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In this episode, Sam Jacobs and Asad Zaman are joined by Eric Wilford, a venture partner at Accel, to discuss venture investing with a focus on AI-first companies. The discussion delves into what defines an AI-first company, the implications of AI on product development and go-to-market strategies, and the influence of macroeconomic conditions on venture investments. Eric also shares his perspectives on valuation, the competitive dynamics in AI, and the role of authenticity in successful entrepreneurship.Thanks for tuning in! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.Key Moments: (00:00) - Introduction(03:21) - Discussion on AI-First Companies(06:35) - AI in Enterprise SaaS and Product Customization(18:00) - Macro Economy and Venture Investing(22:23) - Navigating Recessions and AI Era(25:05) - Valuations in the AI Market(30:58) - Raising Capital: Strategies and Debates(35:57) - Founders' Goals and Investor Alignment(38:53) - Inspiration and Final Thoughts
Jeff Shiner is the CEO of 1Password, the access management company used by over 100,000 businesses and millions of individuals worldwide. He joined 1Password as CEO in 2012, when the team was just under 20 people. Under Jeff's leadership, 1Password expanded into B2B, launched a SaaS platform, and scaled from a small family-run operation into a global company. In 2019, Jeff led 1Password through its first-ever funding round – a $200M Series A from Accel – to build out its go-to-market team and accelerate product development. Before joining 1Password, Jeff held senior roles at IBM and led teams through multiple acquisitions and integrations. --- In today's episode, we discuss: Why bootstrapping isn't always what it's cracked up to be The switch from a consumer product to B2B Launching before billing — and why that worked When being “too secure” nearly killed the product Becoming CEO… without telling anyone Much more --- Referenced: 1Password: https://1password.com Accel: https://www.accel.com Arun Mathew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun-mathew-b7186412/ David Teare: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveteare/ Floodgate: https://floodgate.com LastPass: https://www.lastpass.com Mike Maples: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maples/ Natalia Karimov: https://1password.com/company/meet-the-team/natalia-karimov Roustem Karimov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roustem/?originalSubdomain=ca Sara Teare: https://1password.com/company/meet-the-team/sara-teare Shopify: https://www.shopify.com Tobi Lütke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiaslutke/ --- Where to find Jeff: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jshiner --- Where to find Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson --- Where to find First Round Capital: Website: https://firstround.com/ First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast --- Timestamps: 0:03 – How Jeff got involved with 1Password 2:01 – How 1Password was initially set up 10:41 – The secret CEO 13:44 – What Jeff's first six months encompassed 16:13 – The lightbulb moment that caused a pivot 17:50 – 1Password's unusual company journey 22:08 – Creating an aligned product roadmap 29:19 – Retaining a customer-centric focus at scale 30:40 – Why 1Password's first B2B product failed 39:43 – How Jeff thinks about competitors 46:44 – Building different go-to-market functions 52:45 – Staying bootstrapped for 15 years 57:17 – Jeff's one regret 1:02:00 – 1Password's most pivotal moments
Burghardt Tenderich, Professor of Professional Practice at USC, speaks to Chantelle Darby, VP of Communications for the global Venture Capital firm, Accel. Chantelle started her career on the agency side before leading Yelp through an IPO and working with Sheryl Sandberg on Lean In. Chantelle covers these roles and offers crucial advice for students and young professionals starting out in the industry.Featuring: Chantelle Darby, VP Communications, AccelHost: Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations Executive Producer: Ron Antonette Producers: Marshall Winfield, Follow us: @USCCenterforPR (X, Facebook and Instagram) Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California. A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.
The future of AI employees. We cover training and managing an AI workforce, instant agentic collaboration, new AI economics, the death of SaaS, AI lifting up the developing world and the future of agents. Surojit Chatterjee is CEO of Ema — short for Enterprise Machine Assistant. Ema is on a mission to reimagine how work gets done in large organizations by building “universal AI employees.” These aren’t just standalone chatbots — they’re sophisticated, mesh-like networks of specialized agents that can autonomously execute workflows across departments like HR, customer support, sales, and compliance. What sets Ema apart is its no-code, fully agentic platform — allowing non-technical users to configure, onboard, and manage AI employees using only natural language instructions. With over 150 pre-built agents and a proprietary ensemble model called EmaFusion that orchestrates over 100 large language models, the company is pushing the edge of what’s possible in enterprise AI. Ema last raised a $50M Series A led by Accel and has become a rapid riser in the AI landscape. Surojit has one of the best product resumes in tech. He was most recently Chief Product Officer at Coinbase, helping scale one of the most important companies in the crypto economy. Before that, he led product teams at Google for nearly a decade, overseeing products across Mobile Ads, Shopping, and Search, and earlier served as Chief Product Officer at Flipkart, where he helped build India’s leading e-commerce platform. In addition to building Ema, Surojit is also an active angel investor, backing startups like Udemy and Palantir. He holds a Master’s in Computer Science from SUNY Buffalo, and an MBA from MIT Sloan. Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vcSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Investors moved capital in the startup ecosystem during Q1 2025, reflecting higher spending rates. Global startup investment reached notable highs, primarily driven by enthusiasm for AI technologies. Venture investors increased deal flow compared to the previous year. Y Combinator emerged as the top-ranked post-seed investor, focusing on follow-on rounds for its accelerator participants and investing in major companies. Competition among venture capitalists heightened, with several investments over $500 million, indicating strong interest in high-value opportunities. SoftBank led this activity with a historic $40 billion investment in OpenAI, the largest venture investment recorded. Lightspeed participated in nine post-seed deals, with Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Accel also leading multiple rounds. Seed funding showed signs of contraction, yet Y Combinator remained active with over 200 reported seed and pre-seed rounds. As Q2 approaches, investment strategies will likely adapt in response to public market volatility and IPO challenges.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Explore the rise & fall of Deep Rooted, the AgriTech startup backed by Accel. Learn why it shut down despite $24+ Mn funding, along with key takeaways for founders!
Please join Julien Guiot for this episode with Vas Natarajan, a partner at Accel, a leading global venture firm. In this episode, we dive into Vas' background, his path into venture, and more specific questions around how Vas spots lasting value in the AI space or how startups can overcome the distribution advantages of incumbents today. Additionally, we discuss how to identify strong founders and what unique traits B2B founders need to have to be successful. This is a fascinating episode from a leading investor in the infrastructure and AI space so be sure to give it a listen.
Andrew Braccia, partner at Accel for nearly two decades, sits down with Erik Torenberg to discuss the firm's evolution from Silicon Valley early-stage investor to global, multi-stage powerhouse. Braccia explains Accel's two major strategic shifts: global expansion with local teams in Europe, India, and beyond; and the launch of their growth fund in 2008 targeting bootstrapped companies like Atlassian, Qualtrics, and Squarespace. Braccia reflects on lessons from his journey from Yahoo to venture capital, emphasizing the importance of "wiping your mind clear" of past experiences that might cloud judgment of new opportunities. The conversation provides rare insight into how Accel maintains operational excellence at global scale while preserving their early-stage venture DNA in an increasingly competitive landscape. —
In this episode of The Neon Show, we bring you into the room with someone who's spent over a decade backing India's most ambitious companies.We're joined by Prayank Swaroop, Partner at Accel. With over 14 years in venture capital, Prayank walks us through his journey of discovering and building expertise in specific sectors—from cybersecurity and developer tools to SaaS and marketplaces—and how VCs identify the categories they truly understand.We dive into how Accel chooses best founders, and the balance between backing founder versus business across stages. Prayank shares his candid thoughts on why India has been slow and late to the AI race, and what a realistic way forward could look like for Indian startups.He also offers a glimpse into Accel's evolving investment thesis around AI, sector by sector, and talks about how the enterprise landscape is changing—and what that means for Indian founders building in this space.Tune in!0:00- Trailer1:45 – Finding Great Founders6:30 – What We'd Do Differently10:16 – Sector Expertise Matters13:15 – Where AI Money Should Go18:00 – Accel's GenAI Bets21:18 – Sector-Wise Thesis in AI23:24 – Growth means Product in AI26:45 – Rise of Founder-Influencers29:10 – $650million India Fund31:35 – Beyond Roti, Kapda, Makaan34:07 – Why Accel is Big on Content36:03 – 15 Years in VC38:16 – Highs & Lows of VC Ecosystem43:36 – Knowledge Compounds in VC49:45 – Conviction over Consensus51:06 - Conclusion-------------Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text
Jeunes Pousses : le rendez-vous de l'innovation positive et à impact
Comment atteindre le zéro émission nette, un objectif clé pour lutter contre le réchauffement climatique ?
Rami Tamir is no stranger to the startup world. A seasoned entrepreneur with multiple successful exits, he has honed his ability to build, scale, and navigate acquisitions like a veteran baseball player hitting home runs with each venture. Rami's latest venture, Salto, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Bessemer Venture Partners, Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures.
Send us a textMiguel Armaza interviews Shensi Ding, Co-Founder of Merge, an integrations infrastructure platform that has quickly grown from serving early-stage startups to powering integration layers for some of the largest financial services companies in the world including Revolut, Airwallex, Ramp, Brex and many more. They have raised a total of $75 million from great investors including NEA, Addition, and Accel.In this episode, we discuss:Building credibility with engineers and product teamsUnique advantages of being a first-time founder. Plus some hard lessons learned.How customer obsession and early security investments shaped company strategyWhy fundraising is a game with rules first-time founders need to learn... and a lot more! Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join 75,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
Amir is co-founder and CEO at Vorlon Security, which provides visibility and monitoring for SaaS app connections within an enterprise. For example, Vorlon can detect what other applications are connected to your Salesforce instance along with what data is flowing between each relationship. This helps security teams detect data exfiltration, data leakage, improper configuration, and more. Before Vorlon, Amir worked his way from a software developer into progressively more customer-facing roles, most recently as a Director at Palo Alto Networks. We kick off the episode talking about his early motivation to become a founder and how he led a decade of his career in pursuit of preparing himself for that role. Now, the team is continuing to focus on product and growth after raising $15 million last year from Accel and Shield Capital.WebsiteSponsor: VulnCheck
Scimplify has raised $40 million in a new equity round backed by Accel to expand its presence in the U.S. and enter new markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Birdgetown Research has raised $19 million in a round co-led by Accel and Lightspeed to deploy AI agents for business decisions and M&A deals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Karan Sirdesai is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mira Network. Previously an investor at Accel, he helped deploy over $250 million in crypto and AI investments, backing companies now worth over $5 billion. Before that, he was a consultant at BCG, advising global conglomerates.A self-taught programmer, Karan has built and sold multiple crypto trading products. Under his leadership, Mira Network serves over 500,000 users with nearly 250,000 AI inference requests daily. Mira's decentralized verification network powers AI applications for leading institutions like Aethir, io.net, and Hyperbolic, enabling trustless verification of AI outputs at scale.Karan is a thought leader in AI and blockchain, frequently speaking on AI agents, Decentralized Finance AI (DeFAI), Web3 adoption, bringing web2 users into web3 and the future of autonomous systems. His vision is to make AI infrastructure trustless and reliable, ensuring unbiased and secure development for the next wave of AI innovation.X: https://x.com/karansirdesaiLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karansirdesai/
Karan Sirdesai is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mira Network. Previously an investor at Accel, he helped deploy over $250 million in crypto and AI investments, backing companies now worth over $5 billion. Before that, he was a consultant at BCG, advising global conglomerates.A self-taught programmer, Karan has built and sold multiple crypto trading products. Under his leadership, Mira Network serves over 500,000 users with nearly 250,000 AI inference requests daily. Mira's decentralized verification network powers AI applications for leading institutions like Aethir, io.net, and Hyperbolic, enabling trustless verification of AI outputs at scale.Karan is a thought leader in AI and blockchain, frequently speaking on AI agents, Decentralized Finance AI (DeFAI), Web3 adoption, bringing web2 users into web3 and the future of autonomous systems. His vision is to make AI infrastructure trustless and reliable, ensuring unbiased and secure development for the next wave of AI innovation.X: https://x.com/karansirdesaiLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karansirdesai/
It's Monday, February 24th, 2025. This is Nelson John, let's get started. IndoBevs Bets Big on Innovation IndoBevs, the maker of Bro Code wine coolers, aims to double its revenue to ₹700 crore by FY26. The company is banking on innovation, launching a herbal liqueur, Bonga Bonga, made with 40 herbs and botanicals, along with new whisky brands. IndoBevs, which started as a distributor in 2007, now has 15 in-house brands and exports to the UAE. It's expanding whisky offerings with Enso, a Japanese whisky bottled locally, and Wingman, a premium blended malt launching in March 2025. With India's alcohol market growing at 3.5% annually, IndoBevs is ramping up production, eyeing 2.5 million cases in sales by FY27. Buffett's Record Cash Pile Sparks Speculation Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway hit a record $334.2 billion in cash reserves by 2024, marking 10 straight quarters of growth. While some wonder if Buffett is struggling to find good deals, he remains patient, selling stocks like Apple amid high valuations. The firm has also paused stock buybacks, letting its cash earn billions in interest. Some see this as preparation for Greg Abel's succession, but shareholders remain confident, hoping for a major investment. Buffett reassured investors that equities remain the firm's priority, even as Berkshire's publicly traded holdings dropped from $354 billion to $272 billion last year, while its private businesses gained value. Agentic AI: The Next Big Bet for Indian VCs Indian venture capitalists are betting on Agentic AI, a self-learning technology that automates tasks with minimal human input. Unlike generative AI, which needs human prompts, Agentic AI adapts independently, making it attractive for industries like healthcare and finance. Startups like Innovaccer, CoRover.ai, and Atomicwork are leading the charge, backed by investors like Accel and Peak XV. The market is projected to grow from $5.1 billion today to $47.1 billion by 2030. While concerns remain over AI errors limiting adoption, businesses are increasingly shifting budgets toward automation, making AI agents a potential game-changer in enterprise operations. Indian Bank CEO's Bold Shift to MSMEs One month into his tenure, Indian Bank CEO Binod Kumar is refocusing the lender's strategy—expanding MSME loans while scaling back personal lending. He aims to increase MSME loans from 17% to 20% of the bank's ₹5.2 trillion loan book in the next 2-3 years, boosting overall yield, which stood at 8.92% in Q3. While agriculture and retail loans have traditionally dominated, MSME loan growth picked up to 8.2% in Q3 from 7% a year earlier, while personal loan growth plunged 14%. The bank is prioritizing home and auto loans, with auto lending surging 48% YoY. Analysts see this as a smart risk-management move, reflected in Indian Bank's improved net NPA ratio of 0.21%. Kumar projects 11-13% credit growth in FY25, with a continued push toward high-yielding MSME loans. India's Green Hydrogen Ambitions India is well-positioned to lead in green hydrogen, but high production costs remain a challenge. Sushil Purohit, CEO of Gentari, says round-the-clock renewable power is key to making hydrogen competitive. With costs currently at $5/kg, adoption has been slow, despite government incentives. However, Gentari sees massive potential, given India's abundant renewable resources and policy support. The company is developing 200 kilotonnes per annum of green hydrogen projects and holds a stake in AM Green, which aims to produce 5 million tonnes of green ammonia annually by 2030. With 6 GW of renewable energy capacity in India, Gentari is also setting up a 650 MW round-the-clock green power project to support ammonia production. As costs drop, India's hydrogen economy could take off, reshaping industries like steel, refining, and shipping.
Synopsis: Venture capital is evolving, and so is biotech. In this episode of Biotech 2050, host Alok Tayi, CEO and co-founder of VibeBio, sits down with Alex Bangash, Founder of Transpose, an investment firm backing both startups and funds. With over 20 years of experience in venture investing, Alex shares his unconventional journey from engineering to investing and how his unique perspective has shaped his approach to funding. He breaks down the shifting startup landscape, the critical role of LPs in biotech, and why AI is a game-changer for both tech and life sciences. Alex also offers sharp insights into what it takes to build a successful venture fund today and the structural shifts that are redefining the industry. Whether you're a founder, investor, or biotech enthusiast, this episode is packed with valuable lessons on navigating the future of venture capital. Biography: Alex Bangash is the Founder of Transpose Platform, an anchor fund for the most disruptive venture funds of this decade. He is also the co-founder and former CEO of Trusted Insight, a machine learning–driven platform that hosts the world's largest network of institutional investors. Prior to TI Platform, Alex managed capital for clients at premier endowments, foundations, family offices, insurance firms, sovereign wealth funds, and pension funds since 2003. He has helped invest over $2 billion in 50 funds with a track record of investing over $1 billion in 50+ funds for institutional investors with an IRR of 30%+ and a 2x NAV. He advised the first checks in Accel, First Round Capital, Founders Fund, Emergence, Y Combinator, Khosla, SaaStr, Initialized, Crystal Towers, and Baseline. Earlier in his career, Alex was an engineer and executive at AT&T, Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs, and GE. Alex holds an MBA from the Wharton School (where he is a frequent guest lecturer); an M.Eng. in Operations Research from Cornell, and a BS in Computer Science, English, and Economics from Cornell.
I recently sat down with Dan Snyder, CEO and co-founder of Lower, to discuss the evolving landscape of mortgage lending. Lower was founded in 2014 and has grown into one of the largest venture-backed home lenders in the United States. Dan is driven by a commitment to simplifying the home financing process through technology. “We're not just building a mortgage company,” says Snyder. “We're creating a comprehensive platform. It will make homeownership more accessible, especially for younger buyers.” Fresh off its acquisition of NeatLabs, Lower's new proprietary platform, LowerOS, promises to reduce the cost and complexity of mortgage origination. Snyder bootstrapped his startup and went on to raise Ohio's largest Series A, showcasing resilience and vision. His journey offers valuable lessons in leadership and innovation. It also highlights how to navigate the challenges of a volatile housing market. The conversation explores key topics like the role of venture capital in professionalizing a business, the strategic importance of owning a full tech stack, and the opportunities presented by serving next-generation home buyers. The Big Ideas Venture Capital as a Catalyst for Growth. “Raising money allowed us to professionalize the business and access top talent,” says Snyder. He highlights the impact of Accel's investment. The Strategic Importance of Owning Technology. “We didn't want to rely on third-party software that didn't align with our goals,” Snyder notes. LowerOS is the result of this strategic decision. Challenges in Serving Next-Gen Buyers. “The average income for first-time buyers is over $200,000. We're working to bring that down by improving affordability,” Snyder explains. Adapting to Market Volatility. Snyder highlights that inventory and interest rates are major challenges. But, technology can help reduce costs and improve efficiency. Combining Tech with Human Expertise. “Even with digital tools, a 15-minute conversation can save hours of back-and-forth,” says Snyder. He emphasizes the value of human interaction.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Victor Riparbelli is the CEO and Co-founder of Synthesia, the world's leading AI video communications platform for enterprises. To date, Victor has raised over $250M from Accel, GV, NEA, and more. More than 1,000,000 users and 55,000 businesses, including 60% of the Fortune 100, use it to communicate efficiently and share knowledge at scale using AI avatars. In Today's Episode with Victor Riperbelli: 1. The Future of Models: Are we seeing the commoditisation of models? Will scaling laws continue to prove out? How far into the application layer will model providers go? Will we see a world of few large generalist models or many fragmented smaller models? X.ai, Anthropic, or OpenAI? Which would Victor most want to invest in and why? 2. The Future of Content: What will the future of content look like? In 5 years time will we have more AI or human made content? What will be the future of distribution for content? Why is TikTok the future for content distribution? How does Victor think about the future of identity verification? What is the right approach? What does everyone think will happen in the future with content that will never happen? 3. Startup Rules That are BS: Why does Victor believe it is total BS to say you have to be the first to a market? Why does Victor believe the speed of execution religion is BS? Why does Victor believe that London and Europe is a great place to start a startup? Does Victor believe Americans work harder than Europeans? Why does Victor believe Europeans are more loyal to their companies?
In this week's episode, Raza speaks with James Theuerkauf, CEO of Syrup Tech, and Sara Ittelson, Partner at Accel, to explore the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs in this transformative era. They discuss building AI-first companies and the lessons learned from scaling in a rapidly evolving space. With practical tips on leveraging data, creating competitive advantages, and sustaining passion for the long haul, this episode offers invaluable guidance for founders in AI.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction and Guest Backgrounds 01:27 - Syrup Tech's Approach to AI in Retail 03:29 - The Role of AI in Demand Forecasting 08:49 - Building Effective AI Systems and Teams 15:30 - How Generative AI is Shaping Businesses 19:18 - Advice for Founders in the AI Era 28:15 - Building an AI-First Company 33:26 - Innovations and Trends in AI 38:47 - Is AI Overhyped or Underhyped? 42:46 - Closing Thoughts and Reflections--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Humanloop is the LLM evals platform for enterprises. We give you the tools that top teams use to ship and scale AI with confidence. To find out more go to humanloop.com
O The Game Awards deste ano foi de vários anúncios, premiações inesperadas e muita emoção para os fãs. Teve o anúncio de Witcher 4, um novo Onimusha, o retorno de Okami e do Clover(s) Studio com Hideki Kamiya, e é claro, o jogo do ano: o Astro GOTY. Nesta edição do REVILcast, discutiremos sobre os prêmios do The Game Awards, os vencedores, os anúncios que mais gostamos e se os jogos realmente mereceram os prêmios. Então prepare a pipoca para o último REVILcast do ano, onde Felipe Turesso é o nosso host e Accel e Fred Hiro se esforçam para serem capazes de opinar. Dica: ouça com fone de ouvido! APRESENTAÇÃO: Felipe Turesso PARTICIPANTES: Accel Fred Hiro EDIÇÃO: Fer Vinhas
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Daniel Dines is the Founder & CEO @ UiPath, one of the most incredible journeys in startups. For 10 years, UiPath was a bootstrapped company that scaled to just $500K in revenue. Then it all changed, product market fit became obvious and the rest is history. The company went on to raise funding from Sequoia, Accel, Kleiner Perkins and more. Today, the company is worth over $10BN, listed on the NASDAQ and does $1BN+ in revenue. In Today's Episode with Daniel Dines We Discuss: 1. The Future of LLMs: Why does Daniel believe that we are at the upper end of scaling laws and more compute will not lead to increased performance? Does Daniel believe we will see a world of many specialised models or fewer generalist models? OpenAI, Anthropic, Xai. Which would Daniel most want to invest in? Why them? 2. Is RPA F******* in a World of Agents: What is the core difference between RPA and agents? How do the tasks they complete differ? Why must we have a neutral meta layer coordinating RPA processes and agents? Why will siloed applications like Salesforce be unable to expand beyond their initial function? Why does Daniel believe that agents will not complete tasks but make recommendations? 3. The Future of Work: WTF Happens with Agents: How long will it be before agents are fully utilised in the enterprise? What is the role of the human in a world of agents? What are the single biggest concerns of enterprises considering implementing agents in their companies? Why has GenAI not been successful in enterprise so far? Will this change? 4. Daniel Dines: The Billionaire Behind the Brand: How does Daniel deal with the loneliness of being CEO? What problem did Daniel struggle with for much of his twenties and thirties? How did he overcome it? Why does Daniel fear that he is becoming more and more disconnected? Why does Daniel believe 1-1s are BS? What is Daniel's single biggest advice to a new parent today?
In this episode, we sit down with Kumar Saurabh, CEO and co-founder of AirMDR, which provides a new approach to managed detection and response with an AI-powered virtual security analyst. A serial entrepreneur, Kumar has been at it for two decades. Before AirMDR, he co-founded Sumo Logic, the first cloud-based SIEM, and LogicHub, one of the pioneers of SOAR.Kumar's journey as an immigrant founder offers a unique perspective on why immigrants often succeed as entrepreneurs and how institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) have produced some of the world's most successful tech leaders. Drawing on his experience, Kumar explores why large companies struggle to innovate, the competitive edge startups hold over established players, and how founders can identify opportunities in markets that may appear crowded. He also shares actionable insights for founders on hiring top talent from leading companies and scaling a startup with the right team. Having collaborated with premier venture capital firms like Greylock, Sutter Hill, Sequoia, and Accel, Kumar provides invaluable advice on selecting the right VC partners, what to look for, and common mistakes to avoid. Kumar's story is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the power of identifying opportunities in enterprise tech, making him a leading voice in the startup ecosystem.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Torsten Reil is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Helsing, a new type of defence company providing artificial intelligence to protect our democracies. Torsten has raised over $825M from the likes of Prima Materia, Elad Gil, Accel and General Catalyst. Previously Torsten founded NaturalMotion, one of the UK's most successful games and technology start-ups. Torsten was named as one of MIT's Top 100 Innovators and is a member of the Munich Security Conference Innovation Board. In Today's Episode with Torsten Reil We Discuss: 1. The World Around Us: China, Russia and Trump: What will happen between China and Taiwan? What will happen between Russia and Ukraine? How will a Trump administration impact the US' commitment to fund European defence? What conflict do people not pay enough attention to in the world today? 2. Are We Ready and What Needs to Be Done: Are the west ready to fight against our adversaries as we stand today? What do we need to do to equip ourselves? What needs to change in our defence budgets? Where do they need to go? How does the procurement process for defence need to change? 3. The Future of War: Why does Torsten believe the future of war is contactless? In the next wave of defence, what are the most important elements for allies to own? What elements concern Torsten the most? What role does AI and autonomous play in the future of war? 4. Is Europe F********: Why does Torsten believe that Europe's biggest problem is ambition not capital? Why does Torsten believ that we put too much weight on the location in which companies are founded? Why does it not matter? How does Torsten respond to the statement that we do not have the depth of experienced talent in Europe to recruit?
Speak raised $78 million in a Series C funding round, achieving a valuation of $1 billion. This funding, led by Accel, doubles Speak's previous valuation of $500 million from a Series B extension announced last June. The platform creates audio conversations to improve user fluency and has produced over 25 million personalized lessons this year. Speak launched an enterprise offering for employers following its last funding round. Notable investors in the latest round include OpenAI Startup Fund, Khosla Ventures, and Y Combinator. Founded in 2016, Speak has raised a total of $162 million. In 2024, AI-related startups, like Speak, secured over $87 billion in funding, surpassing last year's total of approximately $56 billion.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Após quase 30 anos desde o seu lançamento original, Clock Tower enfim chegou de maneira oficial no Ocidente, por meio de uma versão atualizada com o subtítulo Rewind. O jogo contou com atualizações, melhorias e conteúdos originais, mas como é jogar Clock Tower em 2024? Nesta edição do REVILcast, discutiremos sobre o peso de Clock Tower para o gênero Survival Horror, se Bobby “Tesourinha” Barrows é o precursor dos inimigos stalkers, como uma tradução errada fez com que diversas teorias sobre o jogo fossem criadas e de onde veio o título do jogo. Então prepare-se para um episódio em que Felipe Turesso procura por Accel, Fred Hiro e Natália Sampaio, enquanto eles lutam para o RNG não deixar o tempo causar aderência. Dica: ouça com fone de ouvido! APRESENTAÇÃO: Felipe Turesso PARTICIPANTES: Accel Fred Hiro Natália Sampaio EDIÇÃO: Fer Vinhas
Cyera, a data security startup, raised $300 million in a Series D funding round, increasing its valuation to $3 billion within seven months. The funding round, led by Accel and Sapphire Ventures, follows a previous $300 million Series C round that valued the company at $1.4 billion in April 2024 and a $100 million Series B round in June 2023 that valued it at $500 million. Founded in 2021, Cyera has raised a total of $760 million, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Redpoint Ventures, and Coatue in the latest round. Cyera integrates AI into its cybersecurity services to help businesses assess data security, privacy, and compliance risks. The recent funding will enhance platform development, recruit talent, and support strategic acquisitions. This fundraising event marks the largest in the cybersecurity sector this year. Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Watch the video version on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgYg4tPP48AIn this episode of The London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Aman Ghei to look at the state of Fintech in Europe.Aman shares his journey from M&A banking, working at Accel and Facebook and games development, to building a career in venture capital. Aman reflects on how these experiences have influenced his approach to investing in post-revenue companies across sectors like payments, banking, and insurance technology.The conversation explores the current state of European Fintech, including the growing prominence of local investors, the impact of economic challenges on valuations, and the opportunities emerging in thriving markets like Germany and the Nordics. Aman delves into the complexities of the investment landscape, emphasising the importance of capital efficiency and highlighting trends in mergers and acquisitions.Aman also provides insights into lucrative verticals like payments and the strategic advantage of focusing on the mid-market in Europe. He shares practical advice for navigating the Fintech space, predicting the continued rise of "useful AI" and the shifting dynamics of the market.Topics Covered:Aman's career journey and Finch Capital's focus on post-revenue Fintech investmentsFinch Capital's 9th Annual European Fintech ReportKey investment trends across Europe, including country-specific opportunitiesThe evolving role of local investors in driving growthChallenges and opportunities in the current economic cycleMid-market investment focusInsights into thriving sectors like banking, payments, and insurance technology (BNPL, Stablecoins and InsurTech)Complexities of valuation in Fintech and the importance of capital efficiencyThe strength of the European PE sector (Eur 50-500m)The UK as the major European Fintech hubThe "Rule of 40"German private capital focusThe Nordic & Polish fintech sceneBeing commercial from the startPredictions for the future of European Fintech, including M&A activity and market consolidationTune in to gain a deep understanding of the European Fintech ecosystem and learn how investors like Aman Ghei are shaping its future.Learn More:Aman Ghei: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanghei/Finch Capital: https://www.finchcapital.com/State of European Fintech report: https://finchcapital.com/post/state-of-european-fin-tech-2024Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-clark-07160b/The London Fintech Podcast: https://londonfintechpodcast.com/
In this episode of the SaaS Revolution Show our host Alex Theuma is joined by Philippe Botteri, partner at Accel, who shares the 2024 Accel Europe: AI Eating Software. "Just look at the past couple of years, there's been $56 billion invested in AI companies and two thirds of that has gone into the top six companies of each region of the US and Europe, and also two thirds of that money has gone into foundation models. So what we're seeing is AI is really driving the growth and very concentrated in a very small number of companies both in the US and Europe." Philippe shares: • Capitalising on AI to drive growth • Increasing investment outside of foundational models • Why 2025 is going to be the year of the agentic revolution • Growth vs profitability: what's driving the momentum for software companies • The Game of AI Thrones - will it be a winner takes all market? and more! Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Karri Saarinen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Linear. The company has raised from some of the best in the business including Sequoia and Accel. Before founding Linear, Karri was the principal designer at Airbnb and the founding designer at Coinbase. 10 Lessons with One of Silicon Valley's Most In-Demand Founders: How to Become a Master Fundraiser: Why does Karri believe it is BS advice that founders should “always be raising”? What is Karri's biggest advice to founders on minimising dilution? What do most founders think they know about fundraising but do not? What is the best way to put your VCs to work? How can you give them homework to do? What has been the single best VC meeting Karri has had? What has been the worst VC meeting? Product and Growth: What does Karri mean when he says “founder must focus on quality growth over hypergrowth?” How does Karri advise founders on how soon to release and monetise their first product? Wait for platform ready or ship more feature products and monetise? What have been the single biggest product lessons for Karri from Airbnb and Coinbase? What are the most commons ways that growth plateaus? What breaks first? Karri AMA: Brian Armstrong or Brian Chesky; who would you invest in first? Would you sell Linear today for $3BN in cash? What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started? What did you believe that you now no longer believe?
Send us a textMiguel Armaza interviews Benjamin Fernandes, CEO & Founder of NALA, a global, cross-border payments company that helps customers send money in and out of Africa.Founded in 2018, NALA today is profitable and has raised over $50 million from Accel, Acrew, Amplo, Bessemer, DST, and NYCA.We discuss:Why NALA built their own infrastructure and stopped relying on local African incumbentsChallenges of going through a company pivot from local to cross-border paymentsThe important role that VCs can have on founders, positively and negativelyHow Benjamin's background as a TV host led him to payments… and a lot more!Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~70,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp
George Bousis is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor at the forefront of the payments, loyalty, and blockchain industries. As the Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Raise, he launched the world's leading platform for digital gift cards. Under his leadership, Raise achieved over $5 billion in sales and saved its customers upwards of $250 million.Raise is recognized globally as a pioneer in the payments, loyalty, and blockchain sectors. George's innovation is showcased by the 30 patents he's authored. This spirit of innovation has attracted significant backing for Raise, helping the company secure over $225 million from leading institutions like Accel, PayPal and NEA.Outside the boardroom, George's passion for startups is evident. He's invested in over 85 companies and co-founded Protagonist. Beyond business, he enjoys gaming, music, real estate, and traveling.George's accolades include three nominations for the Goldman Sachs Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and recognition as a Crains 20 in their 20s standout.He's also committed to giving back, serving as a board member for the Northwestern Hospitals Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation and as a member of the Young Presidents Organization, Chicago Chapter.In this conversation, we discuss:- Introduction to Raise- WalletConnect & Polkadot Integrations- Blockchain Innovation in the Gift Card Industry- Future Vision: blockchain innovation in the consumer space- Overview of the gift card industry- Programming digital money to do anything- TPS and gas fees limiting adoption in the early days of crypto- Billions of dollars in gift cards go unused every single year- Brands taking out the middleman- The future of customer loyalty programsRaiseWebsite: www.raise.comX: @RaiseAppLinkedIn: RaiseGeorge BousisX: @GBousisInstagram: @gbousisLinkedIn: George Bousis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT. PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers. PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50
“It's a bit too early to say that the race is over,” said Philippe Botteri when asked about European startups' AI progress. “I think we're just at the very early innings of this race.” Botteri is a partner at early-stage investment firm Accel with over 13 years under his belt at the firm, leading investments in DocuSign, UiPath and more recently Snyk and Chainalysis. Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, host Rebecca Bellan caught up Botteri to dive deep into Accel's Euroscape 2024 Report. Tapping into Botteri's experience in Cloud, SaaS security, and enterprise sectors, the pair discuss AI's rising influence, its impact on software and cloud investments, and how European startups can compete with the US. Listen to the full episode for more about:How AI is eating the software market, with AI and cloud funding predicted to hit $79.2 billion by the end of 2024.The challenges faced by traditional software companies as funding growth slows outside of AI.Why Europe's strong talent pool gives it an edge in the AI race, even as startups on the continent struggle to compete with the ungodly amounts of money U.S. tech giants have.Increased M&A activity globally amid a slow IPO market.Why 2025 will be the year of the “agentic revolution” with AI significantly impacting software development and productivity.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 over at Simplecast. 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.
Today's teacher is Rich Wong, general partner at renowned venture firm Accel. Rich is a very special investor and leader, and he spent many years as an operator prior to his time in VC. What was going to be a short stint as a venture operating partner nearly 20 years ago turned into a defining pivot for Rich. He not only quickly reached the top of the venture profession but also became the go-to investor for many luminary companies, such as Atlassian, UiPath, AdMob, Checkr, Rovio, Service Channel, and many many more. His range of interests spans beyond venture, and he's very involved in many of the leading university-based poverty alleviation labs. It's always a treasure for us to find someone who integrates so many facets of life in service of others. Please enjoy our class with Rich Wong. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by EightSleep, the temperature-controlled mattress cover that heats or cools your mattress to transform your sleep. The Pod 4 Ultra is the new gold standard in intelligent sleep systems. It can be added to your current mattress like a fitted sheet and is been clinically proven to give you up to an hour more quality of sleep every night. The cooling capability can cool your side of the bed to 20 degrees below room temperature, all managed by the pod's autopilot feature, which adjusts the temperature throughout the night. Go to eightsleep.com/joys for $350 off. ----- Joys of Compounding is a property of Pine Grove Studios in collaboration with Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Joys of Compounding, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Follow us on Twitter: @Buhrman_Rick | @PaulBuser | @JoinColossus Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to the Joys of Compounding (00:04:41) The Atlassian Chase Story (00:07:41) Bootstrapping and Venture Capital (00:18:10) Excel's Founding and Evolution (00:22:14) Rich Wong's Early Influences (00:24:42) Becoming an Accidental Venture Capitalist (00:31:39) Excel's Team Dynamics and Investment Strategies (00:38:28) The Evolution of Mobility and AI (00:39:58) Bottom-Up Innovation and Defense Technology (00:41:25) AI's Role in Incumbents vs. Startups (00:44:53) Service Channel Case Study (00:47:58) Capital Efficiency and Indigestion (00:51:04) The Role of Grit and Overfunding (00:55:29) Venture Capital Ecosystem and Returns (01:04:03) Public Policy and Poverty Solutions (01:11:43) Balancing Career and Personal Life (01:15:37) How Rich Wants His Life To Be Measured
In this live episode recorded at the Elevate Conference, host Matt Cohen interviews Dax Dasilva, founder of Lightspeed and the conservation initiative Age of Union. The discussion covers Dax's entrepreneurial journey from his early days growing up in Vancouver as the son of Ugandan refugees, through the founding and growth of Lightspeed, and his venture into conservation and environmental advocacy. Dax shares insights on transitioning from a bootstrapped company to VC-backed growth, going public, his time away from the company, and his recent return as CEO. He also emphasizes the importance of spirituality, conservation, and embracing change as a leader.About Dax DasilvaDax Dasilva is the Founder and CEO of Lightspeed Commerce. Founded in 2005, Lightspeed is the unified POS and payments platform for ambitious entrepreneurs to accelerate growth, provide the best customer experience and become a go-to destination in their space. It powers the world's best businesses in over 100 countries globally.Dasilva was reappointed as CEO on February 15, 2024. Prior to that, he served as Executive Chair of Lightspeed's board of directors for two years, and previously led the company's operations as Chief Executive Officer since its founding in 2005.Lightspeed employs thousands of staff, and powers hundreds of thousands of customer locations worldwide. During Dasilva's leadership as CEO, the company went public in March 2019 on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol LSPD, becoming one of Canada's top 10 technology IPOs. In September 2020, the company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Lightspeed also undertook 9 acquisitions over the course of a four year period to consolidate the global market and launch two, best-in-class flagship products: Lightspeed Retail and Lightspeed Restaurant.In this episode, we discuss:* (01:16) Dax explains his long-standing relationship with Elevate and the importance of in-person gatherings.* (02:03) Growing up in Vancouver, Dax was introduced to technology through his father's job and his early exposure to a Mac startup.* (04:00) Dax talks about how his initial programming work with Mac dealerships led to the foundation of Lightspeed, serving complex retailers.* (05:09) Dax reflects on balancing growth and profitability during Lightspeed's first seven years without external funding.* (07:54) Dax stresses the need for a detailed business plan, which guided Lightspeed through its early years.* (09:00) Lightspeed's shift to VC-backed growth began with a $30 million Series A led by Accel, as Dax discusses how they prepared for scaling and moving to cloud-based services.* (12:22) The challenges of leading a company through IPOs in Toronto and New York required Dax to adapt to public market pressures.* (15:01) Dax shares insights on handling the volatility of public markets, especially during the pandemic and interest rate shifts.* (17:00) Dax explains why he stepped back from Lightspeed in 2022, the projects he pursued during his time away, and the advice he received before returning.* (18:43) Dax reflects on how spiritual practices like meditation have helped him balance various roles and projects.* (20:32) Dax provides an overview of Age of Union, his conservation initiative, and his experiences with grassroots projects worldwide.* (23:16) Dax encourages startups to embrace a learning mindset, iterating through failures, and applying entrepreneurial thinking to different fields.Fast Favorites:* Favorite Podcast: 20VC* Favorite Newsletter: Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin* Favorite Tech Gadget: InBody fat and body composition analyzers* Favorite Trend: The rise of meditation* Favorite Book: Good to Great by Jim Collins* Favorite Life Lesson: "The journey is the reward" – Steve JobsFollow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.ai This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com
News includes the archiving of the “Phoenix Sync” project, a major update to Gettext that enhances compilation efficiency, the release of ErrorTracker v0.2.6 with new features like error pruning and ignoring, and José Valim highlighting UX issues with ChatGPT's new UI. We were also joined by Alistair Woodman, a board member of the EEF (Erlang Ecosystem Foundation), who explained the EEF's recent efforts to stay ahead of legislation and technical regulatory shifts that may impact developers soon. Alistair discussed the changing regulatory landscape in the US and the EU due to high-profile exploits, outages, and nation-state supply chain attacks. We learned how the EEF supports Elixir and BEAM developers and what they need from the community now, and more! Show Notes online - http://podcast.thinkingelixir.com/220 (http://podcast.thinkingelixir.com/220) Elixir Community News - https://github.com/josevalim/sync (https://github.com/josevalim/sync?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – The "Phoenix Sync" project has been archived with no immediate explanation yet. - https://github.com/elixir-gettext/gettext/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#v0260 (https://github.com/elixir-gettext/gettext/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#v0260?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – Gettext has a big update to version 0.26.0 which includes a more efficient compilation. - https://github.com/elixir-cldr/cldr (https://github.com/elixir-cldr/cldr?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – Gettext feels similar to how ExCldr allows defining a custom backend. - https://elixirstatus.com/p/TvydI-errortracker-v026-has-been-released (https://elixirstatus.com/p/TvydI-errortracker-v026-has-been-released?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – ErrorTracker v0.2.6 has been released with key improvements like a global error tracking disable flag, automatic resolved error pruning, and error ignorer. - https://github.com/mimiquate/tower (https://github.com/mimiquate/tower?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – Tower is a flexible error tracker for Elixir applications that listens for errors and reports them to configured reporters like email, Rollbar, or Slack. - https://x.com/josevalim/status/1832509464240374127 (https://x.com/josevalim/status/1832509464240374127?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – José highlighted some UX issues with ChatGPT's new UI, mentioning struggles with concurrent updates. - https://x.com/josevalim/status/1833176754090897665 (https://x.com/josevalim/status/1833176754090897665?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – José postponed publishing a video on optimistic updates with LiveView due to an Apple announcement. - https://github.com/wojtekmach/mixinstallexamples (https://github.com/wojtekmach/mix_install_examples?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – A new WebRTC example was added to the "Mix Install Examples" project. - https://github.com/wojtekmach/mixinstallexamples/pull/42 (https://github.com/wojtekmach/mix_install_examples/pull/42?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – The WebRTC example shows how to use the ex_webrtc Elixir package in a small script, compatible with Mix.install/2. - https://github.com/elixir-webrtc/ex_webrtc (https://github.com/elixir-webrtc/ex_webrtc?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – The Elixir package used for the WebRTC example. - https://x.com/taylorotwell/status/1831668872732180697 (https://x.com/taylorotwell/status/1831668872732180697?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – Laravel raised a $57M Series A in partnership with Accel, likely related to their Laravel Cloud hosting platform. Do you have some Elixir news to share? Tell us at @ThinkingElixir (https://twitter.com/ThinkingElixir) or email at show@thinkingelixir.com (mailto:show@thinkingelixir.com) Discussion Resources - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyberResilienceAct (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Resilience_Act?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://news.apache.org/foundation/entry/open-source-community-unites-to-build-cra-compliant-cybersecurity-processes (https://news.apache.org/foundation/entry/open-source-community-unites-to-build-cra-compliant-cybersecurity-processes?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/CISA%20Secure%20by%20Design%20Pledge_508c.pdf (https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/CISA%20Secure%20by%20Design%20Pledge_508c.pdf?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Final-ONCD-Technical-Report.pdf (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Final-ONCD-Technical-Report.pdf?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://www.infoworld.com/article/2336216/white-house-urges-developers-to-dump-c-and-c.html (https://www.infoworld.com/article/2336216/white-house-urges-developers-to-dump-c-and-c.html?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/services/acquisitions/tail-f.html (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/services/acquisitions/tail-f.html?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/cyber-resilience-act (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/cyber-resilience-act?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://www.nist.gov/ (https://www.nist.gov/?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XZUtilsbackdoor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XZ_Utils_backdoor?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log4j (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log4j?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbleed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbleed?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024CrowdStrikeincident (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_CrowdStrike_incident?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/06/stanfords-deborah-sivas-on-scotus-loper-decision-overturning-chevrons-40-years-of-precedent-and-its-impact-on-environmental-law (https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/06/stanfords-deborah-sivas-on-scotus-loper-decision-overturning-chevrons-40-years-of-precedent-and-its-impact-on-environmental-law?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://openssf.org/ (https://openssf.org/?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandlabels (https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandlabels?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://www.cve.org/ (https://www.cve.org/?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) - https://erlef.org/wg/security (https://erlef.org/wg/security?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) Guest Information - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-woodman-51934433 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-woodman-51934433?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – Alistair Woodman on LinkedIn - awoodman@erlef.org - http://erlef.org/ (http://erlef.org/?utm_source=thinkingelixir&utm_medium=shownotes) – Erlang Ecosystem Foundation Website Find us online - Message the show - @ThinkingElixir (https://twitter.com/ThinkingElixir) - Message the show on Fediverse - @ThinkingElixir@genserver.social (https://genserver.social/ThinkingElixir) - Email the show - show@thinkingelixir.com (mailto:show@thinkingelixir.com) - Mark Ericksen - @brainlid (https://twitter.com/brainlid) - Mark Ericksen on Fediverse - @brainlid@genserver.social (https://genserver.social/brainlid) - David Bernheisel - @bernheisel (https://twitter.com/bernheisel) - David Bernheisel on Fediverse - @dbern@genserver.social (https://genserver.social/dbern)
Scott Chacon writes up his insider take on GitHub's success, Sentry wants other companies to take the Open Source Pledge, Benj Edwards used AI to reproduce his late father's handwriting, Dave Kiss explains the current hype that PHP is getting & Taylor Otwell raises $57 million series A from Accel.
Scott Chacon writes up his insider take on GitHub's success, Sentry wants other companies to take the Open Source Pledge, Benj Edwards used AI to reproduce his late father's handwriting, Dave Kiss explains the current hype that PHP is getting & Taylor Otwell raises $57 million series A from Accel.
In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses with Tzlil Kovetz, Principal at Vintage Investment Partners.With $4B in assets under management, Vintage Investment Partners is a global investment fund that focuses on three distinct strategies:A fund-to-fund play targeting early-stage VCs across Europe, the U.S., and Israel;A growth fund for early growth companies (typically Series B and beyond);A secondary fund invests in both funds and companies at various stages.Vintage Investment Partners invests across all sectors and has made notable investments in companies like Wolt, Klarna, Mirakl, SentinelOne, Monday, JFrog, Yotpo, Holidu, and many others. In the European fund investment space, they've backed top-tier firms such as Accel, Creandum, PointNine, Seedcamp, BlueYard, and others.Tzlil offers a unique perspective evaluating trends in both the European and U.S. venture markets. Her insights are sure to be valuable for anyone interested in the current state and future of VC.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview
In this episode of the Laravel podcast, we address some listener-submitted questions regarding the recent investment in Laravel and the announcement of Laravel Cloud. We explore the motivation behind Taylor taking investment, the goals of Accel, and what the future holds for Laravel and its ecosystem. Plus, we cover the future of Laravel Forge and give you a glimpse of what migrating your projects from Forge to Laravel Cloud might look like.Taylor Otwell's Twitter Matt Stauffer's TwitterLaravel TwitterLaravel WebsiteTighten WebsiteSpecial Announcement - Accel invests $57M into Laravel Products & Open-Source Framework VideoLive Q&A re: $57M fundraise, Laravel Cloud, & the future of LaravelPodcast Suggestions Laravel Cloud-----Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.
In this episode of the Product Podcast we chat with Karri Saarinen, the CEO at Linear. It's the fastest-growing and most beloved project management tool in the world. The company is valued at $400 million, and has raised $52 million in funding from Accel, Sequoia, and some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs including the founders of Slack.Before Linear, Karri led product design at Airbnb and Coinbase.In our conversation, we'll discuss how his design background is helping him a product users love, his strong Product-Led Growth (PLG) approach to reach decision-makers, how to not always rely on data for product decisions, and his stance against incorporating AI-specific features into his product at this time. Discover how Linear is building the tool that PMs love with a innovative and human approach that allows them to be growing so fast and having the sense of belonging of clients. This episode is packed with lessons on how coming from a different background can be a positive perspective when building a product that turns into the most enjoyable and efficient way to manage development. (00:00)
With GenAI on the rise, software is evolving from a tool that needs constant supervision to an intelligent partner that handles tasks autonomously, similar to human assistants. This shift promises a future where enterprises are more efficient, with AI seamlessly integrating into daily operations. In Episode 1 of SeedToScale's Decoding AI series, Accel's Anagh Prasad explores the future of enterprise software with Surojit Chatterjee, Founder and CEO of Ema, a company which elevates Agentic AI to the enterprise level. Surojit explains how the next generation of enterprise software, driven by Gen AI, will be radically different from the current systems. These new applications will break down data silos and access information across the enterprise to create adaptive, real-time user interfaces that respond dynamically to user needs and roles. Watch the full episode as Surojit shares how Ema is designed to bridge the gap between AI capabilities and business needs, and how Gen AI, much like past technological revolutions, is poised to create more jobs and opportunities than we can currently imagine.
Darcy Norman - Head of Performance, USMNT - joins us for the 60th episode of MTN. We had prepared quite a few questions on performance for Darcy but really found ourselves in a deep dive within acceleration and deceleration that was worth every minute. Darcy's incredible background combining high-performing coaching and rehabilitation makes him a wealth of knowledge. Make sure to follow Darcy on X @DarcyNorman and on IG @darcynorman09 Find us on social media @mtn_perform and check back each Wednesday for a new episode Big Thanks to our Sponsor, Lumin Sports: Lumin Sports is your digital HQ for athletic performance. The Australian-made platform centralises athlete management, team communications, scheduling, data visualisations, and features third party integrations to save valuable time and elevate decision making. Trusted by pro-sport teams, colleges, high schools, and high-performance centres, Lumin is an affordable solution that seamlessly connects coaches, athletes, medical staff, and operations teams. With the belief that data-driven decisions power human potential, Lumin exists to improve performance and give time back to those who need it most. Download a free demo today to find out why teams around the world choose Lumin Sports. & a huge Thank You to our sponsor, Hawkin Dynamics: Hawkin is the world leader in force measuring, and continues to put forth the tools for high-performance practitioners to be exactly that, high performers. If you haven't yet checked out Hawkins - head over to their website at: https://www.hawkindynamics.com/ and check out everything they have to offer Make sure to check out our sponsor, Samson Equipment: Samson is a leader in manufacturing elite weight room equipment (and have been for nearly 50 years). Founded by Dave and Linda Schroeder, Samson is weight room equipment made by coaches for coaches. Check them out at samsonequipment.com for more information Shoutout to our sponsor, 1080 Motion. The 1080 Sprint is the single best piece of training equipment in the world & has continually changed the game for training speed, strength, and power. Go to 1080motion.com to learn more.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Dax Dasilva is the Founder & CEO Lightspeed Commerce, one of the most incredible stories in startups. For 7 years they did not raise outside funding and ran a very profitable business. Ultimately they partnered with Accel and Innovia before going public on the Canadian Stock Exchange with just $70M in ARR. Lightspeed also undertook 9 acquisitions over the course of a four year period to consolidate the global market. Today they have a whopping $900M in ARR but are only valued at $2.6BN. Today we ask the question, is Lightspeed one of the public market's most misunderstood companies? In Today's Episode with Dax Dasilva We Discuss: 1. VC Funding is Distorting SaaS: Why did Dax decide not to raise money for Lightspeed in the early days? Does Dax believe Lightspeed would have been successful had they have raised a seed round like many do today in SaaS? Why does Dax believe venture funding is distorting a generation of SaaS companies today? How does Dax advise founders scaling their business today from $0-$1M in ARR? 2. What Went Wrong: The Founder Returns: Why did Dax feel he had to come back to the role of CEO in 2024? What was not working? What was the single biggest problem that the public markets had with Lightspeed? What were some of the biggest challenges that came with the intense amount of M&A? What would Dax most like to do that the public market will not allow? 3. What Makes a Great Leader: How it Changes: What required skills in leadership change with the changing scale of the company? What skill does Dax have that he is slightly ashamed of but has most contributed to his success? What did Dax not know when he founded Lightspeed that he wishes he had known? What question is Dax never asked that he should be asked more?
Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)
895: As the AI landscape continues to expand, cybersecurity remains a top priority for technology executives, creating abundant opportunities for venture capital firms to invest in the cyber space. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Andrei Brasoveanu, Partner at Accel. They discuss the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, highlighting the increasing complexities introduced by cloud computing and AI. Andrei shares Accel's investment strategies, focusing on developer tools, data security, and Web3 technologies. The conversation also delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in cybersecurity and Andrei's journey from Romania to becoming a key figure in Accel's global investment efforts.
Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)
895: As the AI landscape continues to expand, cybersecurity remains a top priority for technology executives, creating abundant opportunities for venture capital firms to invest in the cyber space. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Andrei Brasoveanu, Partner at Accel. They discuss the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, highlighting the increasing complexities introduced by cloud computing and AI. Andrei shares Accel's investment strategies, focusing on developer tools, data security, and Web3 technologies. The conversation also delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in cybersecurity and Andrei's journey from Romania to becoming a key figure in Accel's global investment efforts.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Andrew Bialecki is the Co-Founder and CEO of Klaviyo, the platform that powers smarter digital relationships for businesses and their data. To date, Klaviyo has raised over $778M from the likes of Accel, Summit Partners, Sands Capital, and Shopify, and raised an additional $700M after its IPO in September 2023. In Today's Episode with Andrew Bialecki We Discuss: Founding a $6.23BN Machine in Klaviyo: The Aha Moment What was the aha moment for Klaviyo? How important does Andrew think it is for founders to stick with their initial vision vs when is the right time to pivot? Does a great product sell itself? If you build it, will they come? Bootstrapping Klaviyo: Would it Have Worked with More VC Cash Earlier? Why did Andrew decide to bootstrap & not take VC money with Klaviyo? Does Andrew think Klaviyo would have been successful if they raised a seed round? What would they have done differently? Why does Andrew believe companies should take their time to find product-market fit? What are the most common mistakes founders make? What is Andrew's advice to founders on fundraising? When did Andrew decide to raise a seed round when he did? How to IPO in an IPO Winter: Advice & Lessons Why did Andrew decide to take Klaviyo public in a bad public market? How was the IPO roadshow process? What were Andrew's lessons from it? How has Andrew's role as CEO changed after taking Klaviyo public? Does Andrew think Klaviyo is undervalued today? What is Andrew's advice to founders on secondaries? Behind the Shopify Partnership How did Klaviyo's partnership with Shopify happen? What were Andrew's lessons working with Tobi Lütke & Harley Finklestein? How does Andrew define a win-win partnership? What does Andrew mean by “Partnerships are like a tug of war?” What does Andrew think are the most common reasons partnerships go sideways?
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Alex Wang is the Founder and CEO @ Scale.ai, the company that allows you to make the best models with the best data. To date, Alex has raised $1.6BN for the company with a last reported valuation of $14BN earlier this year. Scale tripled their ARR in 2023 and is expected to hit $1.4BN in ARR by the end of 2024. Their investors include Accel, Index, Thrive, Founders Fund, Meta and Nvidia to name a few. In Today's Show with Alex Wang We Discuss: 1. Foundation Models: Diminishing Returns: What are the three core pillars that can meaningfully improve foundation models performance? Why is data the single largest bottleneck to the performance of models today? What data do we need to capture that we do not currently, that will have the biggest impact on model performance moving forward? Will we see the largest companies in the world revert back to on-prem with the increasing security challenges of migrating all customer data to foundation models? 2. AI: A Military Asset in Global Conflict: China + Russia Why does Alex believe that AI has the potential to be an even more powerful military asset than nuclear weapons? If this is the case, should we have open systems? Do we not have to have closed systems? Why does Alex believe that the CCP's approach to industrial policy is better than anyone else's? How does Alex evaluate the rise of Chinese EV car manufacturers in the last few years? Does Alex really believe that China is two years behind the US in the AI race? 3. "I Get Fairer Treatment in Congress than in the Press": Why does Alex believe that the best PR is no PR? Why does Alex believe that he got fairer treatment in congress than he does in the media? Why does Alex believe that all founders should look to own their own distribution channels today? 4. Alex Wang: AMA: What are some of Alex's biggest lessons from Patrick Collison on the impact that a hot company brand has on the ability for that company to hire the best? Does Alex think Trump is going to win? What would be the impact if he were to? Why does Alex believe that enterprise software will be changed forever in the next few years? What question is Alex never asked that he thinks he should be asked?