Here’s what you need to know today in startup and venture news, updated by the Crunchbase News staff throughout the day to keep you in the know.
Subscribe to the Crunchbase Daily
Gojek, Tokopedia in talks for $18B merger
Indonesia-based ride-hailing giant is in advanced discussions about merging with leading local e-commerce company , ahead of a planned initial public offering of the combined entity, according to a citing people with knowledge of the matter.
The combination would create an entity with a likely valuation of around $18 billion, with businesses ranging from ride-hailing to payments to online shopping to delivery.
Founded in 2010, Jakarta-based Gojek has raised $5 billion in venture and growth funding to date, per Crunchbase data. Tokopedia, also based in Jakarta, has raised $2.8 billion since its inception in 2009.
Affirm Sets IPO Price Range, Seeks To Raise Up to $934.8M
The journey to the public markets is on again for , which said Tuesday it aims to raise up to $934.8 million in an IPO. [Read more]
P&G abandons plan to acquire Billie
and , a subscription service for shaving and body-care products for women, said Tuesday in a joint statement that they will terminate their planned merger agreement, .
“We were disappointed by the []’s decision and maintain there was exciting potential in combining Billie with P&G to better serve more consumers around the world,” the companies said in the joint statement.
The P&G deal for Billie was announced in January 2020. The startup, founded in 2017, has raised $35 million in venture capital, most recently a raise led by group, according to Crunchbase data.
The news follows a filed in December by the , which was trying to stop the merger. Billie for its efforts to eliminate the “pink tax” on goods marketed to women.
The Tuesday saying, “Procter & Gamble’s abandonment of the acquisition of Billie is good news for consumers who value low prices, quality, and innovation. Billie is a direct-to-consumer company whose advertising targets customers who are tired of paying more for comparable razors. The FTC voted to challenge this merger because it would have eliminated dynamic competition from Billie.”
Other news
Health care venture Haven to shut down: , a 3-year-old venture backed by , and with the aim of disrupting health care, is .
M&A
Twitter acquires podcaster Breaker: is podcasting app for an undisclosed sum. The San Francisco startup also said it will be shutting down its Breaker app on Friday, to “focus on building what comes next.”
Funding news
- ղū raises $10M for social media platform: , headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, is developing an app that shares revenue with its users and announced more than $10 million dollars in venture capital led by . The new investment gives ղū a $100 million valuation cap, according to the company. In addition, has been named as its new CEO.
- Kyte lands $9M to advance doorstep car delivery: , headquartered in San Francisco, said in a it raised $9 million in venture capital funding, led by and , to advance its platform to deliver rental cars to consumers’ doorsteps.
Illustration:
Stay up to date with recent funding rounds, acquisitions, and more with the Crunchbase Daily.


67.1K Followers