Flowhub launches Maui, the next generation of its cannabis POS platform

Selling weed is easy. Selling legal weed is not easy. Dispensaries have to comply with an ever-changing list of regulations and consumer expectations. For example, online menus must match local inventory, and dispensaries must find a system that allows cashless transactions for those customers with credit cards. And then there’s marketing concerns, loyalty programs, and … Read more

Dating app Hinge adds more ways to connect with new polls and video-specific prompts

Targeting a younger generation of daters, the Match-owned dating app Hinge today launched two new features, “Video Prompts” and “Prompt Polls,” allowing users to answer video-specific prompts as well as publish polls with three unique answers for potential matches to choose from. The announcement of the two new features comes a year after Hinge rolled … Read more

Mullen to bid for bankrupt Electric Last Mile Solutions

Mullen Automotive is the leading bidder on bankrupt commercial EV maker Electric Last Mile Solutions, its second major deal this month as it strives to deliver its own electric vehicle. The California-based automaker placed a stalking horse bid of nearly $92 million to buy ELMS, which had been developing a commercial EV called the Urban … Read more

Spotify now sells audiobooks

Spotify is launching audiobooks within the app. | Image: Spotify There is a lot happening today, so I won’t dally. Spotify is finally launching its audiobooks feature, Adnan Syed of Serial is free, and we are opening up the Hot Pod Summit lottery. Spotify launches audiobooks in the US Spotify is bringing audiobooks to its … Read more

Spotify brings audiobooks to U.S. users with a catalog of 300,000 titles to start

Spotify is today launching support for audiobooks on its streaming service, offering a third type of audio content for its customers beyond music and podcasts. Initially, audiobooks will be made available to U.S. users who will be able to access a selection of some 300,000+ titles, recommended by Spotify editors. But over time, the company … Read more

TrovaTrip, a group travel management platform and marketplace, raises $15M

TrovaTrip, a travel planning and booking platform that lets creators host adventures with their communities, has raised $15 million in Series A funding led by Madrona. Founded in 2017, the Portland-based company makes it easy for creators to sell and host multi-day experiences around the world. TrovaTrip offers more than 150 experiences in 48 countries. … Read more

Sardine raises $51.5M led by a16z to sniff out fishy fintech transactions

As fintechs become more efficient, so too do fraudsters. “Faster instant payments mean faster fraud,” Sardine CEO and co-founder Soups Ranjan told TechCrunch. That’s the thesis behind his startup, which uses behavioral, financial and device-specific user data to detect fraud on behalf of its clients in the crypto and fintech industries. Those conditions also mean … Read more