Collateral Disclosure

(via Tech Crossroads) In November, Snapchat faced a wave of stories after it was learned that one of its investors had marked down the value of the investment by 25 percent. Needless to say, the company couldn’t have welcomed the news coverage. As a private company, Snapchat is under no legal obligation to…

Startup tests itself in tough environment // Trump tax plan impact on VC’s // Using Waze for traffic tickets … and more

Startups and Capital ‘Why I started an alcohol delivery company in a city with no happy hours’ (Boston Globe) Could this ex-NSA hotshot protect your email from hacking? (Fortune) Canadian startup launches law search engine (release) Invest N.S. startup may signal new era (The Chronicle Herald) Start-up contest: Seeking the next energy star (Fortune)…

Judge: phone passcodes private // FTC investigating Google // EU investigating all online biz … and more

Courts & The Law A federal judge ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission cannot force two individuals suspected of insider trading to turn over the passcodes to their cell phones to allow authorities to review the contents. (Wall Street Journal) Can Uber keep drivers out of court with their complaints about wanting employee status versus…

Economic data startup lands funding // How Congress created fantasy sports // California keeps targeting contractors … and more

Capital & Startups Premise has raised $50 million to help grow its business of economic data tracking, with customers in the government and financial sectors. (TechCrunch) One writer argues that Boston‘s startup scene will be dominated by companies in heavily regulated industries in the future. (BostInno) A 16-year-old from Connecticut won the 2015 Google…

How did VW cheat software work? // France’s anti-Uber crusade continues // NY licenses Bitcoin firm … and more

Capital & Startups Separate.us is a website devoted to trying to make it easier for people to navigate the laws and regulations related to divorce. The goal is to be the “TurboTax of divorce” and help people avoid expensive lawyers. (TechCrunch) Green Bits launched a point-of-sale system that makes it easier for marijuana sellers…

Feds offer millions for more secure transactions // Facebook, Pandora win in DC // EU lags on innovation culture … and more

Capital The Commerce Department’s National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace is investing $3.7 million in three companies working on more secure online transactions. The recipients include MorphoTrust USA, Galois, and HealthIDx. (The Hill) The United Kingdom‘s government is investing in Daraz, an e-commerce site targeting Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan. (TechCrunch) Over the past five years, challenge.gov has held innovation…