For decades, the unwritten rule of venture capital was that a firm doesn’t back two companies that compete head-on. But speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this week, the partners of Benchmark readily acknowledged that the AI boom is straining that rule. It’s been on the verge of snapping for some time. The towering AI labs
In much of industrial America, a sale still starts with a spec sheet, an inbox and a rep who has worked the account for 20 years. Emanate wants AI to do that job, and now it has one of the country’s largest private companies in its corner. Koch Disruptive Technologies, the venture arm of Koch,
Oprah Winfrey, 72, said she made a career decision she knew was wrong, simply because she didn’t want to disappoint others. Speaking on Thursday’s episode of “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” Winfrey reflected on the difficult early years of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Winfrey launched OWN in January 2011, months before “The Oprah Winfrey Show” ended
Fiat Ventures on Tuesday said it is combining its growth consultancy and venture divisions under a new brand, FGV Capital, alongside the launch of its second fund, a $35 million vehicle. The fintech-focused firm’s general partners, Marcos Fernandez and Drew Glover, told TechCrunch that the decision to combine the businesses was to help founders, whether
Cat Gioino here. Everyone wants safer neighborhoods, right? That was Flock CEO Garrett Langley’s pitch to VCs after he built Flock’s first prototype. The Georgia Tech electrical engineer was not yet 30 when a string of break-ins in his own Atlanta neighborhood convinced him local police lacked the right tools. Recruiting two former colleagues, Matt
Silicon Valley made a fortune betting on disruption. Now some of the most recognizable names in venture capital and Big Tech are spending millions to disrupt California’s plan to tax them. Campaign finance records show Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel, crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, Google cofounder Sergey Brin, and longtime venture capitalist John Doerr donated to
