HN user
Just looked through the Crunchbase profiles of a few Western SQL/NoSQL database companies, and I did not see any Chinese investors. This investment will certainly give MariaDB a significant competitive advantage in China. It will be interesting to see if other startups follow their strategy.
I agree. I think SoundCloud's troubles came primarily from poor management. Throughout the monetization process, top management seemed to be hoping that the "business guys" would figure it out while they stayed in their comfort zones.
"Only 20% of AI-aware firms are adopters." This number is much lower than I expected considering how routinely advances and applications of AI are reported in the tech community. There are so many opportunities for entrepreneurs on the horizon.
It may be not that long before we see: "Create an account to reserve your spot for our space tours!" followed by a form to fill in your information and a Checkout with PayPal button. Reserving a spot for a space tour. No big deal.
This is a thorough beginner's guide! I would recommend it to friends.
Agreed. The Google Ad Machine will never stop running. But, I think they will diversify their revenue streams in the coming years. Forces outside of Google's control such as governments and competition will begin to push back on the "all you can eat buffet" of personal data that Google has enjoyed in the past years.
Based on the numbers in the article like doubling their "large business" user base in the past year, I think Diane Greene will lead them to generating huge revenue in the Enterprise sector. Also, I think freemium versions of Google software, directed at consumers, will be increasingly popular in the future.
That multiple doesn't seem crazy for a relatively early stage ecommerce startup. But, I'm guessing the acquisition price was based more on Bonobos' private valuation. Bonobos has raised ~$125 million so a $310 million valuation would be reasonable.
AmazonFresh is an expensive service. The team is searching for routes to dominate the high-end grocery market (worth billions) before launching into the worldwide grocery market (worth hundreds of billions). AmazonFresh customers and Whole Foods customers value convenience and quality. They are much less price sensitive than most.
Whole Foods has millions of customers. Amazon will surely be advertising AmazonFresh or some re-branded form of it - such as "Whole Foods Direct" - to Whole Foods customers. Do Whole Foods turn into AmazonFresh warehouses? Possibly, but it's unclear how the two business will eventually integrate. It's also possible that Instacart gets acquired by Amazon, but for the most part I see them getting screwed in this deal. Instacart's business development deal is like bringing a knife to a bomb-fight.
The other major value this deal brings to Amazon is the industry-specific knowledge that the Whole Foods team brings. As a frequent East Coast, Whole Foods shopper, I am always amazed to see how much of their food comes from the West Coast/all over the world. I think the execs of AmazonFresh, who are mainly HomeGrocer/Webvan execs, appreciate the complicated logistics of doing the businesses. Amazon will be able to combine its software engineering knowledge/logistics knowledge with Whole Foods' expertise at creating an amazing grocery-shopping experience.