Apple’s new update comes with contact tracing. Last week, Apple rolled out its iOS 13.7 with a surprise: an “exposure notification express” option that will allow iPhone users to opt in to be notified if any participating individuals they have come in close contact with have tested positive for COVID-19. The new option is the result of Apple and Google’s ongoing partnership on contact tracing that has struggled to gain traction. [CNET]
Oakland Black Business Fund launches platform. The initiative, helmed by Oakland community leaders Elisse Douglass and Trevor Parham, got started in June and last week launched its investment platform for Black-owned businesses. It’s specifically allotting $10 million in capital to help Bay Area businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic. [Built In SF]
Scale AI lands first CTO. Brad Porter previously worked as the VP of Amazon Robotics, but will now join the team at Scale. The buzzy company offers a data platform for AI and is reportedly valued at more than $1 billion. Its customers include Airbnb and Lyft. [GeekWire]
All Raise launches new tool. Women and non-binary people continue to be underrepresented in tech. In an effort to address this, the SF-based All Raise has launched Visionary Voices, a speakers’ bureau. The effort is intended to connect journalists, event organizers and other leaders in the male-dominated tech industry with founders, funders and other experts in the field who are women or non-binary so that they may amplify their voices. [Built In SF]
Pinterest abandons SF office lease. The SF-based social media platform is reportedly paying $89.5 million to terminate its lease for what would have been its new SF office inside the 88 Bluxome high-rise project. The company will, instead, remain in its existing SF headquarters while it considers how the industry shift to remote work might impact its future workforce planning. [SFGate]
Google plots a “town-like” Mountain View hub. Taking a step in the opposite direction, the Alphabet company is planning to build a new 40-acre campus consisting of a mix of office space, retail space, housing facilities, parks and event space. The Middlefield Park project could contain up to 1,850 homes, 20 percent of which will be designated for affordable housing. [CNBC]
Wish prepares to go public. The e-commerce company has filed a Form S-1 draft registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is valued at more than $11 billion and has been growing rapidly — it is currently hiring for dozens of roles across its engineering, product, marketing and design teams. [Built In SF]
Skillz preps an IPO. Continuing the trend of this summer in SF tech, competitive mobile gaming startup Skillz also announced last week that it is going public this fall. It is planning to go through an SPAC at a pre-money valuation of $3.5 billion. The company launched in 2012. [VentureBeat]
