Your IPO is picked up and on the way: Food delivery startup DoorDash has reportedly filed confidentially to go public, with a Form S-1 now under review by the SEC. The company is currently valued at an estimated $13 billion and is said to control 38 percent of the ever-competitive U.S. food delivery market. [TechCrunch]
Jump on it: Pony.ai, a startup that splits its headquarters between the Bay Area and China, just raised $400 million from Toyota for its self-driving taxis. The company also announced it will soon be testing its robot cars on public roads in Beijing and Shanghai. The new investment brings Pony.ai’s valuation to $3 billion. [The Verge]
(A)I just can’t get enough: Many SF companies in the AI space announced news last week. As PitchBook reported, AI chipmaker SambaNova Systems just tripled its valuation to $2.5 billion following a new funding round led by BlackRock. And contract analytics and AI technology provider Seal Software just got acquired by DocuSign, according to a news release.
TripActions lands $500M: The Palo Alto-based corporate travel unicorn just secured a $500 million credit facility that will help the company launch a new product line called TripActions Liquid. The service is aimed at helping companies avoid making their workers who don’t have corporate cards put work expenses on their personal cards. The funding comes from Silicon Valley Bank with participation from Goldman Sachs and Comerica Bank. [TechCrunch]
Fighting censorship with decentralized domains: SF-based Unstoppable Domains is working to protect free speech and help build a censorship-resistant internet. It is doing so by offering extensions like .eth, .bit and .crypto that can’t as easily be taken down by government authorities when compared to more traditional extensions like .com and .org. [Built In SF]
The one with the India expansion: At Apple’s annual shareholder meeting in Cupertino last week, CEO Tim Cook said the company is making big moves in India, opening an online store there this year, as well as its first brick-and-mortar store there in 2021. Where the electronics giant is not making a move, however, is into Central Perk. In response to a question about Apple TV Plus passing on the upcoming Friends reunion, Cook said the company’s streaming service is “about original programming” not reruns. [CNET]
Exit, acquisition at Salesforce: Software giant Salesforce had a big news week. First, the company announced that co-CEO Keith Block is stepping down from his role, while Marc Benioff will now become the company’s sole CEO. Meanwhile, the company also announced it is acquiring Vlocity in an all-cash $1.33 billion deal. The startup has built industry-specific CRMs on top of the Salesforce platform. [TechCrunch]
Inside Facebook’s Menlo Park HQ: Did you know wild foxes roam freely around the social media giant’s massive campus? Its campus is integrated with the natural world and the adorable critters are so prevalent, the company posts warning signs alerting to their presence. Inside, the HQ has laundry service, delicious food from around the world and an art collection that rivals some museums. We got a look inside. [Built In SF]
Coronavirus concerns: Facebook just canceled its large F8 developer conference, scheduled to begin May 5 in San Jose, due to COVID-19 fears. Other tech giants are limiting travel and canceling their participation in key conferences. [Recode]
Meanwhile, San Francisco has declared a state of emergency for the city due to concerns with the virus. [The Hill]
