Mary Ann Azevedo
@bayareawriter
Followers
40K
Following
26K
Media
467
Statuses
16K
Freelance journalist covering startups & venture @CrunchbaseNews. Words @TechCrunch, @Forbes and more. Believer in the power of kindness. Wife, mom of 2.
Joined February 2011
After 4+ years and over 1K stories, today is my last day as a staff writer at TechCrunch. I am so grateful for this experience. Working with amazingly smart, kind and funny people who I learned from on an almost daily basis has been a true privilege. The culture at TC is.
62
4
340
Today I published my 200th story on TechCrunch. Time flies when you're having fun! 🎉.
41
6
693
I'm super excited to announce that today is my first day as a reporter @TechCrunch. my first article below looks at @UiPath's latest massive raise at a $35 billion valuation. Plenty more stories to come!.
114
46
677
Today marks my one-year anniversary of joining the @TechCrunch team. Since then, I've become a co-host on @EquityPod, launched a fintech column and published over 400 stories. I have so much respect for my colleagues and truly love what I do. Can't believe it's been a year! 😊.
82
10
598
It's almost surreal to be writing about VC firms raising capital, startups raising 9-figure funding rounds and startup layoffs in the same week.
33
43
587
Welcome to my new weekly fintech-focused column. 💃🏽.
54
55
538
I’ve been so distracted by our ice “storm” here in Austin that I almost forgot it’s my two-year anniversary of working at @TechCrunch! Time really does fly when you’re having fun.
55
1
472
I finally got verified on Twitter. Only took me 10 years. 😂.
39
3
474
Feeling very sad for reasons I don’t feel comfortable sharing publicly on Twitter. Could use some extra good vibes today - thank you in advance ❤️.
92
1
413
I’m brokenhearted to say that my family is dealing with a huge loss right now. I’ll be taking a break for a little while, in case you try to reach me.
146
0
399
Truist, the 6th largest bank in the U.S., just acquired a 12-person fintech startup called @longgame led by CEO and co-founder @lindskholden.
9
38
378
$70M SEED round.
Former Zillow execs raise $70M seed round for Tomo, which wants to simplify the mortgage process by @bayareawriter.
39
14
336
My fintech-focused newsletter, The Interchange, launches on May 1 after three months of publishing weekly as a column. Thank @alex for helping me come up with the name. I'm so excited and would be honored if you signed up as a subscriber here 👇🏽😀.
57
17
340
Today, someone I know personally told me that their mother got a job at a startup I wrote about. She said she was inspired to check their careers page after reading my article. Nice to know that our stories can have this sort of positive impact!.
12
6
336
Having quite the stressful week. Send me good vibes please. 🙏🏽.
84
2
326
.@tryramp confirms it has raised another $200M in equity, secured $550M in debt and that it is now valued at $8.1B. @foundersfund led the investment.
5
29
331
Love, love, love that my two funding round articles for tomorrow feature female co-founders with super impressive backgrounds.
14
3
303
For those who wonder why @TechCrunch reporters aren't responding to your email. we are absolutely inundated with pitches. Even I did not realize the insane volume until I started working here. It's impossible to read, much less reply to, all the inbound.
27
17
304
Feels like I've been covering more female founders lately.
27
10
295
I think I've received more pitches this week than I did the entire summer. 😳.
39
4
274
PSA for those who don't realize: most @TechCrunch .writers are extra busy this week and next with Disrupt! Keep this in mind when pitching.
11
24
263
Couple of friendly tips to PR professionals:. 1) Just because a reporter agrees to review an embargoed release does not mean we are agreeing to coverage. We are agreeing to look with the potential for coverage. 2) Always be honest. Trust is key.
9
26
247
Some personal news. This is my last day as a reporter at @CrunchbaseNews - just over three years and hundreds of articles later. I am honored to have covered such a wide variety of topics and interviewed so many smart and fascinating people. I will always treasure my time here.
44
5
237
Venting. I have an OOO reply stating I have been w/out power & unable to respond in a timely manner. Still, many people have continued to email me repeatedly. Some even acknowledging my situation. Please. Have some restraint in these situations. If it's not urgent, wait.
27
5
232
I share a birthday with Albert Einstein and it’s also Pi day. Can’t get much cooler than that!.P.S. Pumped about turning 50! Never felt more comfortable in my own skin 💪🏽.
33
2
220
Thank you to all those who reached out. I, along with our whole team, was devastated to learn of the layoffs at TC today. So many talented people that will be missed like crazy! If you're hiring for writers/editors, please consider @mjburnsy, @etherington, @morgan_sung and.
12
34
212
There is this misconception that TechCrunch reporters will only report on large rounds when it comes to funding announcements. This is untrue. Honestly, if a company is interesting enough, I don't even notice the dollar amount raised. I'm just intrigued by their model and.
19
9
223
I think one of the best traits in an interview subject is to concisely describe what their company does in a way that is easy to understand. Being succinct is underrated IMHO.
16
17
210
An update: I have been out of the office recently, and will still be for a few more weeks due to the loss of someone extremely important to me. If you have emailed me and I haven't replied, that's why. Thank you to everyone for the support. My team at @TechCrunch in particular.
51
2
210
My fintech newsletter for @TechCrunch, The Interchange, was "Recommended Reading" in a Financial Times newsletter and I am irrationally excited. Sign up here if you haven't already!.
20
4
211
It's very frustrating to get pitched on a company I've written about multiple times as if I've never heard of it. Shows a lack of research on the part of the person pitching.
8
5
206
Big news for TechCrunch today!. TechCrunch acquires StrictlyVC, appoints Connie Loizos to lead
13
24
212
feeling a bit beaten down by life lately. i welcome any encouraging words and tips to get through some hard times!.
125
1
195
Honestly, if I read and responded to every pitch I got, I would have no time to write anything. The volume is insane.
18
9
189
Sending me a link to your release on PR Newswire is usually NOT going to get me to write about your news, just FYI. (Unless it's a trends piece or feature).Once it's out on the wire, it's old news!.
17
21
192
The amount of fintech/LatAm raises is staggering as of late. Both are on 🔥.
14
13
195
Just the smell of coffee makes me happy. But drinking it makes me even happier.
23
12
177
I interviewed @Stranger_Things' @noah_schnapp about his move to offer fans a way to back his company, @snacktbh, for as little as $50 via fintech platform @joinrepublic. He says the vegan hazelnut cocoa spread has less sugar & more protein than Nutella.
2
12
173
It’s really disappointing to discover that a founder/company/VC you thought you’d built an *actual* relationship with views it as purely transactional.
24
6
180
I have three stories coming out tomorrow am that I am very excited about. Really love what I do. I get to talk to such interesting people and then write about it!.
9
0
178
I've got three stories coming out tomorrow – all nine digit funding rounds! It's crazy out there.
12
4
176
Tip for PR and comms folks. If you're reaching out to multiple people at a media organization, it's best to copy them all on an email pitch. It's kind of frustrating to respond to a pitch only to discover that a colleague has done so too, and now we have to regroup internally.
11
14
174
Friendly PR/comms tip: It is not a good idea to request coverage of fundraising news and include a link to a story that ran in another publication earlier that day covering said news.
32
14
181
I am thrilled to share that the incredible @nmasc_ will be covering more fintech, particularly as it pertains to inclusion and access.
15
5
172
I just hit 20K followers on Twitter (and no, I wasn't obsessively watching hee). It's wild to think that many people even give a darn what I have to say, or write, or whatever.
16
0
172
F--king shocked by what's happening at Silicon Valley Bank.
16
7
169
It's so refreshing to talk to a CEO who just answers your questions straight without a bunch of fluff, jargon or sales language. Makes my job easier and for a better story!.
1
15
176
I don't do drugs but I swear there is definitely a high that comes with writing a story about a super interesting company.
11
5
165
I am being pitched SO MANY interesting companies. BUT there are only so many hours in a day/days in a week. I can only write so many stories if I don't want to do crap work. I repeat: the more advance notice you give on embargoed news, the greater your chance of coverage.
8
14
158
Tip: today is not a great day to be pitching your embargoed news. .
8
16
158
I am taking a week off soon and am ridiculously excited! Not because I don't love my job -- because I do -- but am ready to have some down time with my kids and hopefully get out of town for a bit!.
17
1
153
I've been receiving a lot of pitches for news that comes out the next day or soon after. That's just not enough time in most (nearly all) cases. The more notice, the more likely you are to get covered.
8
19
145
I'm a bundle of nerves and excitement to be heading to TechCrunch Disrupt in SF next week. Having largely spent the past 2 1/2 years at home, it will be a bit of a shock to my system but hopefully in a good way. Can't wait to meet all my wonderful co-workers and so many of you!.
9
1
144
I wrote three articles today, had three in-depth calls/interviews AND made a really good meal for dinner. I’m tired but take comfort in the little things - like watching my family enjoy the food 😊.
9
1
147
Got a couple of LatAm funding round articles coming out tomorrow that I'm super pumped about. Both fintechs.
12
4
148
If you pitch me repeatedly on topics I do not cover, and never have covered, I will not respond to you. Please do your research before repeatedly sending emails to reporters. If not, you are wasting your time and theirs, and they will not take you seriously.
6
10
142
I AM OFFICIALLY THE MOTHER OF A HIGH SCHOOLER. (Yes, this warrants all caps).😜.
9
0
140
Scoop 🍦 up on @TechCrunch: Fintech @brexHQ has raised $300M at a $12.3B valuation just six months after being valued at $7.4B. Greenoaks is said to have led the financing.
8
27
144
Big news in the venture world. Foundry Group, an 18-year-old venture firm with nearly $3.5B in assets under management, has quietly decided to shut down and not raise any more funds. The move was unexpected considering that the firm announced a $500M fund just eight months prior.
15
31
136
Exclusive: @tryramp makes its 2nd acquisition, scooping up which has built out an AI-powered customer support tool.
2
17
140
Wow, A LOT of big news is coming out next week. And that's all I can say about that. Well, except that a lot of it is fintech-related.
15
2
138
anyone else feel guilty when your camera is off and everyone else's is on??.
27
2
136
I am PUMPED about the three stories I have coming out tomorrow.
9
0
136
I've had PR folks email me in the morning, offering up an exclusive and asking me to reply by EOD with a yes or no. Many times I don't even SEE an email until the next day or couple of days after. Just fyi.
11
15
134
Gotta admire people who are pitching reporters on the Friday before a long weekend. 😂.
15
2
134
.@snyatta, a SoftBank partner who co-leads its $5B LatAm Fund says: "Technology in LatAm is often more about inclusion rather than disruption. The vast majority of the population is underserved in almost every category of consumption.".
5
24
133
According to @CBinsights, Venture cash is overwhelmingly flooding into fintech: $1 of every $5 in venture last quarter went to fintech. In Q2, fintech startups picked up $30.8B, a 30% QoQ surge, and funding YTD has already exceeded 2020’s total by 24%.
2
25
125
I totally understand people have a job to do but please, if you know someone is in Texas and dealing with freezing cold and no power, maybe don't pitch them until things get better??.
5
7
120
It feels weird to tweet out an article that's about me but I am honored to be featured by @talkingbiznews so here it is.
22
7
119
I have four super interesting stories coming out tomorrow. And that's all I can say about that.
7
0
120
Happy Monday! I've got lots of fintech content planned for this week, starting with an exclusive on an exciting new fund tomorrow.
7
3
123
I talked fintech with @a16z General Partners @astrange and @illscience - it was a great interview. Read it here 👇🏽.
3
33
121
My kids survived a challenging year of virtual school and despite not getting a dental cleaning in 18 months, they have no cavities. Some much needed wins for a mom who has had a challenging year herself 💪🏽.
7
1
125
It's been an experience covering this SVB collapse but now I have to take time off as it's spring break for my family. See you next week 👋.
6
1
126
Super sad today for reasons I'm not comfortable sharing publicly (not trying to be cryptic but out of respect for people involved). Life can be so fragile. 😰 Just a reminder to never take your health - or that of your loved ones - for granted.
17
3
123
(1/2) We've had a lot of internal conversations on Slack lately about the frustrating practice of someone emailing multiple TC reporters with the exact same pitch as if it were unique to them.
8
8
122
Not saying this to be a diva. Straight up reality here! I am working three weeks ahead on news that's embargoed. With much less notice than that, I'm likely not able to consider covering.
8
4
119
Took a break from writing up funding rounds to work on a longer-form for @ExtraCrunch and I am freaking excited about it.
6
2
119
I get a LOT of pitches to my personal email address and they are often buried in between store promotions and emails from my kids' schools. Please don't email my personal email address if you want me to see your pitch! Thanks.
7
5
116
Today is my one-year anniversary as a full-time reporter for @crunchbasenews, although I've actually been writing for the site since April 2017. (A cumulative 276K words across more than 400 posts!) I'm super proud of how far we've come and the team we've built.
11
2
113
My eight-year-old daughter told me she wanted to help me write a story. I told her to try writing her own instead. So, she's doing a history of @Roblox. Hey, whatever it takes!.
14
1
116
I, like most reporters, have been receiving tons of pitches lately. When I tell people, I'm booked in the way of stories for a given week, please take it to heart. If I try to squeeze in your round/story, quality will suffer and no one wants that!.
10
4
117
(1/3) Some personal news. Today is my last day as Managing Editor of @FinLedgerNews. It's been an incredible experience to help build & grow a publication from scratch in a space that's as fast-growing as fintech. I'm grateful to @ClaytonACollins for his mentorship & faith in me.
27
2
116
Tip: When pitching news, don't link to another pub's article covering said news. That is not going to win over a reporter.
16
7
113
The new thing, I'm finding, is that people are offering to push out announcements to a later date if it means we'll cover the news. The number of fundings right now is insane! We are all just having to be very selective these days.
4
3
111
I am surprised by the number of pitches I have received today for news that comes out on 2/22. Monday's a holiday too. It's too bad. we.need.more.notice!!.
8
7
107
Realizing more and more that startup journalists and VCs deal with a lot of similar challenges such as a high volume of pitches and having to try to determine who's doing something really unique (or not) – as well as looking for companies with meaningful traction.
7
9
112
Has anyone else not taken as much time off during the pandemic since we're not traveling as much? I feel like I need more breaks but haven't been taking them, which is not smart.
24
3
110