Uber throws its hat into Austin scooter race
Electric scooters are a veritable craze in Austin these days (and possibly also a veritable way to break your ankle, depending on whom you ask). To date, Bird and Lime have emerged as top contenders in the scooter arms race, but just this week Uber announced its own plans for scootering to success in Austin. Scooters will be distributed by Uber’s Jump subsidiary, which it acquired earlier this year. Riders can get their scoot on by using the Uber app. Curious? The company is offering free rides, and helmets, now through November 11. (Please use the helmets.) [Culture Map]
GetLinks acquired by NYC’s Infor
GetLinks has called Austin home since its 2015 founding. The company’s software monitors open source code for enterprise clients who utilize that code in their products. Now, the firm will continue operations under the guidance of Infor, a New York City-based firm that caters software exclusively to enterprise clients. It’s clear how the GetLinks platform fits in with Infor’s pre-existing business model, but further details of the deal have yet to be disclosed [Austin Inno]
DISCO sets sights on Europe with London-based expansion
Legal software developer DISCO is bringing its cloud-based tools across the pond. Earlier this week, the company revealed plans to open a data center and office in Europe. The former will be hosted in the Amazon Web Services location in Dublin, Ireland — allowing the company to quickly grow roots and get up to code. The office will be located in London. DISCO, which has been expanding rapidly in recent months, only recently relocated to Austin. [Texas Tech Pulse]
WeWork continues Austin expansion with plans for sixth location
Coworking giant WeWork has its sights set on Austin. This week, the company announced plans for a sixth location in the city, in the recently renovated Westview Building at 316 W. 12th Street. The company reports the space will be large enough to accommodate more than 1,000 coworkers. WeWork opened its first Austin office in 2015, and announced plans for its fifth as recently as January of this year. This latest location is set to open in Spring 2019. [Austin Business Journal]
UT wins $1.2M from Department of Education
The University of Texas has received a $1.2 million grant from the Department of Education as part of a program sponsoring projects related to high-intensity lasers. Currently, UT is in the midst of experimenting with the functions and applications of its Petawatt laser, with potential uses spanning from surgery to interplanetary travel. [UT Austin]
