• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
NewslettersTerm Sheet

Zoom is the king of social connection in this crazy, new world

By
Polina Marinova
Polina Marinova
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Polina Marinova
Polina Marinova
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 19, 2020, 9:47 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

If there’s one company that’s made a huge splash during the coronavirus epidemic, it’s Zoom. 

In the last week, the video-conferencing software company has been the subject of several profiles in Forbes and The New York Times. Coworkers are using it for meetings, kids are hosting remote birthday parties, and students are completing their schoolwork on the platform. Someone even suggested to me that I don’t postpone my wedding in April but just live-stream it through Zoom…

And Zoom is capitalizing on this opportunity. Zoom went public last April, and since then, its shares have soared about 200%, giving it a market cap of more than $31 billion. 

But when Zoom first launched, it wasn’t an obvious success story.

When the company debuted 10 years ago, the market was already crowded. There was Microsoft’s Skype, Cisco’s Webex, and Apple’s FaceTime. It seemed like there was no room for yet another player. But Zoom still took off. Why? 

My colleague Michal Lev-Ram dug into this question and reached out to several investors to find out. From the story: 

“Previous to Zoom, I felt like the debate around videoconference apps was ‘Which do you feel is least terrible? Let’s use that one,’” says Hunter Walk, another Silicon Valley–based seed-stage investor. (Walk did not invest in Zoom, but he is a longtime user.) “Zoom had an intersection of stable, high-quality performance plus ease-of-use, and the network effect started snowballing from there.” 

Ask other avid users, and they bring up that same theme: While there were plenty of other options out there, Zoom just provided a better one. 

“They built a system with a super simple, modern UX [user experience] and very few clicks to get working,” says Aileen Lee, founder of venture capital firm Cowboy Ventures (again, Lee is not an investor but a regular user of Zoom). “You’d think big tech companies with more resources would have been able to offer something as good, but they never did.”

But, Michal notes, it’s unclear yet just how many of its current influx of new users will convert to paying customers. One thing is for certain: The Zoom boom is far from over.  

Read the full story here.

STARTUPS VS. CORONAVIRUS: EverlyWell, an Austin-based home diagnostics startup, announced it will offer a COVID-19 sample collection kit for home use on Monday. Founder Julia Cheek tweeted that the company will begin with a supply of 30,000 at-home kits and ramp up to 250,000 tests weekly. One kit will cost $135, which Everlywell says it sees no profit from, but Cheek is seeking government and public health partners to see if she can offer the kits for free.

Nurx, a telemedicine platform that offers birth control, PrEP, and STI test delivery, is also working on an at-home coronavirus test that will launch “within the week,” according to the company. The test will be available to people who have had direct exposure to COVID-19 and/or are experiencing symptoms.

PS: Make sure you tune in tomorrow for my last Term Sheet (😢) and for more details about the future of the newsletter!

Polina Marinova
Twitter: @polina_marinova
Email: polina.marinova@fortune.com 

VENTURE DEALS

- Scopely, a Culver City, Calif.-based developer of mobile and tablet touch-screen games, raised $200 million in Series D funding from Advance and The Chernin Group.

- UserTesting, a Mountain View, Calif.-based provider for on-demand human insights, raised $100 million in funding. Insight Partners led the round, and was joined by investors including Accel, OpenView, and Greenspring.

- Robin Games, a developer and publisher of free-to-play mobile Lifestyle Gaming, raised $7 million in seed funding. LVP led the round, and was joined by investors including 1Up Ventures, Alpha Edison, Everblue Management, firstminute Capital, Greycroft Tracker Fund, Hearst Ventures and Third Kind Venture Capital.

- Around, a video calling workplace platform, raised $5.2 million in funding. Floodgate and Initialized Capital co-led the round, and were joined by investors including Credo Ventures and Naval Ravikant.

PRIVATE EQUITY DEALS

- KKR agreed to buy Viridor, a U.K.-based recycling company, for £4.2 billion, or $4.85 billion. Read more.

IPOs

- Blue Moon, a Chinese detergent maker backed Hillhouse Capital Group, has picked banks for a Hong Kong-based IPO raising up to $1 billion this year, Reuters reports citing sources. Read more.

- Social Capital Hedosophia, a Palo Alto-based partnership co-founded by the team that brought Virgin Galactic public, postponed plans to raise $300 million and $600 million for its second and third blank check companies respectively. The latter fund is seeking a tech acquisition likely outside the U.S. Read more about II and III.

EXITS

- Lindsay Goldberg sold VDM Metals, a Germany-based developer of high-performance materials, to Acerinox, S.A. for €532 million ($572 million). 

PEOPLE

- Tuesday Capital promoted Prashant Fonseka to partner and David Jee to associate.

About the Author
By Polina Marinova
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis (left) stands on a spiral staircase next to Google DeepMind researcher John Jumper.
NewslettersEye on AI
Defections from Google DeepMind prompt questions about Alphabet’s efforts to stay at the forefront of AI
By Jeremy KahnJune 23, 2026
10 hours ago
From Audrey Gelman to Bobbi Brown, second-time female founders are on the rise
NewslettersMPW Daily
From Audrey Gelman to Bobbi Brown, second-time female founders are on the rise
By Emma HinchliffeJune 23, 2026
13 hours ago
Cred founder and CEO Kunal Shah. (Courtesy: Cred)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta’s latest reverse acqui-hire: Cred founder Kunal Shah
By Andrew NuscaJune 23, 2026
19 hours ago
Saudi PIF’s governor wants the kingdom to become a global investment center
NewslettersFortune Gulf Brief
Saudi PIF’s governor wants the kingdom to become a global investment center
By Melissa HancockJune 23, 2026
19 hours ago
The CEO with real-time data on 1 in 6 American workers says stop worrying about jobs—and start thinking about tasks
NewslettersCEO Daily
The CEO with real-time data on 1 in 6 American workers says stop worrying about jobs—and start thinking about tasks
By Diane BradyJune 23, 2026
20 hours ago
The WNBA turns 30—and women’s basketball is dreaming bigger than ever
NewslettersMPW Daily
The WNBA turns 30—and women’s basketball is dreaming bigger than ever
By Emma HinchliffeJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
17 hours ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
19 hours ago
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
Investing
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
By Nick LichtenbergJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
16 hours ago
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.