The venture capital market is on a tear, pumping capital into a host of startups around the world. It’s generally considered a great time to raise capital and build a technology-centered, disruptive business. For some, that is.
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Aug 24
AI data startup Micro1 reaches $500M gross run rate amid AI training boom; plus, Japanese space tech startup Letara expands beyond satellite thrusters
Surging demand for AI training data is driving rapid growth for the startup and its rivals. Also, Japanese space startup Letara is betting its hybrid rocket technology can move beyond small satellite thrusters into a broader market for space, defense and security, after raising ¥ ... Show More
8m 22s
Aug 21
Apollo Atomics wants to make nuclear power cheaper by shrinking an overlooked part; plus, Detroit startup Grounded raises $5M to customize electric and gas-powered vans
Y Combinator alumnus Apollo Atomics is shrinking a key nuclear reactor part, which promises to slash the cost of electricity below natural gas. Also, Grounded has shifted from making van-life builds to custom outfitting vehicles for small businesses, all while the EV landscape in ... Show More
6m 59s
Aug 20
AI isn’t close to curing cancer. Vivodyne says it knows what it will take; plus, TerraPower’s nuclear reactor has a secret weapon for powering AI data centers
A handful of AI-designed drugs have proceeded into human trials — one as far as Phase III, widespread human testing — but the reality is that the roadblocks aren’t necessarily ones that AI can solve today. Also, TerraPower's nuclear power plant possesses a strategic advantage ove ... Show More
10m 40s
Dec 2017
Where VC's Will Invest in 2018: Blockchain, AI, Voice, Pets
Venture capital isn’t a monolith, but startup investors are compared to lemmings for a reason. Once a trend gets hot, every firm needs to make a play, or come up with a good excuse for missing out. (To be safe, if the firm does miss a trend, its partners should privately trash ta ... Show More
12m 29s
Jul 2025
Venture capital is booming, but only if you’re in AI
64% of venture capital funding this year has gone straight to AI startups, leaving consumer ventures starving for cash. That’s what Bryanna Samuels, a Wall Street-trained VC investor, reveals on Stocks in Translation. Samuels explains how public markets shape private valuations, ... Show More
23m 34s
Dec 2022
The keys to framing a winning investor pitch
It wasn’t very long ago that venture capital was so free-flowing it seemed as if any entrepreneur with a half-decent idea could raise an initial round of financing. Those halcyon days are clearly now past us, with inflation, rising interest rates, and slowing economic growth (or ... Show More
31m 47s
Aug 2022
Why VC funding is drying up
<p>Venture capital fundraising hit a record-high last year. There were more deals, and more money poured into startups last year than at any other time in history. Now, the FT’s Richard Waters says the fundraising bonanza is over. On this week’s episode, we explore what that mean ... Show More
17m 28s
Jan 2023
Investing in transformative tech: EQT Ventures’ long view
On today’s episode of McKinsey on Startups, we talk to Gautam Nadella, an operating partner at EQT Ventures in the Bay Area, where he drives M&A, fundraising, and partnership efforts within their portfolio of more than 100 companies. EQT invests in a wide range of companies in bo ... Show More
22m 49s