Apple has quietly picked up a Colorado startup that specializes in holographic lenses, adding fuel to persistent rumors that the company is developing augmented reality eyeglasses. Akonia Holographics launched in 2012 with $11.6 million in funding, and currently holds more than 200 patents. The company initially focused on holographic data storage, which allows companies to pack more data into a smaller space than conventional storage, according to a 2015 presentation to the U.S. Department of Energy. But…

SoftBank Group Corp. reportedly won’t buy into next month’s IPO by electric car maker Nio Inc. The Japanese electronics giant explored investing as much as $200 million in the Chinese car maker whose U.S. headquarters is in San Jose, according to the Wall Street Journal. But now the Journal’s unnamed sources say SoftBank has backed away from Nio’s offering, which is expected to to raise up to $1.5 billion in two weeks. SoftBank has direct and indirect stakes already in a number of companies that…

As Lorie Tekorius becomes the company’s COO, the legendary exec explains why Greenbrier’s “deep bench” will sustain it … and why Tekorius isn’t being replaced.

Tesla’s chief people officer, Gaby Toledano, is taking a leave of absence just 15 months after being hired, the company said Wednesday. Tesla, Inc. didn’t say when, or whether, she’ll return. Toledano, 51, joined Tesla in May 2017 from Redwood City-based video game maker Electronic Arts, Inc. She reports directly to CEO Elon Musk and remains one of the company’s highest-ranking female executives. “Gaby previously asked to go on leave to spend time with her family, and we support that,”…

In the wake of firing a high-level executive over “insensitive” remarks, Netflix Inc. has hired a vice president of inclusion strategy. In the newly created role, Vern? Myers will help devise and implement strategies that integrate cultural diversity, inclusion and equity into the Los Gatos-based streaming giant’s global operations. The move follows the ouster of Netflix Chief Communications Officer Jonathan Friedland in June after he reportedly used a racial slur in front of Netflix staff…

Housing costs aren’t the only eye-popping figures in the Bay Area, especially when looking at the priciest private schools in the region. Our list of the 15 private schools in the Bay Area with the highest tuition all rank highly when compared to private schools across the nation, according to ratings from rankings and reviews site Niche. With annual tuition and fees well over $40,000, you’d hope that’d be the case. (Tuition calculations were made for the highest grade offered by the school and…