Romain Dillet
Senior Writer
The Latest from Romain Dillet
How Automattic wants to build the operating system of the web
Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Longreads, Simplenote and soon Tumblr, is now worth $3 billion. But its founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg has a bigger goal. He wants to make th
iOS 13 is now available to download
Apple has just released the final version of iOS 13. This update brings many much needed quality-of-life improvements — and there are also a bunch of new features. The update is currently rolling ou
Automattic raises $300 million at $3 billion valuation from Salesforce Ventures
Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce and soon Tumblr, has closed a $300 million funding round at a $3 billion post-money valuation. The Series D round has a single investor, Sales
Macron announces €5 billion late-stage investment pledge from institutional investors
President Emmanuel Macron announced in a speech ahead of France Digitale Day that the French government has convinced institutional investors to invest more heavily in late-stage VC funds and asset ma
Apple awards another $250 million to precision glass maker Corning
As part of Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund, Apple is investing $250 million in Corning, a supplier that has been working on glass for the iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad. Apple had previously inves
FairMoney raises $11 million for its challenger bank for emerging markets
Fintech startup FairMoney is building a challenger bank in Nigeria. The company first started offering microcredit and now plans to expand to current accounts and savings. FairMoney just raised an $11
Apple Arcade is now available for some iOS 13 beta users
If you’re running a beta version of iOS 13 or 13.1, chances are you can now open the App Store and subscribe to Apple Arcade. The company has been rolling out its new subscription service, as MacRum
Canal+ will bundle Netflix subscriptions in France
Canal+ wants to provide an alternative to the great unbundling of video streaming services. France’s leading pay-TV group announced that it will sell Netflix subscriptions starting on October 15. In
Leeto helps works councils manage perks
French startup Leeto provides a service for French works councils, better known as comités d’entreprise. The fintech startup lets you hand out perks to employees using a simple web service combined
Google to pay $549 million fine and $510 million in back taxes in France
After years of back and forth with tax authorities in France, Google has settled a fiscal fraud probe, as the financial prosecutor’s office told Reuters and AFP. Overall, Google will pay a $549 mill
Zyl raises $1.1 million to resurface old memories from your photos
French startup Zyl has raised $1 million (€1 million) in a round led by OneRagtime. The company has developed an app that uses artificial intelligence to find the most interesting photos and videos
Akeneo raises $46 million for its product information management service
French startup Akeneo has raised a $46 million Series C round led by Summit Partners, with existing investors Alven, Partech, Salesforce Ventures and Stephan Dietrich also participating. The company d
Apple is releasing macOS Catalina in October
After a summer of beta testing, Apple is about to release the next major version of macOS: macOS Catalina. But not so fast; the new version will arrive in October, according to Apple’s updated w
iOS 13 will be available on September 19
Apple announced in a press release that iOS 13 will be available on September 19. Even if you don’t plan to buy a new iPhone, you’ll be able to get a bunch of new features. But that’s not al
Apple introduces the A13 Bionic for the iPhone 11
Apple is announcing new iPhone models today. The iPhone 11 uses an Apple A13 Bionic system-on-a-chip. It is a nice improvement over the A12 Bionic in the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max. But how much faster
Apple introduces the Apple Watch Series 5 with always-on display
Apple today introduced some new Apple Watch models at a press conference. The Apple Watch Series 5 has an always-on display. It seems to look just like the Apple Watch Series 4. “Apple Watch puts gr
Watch Apple unveil the new iPhone live right here
Apple is set to announce new iPhone models today. The company is holding a keynote on its campus at 10 AM PT (1 PM in New York, 6 PM in London, 7 PM in Paris). And you’ll be able to watch the event
Coinbase announces USDC Bootstrap Fund to support DeFi projects
Coinbase is announcing a new initiative called the USDC Bootstrap Fund. As the name suggests, the company wants to support developers with a fund composed of USDC tokens. DeFi, or Decentralized Financ
Freeda raises another $16 million for its media brand for women
Italian startup Freeda Media has raised a $16 million Series B round. Existing investor Alven is leading the round, with Endeavor Catalyst, UniCredit and others also participating. UniCredit is also g
Spendesk raises $38.4 million for its corporate card and expense service
French startup Spendesk has raised another $38.4 million in a Series B round, with existing investor Index Ventures leading the round. The company has raised $49.4 million (€45 million) over the yea