Equity

This week, the Equity pod gang — which included newcomer Max Zeff, Margaux MacColl, and Kirsten Korosec — noticed an emerging trend: the worlds of AI and defense tech are colliding. Listen to the full episode to hear about: A new fund is in town. And surprise, surprise, Humba Ventures' $40 million fund is focused on deep tech and defense.  How enterprise AI startup Cohere is unlike all the other AI startups out there, and why they've been so quiet. Particularly in this new deal with Palantir. Dig into the great philosophical question of 2024: is it dumb to IPO in an election year? And, perhaps more importantly, will this IPO dry spell continue in 2025? Should founders be cautious of investors with foreign backing? Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here. Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

This week on Equity Wednesday, Rebecca Bellan is joined by Louis, co-founder of America's Frontier Fund, to discuss the pressing trends in tech innovation. From robotics and AI reshaping manufacturing to Silicon Valley's embrace of defense technology, plus Louis shares his main predictions for 2025. Listen tot he full episode for a deeper conversation on: Silicon Valley's deep roots in defense tech The advantages and challenges facing founders seeking government contracts rather than VC funding The role startups play in shifting American leadership from the digital world back into physical manufacturing Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here. Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

Happy Friday the 13th! Today on Equity, we're unpacking the week's news from Lumen Orbit, Cruise and Freysa.ai with a deeper dive into social media startups amid the looming TikTok ban and new accelerators for African startups.

With Elon Musk in charge of government efficiency, it's worth taking a closer look at whether business principles can be applied to government. Today on Equity, Rebecca Bellan is discussing the intersection of tech, business and politics with Columbia Business School Professor Michael Morris.

Hosts Margaux MacColl, Devin Coldewey and Anthony Ha are back for another Friday news roundup with deals of the week from /dev/agents, ServiceTitan and Yurts, plus a deeper dive into which Founders Fund VCs are stepping back and strange AI.