Amazon Union Vote Results: Union Push Defeated

Daily Tech Roundup: April 9, 2021

Recent attempts to establish a union at an Amazon facility in Alabama did not succeed. Simultaneously, Facebook removed numerous groups involved in the exchange of fraudulent reviews, and a groundbreaking experiment demonstrated a monkey playing Pong using only its brain activity. This summarizes the key developments in today’s Daily Crunch.

Amazon Unionization Effort Defeated

The election held at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama warehouse resulted in a loss for union organizers. A majority of the 3,215 votes cast – over half – were against joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

In a company statement, Amazon refuted claims of intimidation, asserting that employees were more influenced by external anti-Amazon messaging. The company emphasized that the outcome reflected the employees’ independent decision against unionization.

Stuart Appelbaum, President of RWDSU, indicated a high probability of a re-election. His organization is requesting a thorough investigation into Amazon’s conduct during the election process, alleging potential interference.

Tech Industry Updates

Facebook has removed 16,000 groups dedicated to the trading of inauthentic reviews, following pressure from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA has been actively urging tech companies to prevent their platforms from facilitating the sale of fake reviews.

Startup Funding and Venture Capital News

A macaque monkey, fitted with a Neuralink device developed by Elon Musk, successfully played the video game Pong using its brain signals. The monkey, named Pager, gained complete control of the game through the Link hardware and implanted neural threads.

Better.com, a mortgage company, has secured $500 million in funding from SoftBank, achieving a valuation of $6 billion. The surge in online lending was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and historically low mortgage interest rates.

SnackMagic has raised $15 million to broaden its services beyond customizable snack boxes, evolving into a comprehensive gifting marketplace. The company reached a $20 million annual revenue rate within eight months and achieved profitability in December.

Extra Crunch Insights

Series A Funding: Kleiner Perkins’ Bucky Moore provides universal guidance for companies seeking Series A investment.

Funding Story: Jorge Torres and Adam Carrigan of MindDB share their experience of securing funding for their open-source machine language startup, detailing how they navigated risks.

Team Building: Sarah Smith, managing director at Bain Capital Ventures, offers insights into constructing a team capable of supporting a billion-dollar startup, drawing from her experience at Facebook and Quora.

(Extra Crunch is a membership program designed to assist founders and startup teams. Sign up for access here.)

Additional News

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV offers a more accessible price point for some of GM’s most advanced technologies. Its optional Super Cruise feature positions it as a competitor to the Tesla Model Y.

Researchers have identified malicious adware within the APKPure app. APKPure is a popular platform for installing Android applications that are no longer available on Google’s official app store.

Startups in Detroit have a final opportunity to apply for TechCrunch’s Detroit City Spotlight pitch competition. The application deadline is today, April 9.

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