to $4.6 million. Two funds UTIMCO invested in the VC firm Initialized at the beginning of 2022 have a -5.5% IRR. Upfront Ventures, the most prominent early-stage firm in Los Angeles, has returned only $31 million though UTIMCO invested $110 million since 2015.

☆ “Angry Birds” buyout may have more levels to beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Remember “Angry Birds”? Finland-listed Rovio Entertainment (ROVIO.HE) has used the round-headed creatures to create a long series of mobile games, two films, plush toys and more. That makes strong long-time brands like “Angry Birds” more attractive. Rovio’s share price was hovering around 7.50 euros on Friday morning, or 20% below Playtika’s bid. That’s probably because Rovio’s board, which said it learnt about the offer “nearly simultaneously” with its public release, sounded unimpressed.

☆ In a leaked memo, CEO of electric vehicle leasing startup Autonomy warns the company is in dire financial condition but says he will do whatever it takes to save the business
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But the market changed at the end of the year as Autonomy suddenly faced a perfect storm. CEO Scott Painter says he will do whatever it takes to save the business, including selling his own assets. It was not the New Years greeting employees of Autonomy, a Santa Monica-based startup offering electric vehicle subscriptions, were hoping to receive in their inboxes. Autonomy announced in August it was moving away from selling Teslas exclusively. Painter said the company would prioritize making payroll and keeping the business operational and added he would do whatever it takes to keep Autonomy operational.

☆ What Cramer is watching Monday — U.S. stock market should not be down on China Covid protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Club stocks most tied to China Estee Lauder (EL) and Starbucks (SBUX) are down about 1% in the premarket. Oppenheimer cut price target on chipmaker Marvell Technology (MRVL) to $80 per share from $90; sees slower enterprise. Morgan Stanley lowers Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) price target to $140 per share from $150 but keeps overweight (buy) rating. Citi raises price target on value retailer Five Below (FIVE) to $186 per share from $170; keeps buy rating. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Search resuls for: "Zynga"

25 mentions found