Discord Raises $100M: Daily Crunch

Discord reports a significant investment, Google receives regulatory approval for its Fitbit acquisition, and Twitter begins testing a new audio-based feature. This is the Daily Crunch for December 17, 2020.

Discord Secures $100 Million in Funding

The widely-used gaming communication platform has confirmed a new funding round totaling $100 million. The company also announced it now boasts 140 million active monthly users, representing a doubling of its user base compared to the previous year.

“We are incredibly grateful for the growth we’ve experienced and are honored to serve the many diverse communities that have chosen Discord as their preferred online gathering place,” stated CEO Jason Citron. “Looking ahead to 2021, we are enthusiastic about our future plans and intend to utilize this funding to further enhance Discord for both our free users and Nitro subscribers.”

This announcement follows a TechCrunch report indicating the company was seeking up to $140 million in funding, potentially valuing it at $7 billion.

Developments with Major Tech Companies

European regulators have approved the Google-Fitbit deal, with a stipulation that Google will refrain from utilizing Fitbit user data for advertising purposes within the European Economic Area for a decade. — As part of the EU’s approval of the acquisition, Google has made a commitment to protect user privacy regarding ad targeting.

Twitter is initiating beta testing of its voice-based social networking feature, ‘Spaces’ — The initial phase of testing will be limited to a select group of individuals, with a focus on including participants from underrepresented communities, according to Twitter.

A new antitrust lawsuit filed by 35 states accuses Google of wielding ‘monopoly power’ — This second lawsuit broadens the scope of legal challenges against Google, compared to the Texas-led suit announced the previous day.

Startups, Investment, and Venture Capital Activity

Coinbase has confidentially filed for an initial public offering, generating considerable anticipation — While I do not share the enthusiasm, Alex Wilhelm expresses strong excitement about this development.

Spryker obtains $130 million in funding at a valuation exceeding $500 million to deliver flexible e-commerce solutions for B2B companies — Spryker provides a platform for businesses to establish an online presence for their products, along with analytical tools to track sales performance.

Health insurance provider Oscar receives an additional $140 million in funding, likely as a pre-IPO round — This latest investment brings Oscar’s total fundraising for 2020 to the equivalent of $1 million per day.

Insights and Analysis from Extra Crunch

Virgin Orbit, Relativity Space, and Astra discuss the financial aspects and operational effectiveness of space launches — Tim Ellis of Relativity Space, Chris Kemp of Astra, and Mandy Vaughn of Virgin Orbit’s VOX Space all participated in a discussion at TC Sessions: Space regarding their approaches to the small spacecraft launch market.

An assessment of the severity of the recent cyberattack targeting US government agencies — The situation is described as a highly problematic scenario.

The combined value of the top 10 enterprise mergers and acquisitions of 2020 reached a remarkable $165 billion — The year proved to be exceptionally strong for enterprise M&A activity.

(Extra Crunch is our subscription service, dedicated to providing accessible information about startups. You can learn more and subscribe here.)

Additional News

HBO Max is now available on Roku devices — The arrival of HBO Max on Roku has been long-awaited.

TechCrunch now offers a secure method for submitting confidential tips using SecureDrop — We are enhancing the security and ease with which you can contact TechCrunch reporters and editors.

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