Techflier

This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence ,   Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here . Business Insider Intelligence In recent years, we've seen a ballooning of activity in fintech — an expansive term applied to technology-driven disruptions in financial services. And 2018 has been no different, with fintechs' staggering influence on the market evidenced by record funding levels for the industry — by Q3 2018, overall funding was already up 82% from 2017’s total figure, according to CB Insights . See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also: Real-time payments are seeing rapid uptake during the pandemic UK Parliament is concerned about potential effects of the pandemic on the UK's cash infrastructure Greater Than has launched a cloud-based loyalty program SEE ALSO:  How the largest US financial institutions rank on offering the mobile banking feature...

The Indian government has rejected Flipkart’s proposal to enter the food retail business in a setback for Walmart, which owns majority of the Indian e-commerce firm and which recently counted its business in Asia’s third-largest economy as one of the worst impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), a wing of the nation’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, told Flipkart, which competes with Amazon India, that its proposed plan to enter the food retail business violates regulatory guidelines. Flipkart’s proposed food retail business, called Flipkart FarmerMart, cannot be structured on a 100% foreign direct investment, the Indian agency said. Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer at Flipkart, told TechCrunch that the company was evaluating the agency’s response and intended to re-apply. “At Flipkart, we believe that technology and innovation driven marketplace can add significant value to our country’s...

Business Insider Intelligence Apple is at a tipping point. The tech giant’s fiscal Q1 2019 represented the first time in more than a decade the company saw declines in both revenue and profit during a holiday season. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also: Tencent's $70 billion investment plan in cloud computing will pit it against US providers THE INTERNET OF MEDICAL THINGS: The coronavirus is catalyzing a need for healthcare IoT in the US — here's how connectivity and technology providers are carving out their place in the market Facebook's new Workplace features double down on its social focus and in-house hardware integrations from Feedburner https://ift.tt/2rSdohp via IFTTT

Beam, a Singapore-headquartered micromobility firm that offers shared e-scooters, has raised $26 million in a new financing round as it looks to expand its footprint in Korea, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Sequoia India and Hana Ventures led the two-and-a-half-year-old startup’s Series A financing round, while several more investors from Asia Pacific region participated, Beam said without disclosing their names. The startup has raised $32.4 million to date, a spokesperson told TechCrunch. Beam , like Bounce and Yulu in India , offers electric scooters in the aforementioned five markets. Electric and gasoline scooters have become popular in several Asian nations and elsewhere as people look for alternative transportation mediums to move around faster and at less cost. While these vehicles make inroads into various markets, it’s also not uncommon to find these scooters abandoned carelessly in the streets. Beam said unlike other startups, it incentivizes its riders th...

This is a preview of the AR in Social Media research report from Business Insider Intelligence. 14-Day Risk Free Trial: Get full access to this and all Apps & Platforms industry research reports. Augmented reality's (AR's) ability to link our digital and physical worlds is transforming the way brands engage with consumers on social media. Digital titans Snapchat and Facebook are monetizing consumers' love for AR with ads and branded experiences, opening the door for brands to use a new means of creativity and immersive storytelling to reach consumers in a way they appreciate and respond to. While the use of AR in social media is still in early stages, the immersive technology is already becoming impossible for brands to ignore. This fun, memorable, and convenient way to merge a brand into consumers' lives is catalyzing the way brands escalate converted sales, drive consumer engagement, and lift brand awareness. With AR ads expected to generate over  $13 billion i...

AP Photo/Evan Vucci President Donald Trump and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke on Friday, Axios reported Sunday, days after the president signed an executive order targeting social media companies. Zuckerberg reportedly "expressed concerns about the tone and the rhetoric" of some of Trump's posts during the call, which followed posts on Twitter and Facebook that the former hid because it violated the rules on "glorifying violence." Facebook has notably taken a different stance than Twitter when it comes to the president's posts.  Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . President Donald Trump and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a phone call Friday amid the president's spat with social media, Axios first reported Sunday , with several other outlets confirming as well. Zuckerberg "expressed concerns about the tone and the rhetoric" of some of Trump's posts during the phone call, a source familiar with the call tol...

Reuters Images via Biden campaign Former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday made an unannounced visit to a site in Wilmington, Delaware where protests against police brutality and racism took place the night before.  Leaving his home for the second time in a week, Biden recognized the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed in Minneapolis police custody last week. "The original sin of the country still stains our nation today," Biden said in a video released Friday. "We need justice for George Floyd."  Meanwhile, President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked protesters and threatened violence against them on Twitter.  Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . Former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday made an unannounced visit to a site in Wilmington, Delaware where protests against police brutality and racism took place the night before. Leaving his home for the second time in a week, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee rec...

Sergio Estrada/USA TODAY Sports Los Angeles Lakers star player LeBron James shared a powerful video of protesters in Colorado lying on their backs and chanting "I can't breathe" for nine minutes on Sunday.  "Media showing this???? I bet you they're not!" James tweeted on Sunday night, sharing the video to his 46.2 million followers. "You know why, cause this is unity, peaceful, beautiful and love!" James, one of the most prominent basketball players and athletes in the United States, has used his platform in recent days to raise awareness about Floyd's death. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . Los Angeles Lakers star player LeBron James shared a powerful video of protesters in Colorado lying on their backs and chanting "I can't breathe" for nine minutes on Sunday.  "Media showing this???? I bet you they're not!" James tweeted on Sunday night, sharing the video to his 46.2 million followe...

Mark Wilson/Getty Images President Donald Trump was taken into the White House security bunker on Friday night amid protests against police brutality in downtown Washington, DC, The New York Times reported Sunday. Officials told The Times that they never believed the president was in danger but took the precaution as protests escalated outside the president's residence.  Demonstrations have broken out in about 75 US cities over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis after an officer knelt on his neck. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . President Donald Trump was taken into the White House security bunker on Friday night as protests against police brutality and racism drew large crowds in downtown Washington, DC, The New York Times reported . Officials told The Times that they never believed the president was in danger but took the precaution as tensions escalated.  See the rest of the story at Business Insid...

US Army/VIS Jason Johnston US Army Green Berets develop unique skill sets while in uniform and take those abilities with them when they leave the service. Some of them use those capabilities to take on missions that the Army would never send them on. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . The green beret-wearing experts at Army Special Forces are an enterprising bunch, even after they leave the military. In December 2019, prosecutors allege a former special operations soldier and an accomplice helped ousted ex-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan. But that almost 60-year-old Army veteran isn't an anomaly. He's not even unique to the past few months. Another ex-Special Forces operator was captured allegedly trying to oust Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in a "popular uprising" early in 2020. That's just what Green Berets do. Of course, they usually have the backing of the US government. Even when they don't have any backin...