Palantir docs show $579M net loss – TechCrunch
We dive into Palantir’s finances, Apple fires back against Epic Games and Lambda School raises funding. This is your Daily Crunch for August 21, 2020.
The big story: Palantir docs show $579M net loss
Danny Crichton got a hold of the confidential S-1 filing for secretive data analytics company Palantir and has been unpacking the details. As far as the top-line numbers go, Palantir reported revenue of $742 million in 2019, up 25% from the previous year, with a net loss of $579 million. And it had exactly 125 customers at the end of the first half of 2020.
In addition, multiple sources have told us that Palantir will have a lockup period after its direct listing. The combination of both a direct listing and lockup period is unusual, as Danny explains:
The lockup will almost certainly help stabilize Palantir’s stock post-debut, which will be less volatile since insiders won’t be able to trade their shares. However, it is definitely not a vote of confidence that a 17-year-old company thinks it needs to control the selling decisions of its workforce and investors in order to maintain its share price on the public markets.
The tech giants
Apple contends Epic’s ban was a ‘self-inflicted’ prelude to gaming the App Store — Apple characterizes the entire controversy as a “carefully orchestrated, multi-faceted campaign” aimed at circumventing the 30% cut it demands for the privilege of doing business on iOS.
Sony WH-1000XM4 headphone review — Brian Heater says they’re still the best in class at $350.
Facebook trials expanding portability tools ahead of FTC hearing — Facebook is considering expanding the types of data its users are able to port directly to alternative platforms.
Startups, funding and venture capital
Lambda School raises $74M for its virtual coding school where you pay tuition only after you get a job — Payments for Lambda School courses are based on a sliding scale that only kicks in after you land a job that makes at least $50,000 a year.
Triller threatened to sue over report suggesting it inflated its downloads — Triller has been pushing to capitalize on the recent turn of events regarding its chief competitor, TikTok.
No parties allowed at the Airbnb IPO — The latest episode of Equity covers Airbnb’s decision to ban parties, and also its private filing to go public.
Advice and analysis with Extra Crunch
How to raise your first VC fund — For starters, understand the mindset of an LP.
Anu Duggal on COVID-19, promoting diversity and building a fund — In 2020, the investor says her thesis that there will be a generation of successful venture-backed businesses built by women is one you can’t avoid.
Box CEO Aaron Levie says thrifty founders have more control — “Put yourself in a position where you spend as little amount of dollars as you can.”
(Reminder: Extra Crunch is our subscription membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.)
Everything else
Trump’s official campaign app had to reset its rating after being trolled by TikTokers — An effort by TikTok users to troll President Trump’s official campaign app with thousands of one-star reviews appears to have had an impact, if not the impact the pranksters had wanted.
Submit your pitch deck to Disrupt 2020’s Pitch Deck Teardown — In the Pitch Deck Teardown, top venture capitalists and entrepreneurs will evaluate and suggest fixes for attendees’ pitch decks.
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