Initially launched as an instant messaging app rivaling WhatsApp in 2012, Hike pivoted to real-money gaming in recent years, with its primary platform, Rush, offering casual games like carrom and ludo for cash prizes, following the shutdown of Hike Messenger in 2021. Rush attracted over 10 million users and generated more than $500 million in gross revenue o ... Show More
Jun 26
Robotaxis drive miles just to get cleaned and charged; Aseon Labs wants to fix that; plus, General Intuition bets that video games can train AI agents for the real world
Aseon Labs, which came out of Y Combinator's 2026 spring cohort, has raised $10 million from Crane Venture Partners and others. Also, General Intuition has raised $320 million to scale AI trained on millions of hours of gameplay, betting action data can help AI develop something ... Show More
16m 12s
Jun 25
Slate Auto’s radically simple electric truck starts at $24,950; also, Valor Equity Partners looks to raise a $2.5B Fund VII
The Jeff Bezos-backed startup finally revealed more pricing details for its debut EV, including a $29,950 starting price for the SUV variant, and boosted the base range to 205 miles. Plus, new details have emerged about Valor's latest fund, which last year announced it was raisin ... Show More
6m 6s
Jun 24
Fika Jobs raises $4M to build a video-first hiring platform where AI agents interview candidates
Fika Jobs announced on Tuesday a $4 million pre-seed round, which will be used to continue developing the platform, grow the team, and prepare for a wider launch later this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5m 34s
May 2024
Match looks to Hinge as Tinder fails
Match Group, the company that owns several dating apps, including Tinder and Hinge, released its first-quarter earnings report on Tuesday, which shows that Tinder’s paying user base has decreased for the sixth quarter in a row.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoi ... Show More
4m 10s
Sep 2025
Ouroboros All The Way Down?
Nvidia is investing $100B in OpenAI, and there are a billion angles to that fact, so get ready to dive into it. Why were there giant sim farms popping up around NYC? The new AI to help you with Candy Crush, I guess. And new buzzword alert: say hello to “workslop.” Nvidia is partn ... Show More
20m 13s
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
Jun 2019
Quibi’s the #1 disruptor in video, Fiverr surges 90% on IPO day, and HSBC’s Saudi Arabia risk/reward
Startup Quibi is launching as a fully mobile streaming app with $1B in funding, and we just got more details on what it’s working on (hint: the return of “Punk’d”). Gig economy website Fiverr surged 90% on its IPO, and it literally trademarked the term “gig.” And a WSJ article re ... Show More
14m 7s
Apr 2025
Microsoft for Startups: The benefits of the cyber startup ecosystem. [Special Edition]
Welcome to the Microsoft for Startups Spotlight, brought to you by N2K CyberWire and Microsoft. In this episode, we are shining a light on innovation, ambition, and the tech trailblazers building the future right from the startup trenches. This episode is part of our exclusive RS ... Show More
1h 12m
VC React Podcast:Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds. ---Hosts: Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur. Sign up to VCpreneur Newsletter on ... Show More
