Activision acquisition: EU reports concerns

Microsoft could get an antitrust warning. Also: Didi Chuxing gets permission to restart and Bitcoin on course for recovery.

Good morning! While you slept, work continued elsewhere in the digital scene.

The top topics:

The takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft met with growing resistance in the EU. As the “Handelsblatt” reports, the EU has raised concerns about the 69 billion US dollar deal. According to an insider, the EU will soon send the US software company a list of concerns. The competition authorities want to decide by April 11 whether to approve the deal. With the takeover, Microsoft would become the third-largest provider in the gaming sector.

About a year ago, Microsoft announced the purchase of the makers of the video games “Call of Duty” and “Candy Crush”. The software group tries to compete with competitors like Sony and Tencent to withstand. Not only the EU, but also the US antitrust authorities fear that the purchase will adversely affect competition. The Activision deal would be the most expensive acquisition in Microsoft’s history. [Mehr bei Handelsblatt und Reuters]

On the founding scene: More than half of all start-ups fail due to psychological problems, such as stress and burnout. Based on these facts, Natascha Prieß and Gerjet Efken founded their startup. with Accelerate Health they want to help founders to maintain and regain their mental health. In a podcast interview with editor Nina Anika Klotz, they reveal how. [Mehr bei Gründerszene]

And here are the other headlines of the night:

The Chinese authorities have Didi Chuxing granted permission to acquire new customers. The Didi apps are approved again in China’s app stores. The announcement marks the end of a government cybersecurity probe. Less than 12 months ago, the ride-hailing service provider had to withdraw from the New York Stock Exchange after making its market debut. [Mehr bei Financial Times, The Information, Techcrunch und Wall Street Journal]

the Bitcoin 2023 has started positively. The price of the world’s largest digital token has risen by around 26 percent since the beginning of January. At the start of the week, the price climbed above the $21,000 mark. After FTXcollapse, bitcoin had temporarily crashed to $16,000. However, the recent recovery is a far cry from the record high of $68,990 set in November 2021. According to experts, a number of factors are behind Bitcoin’s rise at the turn of the year, including the likelihood of interest rates being cut and buying by large customers. [Mehr bei CNBCund Wirtschaftswoche]

Tesla has come under criticism for allegedly poor working conditions at its plant in Grünheide near Berlin. The head of the SPD employee wing, Cansel Kiziltepe, told the “Handelsblatt” that Tesla was the only car manufacturer in Germany without a collective agreement. According to IG Metall, there is dissatisfaction with the employees about stressful shift systems, numerous overtime hours at weekends, an extremely high workload and too few staff. [Mehr bei Handelsblatt und Reuters]

The paragraph of electric vehicles exceeded a global milestone last year. According to new data and estimates, deliveries reached a market share of around ten percent for the first time, which is mainly due to strong growth in China and Europe. While EVs still make up a fraction of car sales in the US, their share of the overall market in Europe and China is growing. [Mehr bei Wall Street Journal]

A package of laws from the European Union (EU) that provides organizations in various sectors with stringent protection against Cyberangriffe obliged, came into force on Monday. As the “Handelsblatt” reports, the directive “on measures for a high common level of cyber security” (in short: NIS 2) could pose major problems for the German economy, as the requirements are considerable. “Right now, probably 80 percent of companies don’t know they’re affected by NIS 2,” said Timo Kob, founder of an IT security consulting firm. [Mehr bei Handelsblatt]

Our reading tip on Gründerszene: “Chief Heart Officer” conquer the boardroom. But everyday work with them is not nearly as rosy as their title suggests. These are the new absurd positions in the C-level. [Mehr bei Gründerszene]

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Happy Tuesday!

Your Gründerszene editors