Top tech startup news stories you need to know this Thursday, March 15, 2018

Good morning! Here are some of the top tech startup news stories today Thursday, March 15.

SEC accuses Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes of ‘massive fraud.’  Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, the Silicon Valley darling whose blood-testing startup Theranos has collapsed in a slew of scandals, has been charged with “massive fraud” by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The commission on Wednesday accused Theranos CEO Holmes and a top lieutenant of defrauding investors of more than $700 million through false claims about its technology. In a separate report, the SEC also said Elizabeth Holmes exaggerated the company’s revenue by 1,000 times to investors, says SEC

Google will ban all cryptocurrency-related advertising. Google is following Facebook footsteps. Google is cracking down on cryptocurrency-related advertising. The company will no longer allow ads about cryptocurrency-related content, including initial coin offerings (ICOs), wallets, and trading advice across any of its ad platforms. The ban will go into effect in June 2018, according to a company post.

Apple strikes a deal to acquire the magazine app Texture. Apple has announced plans to acquire a digital magazine subscription app Texture for an undisclosed sum. “We’re excited Texture will join Apple, along with an impressive catalog of magazines from many of the world’s leading publishers. We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said.

China’s ‘Fun Headlines’ app considers IPO at $3 billion valuations.  Qu Toutiao, the startup behind a popular Chinese news and video aggregation mobile app, is weighing an initial public offering in the U.S, Bloomberg reports.

John McAfee is joining crypto startup CryptoSecure as an adviser. McAfee is joining crypto startup CryptoSecure as a senior strategic adviser. The startup offers “hackproof security solutions” for the digital-coin industry. Shares of Key Capital, which trade over the counter, surged almost 400 percent after the announcement.

Finnish tech startup Ceraheat Oy to help India improve indoor air quality. Ceraheat Oy, a Finnish tech startup with its innovative indoor glass heating solutions is looking to offer tangible solutions to improve indoor air quality in Indian homes.

Startup Pick2Heal brings medical lab tests to doorstep. Startup firm pick2heal has launched a new platform The platform allows give patients to access the test report from anywhere at any time and can be useful as an online repository for the same. Via its website, patients can select a list of labs that conduct the tests along with prices and an option to book the test at special rates.

Over $60 billion wiped off the value of cryptocurrencies in 24 hours as bitcoin slide continues. Prices of major cryptocurrencies dropped Thursday, amid closer regulatory scrutiny on the space and after Google announced plans to ban advertising related to the sector.

Cambridge biotech startup to pay $150m to license rare disease drugs. Akcea Therapeutic, a Cambridge, Mass-based biotech startup that’s working on treatments for serious and rare diseases will pay a California drug maker $150 million in licensing fees for worldwide rights to a medicine expected to win approval this year.

Cryptocurrency startup Strix Leviathan raises $1.6M from Joe Montana, Doug Baldwin, VC firms. Strix Leviathan, a new Seattle Washington-based startup led by Blue Box founder Jesse Proudman, today announced a $1.625 million seed round from a diverse set of investors ranging from top VC firms to NFL players. Liquid 2 Ventures, a San Francisco firm co-led by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, led the round. Founders’ Co-op, Future/Perfect Ventures, and 9Mile Labs also participated.

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