A major funding week in NYC for e-commerce companies
It’s no secret that New York is home to some of the biggest and best e-commerce companies. This week, a handful of them got even bigger and better due to several stellar funding rounds. Eyewear-maker Warby Parker took home $75 million in a private equity round, designer dispensary Rent the Runway closed a $20 million venture round, and sleep technology company Eight walked away from their Series B round with $14 million in the bank.
MIT completes extensive study on fake news; finds disturbing results
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently published the results of an in-depth study on the spread of viral, fake news. MIT analyzed more than 126,000 stories shared by more than 3 million users over a period of 10 years. The frightening conclusion? Sensationalized, false information spreads more quickly and deeply on social media than verifiable, traditional news. The study was accompanied by a call for a “redesign of our information ecosystem in the 21st century.” [The Atlantic]
Vice Media announces new, female CEO; Smith to take spot on company board
On Wednesday, it was announced that Nancy Dubuc would be stepping down from her role as CEO of A+E Networks and stepping into the role of CEO at Vice Media. Shane Smith, who has served as the organization’s CEO since its inception, will remain on the board of directors and stay active within the company. The news comes after months of reorganization within Vice’s upper management, some of which was spurred by allegations of sexual misconduct. [TechCrunch]
At SXSW, de Blasio announces boycott of ISPs who don’t abide by net neutrality
Austin’s SXSW isn’t all just pictures of celebrities in jorts drinking IPAs. This year, New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio made an appearance (not in jorts) to declare that in the face of net neutrality rollbacks, NYC plans to boycott all internet service providers who do not adhere by net neutrality protocol. De Blasio was joined by 11 other mayors from across the country, including Austin’s leader. [Technical.ly]
Lighter cars, high-speed signals: MTA announces winners of subway innovation challenge
Could the oft-bemoaned MTA finally be on the road to repair? The Transit Authority recently announced several winners of an innovation challenge aimed at solving some of NYC public transit’s most frustrating problems. Among the winners were those who plan to replace the signalling system with ultra-wideband technology and extend the length of the train cars to contain more passengers. [MTA]
