AI talent managers and technocapitalist college towns | Equity Podcast
28 Aug 2024 (23 days ago)
AI and Technology Funding and Acquisitions
- Story, a company focused on content IP and its use in the age of AI, has raised $80 million at a $2.25 billion valuation.
- The company plans to utilize blockchain technology to verify ownership and facilitate the licensing of likenesses, art, and other intellectual property.
- A company called Sahara AI recently raised $43 million in funding.
- Reliant is a company that uses a large language model to analyze scientific papers to help researchers quickly find relevant information.
- Beyond Math is a company that uses machine learning to improve the speed and efficiency of computational fluid dynamics simulations, particularly for Formula 1 car design.
- A company is using AI to create a virtual wind tunnel that can produce results in real time, as opposed to traditional simulations that can take hours.
Defense Technology and Acquisitions
- Devcon AI, a company focused on military logistics, recently raised $44 million in a seed round.
- Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, has acquired five companies, primarily for their intellectual property, to strengthen their bids for contracts.
- Anduril Industries is acquiring companies with valuable intellectual property, potentially aiming to become a major player like Palantir Technologies.
- Defense technology is a diverse field with significant innovation and research opportunities, encompassing more than just weaponry.
- Dual-use companies, like SpaceX's Starlink, develop products for both commercial and defense applications.
Bolt Funding and Leadership
- Bolt, a one-click checkout company, is raising money with an initial valuation of $14 billion.
- Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow, who stepped down in February 2022, could return to the company as CEO with a $2 million bonus and $1 million in back pay.
- Bolt raised $250 million in Series F funding, which is not necessarily all cash.
- The $200 million Series F funding is said to be managed by a new private equity fund in the UAE that has not yet received government approval for registration.