TechCrunch Newsletters - The Apple-Epic saga takes a turn

Good afternoon, and welcome to the hump day version of TechCrunch PM. On today’s list, Apple decides Epic Games’ developer account is a “threat,” we learn another way Meta and Google will comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act and Twitch looks at life beyond livestream. Get a whiff of Binance’s new crypto perfume, find out where the mega-rounds are and catch up on your Tetris skills while watching Sling TV. There’s plenty more, so let’s go!

— Christine

TechCrunch PM Top 3

Apple terminates Epic Games’ developer account: Boy, this Apple fight with Epic Games is getting downright dirty. Apple first approved Epic’s developer account, and now that is done. There’s a lot to unpack here, but among other things, there is that pesky European Union Digital Markets Act again.

Meta, Google and the DMA: Meta today is offering more details about how it plans to make its messaging apps, WhatsApp and Messenger, interoperable with third-party messaging services, as required by the DMA. Here’s what we have to say about it, and here is more on Meta’s plan. Meanwhile, Google adds some new developer fees as it works to comply with the DMA.

Gettin’ Twitch-y with it: Taylor Hatmaker read Twitch CEO Dan Clancy’s open letter so you don’t have to. Among the tidbits is the livestream company’s plan to redesign its app and its vision for life beyond live content.

More top reads

Sorare lays off staff: We got a tip that the web3-enabled fantasy sports platform Sorare laid off 22 employees based out of its New York office last month. Consider the move more strategic than financial as the company heads off a decline in web3 gaming. Looking for more layoffs? We’ve got a list.

I love the smell of crypto in the morning: Binance wants to get more women into crypto and is appealing to their sense of smell with a new perfume. Yes, you read that right.

Worldcoin halted in Spain: Spain’s data protection authority ordered the Sam Altman–founded eyeball-scanning blockchain crypto project to stop collecting and processing personal data from the market.

New climate disclosure rules: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission voted to require public companies to report a portion of their greenhouse gas emissions and their exposure to risks from climate change. While this doesn’t affect startups outright, those who make a business of telling enterprises what their carbon footprint is might want to start cold-calling.

Where the mega-rounds are: We’ve seen a handful of mega-rounds recently (Monzo), but with the decline in venture rounds overall, those are still few and far between. Not so for the energy industry, where nearly a dozen nine-figure deals have taken place. Alex Wilhelm and Tim De Chant take us inside the trend.

Child safety and video games: Technology company K-ID offers a framework to make it easier for video game developers to be in compliance with the ever-changing world of child safety laws and regulations.

QuotaLab is taking on Carta: QuotaLab, which began its life as an equity management service for startups and investors in South Korea, is fresh off of a post-merger integration with LogosSystem and ready to mingle in the world of cap table management. The goal is to become a one-stop shop where the Korean startup and investor community can manage funds, equity, investments, LP relations and more.

Vertical farming goes back to school: Babylon Micro-Farms built the STEM garden to show school classes of all ages how vertical farming works.

Headspace gets into the metaverse: Now you can take your Headspace mindfulness and meditation into extended reality. Headspace XR features instructor-guided practices and a community element.

Apex Space’s first vehicle doing well: The Aries satellite took a ride on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 ride-share mission and is now doing well in orbit.

Showee’s smart shower: Showee built a smart shower designed for people who face challenges both physical and intellectual. It has a height-adjustable structure, and includes a smart touchscreen that guides users through each step, from wetting and lathering to drying. Finally, a hands-free dryer!

Here’s who got funding: HR tech startup Remofirst raised $25 million in Series A funding to take on Deel and Rippling. Meanwhile, Kurs Orbital closed on $4 million to accelerate its satellite servicing technology to market.

Sling lets you multitask: Why look at your phone while watching Sling when you can play Tetris? The streaming service has a new gaming platform that enables users to play games while watching their favorite show. It’s actually quite clever, given that I play Solitaire on my iPad while watching Hulu.

Before you go

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On the pods

On today’s Equity, Alex Wilhelm focused on startup and venture capital news that matters, going inside such stories as OpenAI firing back at Elon Musk following a lawsuit, Monzo’s mega-round, another AI startup coming out of stealth (Ema), and so much more. Listen here.

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