Today
Two college kids raise a $5.1 million pre-seed to build an AI social network in iMessage
Series, a social networking app that's grown popular on college campuses, announced a $5.1 million pre-seed round from some big names in tech. Plus, Sierra, the AI customer service agent startup founded by technologist Bret Taylor, announced today that it has acquired the YC-back ... Show More
6m 13s
Apr 24
Beehiiv rolls out new creator tools; Also, another customer of troubled startup Delve suffered a big security incident
Beehiiv is clearly done being just a newsletter platform based on today's launch of a new webinar feature, customizable paywalls, and more. Plus, TechCrunch has confirmed that Delve was the compliance company that performed the security certifications for Context AI, the AI agent ... Show More
7m 38s
Apr 23
Cathie Woods’ ARK makes its first lead investment in startup Lucra — and it isn’t AI; Esther and Anne Wojcicki join new healthcare accelerator
Lucra offers corporate loyalty programs reimagined as interactive eSports. But winning ARK as a lead wasn't easy. Also, Mary Minno launches early-stage startup accelerator program, Treehub, and an early-stage firm, AI Health Fund, aimed at backing startups working at the intersec ... Show More
10m 56s
Aug 2024
AI Friends, deepfake foes, and which Tiger Global partner is leaving now
On today's Friday news roundup, we just had to talk about AI hardware taking on a new shape with Friend’s $99 necklace. The pendant gives you an AI friend to talk to and…that’s about it. Friend’s pitch is that its wearable can help combat loneliness, but other AI hardware product ... Show More
31m 12s
Jan 2023
Base10’s Ade Ajao: A data-driven approach to funding more diverse founders
On today’s episode of McKinsey on Startups, we talk to Adeyemi Ajao, the cofounder and Managing Partner at Base 10 Partners. The San Francisco-based VC firm focuses on startups bringing automation technology to a variety of sectors in what it calls the Real Economy, including log ... Show More
33m 8s
Aug 2024
How to consistently go viral: Nikita Bier’s playbook for winning at consumer apps (co-founder of TBH, Gas, advisor, investor)
<p><strong>Nikita Bier</strong> is one of the most in-demand consumer, social, and growth experts in the world. He’s the co-founder of TBH (sold to Meta for more than $30 million) and Gas (sold to Discord for millions more) and has helped more consumer apps that have hit #1 in th ... Show More
1h 38m
Apr 2024
Tech Partying Like Its 2021 with Rick Heitzmann + A Better Way To Carpool with Joanna McFarland CEO of HopSkipDrive | Okay, Computer.
On this episode of “Okay, Computer,” Dan Nathan and Rick Heitzmann of FirstMark Capital give an update on the IPO market, and what to expect from some of the most valuable unicorns in 2024. Topics they hit include; the Reddit IPO (4:00), IPO outlook for 2024 (10:30), investing in ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2025
Aaron Levie: Why Startups Win In The AI Era
For nearly two decades, Box co-founder and CEO Aaron Levie has been at the frontlines of how technology reshapes work—guiding the company through the rise of mobile, the cloud, and now the age of AI.In his fireside with YC General Partner David Lieb at AI Startup School, Aaron re ... Show More
40m 27s
Jul 2024
Founders Playbook: Lessons from Riot, Discord, & More
<p>Gaming is not just entertainment—it's a revolution reshaping our culture, technology, and economy. </p><p>a16z’s Jonathan Lai and Andrew Chen dive into the current gaming renaissance and its future impact. Joining them are Michael Chow, CEO and Steven Snow, CPO of The Believer ... Show More
25m 56s
Jul 2025
#85 AI CEO: How To Make A $10M Business With AI Employees (Amjad Masad, CEO @ Replit)
In this episode, host Codie Sanchez sits down with Amjad Masad, CEO of Replit, to discuss the transformative potential of AI in the tech industry. Amjad shares his journey from coding at age six in Jordan to leading one of the fastest-growing AI companies. He offers insights into ... Show More
1h 37m
Apr 2025
Gamifying Sleep: How Sleepagotchi Leverages Web3 to Incentivize Health Habits
Anton Kraminkin, Founder of Sleepagotchi, shares insights on the importance of sleep, the cultural shifts towards valuing sleep, and how Sleepagotchi rewards users for maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. Key Takeaways: The surprising sleep habits Sleepagotchi has learned abo ... Show More
32m 47s
Fabian Kamberi, CEO and co-founder of the Berlin-based AI gaming startup Born, thinks the current AI companions on the market are designed to be exploitative and geared towards isolating users through one-to-one relationships with AI chatbots.
Also, Clyx is a social platform that helps users find community events to join. Five years after its launch, the ap ... Show More
