Airbnb to house up Ukrainian refugees🏠, MPL acquires GameDuell🎮, Google Play Pass▶

Airbnb to house up to 100k Ukrainian refugees, MPL acquires German games studio GameDuell, Google debuts Play Pass in India, Learn with R&S, Funding Deals & more.

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Mar 01, 2022

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Airbnb to house up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, says CEO🏠

Airbnb said on Monday it is offering free short-term housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of their country.

“Airbnb and Airbnb.org are working with our Hosts to house up to 100,000 refugees fleeing from Ukraine, for free," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky posted on Twitter. The company will also work with neighboring European states to provide long-term stays.

Chesky also wrote to the governments of Poland, Romania, Germany and Hungary, offering support for housing refugees, according to a statement from Airbnb. The housing will be funded by the company, donors and hosts on the platform.

While the crisis is still ongoing, more than 300,000 Ukrainians have left following Russia’s invasion and the European Commission forecasts that the number could grow to millions, Bloomberg reported.

Mobile Premier League acquires German games studio GameDuell📱

Mobile Premier League (MPL), an Indian mobile eSports and skill gaming platform, has acquired Berlin-headquartered games studio GameDuell to expand operations across European markets.

The move is in line with MPL’s strategy to expand its footprint across key global markets. It already has a presence in Indonesia and the US, and with the deal, it will now have a footprint in three continents.

MPL’s acquisition of a German company is part of a growing trend of Indian startups acquiring their Western counterparts. While the financial details weren’t disclosed, GameDuell employees will become a part of the MPL team.

MPL said its expansion to Europe reinforces its commitment to the sector and a strong intent to cater to the most evolved global markets. This move also marks MPL’s foray into the mobile free-to-play (F2P) space.

Learn with R&S

`What is a startup incubator?`

Startup incubators focus on early-stage startups and help them by providing them with mentorship, advice and resources. The resources could be in the form of office space, capital and even networking. Founded in 2005, US-based Y Combinator has launched 300 tech startups. Some of its prominent startups include Dropbox and Airbnb.

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Google debuts subscription service Play Pass in India🎮

Google, which has been at loggerheads with the Indian startup and developer community, announced the launch of Play Pass on the Play Store, which will offer over 1,000 apps and games without ads and let users access their premium features for a fixed monthly or annual charge.

Google has been under intense pressure from app developers, startups and regulators, especially in India, for its steep commissions and restrictive Play Store payment policies.

Play Pass will offer a collection of more than 1,000 titles across 41 categories from developers across 59 countries, including many from India. Users can get started with a one-month trial and subscribe for Rs. 99 a month or Rs 889 for the year.

With the potential to access users across 90 countries, Play Pass will offer Indian developers a new way to expand their user base and unlock new revenue streams, the company said.