New York Attorney General investigates the market for “fake followers”
If you’re familiar with the rush of gaining a new Twitter follower, you’re likely familiar with the disappointment of realizing that the new follower is a mere bot. As it turns out, a lot of those bots are using the personal information and photos of real individuals, in order to seem more authentic. Now, the attorney general of New York state is investigating companies like Devumi, who allegedly manufacture and sell these faux accounts. What’s more, the investigation is turning up handfuls of celebrities and public personas who have used services like Devumi to up their follower count. Say it ain’t so, John Leguizamo. [Engadget]
Boxed rejects Kroger acquisition, may be in talks with Amazon
Though supermarket standby Kroger allegedly offered $300 to $400 to popular bulk e-tailer Boxed, the grapevine reports that Boxed may be eying greener pastures. Boxed CEO Chieh Huang reportedly turned Kroger down before flying out to Seattle, where he met with Amazon executives about what could be a major acquisition. Boxed, founded in 2013, has raised more than $132 million in investments. [New York Business Journal]
Two of NYC’s top VC firms add first female general partners
It seems safe to say that women in New York City’s venture capital world are killing it lately. Extending this streak are Hayley Barna and Rebecca Kaden, who both received promotions to two of NYC’s most elite VC firms. Barna, who previously helped co-found and co-CEO Birchbox, is now a general partner at First Round Capital. Kaden, after relocating from San Francisco, will be joining Union Square Ventures as a general partner. Both women are welcomed as the first female general partners at either firm. [Forbes]
Is big tech coming for your healthcare?
On Tuesday, three of the most powerful companies in the world announced a joint venture that would see the formation of an independent health company. Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan stated they would be pooling their resources in order to create the company, the details of which remain unclear. If the thought of Amazon Prime delivering your flu shot terrifies you, you’re not alone. But you're also unlikely to have cause for concern, as one fact we do know about the new network is that it will only apply to employees of the aforementioned companies (which is still 1.16 million individuals, but I digress). [New York Times]
Scientists are one step closer to proving that parallel universes exist
Researchers have taken vital steps in an attempt to investigate the potential existence of parallel universes with their latest experiment that proves other, slightly different, universes could exist. This latest thought experiment consisted of simulations in which basic forces of the universe were tweaked slightly, and a different, yet functional, universe still formed. While the actual experiment is far more complicated than one could explain without a PhD, just know this: it’s very possible there is another universe out there in which you are not reading this article right now. [Gizmodo]
NYC tech raised more than $681M in the first month of 2018
New York City tech could not have had a better opening to 2018, with more than $681 million in deals closed in the first 31 days alone. Leading the pack was MoneyLion, which received a $42 million investment, and Quartet, which received a $40 million investment — both boast big wins for the fintech and healthtech sectors. The real question is, with only 28 days in February, will NYC tech keep up this pace next month? You know where to find out! [Built In NYC]
