Week in review: Univision buys Gawker, Spotify launches kids section and more

by Wellesley Daniels
August 18, 2016

Denton bows out, Univision steps in

The story:

Univision placed the highest bid for Gawker Media this Tuesday at $135 million.

Why Univision?

The Spanish-language television network is continuing its aggressive push to expand its digital reach to millennials, adding Gawker to a growing list of acquisitions it has made this year, including The Onion, The Root and Fusion. [Built In NYC]

 

Spotify wants to be your baby’s cheapest tutor

The story:

Spotify launched a new kids category that features playlists focused on vocabulary and language development.

So is it music or what?

You bet! Spotify is serious about the real impact music can have on early brain development. The playlists also boast voiceover prompts between songs that encourage parents to sing along and learn with their kids. [TechCrunch]

 

Fundings of the week

Stash, $9.25 million

Investors: Goodwater Capital, Valar Ventures and Entrée Capital

Stash is one of the fastest-growing financial services targeted at millennials. It wants to help young people take ownership of their investments with the confidence that they won’t be screwed over by corporate interests at big investing firms. [Built In NYC]

Vettery, $9 million

Investors: Greycroft Partners and Raine Ventures

Vettery is a recruiting platform that sets up job seeker with 'talent executives,' who help them set up a profile and review interview requests from employers, cutting out recruiters as the middle men. Upon accepting a job, Vettery throws you a cool $1,000 bonus. [TechCrunch]

Byte Academy, $2.67 million

Investors: Tri5 Ventures

Byte Academy is a coding bootcamp that offers intensive industry-focused programs, emphasizing full-stack programming using Python. Industry-focused programs include fintech, data science and medtech. [Built In NYC]

 

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