Podcasts about series b

What happens when 3,500 staffers lose their jobs due to FDA layoffs, venture capital (VC) term sheets shrink, and AI drug-discovery startups raise $600 million rounds? Executive recruiter William Holodnak (ex-Fidelity, global biotech headhunter) breaks down 2025's wild hiring market—and how founders can still build A-teams.In this episode you'll learn:- Why the April-1 FDA layoffs could delay approvals—and open new career doors for ex-regulators. - The three traits VCs demand in first-time biotech CEOs during a funding slump. - How AI-driven platforms like Isomorphic Labs raised mega-rounds in a down market. - Immunology's surge and why oncology startups are pivoting. - Board-level recruiting tactics that de-risk your Series B.

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Julio Martinez, co-founder and CEO of Abacum. Julio shares his path from investment banking and FP&A roles to building a top-tier financial planning and analysis platform that supports companies from Series B through IPO and beyond. He dives into how Abacum is redefining business planning for finance teams, empowering them to manage increasing complexity as they scale. Julio discusses the fundraising journey, including what it took to secure over $100 million in capital and the different expectations at each round. He also breaks down the key SaaS metrics investors care about, strategies for efficient and sustainable growth, and the importance of building strong foundations rather than chasing shortcuts. If you're interested in metrics-driven growth, scaling SaaS businesses, or want a firsthand look at what it takes to lead a high-growth fintech startup, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Tune in to hear how Abacum is leveraging AI, developing a customer-obsessed platform, and what's next on their roadmap. Show Notes: 00:00 Versatile Business Planning Platform 04:23 Finance Targets in Diverse Sectors 07:08 Series B: From Ambition to Rationality 11:09 Building Strong, Sustainable Businesses 15:32 "Scaling Cold Outreach with Tech" 16:14 Targeted Email Outreach for CFOs 22:01 "Building Unbeatable, Sustainable Products" 23:43 "Building a Long-Term Iconic Business" Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/abacum-raises-25-million-in-series-a https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/abacum-raises-60-million-in-series-b Julio Martinez's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejuliomartinez/ Abacum's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abacum-io/ Abacum's Website: https://www.abacum.ai/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

We dive into the world of cutting-edge cancer treatments with Aino Kalervo, Chief Operating Officer of TILT Biotherapeutics and occasional tennis legend in her spare time.TILT recently closed a $25M series B round, backed by leading Finnish investors, to finance the clinical development of its oncolytic virus candidate to supercharge cancer immunotherapies.We also explore the challenging space of oncolytic viruses and the untapped potential of biotech innovation in Finland.______For transparency, this episode has been sponsored by TILT.______⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERAino Kalervo is the Chief Operating Officer of TILT Biotherapeutics, responsible for fundraising and business development. She has also served as the president of TILT's US affiliate since 2022. Prior to joining TILT, she worked for Sanofi and the French therapeutic vaccine company Theravectys.

A Mission Born from the AmazonNicolas's journey began with a first-hand experience in Bolivia, where he witnessed the environmental impact of industrial meat production and deforestation. This planted the seed for a mission-driven career focused on sustainable food. After stints in both corporate and nonprofit sectors, he became convinced that cell-cultivated meat could offer a breakthrough solution - if it could deliver on taste, scale, and affordability.From Foie Gras to the Future of FoodInstead of competing immediately with commodity meats, Gourmey launched with cultivated foie gras - a premium, high-margin product that addressed a real market gap due to supply chain volatility and regulation. This choice allowed the company to prove the viability of its tech without having to undercut traditional meat prices from the outset. By addressing an underserved culinary segment, Gourmey established credibility with chefs and customers alike.Scaling with Purpose and PrecisionGourmey has raised over €60 million and grown to a team of 50+ people. Nicolas emphasized the importance of working with mission-aligned investors who understand the long road of deep tech development. With their latest cost analysis showing production prices as low as €5-€7 per kilo, the company is entering a new phase where cultivated meat could move beyond fine dining into broader markets. This opens the door to massive potential impact in the $2 trillion meat industry.Chefs, Consumers, and the Power of TasteConsumer acceptance is rising, even before widespread availability. Gourmey's strategy includes launching in forward-looking markets like Singapore and collaborating with Michelin-starred chefs to drive trust and desirability. Nicolas believes chefs are the ultimate tastemakers who can help shift public perception - from skepticism to curiosity - by letting flavor lead the way.What's Next: Global Expansion and Series BGourmey is currently raising a Series B round to fund its next milestones: regulatory approvals, commercialization in key global markets, and the expansion of its product range beyond foie gras and duck to other poultry and meat types. With a lean approach and efficient tech, the company aims to prove its model without the capital-heavy burden of massive infrastructure builds. Be sure to follow Sesamers on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X for more cool stories from the people we catch during the best Tech events!

Speak (https://speak.com) may not be very well known to native English speakers, but they have come from a slow start in 2016 to emerge as one of the favorite partners of OpenAI, with their Startup Fund leading and joining their Series B and C as one of the new AI-native unicorns, noting that “Speak has the potential to revolutionize not just language learning, but education broadly”. Today we speak with Speak's CTO, Andrew Hsu, on the journey of building the “3rd generation” of language learning software (with Rosetta Stone being Gen 1, and Duolingo being Gen 2). Speak's premise is that speech and language models can now do what was previously only possible with human tutors—provide fluent, responsive, and adaptive instruction—and this belief has shaped its product and company strategy since its early days. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adhsu/ https://speak.com One of the most interesting strategic decisions discussed in the episode is Speak's early focus on South Korea. While counterintuitive for a San Francisco-based startup, the decision was influenced by a combination of market opportunity and founder proximity via a Korean first employee. South Korea's intense demand for English fluency and a highly competitive education market made it a proving ground for a deeply AI-native product. By succeeding in a market saturated with human-based education solutions, Speak validated its model and built strong product-market fit before expanding to other Asian markets and eventually, globally. The arrival of Whisper and GPT-based LLMs in 2022 marked a turning point for Speak. Suddenly, capabilities that were once theoretical—real-time feedback, semantic understanding, conversational memory—became technically feasible. Speak didn't pivot, but rather evolved into its second phase: from a supplemental practice tool to a full-featured language tutor. This transition required significant engineering work, including building custom ASR models, managing latency, and integrating real-time APIs for interactive lessons. It also unlocked the possibility of developing voice-first, immersive roleplay experiences and a roadmap to real-time conversational fluency. To scale globally and support many languages, Speak is investing heavily in AI-generated curriculum and content. Instead of manually scripting all lessons, they are building agents and pipelines that can scaffold curriculum, generate lesson content, and adapt pedagogically to the learner. This ties into one of Speak's most ambitious goals: creating a knowledge graph that captures what a learner knows and can do in a target language, and then adapting the course path accordingly. This level-adjusting tutor model aims to personalize learning at scale and could eventually be applied beyond language learning to any educational domain. Finally, the conversation touches on the broader implications of AI-powered education and the slow real-world adoption of transformative AI technologies. Despite the capabilities of GPT-4 and others, most people's daily lives haven't changed dramatically. Speak sees itself as part of the generation of startups that will translate AI's raw power into tangible consumer value. The company is also a testament to long-term conviction—founded in 2016, it weathered years of slow growth before AI caught up to its vision. Now, with over $50M ARR, a growing B2B arm, and plans to expand across languages and learning domains, Speak represents what AI-native education could look like in the next decade. Chapters 00:00:00 Introductions & Thiel Fellowship Origins 00:02:13 Genesis of Speak: Early Vision & Market Focus 00:03:44 Building the Product: Iterations and Lessons Learned 00:10:59 AI's Role in Language Learning 00:13:49 Scaling Globally & B2B Expansion 00:16:30 Why Korea? Localizing for Success 00:19:08 Content Creation, The Speak Method, and Engineering Culture 00:23:31 The Impact of Whisper and LLM Advances 00:29:08 AI-Generated Content & Measuring Fluency 00:35:30 Personalization, Dialects, and Pronunciation 00:39:38 Immersive Learning, Multimodality, and Real-Time Voice 00:50:02 Engineering Challenges & Company Culture 00:53:20 Beyond Languages: B2B, Knowledge Graphs, and Broader Learning 00:57:32 Fun Stories, Lessons, and Reflections 01:02:03 Final Thoughts: The Future of AI Learning & Slow Takeoff

What happens when a San Francisco VC takes the reins at Cambridge Enterprise?Six months into the role, Jim Glasheen joins us to talk about his early moves as incoming CEO, like opening a London office to better plug Cambridge into global capital and talent flows. But this episode goes deeper than strategy.Key takeaways:• Cambridge has over 40 entrepreneurship programmes, but Jim questions if we're at risk of creating an “illusion of entrepreneurship” without real market pressure.• There's a persistent Series B funding gap. His push? Build international investor relationships before companies need to scale.• He wants the ecosystem to get more comfortable with failure and take on more risk. • Cambridge Enterprise now spans licensing, founder support, venture investment, consulting, and ecosystem-building.Jim's set the clock ticking: in 6 months, he'll report back on how international outreach and risk appetite are shifting. For now, he's off to the BIO conference in Boston to keep building those global ties.Listen in for a sharp, honest look at what Cambridge needs next, and how leadership is setting the tone.Produced by Cambridge TV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. This week's episode is one from the road, recorded in front of a live audience in Boston's Seaport neighborhood during the BIO conference (special thanks to MasterControl for making it happen). Amber Salzman, Ph.D., CEO of Epicrispr Biotechnologies (aka 'Epic Bio') explains how epigenetic editing is revolutionizing genetic medicine by controlling gene expression, without cutting DNA like traditional CRISPR technologies. Amber talks about FSHD, a progressive muscular dystrophy, how the company raised $68 million in Series B funding despite challenging market conditions, her partnership with Springbok Analytics for AI analysis of MRI images, working with a CDMO to manufacture a new treatment modality, and navigating the FDA during a time of disruption. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

First week of July, what'd you miss in vet med?Exclusive: Gallant's $18M Series BFDA on CBD and MedetomidineClassroom Pets Good for AllRelief Burnout SurveyMy what big teeth!Helpful links:The Bird Bath substackSerenity Vet - Relief Burnout SurveyPets In The Classroom grant program

Joseph Woodbury Neighbor.com is changing the game for homeowners and property holders looking to generate passive income with zero hassle. In this exclusive startup founder interview, Joseph reveals how he built Neighbor.com, a disruptive peer-to-peer storage platform that empowers anyone to profit from their unused space—just like the Airbnb of storage.If you've been Googling "how to make money with extra space" or looking for scalable side hustles, this episode is tailored for you. Joseph breaks down how Neighbor.com simplifies storage solutions while giving hosts peace of mind through built-in protections like a $1M host guarantee, and how renters benefit from convenient, affordable alternatives to traditional storage units.His insights directly serve anyone seeking answers to these questions:How can I make passive income with my garage, driveway, or land?What makes peer-to-peer storage safer and easier now?Is there a low-effort way to monetize property year-round?What's the long-term vision for tech startups 2025 like Neighbor?Backed by investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Joseph's story is more than just a business case—it's a playbook for those looking to solve real problems with smart, scalable ideas. Whether you're considering listing your space or launching a startup, this episode will give you clarity, direction, and actionable advice.0:00 – Intro: Meet Joseph Woodbury & Neighbor.com1:25 – The story behind the startup3:10 – Who uses Neighbor and how they earn5:45 – Overcoming challenges of hyperlocal marketplaces7:50 – Building trust & long-term relationships9:30 – Host and renter protections explained11:45 – Minimal regulation benefits13:35 – How AI improves the platform15:45 – Venture capital backing: Andreessen Horowitz & more17:30 – Series B funding and monetization strategy19:15 – Getting started as a host21:00 – Closing thoughts & future vision#JosephWoodbury #NeighborDotCom #PassiveIncome #AirbnbOfStorage #PeerToPeerStorage #StartupFounderInterview #TechStartups2025 #SideHustles #StorageMarketplace #AndreessenHorowitz #RealEstateTech #StartupJourney #MakeMoneyWithExtraSpaceTo check out the YouTube (video podcast), visit: https://www.youtube.com/@drchrisloomdphdDisclaimer: Not advice. Educational purposes only. Not an endorsement for or against. Results not vetted. Views of the guests do not represent those of the host or show.  Click here to join PodMatch (the "AirBNB" of Podcasting): https://www.joinpodmatch.com/drchrisloomdphdWe couldn't do it without the support of our listeners. To help support the show:CashApp- https://cash.app/$drchrisloomdphdVenmo- https://account.venmo.com/u/Chris-Loo-4Spotify- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christopher-loo/supportBuy Me a Coffee- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chrisJxClick here to schedule a 1-on-1 private coaching call: https://www.drchrisloomdphd.com/book-onlineClick here to check out our bookstore, e-courses, and workshops: https://www.drchrisloomdphd.com/shopClick here to purchase my books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PaQn4pFor audiobooks, visit: https://www.audible.com/author/Christopher-H-Loo-MD-PhD/B07WFKBG1FFollow our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/chL1357Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/drchrisloomdphdFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereal_drchrislooFollow the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NkM6US7cjsiAYTBjWGdx6?si=1da9d0a17be14d18Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: https://substack.com/@drchrisloomdphd1Subscribe to our Medium newsletter: https://medium.com/@drchrisloomdphdSubscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6992935013231071233Subscribe to our email list: https://financial-freedom-podcast-with-dr-loo.kit.com/Thank you to all of our sponsors and advertisers that help support the show!Financial Freedom for Physicians, Copyright 2025

LLMs are reshaping the future of data and AI—and ignoring them might just be career malpractice. Yoni Michael and Kostas Pardalis unpack what's breaking, what's emerging, and why inference is becoming the new heartbeat of the data pipeline.// BioKostas PardalisKostas is an engineer-turned-entrepreneur with a passion for building products and companies in the data space. He's currently the co-founder of Typedef. Before that, he worked closely with the creators of Trino at Starburst Data on some exciting projects. Earlier in his career, he was part of the leadership team at Rudderstack, helping the company grow from zero to a successful Series B in under two years. He also founded Blendo in 2014, one of the first cloud-based ELT solutions.Yoni MichaelYoni is the Co-Founder of typedef, a serverless data platform purpose-built to help teams process unstructured text and run LLM inference pipelines at scale. With a deep background in data infrastructure, Yoni has spent over a decade building systems at the intersection of data and AI — including leading infrastructure at Tecton and engineering teams at Salesforce.Yoni is passionate about rethinking how teams extract insight from massive troves of text, transcripts, and documents — and believes the future of analytics depends on bridging traditional data pipelines with modern AI workflows. At Typedef, he's working to make that future accessible to every team, without the complexity of managing infrastructure.// Related LinksWebsite: https://www.typedef.aihttps://techontherocks.showhttps://www.cpard.xyz~~~~~~~~ ✌️Connect With Us ✌️ ~~~~~~~Catch all episodes, blogs, newsletters, and more: https://go.mlops.community/TYExploreMLOps Swag/Merch: [https://shop.mlops.community/]Connect with Demetrios on LinkedIn: /dpbrinkmConnect with Kostas on LinkedIn: /kostaspardalis/Connect with Yoni on LinkedIn: /yonimichael/Timestamps:[00:00] Breaking Tools, Evolving Data Workloads[06:35] Building Truly Great Data Teams[10:49] Making Data Platforms Actually Useful[18:54] Scaling AI with Native Integration[24:04] Empowering Employees to Build Agents[28:17] Rise of the AI Sherpa[36:09] Real AI Infrastructure Pain Points[38:05] Fixing Gaps Between Data, AI[46:04] Smarter Decisions Through Better Data[50:18] LLMs as Human-Machine Interfaces[53:40] Why Summarization Still Falls Short[01:01:15] Smarter Chunking, Fixing Text Issues[01:09:08] Evaluating AI with Canary Pipelines[01:11:46] Finding Use Cases That Matter[01:17:38] Cutting Costs, Keeping AI Quality[01:25:15] Aligning MLOps to Business Outcomes[01:29:44] Communities Thrive on Cross-Pollination[01:34:56] Evaluation Tools Quietly Consolidating

Indian drone startup Raphe mPhibr has raised $100 million in an all-equity Series B round led by General Catalyst, as the startup aims to boost its R&D and local production capabilities amid growing demand for drones in battlefields and for border surveillance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First up…Appcast, the leading recruitment marketing platform powered by programmatic, today announced the launch of Appcast Brand Ads, the recruiting industry's first brand marketing solution that tracks to the hire. This innovative solution enables employers to engage people on social channels where they spend vast amounts of time. By bringing Appcast's programmatic technology to social media channels, Appcast Brand Ads allows employers to scale and optimize recruitment campaigns while tracking performance from impression to hire.  https://hrtechfeed.com/new-hr-tech-from-appcast/ Jobright, an AI-native job search platform, announced the launch of Jobright Agent, the ‘first-of-its-kind' AI career agent designed to automate the entire job application process for job seekers. This tool promises to cut job search time by a remarkable 80% and double interview rates, fundamentally changing how professionals find their next career opportunity. https://hrtechfeed.com/indeed-venture-arm-invests-in-ai-career-agent-technology/ CHICAGO– CareerBuilder + Monster (the “Company”) today announced that it has initiated a court-supervised sale process to maximize value, preserve jobs and seamlessly transition ownership of its businesses. https://hrtechfeed.com/careerbuilder-monster-assets-to-be-sold-to-jobget/ Metaview just announced they recently secured $35 million in Series B funding led by Google Ventures, bringing their total funding to $50 million. https://hrtechfeed.com/interview-intelligence-tool-metaview-lands-35m/

Novoloop recently raised a $21 million Series B to begin building its first commercial scale plastic upcycling plant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Supio, an AI-driven platform developed specifically for personal injury lawyers, has been generating a lot of buzz. On the heels of reporting record growth last year and raising $25 million in Series A funding in October, last month it raised another $60 million in a Series B round. But what do the lawyers who use the platform think of it? On today's LawNext, we hear from one of those lawyers, as well as from the company's cofounder and CEO. Our guests today are:   Tyler Schneider, managing partner of the personal injury law firm TorHoerman Law. Schneider was an early adopter of Supio. He and his firm used it to help obtain a $495 million verdict against Abbott Labs in a case involving allegations that cow's milk-based infant formula caused intestinal inflammation in premature babies. Jerry Zhou, the CEO of Supio who cofounded it in 2021 together with his childhood friend and coworker Kyle Lam after having held product management and engineering roles at Microsoft and Avalara.    In their conversation with host Bob Ambrogi, Zhou and Schneider talk about the development of Supio, its real-world impact on plaintiffs' lawyers, and their wish lists for further development of the product. They also share their thoughts on how AI is likely to reshape PI practice more broadly.    Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). SpeakWrite: Save time with fast, human-powered legal transcription—so you can focus on your practice   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

In this special Riding Unicorns episode, recorded live during London Tech Week and hosted at Cooley's London HQ, we bring you two candid conversations from the frontline of startup building.

Malte Kosub, Gründer und CEO von Parloa, erklärt dir, wie sein Unternehmen eine 66-Millionen-Dollar-Series-B erfolgreich abgeschlossen hat. Malte teilt, warum Financial Performance, eine klare Produktvision und die Entscheidung, früh auf Generative AI zu setzen, entscheidend waren. Außerdem spricht er über die Bedeutung eines Ideal Investor Profiles, um die richtigen Partner zu finden, und wie man Fundraising effizient vorbereitet. Was du lernst: Warum klare Financial Performance und Produktvision entscheidend für Fundraising sind Wie ein Ideal Investor Profile hilft, die passenden Investoren zu identifizieren Tipps zur effizienten Vorbereitung und Durchführung einer Finanzierungsrunde ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery  Mehr zu Malte: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maltekosub/  Website: https://www.parloa.com/de/  Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ 

After a huge year of growth, Abacum just raised a $60M Series B. In this episode, Co-founder and COO Jorge Lluch joins Alex to discuss how they did it, including: tripling revenue without growing headcount, staying laser-focused on efficiency, and delivering a great product. They discuss: - Abacum's early stages, including the decision to take time and invest heavily in the product early on. - How Jorge's frustrations as a CFO helped shape the Abacum platform. - How they stayed disciplined to balance fast growth and efficiency. - The pillars behind Abacum's GTM motion. - Growing a global company and expanding from Europe into the US. - Life as a co-founder and the true meaning of success. Guest links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgelluch/ Website: https://www.abacum.ai/       Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

This episode is sponsored in part by Dalia—Talent teams are sitting on a powerful asset: candidate and lead data in their CRM. But knowing how—and when—to convert those leads into applicants and hires? That's the hard part. That's why Dalia is offering a free CRM Audit to help you unlock more value from the systems you've already invested in.…. Go to dalia.co/rectechcrm to get your free CRM audit today AND by jobcase, Jobcase is an online community where workers of all kinds – like hourly employees, tradespeople and healthcare technicians – access jobs, make connections, and support each other in any aspect of their work life.Visit jobcase.com/hire and tap into their 120 million strong  job seeker network Alright rec techies…..here's what's happening this week.  First up…WorkWhile, an AI-powered labor platform that matches businesses with reliable hourly workers, today announced that it has raised $23 million in Series B funding amid strong growth. https://hrtechfeed.com/flexible-work-matching-platform-lands-23m/ HR Tech today shared details of this year's Investor Experience and Pitchfest competition, which will take place throughout the event this September 16 – 18 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. https://hrtechfeed.com/hr-tech-conference-pitchfest-is-back-for-2025/ LAS VEGAS — Workerbee, the agent-powered platform transforming enterprise hiring, today announced a strategic investment to accelerate growth, expand its trusted specialist community, and advance its AI-driven product infrastructure. The dollar amount was not listed.  https://hrtechfeed.com/workerbee-secures-strategic-investment-to-accelerate-agentic-ai-infrastructure-for-trusted-hiring/ JobSync, the leading recruitment marketing optimization platform, today announced the appointment of Blair Stock as its new Vice President of Client Strategy & Growth, effective this week. Stock will be instrumental in strengthening sales and client engagement while helping shape the company's overall revenue strategy and execution.  https://hrtechfeed.com/jobsync-adds-industry-sales-executive/ According to the Q3 2025 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, the global Net Employment Outlook (NEO) stands at +24%. down just one point from last quarter and up two points year-over-year. https://recruitingheadlines.com/report-steady-hiring-plans-ahead-for-q3/

In 2021, Commonwealth Fusion Systems proved it had built the most powerful magnet in the world. The breakthrough was based on a specific material - a tape - that conducts massive amounts of current with very little loss.  Rick Needham, Chief Commercial Officer for CFS, says the breakthrough led to a $1.8 billion Series B fundraising round. Since then, the company has turned its attention to turning this scientific breakthrough into a commercial technology. And in late 2024, the company announced it had signed a deal with Dominion Energy Virginia to build the world's first commercial fusion power plant, ARC.  In this episode, Lara talks with Rick about how CFS plans to take its technology from the lab to real-world deployment. They discuss major milestones, like proving net energy gain and finding a customer for a technology that has never been proven in the field. And Rick makes the argument that fusion is much closer than most people think.    Credits: Hosted by Lara Pierpoint. Produced by Erin Hardick. Edited by Anne Bailey and Stephen Lacey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. The Green Blueprint is a co-production of Latitude Media and Trellis Climate. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this podcast, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.

In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula reconnect with Cameron McCord, Co-Founder and CEO of Nominal, two years after his first appearance on the show (linked here). Drawing from his unique journey from submarine officer (484 days underwater) to defense tech entrepreneur, McCord discusses building software to accelerate testing and validation of mission-critical systems. He shares insights from his time at Anduril, Applied Intuition, and Saildrone, and how these experiences shaped Nominal's approach to modernizing test and evaluation processes. The episode concludes with exciting news that Nominal recently announced a $75 million Series B led by Sequoia Capital and co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.Five key takeaways from today's episode:Entrepreneurial success, according to McCord, requires falling in love with the process itself rather than just the initial idea, as markets, technology, and competition will force constant adaptation and iteration throughout the journey.Testing and validation software in defense hasn't been meaningfully innovated in decades, McCord explains, creating massive opportunities to modernize from "2002 to 2019" standards using basic automation and data practices before advancing to AI capabilities.The most valuable customer conversations, McCord notes, evolve from incremental efficiency gains at the engineer level to strategic business impact discussions about reducing 24-month test campaigns to 18-20 months for major defense programs.Rather than leading with confidence, McCord advises asking genuine questions to allow customers to reveal what's truly valuable to them, while learning when to say "not right now" instead of forcing poor fits often leads to higher revisit rates.Cross-functional experience across military service, government, startups, and venture capital has provided McCord with invaluable perspective for navigating complex stakeholder environments and understanding what success looks like from multiple viewpoints.

Spanish startup Multiverse Computing announced that it raised an enormous Series B round on the strength of a technology it calls “CompactifAI.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The company, based in the U.K., offers a productivity suite to streamline the legal drafting and review process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dawn Aerospace of New Zealand signs an agreement with Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority. Sierra Space launches a new business unit. Muon Space completes Series B. And, more.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Ryan Melton, CEO of OpenC3, Inc. You can connect with Ryan on LinkedIn, and learn more about OpenC3 on their website. Selected Reading Dawn Aerospace Partners with Oklahoma Spaceport to Launch U.S. Based Spaceplane, Unlocking Daily Access to Space (Dawn Aerospace)  We have spoken with Craig Smith and Stefan Powell  Announcing Sierra Space Defense (BusinessWire) Muon Space Completes $146 Million Series B to Scale Satellite Constellations for Defense and Commercial Missions (Muon Space)  Velo3D and Vaya Space Announce $4 Million Strategic Partnership to Leverage Velo3D's Rapid Production Solution (RPS) to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Space Propulsion (PR Newswire) Astrobotic's CubeRover is Flight-Ready for Lunar Mission (Astrobiotic) NASA, Axiom Space Delay Axiom Mission 4 Launch to Space Station (NASA)  $15M boost: NewSpace Center to create 1,000 jobs in NM (Albuquerque Business First) NASA Space Missions At Risk Under Trump Budget Plan (Bloomberg) T-Minus Crew Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's blockchain and crypto news South Korean lawmaker proposes stablecoin licensing regime in new comprehensive crypto bill Former Coinbase employees raise $30 million Series B for crypto infrastructure startup Turnkey BlackRock's spot Bitcoin ETF becomes fastest to hit $70 billion, crushing gold's previous record Plasma completes its $500 million stablecoin vault raise across 1,100 wallets within an hourFrench bank Societe Generale to launch US dollar-pegged stablecoin on Ethereum and Solana Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keshia Theobald-van Gent, Vice President of BDev Ventures, joins EisnerAmper's TechTalk host Fritz Spencer to explore the strategic role of venture capital in shaping the future of startups. Her investment firm, BDev Ventures, focuses on fast-growing B2B software companies in the U.S. and LATAM, from Seed to Series B. In this episode, discover how the firm drives success beyond capital injection by using its proprietary lead-generation platform, WinDifferent, and providing hands-on mentorship. Tune in to learn about how BDev Ventures is committed to delivering unparalleled value to founders in a systematic way.

How do you build a startup that survives over a decade in Africa's tough tech terrain? In this interview, Dennis Ondeng, the CEO of Kopo Kopo, shares his remarkable journey of building and sustaining a fintech company for over 14 years in Kenya and across Africa. This episode is more than a founder story; it's a deep dive into what it means to lead with resilience, vision, and empathy.Kopo Kopo is a fintech platform that enables small and medium-sized businesses to accept digital payments and access credit. Since launching in 2011, it has weathered some of the most difficult startup challenges—including a near-fatal funding drought, market resistance, and the ever-changing demands of scaling in emerging markets. Dennis has been at the heart of this journey, first as the company's CTO and later transitioning to CEO, where he's led the team through pivotal shifts in strategy, structure, and regional expansion.In this interview, Dennis talks openly about the struggles that tested him and the business. He recounts the dark days of 2015, when Kopo Kopo's Series B funding nearly fell apart and the company faced existential questions. Rather than give up, Dennis and the team used that moment as a turning point. It forced them to reassess how they were building, who they were building for, and how to better lead with people in mind. That period forged a deeper sense of purpose and built a foundation for longevity.Dennis also shares his perspective on scaling into new markets. Kopo Kopo experimented with expansion into Ghana, Uganda, and other African countries. What they learned was that timing and market readiness are just as important as the product itself. He discusses the value of experimentation, failing fast, and building systems that allow you to iterate without losing focus. The company's decision to work with partners instead of going in alone helped reduce risk and improve market fit. These strategies alongside a disciplined focus on the needs of merchants enabled Kopo Kopo to evolve and remain relevant in a competitive space.Beyond the business tactics, Dennis offers rare insights into leadership evolution. Moving from CTO to CEO was not just a change in title, it was a shift in mindset. As CEO, he had to balance engineering precision with people management, investor relations, long-term vision, and operational execution. He shares his greatest lesson which was to build what people truly need, not what seems impressive on paper.He also reflects on how the tech landscape in Kenya has influenced Kopo Kopo's growth. Watching the ecosystem evolve, from limited infrastructure and investor hesitancy to a vibrant, innovation-driven environment, has given him a unique vantage point. He's not just been a participant; he's been part of the story. And he believes there's still more to come.This episode is packed with value for aspiring founders, operators, and anyone interested in building for the long term in emerging markets. Dennis shares how resilience, experimentation, clarity of purpose, and a willingness to adapt have been key to Kopo Kopo's survival and growth. He also speaks on what he's most proud of after 14 years: not just the product, but the impact the company has had on merchants across Kenya and beyond.If you're looking to understand what long-term startup success really looks like in Africa, this conversation is essential. It's raw, practical, and deeply inspiring.Subscribe for more real stories from African founders and operators. Leave a comment below to let us know what part of Dennis' journey stood out to you the most. And if you found value in this conversation, don't forget to like, share, and turn on notifications.

Speedata, a Tel Aviv-based startup developing an analytics processing unit (APU) designed to accelerate big data analytic and AI workloads, has raised a $44M Series B funding round, bringing its total capital raised to $114M. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it true that founders should still own 50% of a company after a Series A fundraising round? Is 10% ownership at IPO a win or a loss? This episode delves into the topic of dilution, breaking down how much of your company you should sell at each stage, how to approach employee and advisor equity, and what employees should know about equity before taking a job. To answer these questions is Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, and someone with a strong read on where the private tech market is headed. He and CJ also discuss when the best time to join a startup is and which cities outside of New York and San Francisco are desirable for people in this space. Peter shares insight into the state of the markets in 2025: What is happening with bridge rounds and down rounds, the odds of making it from seed to Series A, and the most telling statistic: AI funding.—LINKS:Peter Walker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterjameswalker/Carta: https://carta.com/Carta's Founder Ownership Report 2025: https://carta.com/data/founder-ownership/Carta's published data reports: carta.com/dataCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: http://mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:33) Sponsor – Pulley | Tropic | NetSuite(07:17) Head of Insights at Carta(09:32) The Users of Carta(12:20) Multiplayer Finance and Serving Both Sides(16:24) Sponsor – Planful | Tabs | Rippling Spend(20:15) Dilution: How Much Ownership You Should Give Up at Each Stage(23:02) What SAFEs Are(24:31) The Median Amount of Ownership for a Founding Team After the Series A(26:21) Should You Still Own 50% of the Company After Series A(27:18) Is 10% Ownership for a Founder at IPO Normal?(30:41) The Other Form of Dilution: Employee Equity Grants(34:25) What Employees Should Know About Equity Before Taking a Job(37:51) Why Equity Is Not Money(38:54) ISOs Versus RSUs(40:43) The Best and Worst Risk-Adjusted Time To Join a Startup(44:48) Remuneration by Location in Private Tech(47:39) Equity Comp by Location(48:43) Advisor Equity by Stage(51:28) Bridge Rounds Versus Down Rounds in the Last 6–12 Months(55:36) Survival Rates From Seed to Series A to Series B(57:36) The Best Time of Year To Fundraise(59:05) The Typical Age of a Startup When It's Acquired or It Exits(01:03:19) The State of the Market in 2025: AI Funding(01:06:18) Wrap—SPONSORS:Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. Take control of your spend with intelligent spend management at tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful's financial planning software can transform your FP&A function. Built for speed, accuracy, and confidence, you'll be planning your way to success and have time left over to actually put it to work. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Tabs is a platform that brings all of your revenue-facing data and workflows - billing, AR, payments, rev rec, and reporting - onto a single system so you can automate and be more flexible. Find out more at: tabs.inc/metrics.Rippling Spend is a spend management software that gives you complete visibility and automated policy controls across every type of spend, saving you time and money. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.#dilution #equity #stateofthemarket #privatetech #carta Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

On today's Good Morning Hospitality, we open with a major development out of Miami: Roami, formerly Sextant Stays, is restructuring —but not because they're shutting down. Brandreth Canaley breaks the story down for us. Then, we explore Vrbo's growing global integration with Expedia Group. A new update that could significantly impact how inventory is distributed across Expedia's brands and what that means for visibility, booking volume, and host control. Next, Hyatt unveils Unscripted by Hyatt, a fresh lifestyle brand aimed at younger travelers looking for flexible design, local culture, and lower price points. We discuss whether this is a direct response to alternative accommodations or simply a smart brand extension. Finally, we dive into Wander's newly announced $50 million Series B round. What does this raise signal about investor confidence in branded STR platforms? And can Wander continue to scale without falling into the same traps as asset-heavy operators? ---- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Morning Hospitality⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hospitality.FM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Multi-Media Network and is a Hospitality.FM Original The hospitality industry is constantly growing, changing, and innovating! This podcast brings you the top news and topics from industry experts across different hospitality fields. Good Morning Hospitality publishes three thirty-minute weekly episodes: every Monday and Wednesday at 7 a.m. PST / 10 a.m. EST and every Tuesday at 8 a.m. CET for our European and UK-focused content. Make sure to tune in during our live show on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ every week and join the conversation live! Explore everything Good Morning Hospitality has to offer: • Well & Good Morning Coffee: Enjoy our signature roast—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠order here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Retreats: Join us at one of our exclusive retreats—learn more and register your interest ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Episodes & More: Find all episodes and additional info at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GoodMorningHospitality.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you to all of the Hospitality.FM Partners that help make this show possible. If you have any press you want to be covered during the show, email us at goodmorning@hospitality.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when customer journeys fall apart behind the scenes, even as AI promises to tie them together? That's the question at the heart of this conversation with Jochem van der Veer, CEO and Co-Founder of TheyDo. Fresh off a $30 million Series B round, Jochem joins me to unpack what's really happening inside enterprise organisations that are trying to personalise experiences at scale. He's not speaking in theory. TheyDo is already helping companies like Ford, Atlassian, Cisco, and Home Depot shift how they approach customer experience. But instead of chasing the latest automation trend, Jochem urges something far more grounded: a return to clarity. His team's journey-centric model is designed to bring strategic alignment across departments that are often flying blind, each chasing their own targets without shared context. We talk about the growing gap between data collection and meaningful insight. While leaders are promised efficiency from AI, many find themselves with more dashboards and fewer answers. In fact, 28 percent say AI is actually worsening the problem by adding to the noise. That's the paradox. Jochem shares how journey management can break through these barriers and get teams back on track by focusing on what customers are trying to achieve rather than just what departments are measuring. You'll hear why so many personalisation efforts are falling flat, despite all the data, and how a few structural shifts could change that. Jochem also reflects on what the hidden costs of a disconnected experience look like and how businesses can spot trouble before it becomes visible in churn or lost revenue. This episode is for anyone frustrated by the growing complexity of customer experience. If you're stuck between data overload and underwhelming results, you'll find plenty of perspective here. And if you've ever wondered whether AI is helping or just making your job harder, this conversation might help you reframe the question. To learn more about TheyDo, visit theydo.com or connect with Jochem on LinkedIn.

In this episode of Unicorn Bakery, Nicolas Benady, co-founder and CEO of Swan, shares the journey of building one of Europe's leading Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platforms. Nicolas takes us behind the scenes of how Swan started in 2019, spent two years building its infrastructure, and has now grown to process over €20 billion in payments annually. Nicolas discusses the challenges of creating a BaaS platform from scratch, the importance of conviction and timing, and how Swan is helping companies embed banking services, such as accounts, cards, and payments, into their own products. He also shares insights into fundraising, team building, and expanding into new markets, such as Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. What you'll learn in this episode: The Journey of Building Swan: How Nicolas leveraged 13 years of fintech experience to identify the need for a better BaaS platform Why conviction and a clear vision were critical during the two years it took to build Swan's infrastructure and obtain its e-money license Fundraising and Growth: How Swan raised over €100 million, including a €42 million Series B extension, to scale its operations Lessons from fundraising, including why the first round was the hardest and how traction and reputation made later rounds easier Product and Market Fit: Why Swan focuses on small and medium businesses (SMBs) and how it partners with accounting and expense management software to deliver seamless banking services The importance of building a product that's easy for developers to integrate, inspired by the simplicity of platforms like Stripe International Expansion: How Swan approached launching in new markets like Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands The challenges of adapting to different regulatory environments and market dynamics while maintaining a centralized team in Paris Leadership and Team Building: How Nicolas built trust with his co-founders and scaled the team to over 300 employees The importance of hiring for both skills and cultural fit, and why Nicolas brought on a deputy CEO to help scale the company ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery  Mehr zu Nicolas Benady: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasbenady  Website: https://www.swan.io/  Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/  Chapters: (00:00:00) What was the first time seeing traction since 2019? (00:04:26) How is Nicolas validating ideas? (00:08:48) Defining the exact problem before SWAN (00:12:16) Finding Co-Founders first vs. validating the idea first (00:18:19) Red flags in hiring interviews (00:30:12) Nicolas' framework for making decisions (00:34:41) Biggest failures in hiring (00:42:59) Numbers you need to know about SWAN (00:47:46) Use-Cases of SWAN (00:51:36) How to pick the first partner (00:58:43) Did Nicolas' self-confidence change through the years? (01:01:26) The right time to bring on a COO (01:05:36) Doubts and clarity about former hired employees (01:16:06) Country-specific functions vs. central functions when expanding

Send us a textIn this episode, Matt interviews Bel Lepe, CEO and co-founder of Cerby, discussing the challenges and opportunities in identity security. They explore the significance of disconnected applications, the impact of shadow IT, and the importance of automation and AI in enhancing security practices. Bel shares insights from his previous experience at Ooyala and the lessons learned in building Cerby, including the recent Series B funding and future plans for the company.TakeawaysDisconnected applications pose significant risks in identity management.Shadow IT is becoming a major part of the IT landscape, not just a side issue.The startup journey involves learning from past experiences and adapting strategies.The human element remains a critical factor in cybersecurity incidents.

In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm is joined by Jeremy Uzan, co-founder and GP at Singular, for a look at how a “plain vanilla” approach to venture—driven by deep founder focus and relentless performance orientation — can be a powerful advantage. Together, they unpack the mechanics behind Singular's model, how the team stays agile without a rigid thesis, and what it means to create an empowering internal culture. Singular is an early-stage venture capital firm born in Europe, committed to empowering European founders with global ambitions across all sectors, from Seed to Series B, with a strong focus on Series A companies.Jeremy also shares his evolving views on European talent, the rise of Paris as a startup epicenter, and why he believes we're only just beginning to unlock the entrepreneurial potential of Europe's scientific minds.Here's what's covered:02:00 – Should Generalist VCs Still Exist in Europe?07:10 – Fundraising Like a Founder: How LPs Backed Fund I and II14:00 – Why Generalist Isn't a Weakness—It's Strategic16:25 – Diversification vs. Focus: Squaring LP Needs with Performance21:15 – Temporary Specialists: Sprinting Deep Into Sectors24:20 – From Zero to One on Markets: Learning via Founders27:15 – European Talent Post-COVID: What's Changed30:00 – Paris Joins the Core of the European Ecosystem35:15 – The Rise of Science Entrepreneurs in Europe39:00 – Why Bio is the Next Big Tech Frontier

Jacob and Logan sit down with Max Junestrand, founder and CEO of Legora - a rapidly growing legal AI platform (and Redpoint portfolio company). After announcing their Series B last week, Max joined the show to discuss why law is uniquely suited for AI, what it takes to scale an enterprise-ready product across global markets, and a few crazy moments from Legora's journey so far. They dig into product strategy, lessons on evolving alongside foundational models, and how AI is reshaping the future of law firms. Whether you're building in AI or just curious how it's being applied in complex industries, this one's packed with practical insights. (0:00) Intro(1:30) The Evolution of AI in Law(2:43) AI's Impact on Legal Processes(8:28) Advantages Over Other Players in the AI Law Space(12:19) Challenges in Educating Users(17:28) The Hardest Part of Building Legora(18:46) Pricing Models and Cost Management(25:42) YC Experience and Commercial Focus(28:11) Being Patient When Releasing Products(30:58) Maintaining a Fast-Paced Work Culture(33:24) Rapid Growth and Market Penetration(36:59) Quickfire With your co-hosts: @jacobeffron - Partner at Redpoint, Former PM Flatiron Health @patrickachase - Partner at Redpoint, Former ML Engineer LinkedIn @ericabrescia - Former COO Github, Founder Bitnami (acq'd by VMWare) @jordan_segall - Partner at Redpoint

Celine Halioua is the founder and CEO of Loyal, a biotech company developing FDA-approved drugs to extend the healthy lifespan of dogs. In this follow-up episode, Celine discusses Loyal's latest milestones, now with three longevity drugs in development and $150M in funding. This conversation covers the rationale behind building a multi-product biotech company, how she raised a Series B during a brutal fundraising climate, and Celine's insight into building a mission-driven company culture.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Celine:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/celinehh/Referenced:Accel: accel.comLoyal: loyal.com/Moderna: modernatx.comSoftBank: softbank.jp/enTimestamps:(2:39) Loyal's stakeholders(6:28) Going multiproduct(10:02) How the biotech industry gets funding(18:30) Lessons from raising money(20:28) Why constraints are useful(25:34) How raising money affects you mentally(29:16) Radical transparency(33:22) The academic-founder paradox(35:50) A small fish in a big pond(43:33) Finding low-ego team members(46:08) What does success look like?

A Year Just Happened in a WeekOverviewThis newsletter issue captures an extraordinary acceleration in technological innovation within an especially intense week, focusing on the broad and deep impact of AI across industries and devices. Listeners get a front-row seat to seismic shifts at major AI players—Google, Anthropic, OpenAI—and how their breakthroughs and strategic maneuvers are reshaping software, hardware, venture capital, productivity, and ethics.What makes this collection compelling is its exploration of AI's layered disruption—from Google's AI-powered reimagining of search and productivity tools, Anthropic's record-breaking AI assistant capable of deep autonomous work, to OpenAI's audacious entry into consumer hardware design with Apple's design luminary Jony Ive. The newsletter also provides reflections on startup funding trends, evolving AI workplace mandates, and foundational debates over AI's ethical architecture and future ecosystem. Together, these pieces sketch a vivid snapshot of an inflection point in AI where technology, business models, and societal stakes intertwine.Key TrendsKey Trend 1: The AI Technology Leap — From Advanced Models to New Product ParadigmsAI development is surging at unprecedented pace, not just in capability but in practical integration across applications and devices. The focus is shifting from conceptual AI to usable, extended-duration, agentic assistants deeply embedded in daily workflows and consumer products.Significance: This trend reflects AI moving beyond isolated bursts of insight or simple chat interfaces to sustained, autonomous collaboration with users, spanning complex reasoning, coding, multi-modal inputs, and tool integrations. This lays the foundation for redefining productivity, creativity, and user experience in the AI era.Key Trend 2: Strategic Hardware Plays and the Battle Beyond SoftwareOpenAI's multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Jony Ive's startup signals a strategic pivot into hardware—building new AI companion devices designed to transcend conventional screens and possibly displace smartphones. At the same time, Google pushes integrated AI experiences centered on search and productivity on existing platforms.Significance: This trend shifts AI competition into physical devices and operating environments, creating new battlegrounds involving design innovation and consumer ownership models, with potentially profound effects on user habits and ecosystem dynamics.Key Trend 3: Venture Capital Evolution in the AI and Tech LandscapeFunding trends reveal concentrated capital flows into AI, with Series B rounds showing volatility but an overarching pivot toward efficiency, profitability, and selective aggressive capital deployment. Seed investing scales with new playbooks supporting early founder engagement and dynamic portfolio strategies.Significance: This trend highlights the ongoing maturation and transformation of venture capital amid AI's rise, balancing risk, returns, and market realities, while exploring creative financing strategies crossing over traditional VC and private equity models.Key Trend 4: Workplace Transformation and AI-Driven ExpectationsLeading companies mandate widespread AI adoption to boost productivity, heighten efficiency, and reshape employee roles. Executives issue candid warnings on AI's impact on jobs while simultaneously emphasizing the opportunity to master AI tools or face obsolescence.Significance: This trend underscores the sociological and managerial upheaval driven by AI in the workforce, where adoption is non-negotiable and where AI influences morale, workflows, and corporate culture at a fundamental level.Key Trend 5: Calls for an Open, Protocol-Based AI Ecosystem vs. Concentration of PowerThere is growing advocacy for “an architecture of participation”—a decentralized, interoperable AI ecosystem fueled by open protocols and multi-agent cooperation—to avoid premature monopolization by dominant platforms. Yet, industry maneuvers reveal increasingly concentrated power among a few mega players.Significance: This sets the stage for an ideological and practical contest over the future of AI infrastructure: will it foster broad innovation and cooperation or become locked under monopolistic control? The ultimate shape of AI's ecosystem has huge technological, economic, and ethical implications.Talking Points for Each TrendTrend 1: The AI Technology LeapTalking Point 1: Anthropic's Claude Opus 4 demonstrated sustained 7-hour autonomous coding and set new benchmarks (72.5% on SWE-Bench), reflecting AI's step from quick interactions to deep, continuous collaboration.> “Anthropic is reshaping the landscape... pushing the boundaries of what machines can achieve in creative and technical collaboration over sustained periods.” (VentureBeat)Talking Point 2: Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro introduces ‘Deep Think' mode for complex multi-hypothesis reasoning, advancing AI's understanding and problem-solving in dynamic environments.> “Gemini 2.5 Pro... features an enhanced reasoning mode called 'Deep Think', evaluating multiple possible answers before responding.” (VentureBeat)Trend 2: Strategic Hardware PlaysTalking Point 1: OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's startup io ($6.5B) marks their largest deal, signaling a major move into “physical AI embodiments” with devices aiming to reduce screen dependence and potentially challenge Apple's dominance.> “They are working on a new device... fully aware of a user's surroundings... designed as a third core device alongside MacBook and iPhone.” (Reuters)Talking Point 2: Google, while heavily AI-centric, remains focused on embedding AI in software and services (Search, NotebookLM mobile, AI Overviews), reinforcing software ecosystems but facing competition on the device front.> “Google launched AI Mode... a 'total reimagining of search'... while rolling out NotebookLM mobile for on-the-go AI productivity.” (FT.com)Trend 3: Venture Capital EvolutionTalking Point 1: AI has grabbed roughly one-third of global venture capital ($100B+ in 2024), showing AI's outsized role in funding flows amid overall tightening of Series B round sizes.> “AI sector dominated global venture funding, doubling from $55.6 billion to over $100 billion in 2024.” (vccafe.com)Talking Point 2: Seed-stage investing is scaling with firms like BoxGroup emphasizing early believer status and collaborative partnerships to back startups through various growth phases.> “BoxGroup makes 40 seed investments annually... focuses on supporting founders without dominating ownership or boards.” (TwentyMinuteVC)Trend 4: Workplace TransformationTalking Point 1: Shopify's CEO Tobi Lutke mandates AI proficiency, linking job security to AI adoption and productivity boosts, signaling new workplace norms amid AI anxiety.> “Before asking more headcount... teams must demonstrate why tasks can't be done via AI.” (NYMag)Talking Point 2: Fiverr's CEO issued stark warnings about AI threat to jobs, urging employees to master AI tools or risk professional irrelevance.> “AI is coming for your jobs... You are expected to do more, faster, and better. If you don't, your value will decrease.” (NYMag)Trend 5: Open Ecosystem vs Concentration of PowerTalking Point 1: Tim O'Reilly and others advocate for protocol-based AI ecosystems (Anthropic's MCP, Google's A2A, Microsoft's NLWeb) fostering interoperability and distributed innovation, echoing open Internet ideals.> “Participatory markets are innovative markets... solutions can come from everywhere, not just from a dominant monopolist.” (O'Reilly)Talking Point 2: Despite open ideals, dominant players like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are actively building controlling ecosystems and platforms—OpenAI's language of “operating system” and multi-billion-dollar acquisitions hint at winner-takes-most dynamics.> “It's hard not to feel we are witnessing aggressive maneuvers... pursuing a winner-takes-most opportunity.” (Newsletter Editorial)Discussion QuestionsHow will the shift from AI as a tool to AI as an autonomous collaborator change the nature of work and productivity across sectors?What are the implications of OpenAI entering the hardware space with design leadership from Jony Ive? Can this challenge entrenched tech giants like Apple and Google?Considering venture capital trends, how might the concentration of funding in AI affect startup diversity and innovation outside the AI sector?Are the workplace mandates for AI adoption sustainable, or do they risk damaging employee morale and creativity? How should companies balance AI integration with human factors?What are the pros and cons of pursuing an open AI ecosystem based on cooperative protocols versus the reality of platform dominance by a few major players?To what extent could OpenAI's and Google's competition reflect the longstanding tech ecosystem rivalry between integrated and modular approaches, and what does that mean for consumers?With OpenAI aggressively building an ecosystem and platform, how might regulators or policymakers respond to ensure competitive, ethical AI development?Closing SegmentThis week crystallized a pivotal inflection point—a "Great Leap Forward" in AI's maturity and reach. We've seen models like Claude Opus 4 and Google's Gemini 2.5 evolve into sophisticated, sustained collaborators capable of seamlessly integrating into human workflows and devices. At the same time, strategic moves—especially OpenAI's multi-billion-dollar hardware acquisition—signal a new battleground beyond software into hardware innovation and consumer experience design.The venture capital landscape is adapting rapidly with concentrated AI funding and evolving seed strategies spotlighting early founder support, all while workplace cultures grapple with AI-driven mandates that challenge traditional roles and morale.Beneath these shifts lies an ideological tug-of-war over AI's future architecture—whether it will be governed as an open, participatory ecosystem enabling broad innovation or solidify under winner-takes-all platforms controlled by a few giants.As hosts close this broadcast, invite listeners to ponder: Are we witnessing the dawn of truly universal AI assistants integrated into our lives, or the birth of new digital gatekeepers? And how will individuals and organizations navigate this rapid transition to stay ahead in an AI-powered future?What's clear is this: the year truly just happened, compressed within a single week, and AI stands at the stage center, shaping what comes next.Relevant Links and Sources (for producer reference)Anthropic Claude 4 & Opus 4 Coding MilestoneGoogle Gemini 2.5 Pro and AI Mode DetailsOpenAI Acquisition of Jony Ive's ioOpenAI's Leadership and Profitability FocusVenture Capital and AI Investment TrendsAI Workplace Mandates at Shopify and FiverrTim O'Reilly on Architecture of ParticipationGoogle I/O 2025 Summary and AI Product StrategyEnd of Show Notes This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thatwastheweek.com/subscribe

HEADLINES:• Highlights of Day 3 of Qatar Economic Forum• Noor Sweid Warns of “Massive Funding Gap” in Middle East at Series B Stage• Saudi Arabia Launches AI Startup Incubator to Accelerate Digital Innovation• Abu Dhabi AI Giant G42 Has Brought Stargate to the UAE• Global Investors Expected to Put $10 Billion into Dubai Property by 2025

Jeremy Au breaks down why most startups fail and why it's rarely just one thing. Backed by funnel data and battle-tested case studies, he reveals six patterns that repeatedly kill ventures, no matter how visionary the founders are. From premature scaling to bad macro timing, this talk shows how failure is often structural, not personal. 00:05 Startup Funnel Reality: Out of 1,100 seed-funded U.S. startups, only 12 reached unicorn status. Failure happens at seed, Series A, Series B and beyond. 01:26 Case Study: Jibo's $73M Fall: The world's first social robot died from engineering overruns, leadership disruption, and Amazon's cheaper, voice-only Echo. 03:53 Defining Failure: A startup fails when early investors don't get their money back regardless of user love, media buzz, or product quality. 08:00 Six Killer Patterns: Startups fail from co-founder misalignment, building without validation, misreading early traction, scaling too fast, bad timing, or relying on too many risky bets—all seen in cases like Quincy Apparel, Triangulate, Baroo, Fab.com, and Iridium. 22:40 Rebound & Revenge: Failed founders often bounce back—some become professors, others launch billion-dollar revenge startups like Rippling and Anduril. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/anatomy-of-startup-failure Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

This episode is sponsored in part by Dalia—Talent teams are sitting on a powerful asset: candidate and lead data in their CRM. But knowing how—and when—to convert those leads into applicants and hires? That's the hard part. That's why Dalia is offering a free CRM Audit to help you unlock more value from the systems you've already invested in.…. Go to dalia.co/rectechcrm to get your free CRM audit today AND by jobcase, Jobcase is an online community where workers of all kinds – like hourly employees, tradespeople and healthcare technicians – access jobs, make connections, and support each other in any aspect of their work life.Visit jobcase.com/hire and tap into their 120 million strong  job seeker network SAN FRANCISCO — Findem, the only AI talent acquisition and management solution powered by unique 3D data, has launched the next generation of its Talent CRM with new features that help recruiters keep top candidates warm and move faster when hiring needs ramp up https://hrtechfeed.com/findem-introduces-next-gen-talent-crm/ AUSTIN, Texas —- Flo Recruit, an ATS  for legal talent recruitng, announced that it has closed a Series A round led by LiveOak Ventures and Moneta Ventures with participation from The LegalTech Fund, Y Combinator, and otherd. Flo Recruit intends to use the funds to expand its career services solutions for law schools and talent solutions for law firm entry-level, lateral associate, and partner hiring. https://hrtechfeed.com/flo-recruit-announces-series-a-funding-to-expand-legal-recruiting-ecosystem/ UTAH — Awardco announced today a $165 million Series B round of funding with a valuation that eclipses $1 billion, further solidifying its leadership and innovation in the employee rewards and recognition space. https://hrtechfeed.com/employee-rewards-and-recognition-platform-lands-165-million/ Los Angeles, CA – Criteria Corp, a leader in talent solutions, today announced the launch of Interview Intelligence (IIQ), a suite of AI-powered interview features that elevate Criteria's Structured Interviewing platform. This groundbreaking advancement marks a major leap forward in hiring efficiency, predictive power, and scientific rigor.  https://hrtechfeed.com/criteria-corp-launches-ai-powered-interview-scoring/ Cangrade today announced the launch of Jules interview practice tool, designed to help jobseekers refine their interview skills through personalized, on-demand mock interview sessions. Building on the success of Jules for self-discovery, this new capability simulates real interview scenarios by analyzing a user's job description and resume to generate tailored behavioral and soft skill questions dynamically. https://hrtechfeed.com/cangrade-lanuches-interview-practice-tool-for-candidates/  

Matt Loszak is CEO and co-founder of Aalo Atomics, a startup designing 50-megawatt nuclear power plants made of pods of five 10-megawatt reactors each, targeting the data center market. Inspired by the MARVEL test reactor that his CTO Yasir Arafat led at Idaho National Lab, Aalo pursues parallel DOE and NRC pathways, betting that factory-built, pad-ready nuclear plants can slash cost, schedule, and grid-interconnection delays. Now 45 teammates strong and raising a Series B, Aalo aims to break ground on its first plant within 12 months and go critical the year after, powering the AI era with compact, clean, always-on fission.In this episode, we cover: [02:31] From SaaS to fission: Matt's founder journey[07:08] Yasir's path and the Marvel reactor at INL[08:56] How national labs help launch commercial nuclear[12:12] Aalo's dual regulatory path: DOE + NRC[13:45] Why Aalo is building reactors for data centers[17:19] Designing for mass manufacturing, not megaprojects[21:50] Security differences across nuclear facility types[25:03] Fuel and enrichment: what Aalo had to consider[28:02] Switching to LEU+ for supply chain resilience[31:04] Comparing XMRs, SMRs, and micro‑reactors[33:25] Inside the Aalo Pod: 5 x 10MW modules with built-in redundancy[37:15] Regulatory updates on NRC civilian licensing[38:43] Nuclear + AI: mutually transformative technologies[41:35] Hiring at Aalo: who they need nextEpisode recorded on April 23, 2025 (Published on May 19, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Cyclic Materials is a Canadian cleantech company, founded in 2021, specializing in the recycling of rare earth elements (REEs) from end-of-life products such as electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and electronic waste. Their proprietary technologies, MagCycle℠ and REEPure℠, enable the efficient recovery and purification of critical materials, contributing to a circular economy and reducing reliance on traditional mining. In 2024, the company launched its first commercial demonstration facility in Kingston, Ontario, and announced plans to invest over $20 million in a U.S. facility in Mesa, Arizona.Cyclic Materials has secured significant funding, including a $53 million Series B round with investors like BMW i Ventures and Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, to support its global expansion and the development of sustainable supply chains for critical materials.–Ahmad Ghahreman is a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in cleantech, and one of the top hydrometallurgists in the world. He has co-invented more than 20 patents and commercialized over five technologies, focusing on transforming the rare earth elements market with sustainable, ethical solutions. In addition to his work at Cyclic, Ahmad is an early co-inventor of Jetti Resources' copper extraction technology (valued at $2.5B), and the co-designer of Li-Cycle's lithium-ion battery recycling technology (NYSE: LICY valued at over $1B). Formerly a professor at Queen's University, Ontario, Canada, he built the largest and most-funded metals extraction team in North America with over 20 graduate students. With a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering, he is a leading hydrometallurgist researcher with over 3,000 citations.--

Welcome back to Tank Talks! In this episode, host Matt Cohen sits down with John Ruffolo to dissect the latest turbulence in venture capital, political uncertainty, and Canada's looming economic challenges. From shrinking VC deals to a controversial budget delay, this conversation cuts through the noise to reveal what's really happening beneath the headlines.* The steepest drop in Canadian VC deal count since 2020* Seed rounds oversubscribed by U.S. funds, while Series A bars skyrocket* Growth equity freezes as Canadian LPs hunker down* The “denominator effect” myth dies in a two-week market rally* Cabinet curveballs: Tim Hodgson calms resource markets, but policy vacuum lingers* Can Ottawa really cut taxes without a budget vote?* Why investors fear 18 months of fiscal radio silenceVenture Capital in Crisis: Deals Down, Dollars Up (00:00:02)Canada's VC market showed worrying signs in Q1 2025, with just 116 deals - the lowest since 2020 (seed) and 2021 (pre-seed). While total investment held at $1.26B, this was propped up by large late-stage rounds. U.S. investors retreated, forcing startups to rely on shaky domestic funding. AI deals masked deeper weakness - excluding them, the market looked "very, very low." The data reveals growing risk aversion, particularly at early stages, threatening Canada's innovation pipeline as capital becomes increasingly concentrated in fewer, later-stage companies.John's Take: If early-stage funding collapses, innovation dies with it. We're already seeing the warning signs - fewer deals mean fewer future companies getting to Series A and beyond. The government doesn't seem to grasp how critical this pipeline is.Risk Aversion: Canada vs. U.S. (00:02:00)The U.S. market is surging, stocks rally, IPOs soar (eToro jumps 40% on debut), and capital flows despite turbulence. Canada, meanwhile, pulls back as local investors freeze while Americans dive in. The denominator effect fades as rebounding public markets revive LP confidence, unlocking fresh venture funding. Optimism returns, but risks linger beneath the rally's glow. Will momentum hold, or will volatility resurface? For now, the bulls are running, and the world is watching.John's Take: This is classic Canadian risk aversion - we pull back exactly when we should be deploying. In the U.S., they see volatility as an opportunity. Here? We see it as a reason to hide. It's economic self-sabotage.Carney's New Cabinet Sends Mixed Signals (00:11:24)Carney's cabinet shuffle has drawn scrutiny, particularly with controversial picks like Evan Solomon overseeing AI compute. Meanwhile, the budget delay, now pushed to Fall, leaves Canada without a fiscal roadmap for 18 months since the disastrous April 2024 plan. Though the government promises middle-income tax relief, the lack of legislative details fuels skepticism. Is this genuine reform or mere political theater? With uncertainty looming, critics question whether Carney's agenda can deliver.John's Take: Kicking the budget down the road is disrespectful to businesses making investment decisions. You can't claim to be pro-market while operating in a policy vacuum. This isn't governance - it's negligence.Higher Bars, Shifting Tides in Startup Funding (00:06:50)Canadian startups now face tougher Series A requirements, with investors demanding Series B-level metrics like $3M+ revenue. Meanwhile, U.S. capital is pouring into seed rounds, oversubscribing deals as American funds seek early-stage bargains. Yet the later-stage market has frozen, with growth equity drying up amid rising risk aversion. The funding landscape is increasingly polarized, hot at the seed level, brutal for scaling companies. For founders, adaptability is now the ultimate test.John's Take: The U.S. is eating our lunch because they understand something we don't - downturns create winners. While our investors panic, theirs are backing the next generation of companies. We're being outplayed at every turn.The Bottom LineJohn's Final Warning: Canada is at a crossroads. Without urgent policy fixes and a cultural shift toward risk-taking, we'll wake up in five years wondering why all our best companies moved south. The time to act was yesterday.Connect with John Ruffolo on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/joruffoloConnect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ 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

Zeno Power, a nuclear battery startup, has just raised $50 million in a Series B funding round to bring its nuclear battery to market. The startup has secured more than $60 million in contracts from the Pentagon and NASA to develop these batteries for maritime and space applications. Co-founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein joins Morgan Brennan to discuss delivering nuclear energy to remote locations.

Zeno Power, a nuclear battery startup, has just raised $50 million in a Series B funding round to bring its nuclear battery to market. The startup has secured more than $60 million in contracts from the Pentagon and NASA to develop these batteries for maritime and space applications. Co-founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein joins Morgan Brennan to discuss delivering nuclear energy to remote locations

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Adam Coughlin — Co-Founder, CMO, and Managing Partner at York IE — to explore how SaaS founders can craft powerful messaging, align teams, and build scalable go-to-market strategies that don't rely on buzzwords or bloated org charts.From the power of customer funding and finding your minimum viable audience to avoiding messaging mistakes that kill momentum, Adam shares a blueprint for creating story-driven marketing that actually works. Whether you're an early-stage founder or scaling to Series B and beyond, this episode will change the way you think about go-to-market.Key Takeaways00:00 - Intro: Customer-funded growth and audience-first strategy01:11 - Why company culture is your hidden growth lever02:20 - Messaging isn't enough — storytelling that resonates04:10 - Meet Adam Kaplan from York IE08:44 - Why founders default to jargon (and how to fix it)13:02 - Building a message that drives GTM, sales, and fundraising16:20 - Defining your Minimum Viable Audience20:08 - Bootstrapping and customer funding as strategic growth22:11 - The most common go-to-market mistake24:35 - What to do before you build a sales team28:03 - Adam's book pick: Small Fish Big Pond29:01 - Content that supports both SEO and sales34:04 - The power of message consistency across platforms37:41 - Leveraging founder brand without vanity43:02 - Staying grounded as a founder in chaotic markets45:03 - Why marketing is not just a departmentTweetable Quotes“A confused mind doesn't buy. Messaging must be simple, clear, and consistent.” – Adam Coughlin“Your story isn't just for marketing — it's how you align your team and scale your vision.” – Adam Coughlin“Customer-funded growth gives you optionality later — without giving up control early.” – Jeff Mains“Founders need to stop mimicking competitors and start telling their own story.” – Adam Coughlin“If your LinkedIn, blog, and sales team all sound different — you've already lost.” – Jeff Mains“Marketing isn't a department. It's a strategic engine that drives every other function.” – Adam CoughlinSaaS Leadership LessonsStart with your audience, not your product.A clear understanding of your minimum viable audience is more powerful than shouting into the void.Messaging is a team sport.If every team member tells a different story, you confuse the market — and confused minds don't buy.Ditch the jargon.Founders often invent new language, but if prospects don't understand it, you lose them.Customer funding beats investor pressure.Bootstrap when you can — early traction through real customers unlocks smarter long-term growth.Story drives go-to-market alignment.A consistent story across sales, marketing, and fundraising is your secret weapon in crowded markets.Your founder brand matters — if used right.Done well, it builds trust and community. Done poorly, it becomes a vanity distraction.Guest ResourcesEmail - adam@york.ieWebsite - http://york.ie/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcoughlin/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond –

Healthcare doesn't end at the clinic—and Luke O'Brien of Brook.AI knows that better than most. After navigating care for his father's leukemia, Luke realized just how much support patients and caregivers need after leaving the doctor's office. In this episode, we unpack how Brook.AI built a wraparound solution combining remote monitoring, 24/7 clinical care teams, EHR integration, and operational support—all without adding weight to providers or clinics.

Rocket Lab has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to launch the Neutron for a Rocket Cargo mission that supports point-to-point cargo transportation. Rocket Lab, MDA Space and BlackSky release financial updates. mPower Technology secures $21 million in a Series B funding round, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Elysia Segal from NASASpaceflight.com brings us the Space Traffic Report. Selected Reading Rocket Lab Partners With U.S. Air Force for Neutron Launch for Re-Entry Mission Rocket Lab Announces First Quarter 2025 Financial Results, Posting Quarterly Revenue of $123m Representing 32% Year-on-Year Growth BlackSky Reports First Quarter 2025 Results MDA Space Reports First Quarter 2025 Results mPower Technology Closes Over $21M Series B Funding Round Led by Razor's Edge and Joined by Shield Capital European Space Agency announces new cooperation with Indian Space Research Organisation ATMOS and ARX Robotics Form Space Defence Alliance to create European Platform for Orbital Readiness Exclusive: Axelspace eyes June IPO, sources say, latest Japan space startup to seek a listing- Reuters Oracle-M Hot Fire Test: A Major Milestone in Cislunar Space Situational Awareness and National Security- Space Systems Command  Reentry prediction Soviet-era Venera Venus lander (Cosmos-482 descent craft) – Rocket Science T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Connecting the dots between medical training and physician recruitment can significantly improve healthcare outcomes.  In this episode, Dr. Jason Reminick, CEO and Founder of Thalamus, shares how his company is transforming graduate medical education and physician recruitment with its innovative software. Drawing from personal experience, he explains how Thalamus streamlines residency and fellowship interviews by integrating with existing application services and offering real-time scheduling. He discusses the significant challenges healthcare systems face in physician recruitment and how Thalamus uses its extensive data to predict workforce trends and match doctors with hospitals that align with their goals. Dr. Reminick also highlights the impact of recent Series B funding on expanding Thalamus into broader physician recruitment and touches on medical students' motivations for becoming doctors. Tune in and learn how Thalamus is leveraging data and technology to build a more efficient and effective physician workforce! Resources: Connect with and follow Jason Reminick on LinkedIn. Learn more about Thalamus on their LinkedIn and website.

What mainly causes drivers' downtime, and how can they be eliminated? Join today's guest, Erik Malin of Tetro, for his entrepreneurship insights and his software solution's goal to enhance driver earnings through efficient scheduling and compensation models!   About Erik Malin Erik Malin (erik@tetro.one) is a freight tech founder and operator, currently building Tetro, an AI-native short-haul trucking fleet on a mission to boost driver earnings by eliminating wasted time. As a founding team member at Baton, he built and scaled operations from zero, launched a digital fleet, and later led the company's talent strategy as Head of Talent through its acquisition by Ryder in 2022. Before Baton, he architected Loadsmart's operational backbone, driving its growth from seed to Series B. Erik brings a rare combination of operational grit and talent instinct, known for building elite teams and high-performance systems that set a new bar for the logistics industry.  

When high-growth startups and private equity-backed companies hit critical financial crossroads, they call Kevin Gwynn White—discover how the co-founder of Exbo Group helps founders turn chaos into clarity and scale with confidence.   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene speaks with Kevin Gwynn White, co-founder of Exbo Group. He shares how he built a powerhouse finance firm that supports high-growth startups and private equity firms through pivotal transitions—without raising outside capital. With insights shaped by his experience at EY, an MBA from Columbia, and lessons from the front lines of over 20 growth companies, Kevin reveals the strategies that make Exbo a go-to resource for CFO advisory, M&A readiness, and scalable finance operations.   Key Takeaways: → The critical mistake founders make during Series B fundraising – and how Exbo's financial storytelling turns confusion into capital. → Why top-tier private equity firms trust Exbo to stabilize and scale their portfolio companies post-acquisition with CFO, tax, and transaction services. → The behind-the-scenes growth strategy that keeps Exbo profitable while scaling fast in a cash flow-intensive service business. → What it's like working alongside mission-driven founders – and how Exbo becomes the steady hand during high-stakes inflection points. → How Exbo supports private equity firms post-acquisition with CFO advisory, quality of earnings, and tax due diligence.   Kevin Gwynn White co-founded Exbo Group in 2017. He has helped to provide finance, operations, and strategy support to growth-stage companies and M&A diligence support to fund managers. Kevin focuses on bridging the gap between investors and founders, help CEOs build premier finance functions that appeal to investors. His areas of focus include education, software, and e-commerce.   Connect With Kevin:   Exbo Group LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices