Hello, and welcome back to Equity, the podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.Our Monday show covers the latest in tech news from the weekend and what’s making headlines early in the week. Here’s what we got into today:
Stocks are down around the world, while the value of crypto tokens is heading ... Show More
Mar 13
Wiz's first investor breaks down Google's $32B acquisition
According to Index Ventures Partner Shardul Shah, cybersecurity startup Wiz sits “at the center of three tailwinds: AI, cloud, and security spend.” Those tailwinds powered what just became the largest venture-backed acquisition in history — Google's $32 billion deal, finalized af ... Show More
40m 41s
Mar 11
How Poppi went from a Shark Tank pitch to a $1.95B exit
For years, venture capitalists have been skeptical of beverage startups, citing thin margins and brutal distribution as reasons most brands never break out. But a new wave of “functional soda” companies has been challenging that assumption, including Poppi, the prebiotic soda bra ... Show More
27m 58s
Mar 6
Anthropic vs. the Pentagon, the SaaSpocalypse, and why competition is good, actually
The Pentagon has officially designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk after the two failed to agree on how much control the military should have over its AI models, including its use in autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. As Anthropic’s $200 million contract fell ap ... Show More
35m 24s
Nov 2024
915. News: LATAM fintech is booming, Metrobank slapped with a hefty fine, and why Klarna chose NYC for its IPO
Join hosts Laura Watkins and Benjamin Ensor alongside some great guests as we look at the biggest financial services and fintech stories of the past week.
Topics covered include: a LATAM fintech roundup featuring news from Nubank, Ualá, and Tako; Klarna announcing plans to IPO i ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 2025
Financial markets shrug off the shutdown and embrace AI
European and US stock markets rallied on Wednesday, seemingly unconcerned by the US government shutdown. The S&P 500 closed above the 6,700 level for the first time ever. Asian stocks, particularly in South Korea, were boosted overnight after OpenAI signed an agreement with Samsu ... Show More
11m 26s
Nov 2024
What Will Bitcoin 100k Mean For Indian investors?
As Bitcoin nears $100,000, Trump’s pro-crypto policies, including a proposed Crypto Czar and a U.S. “Bitcoin stockpile,” are reshaping global sentiment about this asset class. The EU and UK are advancing crypto regulations, while India’s capital markets regulator SEBI hints at ... Show More
27m 38s
Oct 2025
1003. News: SWIFT embraces blockchain, JP Morgan ditches Nutmeg and what do digital IDs mean for fintech?
About this episode: Host Benjamin Ensor, Director of Research and Strategy, is joined by a fantastic panel of guests as we dive into some of the biggest stories from the worlds of fintech, banking, and wider financial services this week. Stories covered on the podcast this week i ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2025
1007. News: Goldman Sachs acquires Industry Ventures and UK fintech funding bounces back to 2022 highs
About this episode: Host Benjamin Ensor, Director of Research and Strategy at 11:FS, is joined by a fantastic panel of guests as we dive into some of the biggest stories from the worlds of fintech, banking, and wider financial services this week. Stories covered on the podcast th ... Show More
1h 2m
Feb 2025
How Based is Grok 3? + Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on Markets For Everything + Vibecoding 101
<p>This week, Elon Musk brought a new chatbot into the crowded A.I. universe — Grok 3, the latest model from his company xAI. We break down how it compares with other leading models and what it reveals about Musk’s larger ambitions. Then, Vlad Tenev, the chief executive of the in ... Show More
1h 11m
Apr 2021
Stocks Fall Despite Amazon's Blowout Quarter, The Bulls Winning In April, Twitter Tumbles, and Apple vs. the EU
On the final trading day of what has been a strong April for stocks, Carl Quintanilla and Jim Cramer led off the show with a look at blowout quarterly results from Amazon which sent the stock higher. They explored Amazon's dominance over retail and the strength in its Amazon Web ... Show More
43m 49s