Twitter Super Follow: Daily Crunch - TechCrunch

Tech News Highlights: February 25, 2021

Significant developments unfolded today in the tech landscape, including Twitter's foray into paid subscriptions, the passage of Australia’s media bargaining law, and Coinbase’s public filing. This summary details the key events of the day.

Twitter Introduces ‘Super Follow’ Subscriptions

During an investor presentation, Twitter unveiled its initial paid offering: ‘Super Follow’ subscriptions. This feature will enable users to financially support their preferred content creators.

Subscribers will gain access to exclusive content, dedicated newsletters, and a special supporter badge. Furthermore, Twitter announced 'Communities,' a feature designed to foster interaction within networks, potentially rivaling Facebook Groups.

A 'Safety Mode' was also detailed, intended to automatically block and mute abusive accounts. Twitter has articulated a goal of doubling its revenue by 2023.

However, specific launch dates for these new features remain undisclosed.

Developments Involving Tech Giants

Following Facebook’s recent actions, Australia has officially enacted its media bargaining code. This legislation mandates that major platforms, including Facebook and Google, negotiate compensation with local news publishers for the use of their content.

Facebook launched a new advertising campaign emphasizing the advantages of personalized advertisements. This initiative echoes a previous campaign from last year, which was a response to Apple’s forthcoming App Tracking Transparency feature.

Startup Funding and Venture Capital News

Sergey Brin’s airship venture is developing a system powered by the world’s largest mobile hydrogen fuel cell. LTA Research and Exploration, the Google co-founder’s company, intends to utilize this technology for a large-scale disaster relief airship.

Coinbase has submitted its S-1 filing, marking a pivotal moment for the cryptocurrency sector. The company’s financial reports demonstrate substantial growth between 2019 and 2020, achieving profitability.

Meeting transcription service Otter.ai secured $50 million in funding, benefiting from increased demand during the pandemic. The integration with Zoom, launched in April 2020, proved particularly timely.

Insights from Extra Crunch

DigitalOcean’s IPO filing reveals a differentiated cloud market structure. The company plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “DOCN.”

Pilot CEO Waseem Daher provided a detailed breakdown of his company’s $60 million Series C pitch deck. This offers valuable insights for founders seeking to attract investment.

An analysis of Coinbase’s S-1 filing highlights five key takeaways, including user statistics, asset allocation, subscription revenue growth, competitive positioning, and ownership structure.

(Extra Crunch is a membership program designed to support founders and startup teams. Details on how to subscribe can be found here.)

Additional News

The streaming service Paramount+ will be available for $4.99 per month with advertisements. The service is scheduled to launch on March 4.

Registration is now open for TC Sessions: Justice, a discussion focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the startup ecosystem. The event is scheduled to take place in one week.

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