Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Odyssey secures $310M Series B at $1.45B valuation
Odyssey announced a $310 million Series B round that values the AI lab at $1.45 billion. The round was led by Natural Capital and included Amazon, AMD Ventures, GV, EQT, IQT and other high‑profile backers. In parallel, Odyssey struck a preferred‑cloud deal with Amazon Web Services to use AWS Trainium custom silicon for large‑scale world‑model training.
Also developing:
How Evan Spiegel Is Building the Future of Computing
In this episode, Evan Spiegel discusses Snap's decision to reject a $3 billion Facebook acquisition to preserve its independent culture and vision, and outlines the company's strategic pivot toward augmented‑reality glasses as the next growth frontier. He emphasizes the need for tech leaders to address the ethical and societal risks of AI, warning that hype can mask serious concerns. Bing Gordon adds perspective on how these choices position Snap within the broader tech landscape, while host Joubin Mirzadegan steers the conversation toward practical implications for future computing.
Delay Reality, Lose Learning: Act on Early Feedback
Founders say they want feedback early. They talk to customers. They debate ideas. They refine plans. They align teams. None of that creates information. Reality only enters when something external can contradict you. A user ignores the product. Behavior stays flat. A test fails. Money doesn’t...
Mega Funds Can Still Deliver 5
I think David George is one of the great growth investors today. But I also think some of the hardest and most pressing questions have not been asked. - How does a $5BN fund do a 5x? - Why invest $300M into Adam...
We Deployed 20+ AI Agents and Replaced Our Entire Human SDR Team. Here's What Actually Works. (Video + Pod)
In this episode the hosts detail how they replaced their human SDR team with over 20 AI agents, sending 60,000+ hyper‑personalized emails, booking 130+ meetings and generating 15% of SaaStr AI London ticket revenue by targeting low‑priority and ghosted leads....
Private Status Shields Firms From Stock Volatility
What is the biggest advantage for companies to stay private today? @DavidGeorge83 " The biggest advantage is the avoidance of volatility in your stock price and employee management. If you can steadily grow or control your stock price in the private...
INVEST Act Says Demo Day Pitches Aren't Solicitation
More good news from the "Incentivizing New Ventures and Economic Strength Through Capital Formation (INVEST) Act" Seems like startups presenting at demo days will not trigger "general solicitation" violations: "The INVEST Act also clarifies that company presentations at sponsored events do not...
20Growth: How Wiz Built a $30BN Brand in Enterprise | What Worked vs What Was a Mega Failure: Lessons Learned...
In this episode, Raaz Herzberg, CMO and VP of Product Strategy at Wiz, recounts the company's rapid rise from a ten‑person startup to a $30 billion enterprise brand, highlighting the unconventional marketing tactics and product‑led growth strategies that fueled its success....
AI+B2
📰 Top AI+B2B News - Sun, Dec 14 https://t.co/MWFHfEuzpm Top Stories: 1. Alphabet poised for another paper gain on SpaceX valuation 2. ServiceNow in advanced talks to acquire Armis at around $7 Billion 3. Thoma Bravo Completes Acquisition of PROS Holdings, Inc. for $1.5...
Founders Now Can Quit; Burning Boats Still Drives Scale
A big generational change: When I raised venture capital, I viewed it as a do-or-die commitment to making them money, building something great or going down trying. Fast forward to today, founders are happy to just quit having raised $2m,...
Stanford’s Star Reporter Takes on Silicon Valley’s ‘Money-Soaked’ Startup Culture
Stanford senior Theo Baker, already the youngest George Polk Award winner, is turning his investigative chops toward Silicon Valley’s venture‑capital machine. His forthcoming book, How to Rule the World, draws on more than 250 interviews to expose how VCs treat...
Match Your Startup with the Right Investor Type
After I became a VC, I understood much more clearly that there are all kinds of investors with varying incentives and interests. Angels, Family offices, Corporates, Fund of funds, Endowments, Gov, etc The same is true for startups. You have...
Seeding Four SpaceTech Startups to Unlock Universal Value
Grateful to all the builders who are devoting their lives to helping us unlock all the value in our universe to make life better for humanity. We've seeded 4 spacetech cos so far, more to come: @stoke_space @astroforge @interlunespace @Starcloud_Inc1
The Average Founder Ages 6 Months Each Year
The median age of founders raising venture capital is climbing about six months each year, a shift driven by three forces: the surge in AI‑focused funding, the growing dominance of B2B models, and a media narrative that over‑highlights youthful, consumer‑centric...
Fuse Energy Skyrockets 10x Yearly, Europe's Hidden Powerhouse
Fuse Energy is the most under the radar company in Europe. Every year, the company has 10x revenue. First Year: £2M Second Year: £20M Third Year: £200M @alanchanguk is one of the great founders of our time. 🔥 20VC to come...
Only 4% Hit $1M ARR—Persistence Pays Off
Only 4% of SaaS startups ever reach $1M in ARR. This game is hard but it’s not impossible. Please keep going.
AI Transforms Restaurants; Owner
AI is completely changing the restaurant industry, at a pace and scale many may not realize. It's a $1T+industry that desperately needs AI to deal with a lack of humans and automation. And @owner is the break-out leader of the...
From Mocked Streaming to AI: Skeptics Missed Evolution
It used to be people laughed at streaming. First it was only low quality audio. The. When video came along it was the size of a postage stamp. Then there wasn’t enough bandwidth to scale. To everyone...
Fear of Competition Kills Deals; Break Rules for Greatness
Three years ago I made one of the biggest investing mistakes of my life. We turned down the chance to invest in ElevenLabs. It was a $250K check at a $100M post. Today that would be 100x and would have...
Founders Should Delay VC Meetings Until January.
I think we're at the point in the year where it is probably better for most founders to push their VC meetings to January than it is to try to take them now. (of course, if you've already been running...
Focused SaaS Playbook Yields 18 Acquisitions
Stuart Faught turned small focused SaaS ideas into 18 acquisitions by sticking to a simple repeatable approach on @acquiredotcom. The playbook: > Build for one clear niche > Validate traction early > Use partners instead of ads > Document everything upfront > Sell when the business...
Home Buying Lessons Transform B2B Tech Strategies
"You can leave Salesforce, but you can't leave your mortgage." What can the home buying experience teach us about B2B tech? Turns out, a ton. My interview with Brian Brown CFO at Rocket drops tomorrow morning. It's a look into...
Cities Thrive When They Cluster Around Existing Industries
China has many cities that specialize in specific products. Like Detroit for cars, they have Cixi for hair dryers, Wenzhou for lighters, and Ningbo for home appliances. We’re familiar with this idea for cultural sectors, like NYC/Shanghai for finance, Silicon Valley/Shenzhen...
Bigger Firms Should Accept Lower Annual Dilution Rates
Run rate dilution by company size As you get bigger, the benchmark for appropriate dilution each year, after contemplating SBC, M&A, buybacks, and everything else, should grind downward. https://t.co/Dmjoe6M5qo
OpenAI Drops Vesting Cliff, Pours $6B on Equity
Per @WSJ, OpenAI has gone from just a 6 month cliff for equity vesting now to … no cliff at all And will “spend” $6 Billion this year on employee equity Even at OpenAI, the war for talent never ends https://t.co/uOw6ReBXCF
How Lies Shape Cascades, Markets, and Conscious Memory
1/ One of the coolest papers i read this week implications for -information cascades based on lies/misinformation (or accidental misinterpretations) -markets and investor reactors -understanding memory/prediction framework of our consciousness https://t.co/GOyDAbuwlA
Tech Adoption Accelerates: From 50‑Year to Under‑7‑Year Cycles
Good question... The gasoline-powered tractor debuted in the 1890s, and by 1930, about 15% of farmers used one. It wasn't until the labor shortages of the 1940s (due to the war) that it surged. It took 50 years. PCs debuted in the early...
White House Pushes Unified National AI Regulation, Blocks States
What I read this week... 1) On 12/11, The White House issued a new Executive Order declaring that the United States must adopt a single national AI regulatory standard rather than a mosaic of state-level rules. The EO does not define...
Startup Liquidity Can Vanish Overnight, Even After Success
Liquidity is thin in startups It's entirely possible for you to have had a $100m acquisition offer last year and 0 offers today Or to close an oversubscribed rounds just a few months ago and have 0 VC interest today
Investment Bank Boosts Sale Price 40% with Broader Marketing
What's the value an investment bank can provide? As an example, we had one founder who was on the verge of signing an LOI with a buyer, but then decided to engage us first. In a 3-week turnaround, we marketed...
Elizabeth Yin & Hustle Fund Share Super Fun Insights
Super fun from Elizabeth Yin and Hustle Fund
Founders Prefer Fear of Losing Over Winning Thrill
The best question to ask: What drives you more, the thrill of winning or the fear of losing? I have asked 100 of the best founders in the world this. 82 said the same thing.
Hyper‑niche HR SaaS Delivers $158K Revenue, 700K
I love B2B SaaS startups like these. Hyperniche. Hyperfocussed. A HR/talent contact data platform on @acquiredotcom. > $158K TTM revenue > $72K TTM profit > 700K+ HR leader database Listing here: https://t.co/Gw1nCjb4CK https://t.co/HsiMTD2o8o
2027 Poised for Record‑breaking IPO Wave
2025 in the end was better for IPOs than 2022-2024, but still pretty Meh per @WSJ But 2027 (plus or minus)? Databricks, Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceX, Canva, Stripe, etc? Probably will be the great stretch for IPOs of all time. ...
Corp Dev Reads Desperation, Not Talent or Tech
Founders in trouble are often dismayed by how fast corp dev people can sense their desperation. You'll be less surprised if you remember this is all they *can* sense. They can't judge technology or talent. All they can judge is...
Relying on a Better Filter Improves My Decisions
I'm not a great judge of character, but fortunately my mistakes are nearly all in the same direction (accepting the bad rather than rejecting the good). So all I need is a second pass by someone with a tighter filter,...
Testing, Not Wealth, Now Defines Accredited Investors
This aspect a big deal: 1Allowing individuals to take a test to verify accredited investor status, rather than relying solely on wealth.
Profitable Customer Acquisition ≠ True Product‑Market Fit
"Unclear" product market fit is when you do customer acquisition, and your unit economics work such that you can repeatedly get more customers. But you don't have a line at your door without manufacturing that.
AI Isn't in a Bubble, Data Shows Real Demand
So ARE we in an AI bubble?! Here’s why David Clark says… NO. David Clark of Ven Cap has looked at the actual metrics and came up with a hot take on this week’s TWiST VC Roundtable. When you actually...
Relentless Founder Jamie Overcomes Early Hurdles, Thrives
Yes we are - and you can hear some of his amazing stories and insights including some from an early investor (me) who gets some coverage in his book about that time Jamie said he had other investors coming in...
Student Startup Turns AI Glasses Into Accessibility Revolution
🚀 Proud moment spotlighting two of our incredible students, Henry Fox and Henry Warren , and their USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy born startup Seeing Is Everyone’s Right (S‑I‑E‑R), the creators of Sidekick, a clip‑on AI smart glasses...
Wealthfront’s 17‑Year Pivot to Cash Banking Yields IPO
Wealthfront IPO'd today at $2.6B 🎉 The 17-year journey: 2008: Founded as "kaChing" 2014: Peak at $700M valuation 2018: Down round to $500M 😬 2022: $1.4B UBS deal collapses 2025: IPO @ $14/share, $485M raised The pivot that saved them? Cash accounts now drive 75% of...
Product‑Market Fit Is a Spectrum, Not a Binary
I think the problem with product market fit is that it's actually a spectrum. When people say that you know if you have it, that's only when you have extreme market pull. But there are plenty of products that can...
Only 50 Immediate‑Backable Founders And
We’ll cap the community at 50 people who are “immediately backable”, i.e. repeat founders and early employees & execs at top companies.
When Demand Overflows: Market Pull Overwhelms Supply
Extreme market pull is when you really don't have to do much to get customers. You just need to fulfill their demand. You are so overwhelmed with customers that you can't even fulfill everyone's demand.
Founders Must Prioritize Distribution From Day One
Founders realizing they need to work on distribution from day 1: https://t.co/ADYBNNLJja
Kieran Turned Down Seed Funding for ElevenLabs.
My face when @matiii reminds me @Kieranleehill turned down the seed for ElevenLabs…. 🤣 https://t.co/R0b3biSsor
Speed Beats Perfection: Execution Wins in Startups
Friendly reminder that the “get shit done” founder beats the “perfect plan” founder 100% of the time in startups because speed of execution wins.
Silicon Valley Firms Outvalue Entire National Economies
Silicon Valley is repeatedly generating individual companies that are worth more than entire developed world national economies
Founders Would Be Happier by Slowing Final Fundraising
So many founders would be happier if they just slowed down fundraising toward the end ... a little
AI's Power Already Here; Change Unfolds Gradually
You can argue timelines, risks, or regulation. Existing AI capabilities are already sufficient to drive long-term change. What people miss is how disruption actually unfolds. It takes time for systems, incentives, and habits to reorganize around what already exists.