Today in the Connected Economy: Amazon Teams With Teladoc

Today in the connected economy, Teladoc Health launches a partnership with Amazon, while General Motors prepares to launch dozens of new subscription services.

Also, the Uber-owned Careem backs the Egyptian food delivery startup Elmenus, and Lowe’s unveils a new DIY home repair offering.

Teladoc Health Launches Amazon Collaboration

Virtual healthcare provider Teladoc Heath has joined forces with Amazon Alexa to provide care through Echo devices such the Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show.

The partnership will initially involve Teladoc launching on Alexa via audio, with video visits scheduled to roll out soon, Teladoc said.

“Teladoc Health’s collaboration with Amazon is yet another step in breaking down barriers to healthcare access,” said Donna Boyer, the company’s chief product officer. “By introducing and integrating our virtual first care experience with Echo devices, we are providing an innovative and convenient way for users to connect with a doctor.”

GM Rolling out Dozens of New Subscription Offerings

General Motors is prepping as many as 50 new subscription services, set to launch over the next 36 to 48 months.

While GM North America President Steve Carlisle offered no specifics about these features when speaking with investors recently, he did note: “the bigger screens on our EVs will enable us to bring more of the data-oriented software products to the customers.”

Last year, General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced the company plans to expand its subscription offerings as part of a plan to double revenues.

Lowe’s Unveils DIY-U by Lowe’s Digital How-to Project Workshop Portal

Lowe’s has launched DIY-U by Lowe’s, a collection of on-demand, digital, instructor-led, home improvement skill-building project workshops.

The DIY-U by Lowe’s portal features limited-seat monthly livestreams and relaunched in-store workshops for kids and adults. The home improvement giant will host two monthly livestreams for up to 1,000 registrants each, along with an in-person kids’ workshop for children ages 5-12 and two adult in-person workshops in all stores. The company said each workshop will be hosted by Lowe’s Red Vest store associates.

Meanwhile, Lowe’s new virtual workshop experiences will also let customers shop and add supplies to their cart in real time and get live answers to project questions from Lowe’s experts.

Egypt’s Food Delivery Startup Elmenus Secures Backing from Uber’s Careem

Egyptian food-delivery startup Elmenus has received an undisclosed investment from Careem, the Dubai-based food-delivery/ride-hailing platform owned by Uber.

Careem is among the biggest brands to put invest into the growth possibilities of Egypt, the most populous of the 22 nations that make up the Arab world.

Elmenus operates in five Egyptian cities and partners with more than 12,000 restaurants. Careem co-founder and CEO Mudassir Sheikha said in a statement that working with Elmenus expands its own reach in “one of our largest ride-hailing markets.”

JPMorgan Invests in Blockchain Firm TRM

J.P. Morgan Chase is the latest investor in blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs.

The investment, which was of an undisclosed amount, will help the San Francisco company fund its cryptocurrency compliance and risk management technology.

“Financial institutions, cryptocurrency businesses, regulators and law enforcement agencies worldwide use TRM’s technology to monitor cryptocurrency transactions for suspicious activity and to trace the movement of stolen or other illicitly obtained funds,” the company said in a news release.

TRM co-founder and CEO Esteban Castaño said the investment, which follows a recent $60 million Series B, underscores the importance of the growing crypto economy and of making a safe ecosystem for it to grow.