Tom Priore: What Pro Teams Need From Their Payment Platforms
Tom Priore, CEO of Priority, unveiled Priority Sports – a fintech platform built specifically for the complex payment ecosystems of professional and collegiate sports teams. It automates contract‑linked payouts such as NIL deals and performance bonuses, provides invoice‑level, multi‑party reconciliation, and delivers same‑day funding to unlock weekend game revenue. The solution also consolidates fan‑facing transactions, vendor payments, charitable flows, and compliance reporting, handling $130 billion in annual volume and generating $180.4 million in FY‑2024 revenue.
Build Mode Starts at the Beginning: How Forethought AI Found Product-Market Fit
In the debut episode of TechCrunch’s Build Mode podcast, co‑founder Deon Nicholas explains how Forethought AI achieved product‑market fit by obsessively targeting its ideal customer profile and delivering tangible value before chasing hype. The company’s “7‑Failure Rule” encouraged rapid iteration,...
After 5 Months, the $1,200 Bottles of Besties All-In Tequila Are Finally Starting to Ship
The $1,200 Besties All‑In tequila, launched by the All‑In podcast hosts in June and sold out in its 750‑bottle run, has finally begun shipping after a five‑month delay caused by the handcrafted, collector‑style bottle. Distribution partner Flaviar pushed the delivery...
The 10 Companies that Just Launched From Betaworks’ Latest Startup Camp
Betaworks unveiled the ten startups graduating from its 13th Camp, a 13‑week biannual residency focused this year on "Interfaces" that shape how users experience AI. The cohort includes Nora, a browser extension that tracks shopping habits; Primitive, a voice‑driven idea‑to‑task...
Cronvall Raises €3.9M in Funding
Cronvall, a Helsinki‑based industrial procurement technology firm, closed a €3.9 million funding round led by Greencode Ventures, Stephen Industries and Innovestor. The capital will be used to speed up international expansion and further develop its digital procurement platform, which links construction...
Arrived Bags $27 Million
Seattle‑based Arrived, a platform that lets investors buy fractional shares of real‑estate assets, announced it has closed a $27 million financing round. The new capital, raised from a group of venture investors, will be used to broaden its property inventory, enhance...
NextSense Receives Investment From Corundum Neuroscience
NextSense, a Mountain View‑based developer of in‑ear EEG wearables called Smartbuds, announced it has secured an undisclosed investment from Corundum Neuroscience. The funding will fuel the company’s next growth phase as it prepares to launch its clinically‑accurate EEG earbuds to...
The Best Business Credit Monitoring Tools
The article reviews five leading business credit monitoring solutions, highlighting their features, pricing, and target users. FairFigure offers a $35‑monthly plan with four bureau scores, AI podcasts, darknet scanning, and credit‑building reporting to five bureaus, plus financing options. Lili’s BusinessBuild...
The Global Race for the AI App Layer Is Still On
The 2025 Accel Globalscape report finds that while the U.S. still leads in large AI models, Europe and Israel are closing the gap in the AI application layer, attracting 66% of U.S. private funding this year. Emerging European AI‑native app...
Why Harvey’s Hardest Problem Isn’t AI, It’s Multi-Entity Collaboration
Harvey, the legal‑AI startup founded by Winston Weinberg, has surged to over $100 million in annual recurring revenue, with corporate clients now accounting for roughly a third of its sales. The company’s growth hinges on solving a multi‑entity collaboration problem—building a...
Uare.ai Scoops Up $10.3M Seed Financing
Uare.ai, formerly Eternos.life, announced a $10.3 million seed round led by Mayfield and Boldstart Ventures. The funding will be used to develop its Individual AI platform, which creates digital counterparts that replicate a person’s memories, voice, and decision‑making. The company plans...
How Founders Can Prepare for Their Late-Stage Fundraises From the Start
Founders are urged to plan for late‑stage fundraises from day one, targeting capital‑intensive growth paths such as asset‑backed credit cards. CEOs like Sadi Khan and investors including Lila Preston and Zeya Yang stress building relationships with future Series C‑E investors at...
VC Jennifer Neundorfer Explains How Founders Can Stand Out in a Crowded AI Market
January Ventures co‑founder Jennifer Neundorfer told TechCrunch’s Equity podcast that in the crowded AI‑driven market, investors are looking for founders who use AI to create entirely new experiences or workflows rather than incremental improvements. She emphasized the need for clear...
TRIP Raises $40M in Funding
TRIP, a New York‑based drinks brand that markets calming beverages and supplements, secured $40 million in a funding round backed by celebrities Joe Jonas, Alessandra Ambrosio, Paul Wesley, Ashley Graham and consumer fund Coefficient Capital. The capital will be used to scale operations, broaden...
Sapphire Sport Spins Out, Rebrands as 359 Capital with $300M AUM
Sapphire Sport, the sports‑media‑entertainment venture fund of Sapphire Ventures, is spinning out and rebranding as independent firm 359 Capital. The new firm inherits the fund’s $300 million in assets under management, including a $181 million second fund that is halfway deployed, and will...
How Startups Can Lure Good Talent Fairly without Big Tech Bank Accounts
Startups can attract top talent despite being unable to match big‑tech salaries by adopting generous, fair, and flexible equity‑centric compensation frameworks, as discussed by founders and investors at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Pulley’s CEO Yin Wu advocates offering equity in the...
Vinod Khosla on Softening the Blow From AGI, and Other Future Bets
In a live TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 interview, Vinod Khosla argued that AI will turn every profession into a startup opportunity and warned that Fortune 500 extinction rates could triple by 2035. He advocated building AI workers rather than mere tools, urging...
MiSalud Health Pulls In New Funding
MiSalud Health announced a new investment round led by IGNIA, with participation from Redwood Ventures, Amplifica Capital, existing backers Ulu Ventures and Magnify Ventures, and client Taylor Farms; earlier rounds included Lowercase Capital and Samsung Ventures. The bilingual AI‑powered platform delivers...
SoftBank Is Back, and the AI Hype Cycle Is Eating Itself
SoftBank and OpenAI have formed a 50‑50 joint venture called Crystal Intelligence to market enterprise AI solutions in Japan, marking SoftBank’s first direct partnership with the OpenAI ecosystem. While the deal appears to be a straightforward expansion, analysts on TechCrunch’s...
E647 | Kristaps Ronis, ION Pacific: The Rise of Structured Secondaries in Venture
In this EUVC Podcast episode, Kristaps Ronis of ION Pacific explains how structured secondaries are reshaping venture liquidity by offering DPI‑focused deals that provide cash without forcing founders or GPs to sell shares or signal weakness. He highlights the market’s...
Rebuilt From Rejection Into a Billion-Dollar Model W/ Michael Loeb
The episode chronicles Michael Loeb’s journey from being fired at 36 to creating billion‑dollar ventures like Synapse, Priceline.com, and the healthcare discount platform ScriptRelief, now operating under his venture collective Loeb.nyc. He argues that entrepreneurial instincts appear early—often evident in...
SOC Prime Secures Strategic Investment
SOC Prime, the Boston‑based provider of an AI‑native detection intelligence platform, announced the closing of its latest investment round. The round was led by u.ventures and included participation from DNX Ventures, Atlantic Bridge, J Ventures and Angel One. Proceeds will...
Liminal Custody Expands EMEA Leadership with Appointment of Ilinca Cartoflea as Head of Sales
Liminal Custody, a digital‑asset custody and wallet‑infrastructure provider, announced the promotion of Ilinca Cartoflea to Head of Sales, EMEA, based in Dubai. In her new role she will drive regional growth, enterprise partnerships and institutional client engagement across Europe, the...
Bringing Trust Back to Healthcare
In the "Bringing Trust Back to Healthcare" episode, Matt Holt of New Mountain Capital argues that the sector must rebuild trust among all stakeholders to prioritize patient outcomes, calling for greater collaboration across the industry. He and Venrock hosts highlight...
NVIDIA, Qualcomm Join U.S., Indian VCs to Help Build India’s Next Deep Tech Startups
NVIDIA has joined the India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA) as a strategic technical advisor, while Qualcomm Ventures is contributing over $850 million in new capital alongside six Indian venture firms. The IDTA, launched in September with more than $1 billion in pledged...
Roelof Botha on Sequoia, Startup Building, and Washington — Days Before Stepping Down
In a live TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 podcast, Sequoia partner Roelof Botha outlines the firm’s method for spotting and backing outlier companies, emphasizing fierce internal debates and consensus voting on investments. He argues that venture capital is not a conventional asset...
Sequoia Names Alfred Lin and Pat Grady as New Co-Stewards as Roelof Botha Steps Down
Sequoia Capital announced that partners Alfred Lin and Pat Grady will replace Roelof Botha as co‑Stewards, ending Botha’s three‑year tenure as senior steward. Lin, who joined in 2010, has led investments in Airbnb, DoorDash and Kalshi, while Grady, a 19‑year...
Ceres AI Lands New Financing
Ceres AI, a San Francisco‑based data and artificial‑intelligence firm that provides high‑resolution agricultural and environmental risk insights, announced a new financing round led by Remus Capital. The company’s platform integrates advanced satellite imagery, AI analytics, and field‑scale data to serve...
A16z Pauses Its Famed TxO Fund for Underserved Founders, Lays Off Staff
Andreessen Horowitz announced it is pausing its Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund, a program launched in 2020 to support underrepresented founders with a 16‑week curriculum and a $175,000 investment via a donor‑advised fund. The pause follows an email from partner Kofi Ampadu...
Elad Gil on Which AI Markets Have Winners — and Which Are Still Wide Open
Elad Gil, a veteran solo VC, told TechCrunch Disrupt that while AI’s rapid evolution makes many segments unpredictable, several markets now have clear leaders. Foundational model providers such as OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, xAI and Mistral dominate the model space,...
Popai Health Nabs $11M
Popai Health, a patient‑conversation intelligence startup, announced an $11 million financing round led by Team8 and NEA with participation from strategic investors. The capital will be used to strengthen go‑to‑market efforts, accelerate adoption across health systems, medical groups, health plans and...
Popai Health Raises $11M in Funding
San Francisco‑based Popai Health, a patient conversation intelligence startup that uses Voice AI to capture and analyze information from phone calls, announced an $11 million financing round. The round was led by Team8 and NEA, with participation from strategic investors. The...
Lettuce Financial Raises $28M in Funding
San Francisco‑based fintech Lettuce Financial, which offers the soloOS platform to help solopreneurs manage taxes and business finances, announced a $28 million financing round led by Zeev Ventures. The capital will be used to broaden its operations and accelerate product development....
Alphabet Is Increasingly Launching ‘Moonshot’ Projects as Independent Companies — Here’s Why
Alphabet’s X moonshot factory is moving toward spinning out ambitious projects as independent companies through Series X Capital, a $500 million fund where Alphabet is only a minority limited partner. The fund, run by former YouTube and Facebook executives, invests exclusively in X...
Sequoia’s Roelof Botha Warns Founders About Chasing Sky-High Valuations as the Firm Doubles Down on Its Selective Approach
At TechCrunch Disrupt, Sequoia Capital partner Roelof Botha cautioned founders against chasing sky‑high valuations, recounting a portfolio company that surged from $150 million to $6 billion in a year before collapsing. He urged startups to raise capital only when a twelve‑month runway...
Elon Musk: OpenAI Betrayal, His Future at Tesla, and the Next Big Thing - Grokipedia
The episode dives into Elon Musk’s recent three‑year journey with X, examining the platform’s new algorithm, its impact on free speech, and the looming Tesla compensation vote that could influence his future at the company. It also critiques OpenAI’s shift...
Equity Live: From $300M Seed Rounds to Data Center Builds, AI Is Feeling Bubbly
During TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, the Equity podcast team hosted a live session on the Builders Stage to debate whether AI is in a bubble. They highlighted recent funding trends such as $300 million seed rounds and $100 billion of AI‑related commitments, and...
Arlington Capital Partners Closes Fund VII, at $6 Billion
Arlington Capital Partners announced the closing of its seventh fund at $6 billion, targeting government‑regulated sectors such as onshoring manufacturing and supply‑chain assets, mission‑critical software for government efficiency, defense technology, cybersecurity, commercial aviation, advanced medical devices, life‑sciences development, and healthcare technology....
Four Thoughts From Bill Gates on Climate Tech
Bill Gates, the largest private funder of climate‑tech through Breakthrough Energy, warned that global efforts are overly fixated on short‑term emissions targets and national reporting, urging a broader focus on cheap, scalable solutions for energy, steel, cement and fertilizer. He...
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts on Pushing His University Into the AI Age
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts outlined an ambitious strategy to make artificial intelligence the university’s guiding focus, merging the School of Data Science and Society with the School of Information and Library Science to dismantle academic silos. He acknowledged the loss...
Venture Capital Is Not an Asset Class, Says Sequoia’s Roelof Botha
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Sequoia managing partner Roelof Botha argued that venture capital should not be treated as an asset class, noting that VC returns are essentially uncorrelated and represent a “return‑free risk.” He pointed out that the number of...
CEO of Alphabet’s X, Astro Teller, on What Makes a Moonshot
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Astro Teller, CEO of Alphabet’s X, explained that a moonshot must tackle a huge world problem, propose a product that could eliminate it, and rely on a breakthrough technology, noting X’s 2% hit rate and "fail...
Roelof Botha Explains Why Sequoia Supports Shaun Maguire After COO Quit
Sequoia Capital managing partner Roelof Botha defended partner Shaun Maguire after Maguire’s July 4 X post calling NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani an “Islamist,” citing the firm’s commitment to free speech and opinion diversity. The remarks sparked a backlash, an open letter...
The Last-Minute Pass Savings Are On! Only 5 Days Until TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Ignites the Startup World
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 kicks off in San Francisco October 27–29, with last‑minute ticket discounts offering up to $444 off and 60% off a +1 pass ahead of price increases at the door. The conference expects 10,000+ founders, VCs and operators...
E638 | Matti Rönkkö, Kiilto Ventures: Family Capital, Industrial Know-How & Sustainable Built World
The post is a EUVC roundup that first features Matti Rönkkö of Kiilto Ventures arguing that family capital, deep industrial expertise and a sustainability focus can reshape the built world. It then shifts to Kristaps Ronis of ION Pacific, who...
The Full TechCrunch Disrupt Stage Revealed: Where the Future of Tech Breaks First
TechCrunch revealed the full Disrupt Stage lineup for Disrupt 2025, headlined by 200+ sessions across five stages and marquee appearances from Alphabet moonshot chief Astro Teller, Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone, Vinod Khosla and Sequoia’s Roelof Botha....
E635 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Francesco Di Lorenzo, Copenhagen Business School: Nordic CVC Insights
The EUVC podcast recap highlights four recent summit episodes, with the lead focus on Francesco Di Lorenzo’s Nordic CVC insights, while also covering Kristaps Ronis’s take on structured secondaries, Alper Oner’s Turkish gaming success story, and Seb Agertoft’s founder‑coaching perspective. Across the episodes, listeners learn...
E634 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Christian Tang (Acme) & Claus Gregersen (Augustinus Fabrikker): Global Ambition in an Age of Sovereignty
The EUVC podcast episode E634 explores how European venture capitalists can maintain global ambitions amid rising sovereign‑first regulations, with insights from Christian Tang of Acme and Claus Gregersen of Augustinus Fabrikker on cross‑border investing, deal structuring, and founder strategies in...
E633 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Anne C. Fleischer (Novo Nordisk) & Henrijette Richter (Sofinnova Partners): Innovation in Health
The post previews the EUCVC Summit 2025 episode featuring Anne C. Fleischer (Novo Nordisk) and Henrijette Richter (Sofinnova Partners) on health‑sector innovation, and then recaps three recent EUVC podcast episodes that dive into structured secondaries in venture, a Turkish gaming...
1929 vs 2025: Andrew Ross Sorkin on Crashes, Bubbles & Lessons Learned
The post highlights a podcast episode where Andrew Ross Sorkin discusses his new book on the 1929 Wall Street crash and draws parallels to the speculative bubble and AI‑driven disruptions of 2025. Key takeaways include the historical setup and players...