From Digital Age to Nano Age. WorldWide.

Tag: Equity podcast

Robotic Automations

Musk's xAI shows there's more money on the sidelines for AI startups | TechCrunch


We’re off to an AI-heavy start to the week. OpenAI has a new deal with the Financial Times that caught our eye. Sure, it’s another content licensing deal, but there appears to be a bit more in the tie-up than just content flowing one way, and money the other.

On this early-week episode of Equity, we also dug into the xAI news that TechCrunch broke recently; namely that Musk’s AI enterprise is not looking to raise $3 billion on a $15 billion valuation. No, it’s now looking for $6 billion at an $18 billion valuation. That’s a lot of capital.

But there was even more to chat about, including the EU handing Apple even more bad news in the form of placing iPadOS under its DMA rules that should force third-party app stores on the tablet line in time. And Tesla got some good news in China, though just how impactful it will prove is not 100% certain at this juncture.

And to close out, the Times has a fascinating look at pace at which venture capitalists are putting money into AI startups. Given the ability of OpenAI to land big deals with Microsoft money, I wonder if it is enough?

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

Good news for Rubrik, bad news for TikTok and medium news for early-stage startups | TechCrunch


Rubrik’s strong IPO pricing and warm reception by the public markets after its listing add more weight to the perspective that the public markets are not as closed to tech startups as some thought. If Rubrik’s result isn’t enough to break the logjam, well, maybe there’s something else going on.

But there was a lot more that happened this week, which meant that the Equity crew had a pile of news to get through as always, with a little bit of our own mixed in. Happily it was all pretty darn interesting, so Mary Ann and Alex started with Rubrik before pivoting to Pomelo, a startup that has a very interesting twist on the remittances market.

From there it was time to talk about TikTok. What was once an unfathomable result — TikTok being forced to divest from its parent company or face a ban — became reality pretty darn quickly. The United States is not the first company to ban the service, but we noted during the show that the company we are keeping is not the most enticing. Still, here we are; what does it mean for consumers?

And to close, Early Stage. TechCrunch held its annual early-stage focused event this year, and it was a banger. Not to toot our own horn, but it was the second year in a row that our shindig in Boston was packed, useful and lots of fun. The coffee was even good. At a tech conference. Alex had notes.

Equity is back on Monday, thanks for hanging out with us!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

Andreessen Horowitz's $7.2B new funds for a 'new era' | TechCrunch


What is worth $11 billion and wants to go to Mars to collect rocks? NASA’s mission to Mars to collect rocks that was expected to cost $11 billion and take ages. So, the U.S. space agency is throwing the doors open to get more input, and that means that startups are looking at an opportunity that is truly out of this world.

But that’s not the only thing going on. Today’s Equity episode is focused on all things startups, which means we also got to chat through Two Chairs’ recent and massive Series C, Quilt’s heat pump work and fundraise, and several IPO updates. Here’s hoping that after Ibotta and Rubrik get out the door, more IPOs follow.

Also on the show today was a grip of venture capital news. Bay Bridge Ventures is raising a $200 million climate fund — it has lots of good company there, given rising LP interest in climate tech more generally — and a SpaceX alum is building a new VC firm that we covered.

To close, the massive, gobsmackingly big $7.2 billion worth of new funds from a16z. We dug into their breakdown on the podcast, but the short version is that it appears that the venture slowdown has not managed to impede the venture firm’s golden touch when it comes to fundraising. Hit play, let’s have some fun!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

The TikTok ban clears key hurdle while Perplexity AI continues to shake up search | TechCrunch


Well, if you are a big TikTok fan and live in the United States, I have some bad news for you: A bill that would force a sale of TikTok or ban it in the United States passed the Senate. And the President is expected to sign it. Given that China has made noise that it will not allow a sale of the social media company that is headquartered in Singapore, but is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, it’s not looking good for TikTok in the States.

But if that has you bummed out, don’t worry, we have lots of pretty positive news to discuss as well. News like two AI startups in Europe that are making a bit of noise that caught our attention. There’s a lot more AI in Europe than just Mistral, of course.

And we had to discuss the latest from Perplexity AI, which just raised money and is shaking up its operating plans by raising even more money. It’s a good time to be an AI startup.

Not that that is the only thing going on. The Framework laptops folks just raised more capital, Pony.AI is considering a U.S. IPO, and Volition Capital is expanding. Hit play, and let’s have a chat!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

Salesforce's silly deal dies, Rubrik's IPO, and venture capital in space | TechCrunch


It’s going to be a big week! Tech earnings are coming up, the EV wars are on (and how!), and it feels like venture capital has its head in the clouds. All that adds up to one packed Equity episode!

Today, we dug into the latest markets news, including upcoming earnings, IPOs, and what impact — if any — the bitcoin halving has had on the value of the cryptocurrency.

We also had two new venture capital funds to discuss: A new vehicle from Seraphim focused on space, and TLcom Capital’s new Africa-focused fund. From there, it was time to chat EVs and what impact recent price cuts are having on the value of EV companies.

To close out, we dug into the emerging startup cluster in vector databases and search. In short, normal databases are hot garbage when it comes to the sort of queries we need for AI, but vector search is pretty good at it. Enter startups, venture capital and the biggest tech companies. May the startups win.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

Notable Capital's Hans Tung on the state of VC and the upside to down rounds | TechCrunch


To some investors, “down round” is a dirty phrase, but not to Notable Capital’s Hans Tung. Hans is a managing partner at Notable Capital, formerly GGV Capital, a venture firm focusing on investments in the U.S., Latin America, Israel, and Europe.

Hans, whose portfolio includes the likes of Airbnb, StockX and Slack, sat down with TechCrunch’s Equity podcast to discuss the overall state of venture and why he still believes down rounds can make a lot of sense. Per Hans, “An IPO is actually just a milestone, not the end game. An IPO is the beginning of public investors being along for the ride. So when you think in longer-term valuations, up or down temporarily doesn’t matter as much as generating a big outcome at the end.” It’s worth noting that by September 2023, nearly 11% of the year’s VC deals were down rounds, according to PitchBook data.

Hans also let us know why he’s still bullish on fintech, and what sectors in the fintech space have him especially psyched.

Of course, we dug into recent changes at his own firm, which evolved from 24-year-old cross-border firm GGV Capital and rebranded its U.S. and Asia operations to Notable Capital and Granite Asia, respectively. GGV’s transformation is the latest in a string of changes we’ve seen in the world of venture capital, including personnel changes at Founders Fund, Benchmark and Thrive Capital.

Hit play to hear what Hans has to say on these topics and more! Equity will be back on Monday. See you then!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

Tesla's newsy week, and is fintech having a moment? | TechCrunch


It’s been more than a minute since Tesla went public, but the EV company was inescapable on TechCrunch this week. From layoffs to pricing changes and more, it was a week dyed deeply in Tesla colors so we had to chat through the latest.

But that was just one element of what we got into on Equity this week. We also dug into Mary Ann’s reporting about Ramp’s latest round — and up valuation — that fit neatly next to Rippling’s own impending fundraise. If you are handling money, it’s a good time to be a startup.

The team also dug into Cherub, which wants to connect investors and founders, Maven Ventures’ consumer investing push, and touched on what Mercury is up to. All told, we were fortunate to have Kirsten Korosec along with us this week given the sheer volume, and diversity of transportation news to chew through, especially as it relates to Tesla.

Equity is back tomorrow with a special interview between Mary Ann and Notable Capital’s Hans Tung, so stay tuned! Until then, hit play and let’s have some fun.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

A $60M venture fund with a twist, and more startup-on-startup acquisitions | TechCrunch


Ah, spring has sprung here in the Northeast United States, and it’s not only flowers that are blooming. No, startup-on-startup deals are the crop this season!

Today on Equity’s startup-focused Wednesday show, we dug into the Multiverse-Searchlight deal, which reminded us of the Wonderschool-Early Day transaction that we covered on the show a few weeks ago.

We also talked about the latest Guesty round, which was both large and interesting; the Monad Labs transaction that led to us trying to explain the difference between L1 and L2 blockchains; and Cyera’s quick recent mega-round. Startup Land is feeling quite busy and high-dollar again, and that’s a lot of fun!

We wrapped up the show with a cool discussion of this new venture capital fund that’s targeting growth-rounds in Africa.

Equity will be back on Friday to review the week’s headlines, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

Could Congress actually pass a data privacy law? | TechCrunch


Hello, and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our Monday show, where we dig into the weekend and take a peek at the week that is to come.

Now that we are finally past Y Combinator’s demo day — though our Friday show is worth listening to if you haven’t had a chance yet — we can dive into the latest news. So, this morning on Equity Monday we got into the chance that the United States might pass a real data privacy law. There’s movement to report, but we’re still very, very far from anything becoming law.

Elsewhere, the U.S. and TSMC have a new deal, there’s gaming news to consider (and a venture tie-in) and Spotify’s latest AI plans, which I am sure will delight some and annoy others. Hit play, and let’s talk about the news!

Oh, and on the crypto front, I forgot to mention that trading volume of digital tokens seems to have partially arrested its free fall, which should help some exchanges breathe a bit more easily.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Robotic Automations

What we've learned from the women behind the AI revolution | TechCrunch


The AI boom, love it or find it to be a bit more hype than substance, is here to stay. That means lots of companies raising oodles of dollars, a healthy dose of regulatory concern, academic work, and corporate jockeying. For startups, it means a huge opportunity to bring new technology to bear on a host of industries that could use a bit of polish.

But if you read the news, you might notice that men are far and away the most cited, and discussed, players in AI today. So, TechCrunch’s Dominic-Madori Davis and Kyle Wiggers decided to talk to women working in AI to learn more about their work, how they got into the world of artificial intelligence, and more. The series has been running for some time now, so it was the perfect moment to get the pair onto the Equity podcast for a chat about the project.

Thus far they have interviewed folks like Irene Solaiman, head of global policy at Hugging Face; Sarah Kreps, professor of government at Cornell; and Heidy Khlaaf, safety engineering director at Trail of Bits.

Don’t forget that the Equity crew run interviews often in addition to our regular programming, which comes out Monday (a weekly kick-off show), Wednesday (our startups-focused news rundown), and Friday (our roundtable discussion of the biggest news from the week). See you bright and early Monday morning for more!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.




Software Development in Sri Lanka

Back
WhatsApp
Messenger
Viber