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Summer is whipping right along, with Memorial Day and the Summer Solstice already in the rear-view mirror. We’re rounding the corner into the next long holiday weekend here in the U.S., and here at TechCrunch, that can mean just one thing. It’s time for our July 4th, two-for-one flash sale! Starting today you can buy two tickets to TechCrunch Disrupt for the price of one. It’s a great way to secure serious savings on our three-day flagship event in San Francisco on October 18-20, with an online day on October 21. This flash sale remains in effect until July 5 at 11:59 pm (PT) . Unlike procrastination, preemptive purchasing pays. Grab your co-founder, a colleague or your best bud, buy your passes here and save : Get two General Admission passes for $695 ($347.50 each) Get two Investor passes for $695 (also $347.50 each) Get two Student / Nonprofit passes for $195 ($97.50 each) What can you expect at Disrupt this year? Tech icons and other high-caliber speakers from across the...

David Campbell Contributor Share on Twitter David Campbell is the CEO and co-founder of Tropic, an infrastructure platform that helps companies better optimize SaaS purchasing. With a recession looming and economic headwinds showing no sign of abating, many companies are scrambling to cut costs. Software is a prime category for optimization, and many organizations are paying 50% more on cloud technologies than they did just two years ago. It’s tempting to over-invest in best-in-class technologies to drive efficiencies and stand out, but that technological desire to keep up with the Joneses can come at a significant cost. Companies currently carry hundreds of software contracts, mixing and matching apps, platforms and an endless array of SaaS vendors. The result is that some of that spending is unnecessary. In fact, according to our internal data, which reflects over 10,000 contracts we’ve negotiated, companies are overspending on their software by nearly 30%. The chal...

Amount, a fintech that reached unicorn status last year, has laid off 18% of its workforce. The exact number of how many people were affected is not known, but when TechCrunch reported on its last raise in May of 2021, the company said that it had 400 employees. If that is still the case today, then about 72 people were let go. When contacted, the company confirmed that the 18% figure was correct but did not specify the exact number. In a written statement, CEO Adam Hughes said: Due to the current macro-economic environment, we have decided to take some proactive adjustments to ensure Amount’s ability to thrive for years to come.  We believe these actions are the prudent thing to do for the long-term health of the company and remain extremely excited about the future. Amount was spun out of  Avant — an online lender that has raised over $600 million in equity — in January of 2020 to provide enterprise software built specifically for the banking industry. It partners ...

Google has announced that starting today, people who are still using Hangouts on mobile will see an in-app prompt asking them to move to Chat in Gmail or the Chat app. The company says the new prompt will help remaining users move to Chat as Google works toward officially shutting down Hangouts in November. People who use the Hangouts Chrome extension will be asked to move to Chat on the web or install the Chat web app, the company says. In July, people who use Hangouts in Gmail on the web will be upgraded to Chat in Gmail. Google notes that although it encourages everyone to make the switch to Chat, Hangouts on the web will continue to be available until later this year. Users will see an in-product notice at least a month before Hangouts on the web starts redirecting to Chat on the web. Image Credits: Google The company says although conversations will automatically migrate from Hangouts to Chat for most people, it encourages users who want to keep a copy of thei...

Africa-focused venture capital firm TLcom Capital has appointed Eloho Omame as a partner six months after announcing the first close of TIDE Africa Fund II, its $150 million second fund (it expects to reach a second close later this year, according to its partners). appoints TLcom Capital is known for investing from seed to Series B. Some of the deals from its portfolio in this category include uLesson, Ajua, Ilara Health, Kobo360 and Twiga. However, the venture capital firm has been flexible with its deal-making processes, registering a few later stages deals in Andela’s Series C and much earlier stages like Autochek’s  pre-seed deal. Taking a more proactive approach, the firm, which has offices in Lagos, London and Nairobi, intends to place more emphasis on the pre-seed stage and Omame’s appointment is critical to this objective. She is the co-founder and general partner of FirstCheck Africa, an early-stage firm that invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups with at least ...

LG Electronics has acquired AppleMango, a South Korean electric vehicle battery charger developer, as the race to produce everything related to EVs ramps up globally. The acquisition, which was made jointly with GS Energy, an EV charging station operator, and GS Neotek, an IT provider, will allow LG to take advantage of future business opportunities, the company said . “The EV charging market is expected to grow rapidly due to the surging demand for more eco-friendly vehicles,” said Paik Ki-mun, senior vice president of LG Electronics in a statement. “Leveraging our know-how and experience in the B2B sector, we will offer customized, integrated vehicle charging solutions for diverse customers, enhancing the competitiveness of our existing and ensuring our readiness for future opportunities.” LG Electronics acquired a 60% stake while GS Energy and GS Neotek took over 34% and 6%, respectively, in AppleMango, which will become a subsidiary of LG Electronics following the deal. The compa...

Logistics in much of Southeast Asia is not only complicated, but also expensive. Deliveree wants to solve that problem with a platform that not only lets clients book trucks, but also uses algorithms to determine the best route based on location, trucking loads and even the weather. The company announced today that it has raised a $70 million Series C led by Gobi Partners and SPIL Ventures, with participation from returning investor Inspire Ventures. This brings the company’s total raised so far to $109 million since it was founded in 2015. The high cost of logistics means consumers end up paying higher prices, said founder and CEO Tom Kim. “The way we see the market is that number one, the inefficiency in trucking and cargo shipping has driven up costs materially. Imagine you’re in California, Los Angeles, and buying a pair of Nike shoes. What portion of that sales cost is spent on logistics and transportation and warehousing? The answer is very well-documented. It’s about 8%. If yo...