As Monday morning rolls in, we’re providing TechWire readers with a quick recap of the past week’s news headlines.
The coronavirus pandemic continued to dominate news coverage last week. The demand for small business loans is overwhelming, says NC Bankers Association’s CEO; a new survey of NC’s tech sector shows business is up and companies are still hiring; Mecklenberg County teamed up with the Carolina Small Business Development Fund to offer $5 million in loans to small businesses; remote working is the new normal for NC tech firms, including Red Hat; here’s what to know about the CARES Act.
In non-COVID news: Bandwidth is opening a new $30 million HQ in Raleigh – CEO David Morken explains why he chose Raleigh; Red Hat named a new CEO; Chapel Hill investment firm TrueBridge Capital raised $190 million for its new fund; two local startups announced new funding rounds: Durham-based NextPlay Careers ($235,000) and Durham-based Teamworks ($25 million).
- Check out TechWire’s comprehensive resource package for Triangle startups.
And, in national news: The stock market is slowly bouncing back, though still unpredictable; small business optimism is dropping; WeWork is suing SoftBank for pulling out of its $3 billion bailout; the Federal Reserve’s new $2.3 trillion loan program targets small businesses and local governments.
Keeping with our Monday tradition, here’s a look back at 79 local, state and national headlines as reported by WRAL TechWire last week:
MONDAY | April 6 Headlines:
- Durham software startup helping student athletes transition to workforce raises $235,000 in equity
- Dymax Corporation to establish $21.5M manufacturing facility in Gaston County, creating 59 new jobs
- Fact check: Viral post falsely links coronavirus to 5G data
- GSK to invest $250M as part of coronavirus vaccine effort with US biotech firm
- Here’s update about latest changes – 401(k)s, tax credits, more – in virus crisis legislation
- How do startups, entrepreneurs survive this virus crisis? Here are 6 ways to stay standing
- IBM’s new CEO spells out priorities, especially cloud, and makes exec changes as he takes over
- Investors brace for bad week as fight against coronavirus continues to wreak economic havoc
- Looking to network? Here are 140+ local meetups to join
- NC headliners: 40+ events (mostly virtual) & deadlines coming this month
- On the tech horizon: Here’s a look at what’s coming across NC in May
- Raleigh startup K4Connect works to keep older adults ‘entertained’ during social isolation
- Red Hat names longtime exec Paul Cormier as CEO, replacing Jim Whitehurst
- Small-business owners struggling with loan application process
- SXSW partners with Amazon to put its film festival online
- TechWire rewind: How COVID-19 hits local businesses; relief loans + 70 other headlines
- Triangle headliners: 48 webinars & events to add to your April calendar
- Triangle Startup Guide adds COVID-19 business assistance funding & resources
- UNC Kenan-Flagler professor: Here’s how COVID-19 crisis will spawn innovation
- Veteran technology writer Anick Jesdanun dies from coronavirus
- When will a coronavirus shot be ready? A look at the vaccine race.
TUESDAY | April 7 Headlines:
- Advanced Animal Diagnostics pivots to humans from livestock for COVID-19 test
- Airbnb turns to private equity, not venture capital, for $1B in new funding
- Bandwidth to purchase $30M plot from state for new HQ, adding 1,165 new jobs
- Bulls are returning to Wall Street, but virus still makes markets unpredictable
- Chapel Hill-based TrueBridge Capital Partners’ new $190M fund targets growth-stage tech firms
- Fighting COVID-19 – how Triangle startups, other groups are tackling the crisis
- Jeff Bezos tops Forbes list of billionaires, again
- Latest entrant in streaming wars is here, but what exactly is Quibi?
- Online grocery services struggle to meet spike in demand
- Orthus Health offers diabetes management platform for free to clients during virus crisis
- RTI International acquires New Jersey-based Medical Data Analytics
- Survey: Small business owners’ optimism plunges, few see improvement soon
- UNC researchers playing key role in development of potential COVID-19 treatment
- WeWork board sues SoftBank for scrapping its $3B bailout
WEDNESDAY | April 8 Headlines:
- $5M in loans available to small businesses from Mecklenburg County; Wake, Durham looking into idea
- Bandwidth’s Morken: Why he chose Raleigh for new HQ, other expansion plans
- Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro furloughs up to 120 workers
- Durham’s Teamworks, founded by former Duke football player, lands $25M in Series C funding
- Fed lifts restrictions on Wells Fargo to help boost lending to small businesses
- How are execs reacting to virus crisis? Check out NC TECH briefing
- How Johnson Automotive is dealing with COVID-19 to keep customers safe
- Looking for free or low-cost internet, mobile services? Check out new NC map
- NC banks exec: Demand ‘overwhelming’ for virus crisis loans, fed guidance still lacking
- NCSU uses 3D printing tech to produce 200 face shields a day for WakeMed
- Some COVID-19 patients in Italy to receive RedHill drug; firm has US HQ in Raleigh
- Survey: Many NC tech execs say biz is up, still hiring but economic recovery won’t be quick
- Tesla slashing pay, will furlough many employees due to virus crisis
- UNC’s Entrepreneurship Center offers online series on how to navigate the ‘great pause’ of COVID-19
- WRAL Digital, Daily Tarheel win Facebook grants to cover COVID-19
THURSDAY | April 9 Headlines:
- Bandwidth’s new HQ to include Montesorri School as ‘subsidized benefit’ to employees
- Disney+ is ‘resonating’ globally at 50 million subscribers after only 5 months
- Federal Reserve’s new $2.3T loan program targets small businesses, governments
- Fed makes $600B in loans available to smaller businesses – here are details
- Grifols pursues development of coronavirus treatment based on blood plasma
- Here To Help: Local Business Virtual Conference Series – listen in to latest in the series
- Here To Help: Local Business Virtual Conference Series – new program today
- How do you find a job in this virus crisis? 3 experts offer advice
- Know COBOL? Your services are back in demand due to virus crisis
- NC Medical Society teams with Wilmington firm to launch telemedicine solution
- New Shark Tank-like podcast features underrepresented entrepreneurs from Triangle
- New website keeping tabs on Wilmington’s growing startup scene
- Red Hat exec spells out upside for companies in work-from-home shift – and UNC prof concurs
- Report: New guidance could help VC-backed startups land new SBA loans
- Where to apply for virus crisis loans in NC? Here’s a list
- Working from home becomes new normal for NC tech firms, survey finds
FRIDAY | April 10 Headlines:
- Can’t fulfill a contract because of COVID-19? Here’s what to do, part 1
- Can’t fulfill a contract because of COVID-19? Here’s what to do, part 2
- Can’t fulfill a contract because of COVID-19? Here’s what to do, part 3
- Durham-based BioCryst appoints Anthony Doyle as chief financial officer
- Economic devastation looms on a Good Friday like no other
- Former Loading Dock community manager steps down to take on new marketing role
- RTP-based AskBio taps former Histogenics exec as new chief business officer
- Tech Talent South hosts digital summit covering tech trends, innovation, talent & culture
- Teladoc soars on bet that virtual health is here to stay
- The United States is already in a recession, 45 economists say
- UNC seeks $125M to discover new drugs against future pandemic
- Universal leads the on-demand movie experiment as ‘Trolls’ jumps to streaming
- WeWork halts some rent payments, seeks rent relief: Reports
