Top tech startup news stories you need to know this Friday, December 15

Good morning! Here are top tech startup news stories you need to know this Friday, December 15

Portugal tech startup JScrambler is helping consumers fight cyber crime. JScrambler, a Portugal tech startup founded by two friends, Rui Ribeiro and Pedro Fortuna, is helping thousands of web applications defend themselves against cyber attacks.  Jscrambler ensures the integrity of your Web Application on the Client-Side.

Apple bought tech startup Shazam for $400 million. Apple has acquired Shazam for $400 million.  The deal was first reported by TechCrunch last week. Apple spokesperson finally confirmed the acquisition. Shazam lets users identify songs, movies, TV shows, and commercials from short audio clips. This is not only a perfect fit for Apple but it also hurts Shazam’s rival, Spotify.  At one point, Spotify was interested in buying the Shazam but couldn’t afford it.

PinDrop is using AI in call centers to catch crooks. The Atlanta, GA startup PinDrop is using AI to stop fraud. Unlike traditional companies that rely on old technology based on rules fed into software, PinDrop’s artificial intelligence deploys deep learning for its anti-fraud and call center authentication solutions that help companies establish security, identity, and trust on call center voice interactions.

News Over Audio (NOA) startup launches audio news for people who don’t have time to read newspapers. Shane Ennis  and Gareth Hickey founded NOA, a startup to make newspaper content live beyond the page. Since their launch in May, NOA has been streaming recordings of professional broadcasters reading a selection of articles from media partners, including The Independent, The Financial Times and the Irish Times.

Digital Banking Startup Loot Raises $2.9M Series A. Loot, a digital banking startup has raised $2.9 million in Series A funding to expand a current account offering aimed at students and millennials.  Loot was founded in 2014 by Ollie Purdue. He was finishing up school at the time of the company’s founding. Currently, Loot does not have a banking license at the moment, but instead operates under an electronic money license, via a partnership with Wirecard. According to the information on its website, Loot card is a Mastercard and is protected by Mastercard rules.

Charles Barkley pledges $1 million to black women for business startup. Former NBA star Charles Barkley announced Thursday night he is pledging $1 million to black Alabama women to fund startup costs for I.T. businesses. “It’s time for us to make a difference. Everybody in life wants the same thing, we want our children to be safe and for them to go to a new school,” Barkley told WTVY at Jones’s victory party in Birmingham Tuesday night.