Barbershop scheduling app SQUIRE continues to grow amid its success with users according to its latest funding round. A press release reports that SQUIRE Technologies, Inc. — the only full scale barbershop management and POS system of its kind — has raised a $60 million Series D, bringing its total raised since launching to roughly $165 million, thus tripling its valuation to $750 million overall. The funding round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from existing investors such as ICONIQ Capital, Charles River Ventures and Trinity Ventures. Since 2015, SQUIRE has been offering its unique slate of services to benefit shop owners looking to scale their businesses and clientele, allowing them to cut back on time spent managing back office operations. With its new funding, the company plans to expand its engineering teams and increase sales as it continues to grow exponentially beyond its existing markets. “Our software helps our customers with nearly every workflow in their...

For decades, pillars of the Black community like barbershops and salons have contributed more to residents than haircuts and styling. Now, these community staples — that provide customers with therapy sessions, engaging debates, and a sense of safety — are deemed non-essential, closing down indefinitely. Black barbershops and salons have long been regarded as pivotal spaces in Black culture, always helping to bring the community together. For business purposes, customers go to barbershops and salons for haircare services but they stay for the sense of community and Black entrepreneurship. For the people that come by to sell their newest incense, fragrances, cosmetics, clothing, and repertoire of other supplies, barbershops and salons allow them to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit. However, with states now implementing shutdowns for all non-essential businesses, they jeopardize all those that conduct business in these community pillars. My barbershop is closed indefinitely. This...