Podcasts about series d

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, Duvo and Mirakl.In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:Wonder closes a $650 million Series D at a $9 billion valuation, with reports the food-platform company is gearing up for an IPO as early as next year.Instacart acquires Arpalus, an AI-powered shelf-scanning startup, to give its in-store shoppers real-time inventory data via smartphone and Caper Cart cameras.CVS Health opens its first pharmacy-focused store in Houston as it accelerates a scaled-down, pharmacist-centered format nationwide.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.

Applied Computing has raised a $20M Series A to build a foundation AI model for the oil, gas and petrochemical industry. Also, travel agency Fora announced a $60 million Series D round led by Forerunner and Tactile Ventures, valuing the company at $1 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we explore the latest advancements shaping the future of drug discovery and patient care. Veradermics is making significant strides with its oral minoxidil formulation aimed at addressing female pattern hair loss. The mid-stage clinical trial results have analysts optimistic about Veradermics' potential to capture a significant portion of this underserved market. The oral form of minoxidil, traditionally used in topical Rogaine products, offers a novel delivery method that could enhance patient adherence and improve outcomes, marking an innovative leap in dermatological treatments. Johnson & Johnson is navigating the expiration of Stelara's patent protection with resilience, as Tremfya steps up to fill the revenue gap. With quarterly sales exceeding $2 billion, Tremfya underscores the critical role of strategic lifecycle management and robust product pipelines in weathering patent cliffs. This success highlights the necessity for pharmaceutical companies to sustain growth through a well-rounded portfolio that can absorb such impacts. In oncology, Celcuity has achieved a pivotal milestone with FDA approval for its small molecule inhibitor targeting breast cancer. This therapy promises blockbuster potential and could become a new standard-of-care, expanding treatment options for patients. The approval reflects ongoing innovation in oncology, where small molecules continue to play an essential role alongside biologics in advancing cancer therapies. AI-driven drug discovery is gaining traction as Insilico Medicine partners with CDMO Bora in a potentially $2.5 billion deal. This collaboration underscores AI's transformative potential in accelerating drug discovery and development processes. By leveraging artificial intelligence, Insilico aims to identify new drug candidates more efficiently, expediting their journey from bench to bedside. Kelun-Biotech is marking significant progress with its SAC-TMT program targeting non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), filling gaps left by Merck's phase 3 efforts. This development is crucial for providing more tailored therapeutic options in oncology, illustrating how advancements in drug development are driving forward personalized medicine. Roche continues its exploration of Alzheimer's disease treatments with a multifaceted approach that includes both amyloid and tau proteins as targets. While its phase 3 amyloid program is prominent, Roche's interest in tau protein highlights the complexity of tackling neurological disorders and the need for diverse therapeutic strategies. Meanwhile, Biogen remains steadfast in defending its anti-tau Alzheimer's candidate following mixed phase 2 results that showed slowed cognitive decline. Despite stock volatility, this endeavor illustrates the high-stakes nature of Alzheimer's research as companies pursue novel approaches to this challenging disease. Regulatory landscapes are also shifting as Johnson & Johnson halts development of an eye disease gene therapy after disappointing phase 2b results. This move reflects the inherent risks involved in gene therapy and underscores the necessity for thorough evaluation at each clinical stage. Medtronic's recall of its Harmony delivery catheter system due to potential detachment risks serves as a reminder of the paramount importance of safety and quality control in medical device manufacturing. Such recalls impact patient safety and emphasize regulatory vigilance over device reliability. In summary, these innovations demonstrate the dynamic nature of the pharma and biotech industries where cutting-edge science drives progress. Integrating AI into drug discovery, managing product lifecycles post-patent expiry, advancing personalized medicine, and maintaining regulatory diligence collectively shape a landscape focused on improving patient outcomes worldwide. Turning to recent scientific developments: Eli Lilly's presentation at AAIC 2026 on their anti-amyloid Alzheimer's drug Kisunla explores maintenance therapy possibilities once amyloid levels fall below a threshold. This potential shift could signify a paradigm change by extending therapeutic benefits and possibly improving long-term outcomes for patients with Alzheimer's. Biogen's advances with its anti-tau Alzheimer's therapy partnered with Ionis Pharmaceuticals further validate the tau hypothesis. The promising mid-stage data on their antisense drug Diranersen opens opportunities for other companies like Denali Therapeutics to explore similar avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases. The industry is also witnessing a resurgence in biotech IPOs during 2026's first half, recovering from a sluggish 2025. This surge signals investor confidence in biotechnological innovation while providing capital for advancing research pipelines. Financial activities within the sector are robust as Attovia Therapeutics files for an IPO to fund its competitive pipeline against Sanofi's Dupixent. Meanwhile, Advancell's $315 million Series D funding supports advancing prostate cancer candidates into Phase 3 trials, backed by big pharma confidence in radiotherapy's potential. Lastly, regulatory transparency improves as the FDA resumes releasing drug rejection letters after a temporary pause—a move likely to influence future submissions significantly by offering clearer guidance on regulatory expectations. These developments collectively highlight how scientific innovation and strategic maneuvers transform pharmaceutical landscapes, promising profound impacts on patient care through advanced therapies and novel treatments worldwide. As these trends unfold, they reflect an industry increasingly reliant on technological integration and collaborations to drive future growth and innovation.Support the show

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we delve into a series of transformative events shaping our industry, starting with a significant regulatory milestone. Vera Therapeutics recently achieved FDA accelerated approval for Trutakna, a groundbreaking treatment for IgA nephropathy. This approval not only provides new hope for patients suffering from this chronic kidney disease but also highlights the innovative approach targeting APRIL and BAFF pathways, crucial in immune system regulation. The drug's accelerated approval is particularly noteworthy as it offers earlier access to promising therapies while further trials solidify its benefits. This positions Vera Therapeutics against industry giants like Novartis and Otsuka in nephrology therapeutics, highlighting the competitive landscape within this sector. The FDA's expedited pathways are increasingly facilitating quicker access to life-saving drugs, aligning regulatory processes with scientific advancements to address unmet medical needs. The spotlight on fusion proteins in tackling autoimmune and renal disorders could signal a broader trend in therapeutic development. In parallel, AstraZeneca has made waves by entering into a major licensing agreement with Sino Biopharmaceutical for their COPD candidate TQC3721. This $1.9 billion deal, with a $200 million upfront payment, exemplifies how global collaborations are becoming pivotal in expanding market reach. By focusing on respiratory diseases, AstraZeneca is strategically positioning itself to enhance treatment options for COPD patients worldwide, reflecting an industry-wide movement towards leveraging regional expertise in drug commercialization. Meanwhile, Evonik's $100 million investment in an Indiana API manufacturing plant marks a strategic effort to bolster domestic production capacities post-pandemic. This investment underscores the rising demand for Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services, emphasizing supply chain resilience—an increasingly critical factor as biotech firms seek reliable production partners. On the clinical trial front, Satellos Bioscience has reported promising Phase 1 data for SAT-3247, its Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate. This AAK1 inhibitor demonstrates potential in promoting muscle regeneration, a development that could significantly alter treatment paradigms for this progressive neuromuscular disorder. If further trials confirm these findings, it could revolutionize therapeutic approaches for rare diseases. Financially, Leo Cancer Care's recent $65 million Series D funding is set to advance its upright radiotherapy treatment system. Such innovations aim to improve precision and outcomes in cancer therapy, at the intersection of technology and patient care. Similarly, MeiraGTx's securing of up to $400 million from Oberland Capital underlines ongoing confidence in gene therapies targeting rare ophthalmological conditions. Strategic maneuvers continue to reshape industry landscapes with mergers like that of Caidya and Simbec-Orion forming a global CRO platform aimed at enhancing research capabilities across oncology and rare diseases. Such consolidations reflect broader trends towards operational efficiencies and scaling research capabilities globally. Amidst these developments, quality control remains paramount as evidenced by Amgen's recall of its heart failure drug due to quality concerns. Such challenges reiterate the importance of stringent quality assurance throughout production processes in safeguarding patient safety. Vertex's acquisition of Crinetics for $10 billion marks another strategic expansion into "white space blockbuster opportunities," illustrating how M&A activity is driving companies to bolster pipelines and capitalize on emerging scientific advancements. These developments collectively underscore the dynamic nature of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as they navigate complex regulatory landscapes, financial recalibrations, and scientific breakthroughs. As companies strive towards more effective and accessible treatments across various therapeutic areas, their ability to adapt to these challenges remains crucial in shaping the future of healthcare delivery. Thank you for tuning into Pharma Daily. Stay informed with us as we continue to bring you the latest insights from the world of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.Support the show

David Eckstein is the CFO of Legora, one of the world's fastest-growing enterprise software companies, which grew from $1 million to $100 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in just 18 months. David reflects on his parents' divorce, graduating from college in three years, and realising at 22 that he was “living someone else's life” before leaving investment banking for Silicon Valley. Vidit and David explore his journey through Box, OpenDNS, Menlo Security and Vanta to Legora; helping sell OpenDNS to Cisco; investing in more than 100 startups; and how 16 years of relationships helped Legora attract $1.5 billion in investor demand and raise a $600 million Series D. They also discuss the changing role of the CFO, AI economics and token spend, how to diligence a startup before joining, lessons from exceptional founders, Legora's extraordinary growth, and David's philosophy of loyalty and giving more than he takes. Please enjoy exploring your curiosity. ________ 00:00:00 Meet David Eckstein 00:05:00 Why Loyalty Drives Everything 00:13:00 The Obsession With Permanence 00:23:00 “I Was Living Someone Else's Life” 00:28:00 How Relationships Helped Raise $600M 00:38:00 The New Economics of AI 00:45:00 Lessons From Four Hypergrowth Companies 00:55:00 Why He Bet His Career on Legora 01:05:00 What Makes Legora Special 01:12:00 The Hardest 25 Days of His Life 01:15:00 Give More Than You Take 01:21:00 Rapid Fire ________ Get in touch with us via email at contact@curiositycentre.com Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Macquarie Capital, City of Sydney and more.  Show notes and more episodes here Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram Get in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly here Contact us via our website ________ The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world's most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW. Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Michael Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Elena Verna (Head of Growth, Lovable), David Haber (a16z Partner), Jodie Auster (Uber's Global Head of Travel), Rob Giglio (CCO, Canva), Jean-Michel Limieux (CTO, Shopify and Atlassian), Stevie Case (CRO, Vanta), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Mark Suster (Partner, Upfront Ventures), Niki Scevak (Partner, Blackbird), Craig Tiley (CEO, USA Tennis), Jeanne DeWitt Grosser (COO, Vercel), Paul Bassat (Partner, Square Peg), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Peter Varghese (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Sam Sicilia (CIO, Hostplus), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Tim Doyle (CEO, Eucalyptus), Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (CEO, Xero), Sanjeev Gandhi (CEO, Orica), Philip Green (Australia's Ambassador/High Commissioner to India), Vivek Bhatia (CEO, MUFG), Cristina Cordova (COO, Linear) and more.

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we delve into the dynamic landscape of the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, where significant scientific advancements, regulatory shifts, and strategic business maneuvers are reshaping patient care and therapeutic approaches. A pivotal moment recently unfolded with Ipsen's acquisition of Kartos Therapeutics for up to $1.75 billion. This strategic move adds navtemadlin, a promising myelofibrosis candidate, to Ipsen's oncology pipeline. Navtemadlin is a small molecule inhibitor targeting MDM2, a crucial regulator of the tumor suppressor p53. This acquisition reflects a strategic emphasis on expanding therapeutic options in hematologic oncology, aiming to improve outcomes for patients with myelofibrosis—a rare and debilitating bone marrow disorder. In regulatory advancements, Viridian Therapeutics achieved a significant milestone with FDA approval of Lumvoa (veligrotug-vvze) for treating thyroid eye disease across both active and chronic stages. This monoclonal antibody targets IGF-1R, addressing an unmet need in autoimmune conditions by potentially altering disease progression and improving patient quality of life. Concurrently, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo's Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) secured EU approval for HER2-positive metastatic solid tumors after successful Phase 2 trials. Enhertu's role as an antibody-drug conjugate highlights a breakthrough in targeting cancer cells more precisely while sparing healthy tissues, underscoring the growing importance of personalized medicine in oncology. The clinical trial landscape saw pivotal results with AstraZeneca's efzimfotase alfa demonstrating efficacy in Phase 3 trials for hypophosphatasia—a rare bone disease characterized by defective bone mineralization due to enzyme deficiencies. This protein therapy aims to replace deficient alkaline phosphatase enzymes, offering hope for improved skeletal outcomes in affected children. Furthermore, BridgeBio Pharma's infigratinib showed promise in Phase 3 trials for treating achondroplasia by demonstrating significant growth improvements. As a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor, it underscores the potential of targeted therapies in addressing genetic disorders. On the business development front, Zymeworks' acquisition of Theravance for $929 million adds the COPD drug Yupelri to its portfolio alongside lucrative royalty arrangements. Yupelri is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) that offers once-daily bronchodilation for COPD patients. This strategic move bolsters Zymeworks' respiratory franchise and highlights the ongoing consolidation trend in the industry as companies seek growth through diversification and enhanced therapeutic offerings. In parallel, Talawar Therapeutics is planning a $285 million SPAC merger to advance its bispecific antibody for eczema treatment. Similarly, Lycia Therapeutics raised $75 million in Series D funding to progress its extracellular protein degrader pipeline aimed at autoimmune diseases. These investments signal robust interest in novel modalities such as bispecific antibodies and targeted protein degradation technologies that promise new therapeutic avenues. However, not all news was positive. The FDA rejected Sobi's NASP (pegadricase) application due to manufacturing issues, highlighting ongoing challenges firms face in meeting regulatory standards for complex biologics. Additionally, Evommune's Evo756 failed its primary endpoint in Phase 2b trials for chronic spontaneous urticaria, illustrating the high-risk nature of drug development. Looking at the broader industry trends, Roche's launch of Axelios 1 represents a strategic push into the gene sequencing arena, directly challenging Illumina's market dominance. As precision medicine continues to gain traction, advancements in gene sequencing technologies are likely to play an instrumental role in personalized medicine strategies, offering more tailored treatment options based on genetic profiles. Finally, we see significant shifts driven by recent regulatory changes and scientific breakthroughs across the sector. The FDA's revised stance on rare disease drug approval criteria could expedite processes for companies like Skyhawk Therapeutics and Biohaven, providing new opportunities to bring treatments to market more swiftly. These regulatory adjustments reflect an evolving landscape where innovation is poised to meet unmet medical needs more efficiently. In conclusion, these developments underscore a dynamic pharmaceutical and biotech landscape characterized by strategic acquisitions, regulatory successes, and scientific advancements aimed at addressing complex diseases with innovative therapies. As these sectors continue to evolve, stakeholders must navigate a complex interplay of technological advancements, regulatory scrutiny, and competitive pressures to drive meaningful advancements in healthcare outcomes. Stay tuned with Pharma Daily as we continue to explore these significant shifts shaping the future of healthcare and drug development. Thank you for joining us today as we unpack these pivotal stories impacting our industry.Support the show

Warum profitieren die Aktienkurse der Hyperscaler aktuell nicht vom KI-Boom? OpenAI baut zusammen mit Broadcom seinen ersten eigenen Inferenz-Chip und verschiebt den geplanten IPO. Claude wächst 75 Prozent bei zahlenden Consumern. Die Trump-Administration verlangt einen gestaffelten Release von GPT 5.6. Google verliert mit Adler und Pritzel zwei weitere Schlüssel-Forscher an Anthropic. Lancet meldet: KI-Halluzinationen haben falsche Zitate in wissenschaftlichen Papers versechszehnfacht. Azeem Azhar legt mit "State of the AI Economy" Zahlen zur $175 Mrd. AI-Runrate vor. Bloomberg rechnet vor, dass KI-Umsätze die Data-Center-Abschreibungen jetzt bereits decken. Meta launcht Brillen mit Kylie-Jenner-Edition und plant eine Prediction-Markt-App namens Arena. Kalshi raised auf $40 Mrd. Bewertung. Die Washington Post testet KI-Chatbots auf politischen Bias. Waymo Germany GmbH ist in München registriert, Finn wird Unicorn und Taktile holt Goldman Sachs als Lead-Investor.  Unterstütze unseren Podcast und entdecke die Angebote unserer Werbepartner auf ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠doppelgaenger.io/werbung⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Vielen Dank!  Philipp Glöckler und Philipp Klöckner sprechen heute über: (00:00:00) Hyperscaler-Selloff (00:15:32) OpenAI baut Inferenz-Chip mit Broadcom (00:19:41) Siri als Deep-Seek-Moment für OpenAI? (00:22:23) OpenAI verschiebt IPO auf 2027 (00:24:57) Claude wächst 75% bei zahlenden Consumern (00:29:38) Trump-Admin staffert GPT 5.6-Release (00:32:41) Fable-5-Wette: Prediction-Markt-Insider? (00:34:39) Google verliert Adler & Pritzel an Anthropic (00:37:52) Lancet: KI-Halluzinationen in Wissenschaft (00:39:50) Azeem Azhar: $175 Mrd. AI-Runrate (00:43:09) AI deckt jetzt schon Data-Center-Abschreibungen (00:47:15) Meta-Brillen mit Kylie-Jenner-Edition (00:49:19) Meta plant Prediction-Markt-App Arena (00:56:45) Kalshi raised auf $40 Mrd. Bewertung (00:58:05) Zhipu plant zweite HK-Aktien-Tranche (00:58:58) Cerebras Q1: Umsatz fast verdoppelt, Aktie -10% (01:00:03) Washington Post: KI-Chatbots links-biased (01:04:46) Waymo Germany GmbH in München registriert (01:08:35) Finn wird Unicorn mit €140 Mio. Series D (01:11:23) Taktile raised $110 Mio. von Goldman Sachs Shownotes OpenAI und Broadcom enthuellen Custom-Chip Jalapeno - reuters.com NYT: OpenAI verschiebt IPO auf 2027, $1 Bio. als Ziel - nytimes.com Trump-Admin verlangt staged Release von GPT 5.6 - theinformation.com Claudes Zahlende-Consumer-Basis waechst 75% in 2026 - techcrunch.com Google verliert Adler & Pritzel an Anthropic - bloomberg.com Lancet: KI-Halluzinationen multiplizieren falsche Zitate in Papers - thelancet.com Azeem Azhar: State of the AI Economy - xcancel.com Bloomberg: KI-Nachfrage rechtfertigt Data-Center-Buildout-Kosten - bloomberg.com Meta-Brillen Adventurer, Fury & Kylie Starfire - bloomberg.com NYT: Meta entwickelt Prediction-Markt-App "Arena" - nytimes.com Kalshi raised auf $40 Mrd. Bewertung - ft.com Zhipu plant Multi-Mrd.-Share-Sale in Hongkong - bloomberg.com Washington Post testet KI-Chatbots auf politischen Bias - washingtonpost.com FAZ: Waymo Germany GmbH in Muenchen registriert - faz.net Finn wird Unicorn mit €140 Mio. Series D - techfundingnews.com Taktile raised $110 Mio. von Goldman Sachs & Tiger - fortune.com Handelsblatt: VC Judith Dada wird Co-CEO bei Langdock - handelsblatt.com ARD-Doku "Die Wahrheit ueber Google" (nicht gesendet) - ardmediathek.de

In this episode, Nikola reveals his contrarian belief that AI can be better than humans at customer service (not instead of humans, they'll do very different work), why he spent two hours on the phone with Vodafone when he got their confirmation email with someone else's name on it (and why that's not really about AI or humans), why they built a "token leaderboard" internally to track which AI tools they're using most, why junior developers will definitely beat senior ones at learning these tools (plasticity just goes down as you age), how AI gives him superpowers as a CEO (a chief of staff reminding him he promised something 4 days ago), and why their business model is "Rolls Royce for large enterprises, BMW for everyone else." He also shares his journey from a Serbian family to the University of Cambridge, how his PhD supervisor convinced him not to do a PowerPoint job at McKinsey, and why he ended up founding a voice AI company instead of working in finance (he wanted to be "a proper monkey" as well as a PowerPoint monkey, in his words).What you'll learn:

https://novacut.ai/  https://genaimeetup.com/  Anthropic has officially closed a $65 billion Series H at a $965 billion valuation, nearly 2.5x its valuation from just 100 days ago. Meanwhile, funding is flowing across the ecosystem: Frameworks AI at $15B, Baseten at $11B, OpenRouter's $113M Series B, and Cognition AI's $1B Series D. NVIDIA went on an open-source super week with Nemotron 3 Ultra, Cosmos 3, and Nemotron 3.5 ASR. Microsoft dropped 5 new MAI models. Google released Gemma 4 12B, and Anthropic shipped Opus 4.8. On the benchmarks front, DeepSWE crowns GPT-5.5 as the leader in long-horizon coding tasks, while ITBench shows even frontier models struggle with real-world SRE incidents — Claude Opus 4.7 tops out at just 47%. Plus: Cloudflare acquires VoidZero to build the future of AI-native edge development, and Google is paying SpaceX $920M/month for compute. Topics covered: • Anthropic's $65B Series H and path to $1T • Fireworks AI, Baseten, OpenRouter & Cognition funding rounds • Microsoft's 5 new MAI models • NVIDIA's open-source super week (Nemotron, Cosmos 3) • MiniMax M3, Gemma 4 12B, JetBrains Mellum2, Opus 4.8 • DeepSWE benchmark: GPT-5.5 leads long-horizon coding • ITBench: Frontier models under 50% on real SRE tasks • Cloudflare + VoidZero for AI-native edge dev • Google's $920M/month SpaceX compute deal #AI #Anthropic #NVIDIA #OpenAI #AInews #TechNews #LLM     Funding rounds Anthropic formally confirmed the closure of its $65 billion Series H funding round at a post-money valuation of $965 billion. This represents a 2.5-fold increase over its $380 billion Series G valuation from February 2026, adding $585 billion in value in approximately 100 days https://www.anthropic.com/news/series-h  Frameworks AI raising at 15B valuation representing a near fourfold increase from its $4 billion Series C valuation recorded in October 2025 processing 15 trillion tokens daily for major production clients including Cursor, Notion, and Perplexity https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/fireworks-ai-eyes-15-billion-174609357.html Baseten is raising 1B at 11B valuation annualized revenue, which skyrocketed from $200 million to $600 million over a single quarter https://techstartups.com/2026/05/26/ai-inference-startup-baseten-in-talks-to-raise-1-billion-at-11-billion-valuation/  OpenRouter has secured a $113 million Series B funding OpenRouter has experienced exponential traffic growth, with weekly production throughput expanding fivefold from 5 trillion to 25 trillion tokens over a six-month horizon https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260526953416/en/OpenRouter-Raises-%24113-Million-CapitalG-led-Series-B-as-Weekly-Volume-Explodes-to-25T-Tokens  Further up the stack: Cognition AI secured a $1 billion Series D round led by Lux Capital and 8VC https://cognition.ai/blog/series-d   Model Releases MAI models: MAI-Code-1-Flash: A 5-billion active parameter model optimized for ultra-low latency within GitHub Copilot and VS Code. MAI-Image-2.5: A high-fidelity image generation model ranking third on global image evaluation arenas, outperforming competing architectures like Nano Banana Pro. MAI-Transcribe-1.5: A multi-lingual speech processing engine offering fivefold speed improvements across 43 languages. MAI-Voice-2: Natural audio and voice generation across 15 languages, available at a highly competitive price point. Web IQ: A search-grounding API engineered to directly compete with Perplexity. https://microsoft.ai/models/    https://www.peoplematters.in/news/ai-and-emerging-tech/uber-imposes-dollar1500-monthly-ai-spending-limit-on-employees-amid-rising-costs-50073    Nvidia has executed an "Open-Source Super Week," positioning itself as a dominant software and model publisher: Nemotron 3 Ultra (best US open source open weights model but behind china): A massive 550-billion parameter MoE (55 billion active) designed with a 1-million token context window, optimized specifically for high-throughput, cyclical agent loops. It achieved peak throughput rates of 400 tokens per second on day-zero optimized clusters. Cosmos 3: A physical AI world-modeling framework comprising 16-billion Nano and 64-billion Super variants. Built on a Mixture-of-Transformers (MoT) architecture, Cosmos 3 natively binds textual, visual, auditory, and physical kinetic vectors. Nemotron 3.5 ASR: A highly compact 0.6-billion parameter streaming speech recognition model pushing sub-100 millisecond latencies across 40 language locales.   https://www.minimax.io/models/text/m3  MiniMax M3: A 1-million token context model hitting 59.0% on SWE-Bench Pro and 74.2% on MCP Atlas, though noted for high token consumption due to intensive internal self-validation loops.   https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/developers-tools/introducing-gemma-4-12b/  Gemma 4 12B: Google's Apache 2.0 on-device model, which utilizes an encoder-free architecture that projects vision and audio vectors directly into the text-token space, bypassing separate CLIP-style encoders to minimize local memory footprints. https://www.jetbrains.com/mellum/  JetBrains Mellum2: A compact 12-billion parameter MoE (2.5 billion active) engineered for ultra-low latency routing and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) sub-agents within developer IDEs. Opus 4.8 https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-8    https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/05/google-to-pay-spacex-920-million-a-month-for-xai-compute-capacity.html      Benchmarks: https://deepswe.d atacurve.ai/blog https://venturebeat.com/technology/deepswe-blows-up-the-ai-coding-leaderboard-crowns-gpt-5-5-and-finds-claude-opus-exploiting-a-benchmark-loophole (GPT 5.5 the winner in long horizon tasks) a highly complex software engineering benchmark focused on original, long-horizon tasks across five distinct programming languages. Comprising 113 chaotic tasks across 91 live, production-grade repositories, DeepSWE forces agents to generate 5.5 times more code and modify an average of 7 separate files per task compared to standard evaluations. On this challenging leaderboard, GPT-5.5 leads with a score of 70%, establishing a significant 16-percentage-point lead over contemporary alternatives I think older benchmarks where models reach ~90% accuracy can be considered saturated. Few percentage points don't give us any good signal.  https://research.ibm.com/publications/developing-ai-agents-for-it-automation-tasks-with-itbench  ITBench-AA, an evaluation framework focusing on live Kubernetes incident response and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) operations. Comprising 59 live, containerized SRE incident snapshots, the results are remarkably sobering: every frontier model scored under 50% on successful incident resolution, with Claude Opus 4.7 leading at 47% and GPT-5.5 following closely at 46%.   Edge AI announcements: https://www.cloudflare.com/press/press-releases/2026/cloudflare-acquires-voidzero-to-build-the-future-of-the-ai-native-web/  The consolidation of the AI-native developer stack has reached the runtime virtualization layer. Cloudflare recently completed the acquisition of VoidZero, the development group responsible for Vite, Vitest, Rolldown, and Oxc, backing the transaction with a $1 million open-source ecosystem fund. This acquisition is highly strategic; as autonomous agents write an increasing proportion of production software, local development environments, compilation pipelines, and bundlers must be optimized for execution speeds that match agent speeds. Cloudflare's goal is to construct a localized, full-stack edge playground. In this sandbox, AI agents can generate, test, bundle (utilizing the highly parallelized, Rust-based Oxc and Rolldown engines), and deploy entire web applications end-to-end within milliseconds. This architecture completely bypasses traditional local machine container bottlenecks, enabling high-velocity agent loops to execute in a fully sandboxed, web-scale edge runtime.

This week, host Alex Bond sits down with Will Ross, co-founder and CEO of Federato — the AI-native core platform transforming the full insurance policy lifecycle, from underwriting to claims and billing.Will and his Stanford AI research co-founder built Federato on a simple but bold premise: AI should support high-value human decision-making, not just cut costs. And they're putting that conviction to the test.In this episode, Alex and Will discuss:

Wie baut man das Marketing einer $3-Milliarden AI-native Company auf? In dieser Folge spricht Tim mit Julia Goelles (VP Marketing, Parloa) über ihre Hypergrowth-Reise von 45 auf 450 Mitarbeiter und einer $350M Series D. Julia verrät, warum Konsistenz als Brand langfristig gewinnt, warum Events trotz AI-Produkt der #1 Pipeline-Treiber bei Parloa sind und warum 99 % aller Unternehmen noch nicht bereit für AI-Kundenanfragen sind. Jetzt reinhören!

Patrick Forquer is the Chief Revenue Officer at Legora, the fastest growing enterprise business to ever hit $100M in ARR and now on track to hit over $250M in ARR by the end of the year. They recently raised a $550 million Series D at a $5.55 billion valuation, led by Accel, note 20VC did participate and is an investor in the company.  AGENDA: 0:00 – How Jude Law Generated $50 Million in Qualified Pipeline 4:00 – Why Implementation is Your Secret Weapon to Win in AI 5:50 – Why AI Enterprise Sales Require "Legal Engineers" 7:45 – The 6-Figure Rule: When Should Humans Control Sales 12:55 – Is Legora Vastly Overvalued at $5.5BN?  15:45 – How to do global expansion in a world of AI 18:00 – How to Win Supremely Competitive Markets 24:45 – Why Giving Your Product Away for Free is a Death Sentence 33:55 – Legora's Onboarding and Training Playbook for Sales Teams 38:25 – Spotting Red Flags: How to Know if a Sales Rep Will Fail in 45 Days 46:30 – How to Structure Sales Commissions in a World of AI 49:40 – How to do Revenue Forecasting in a World of AI 1:00:30 – Will companies vibe code solutions and no longer buy a SaaS products?    

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. The industry is buzzing with significant shifts driven by scientific advancements, strategic acquisitions, and regulatory changes. A noteworthy transaction is Bayer's $2.4 billion acquisition of Perfuse, aimed at gaining control over an eye disease implant that has shown promising results in phase 2 trials. This acquisition speaks to Bayer's commitment to expanding its ophthalmology portfolio, a field with substantial unmet medical needs due to aging populations. The move highlights how companies are investing heavily in areas expected to see growing patient demand. In the realm of artificial intelligence, Recursion Pharmaceuticals is undergoing a strategic transformation under new leadership. After a decade of AI-driven research without yielding tangible products, the focus is shifting towards translating AI's potential into viable therapeutic solutions. This reflects a broader industry trend where the promise of AI must be balanced with pragmatic strategies to ensure commercial success. Novo Nordisk is making strides with its GLP-1/amylin combo treatment Cagrisema, maintaining its launch plans despite technical setbacks with a single-chamber device design. This demonstrates the company's adaptability in overcoming hurdles to bring innovative diabetes treatments to market, crucial in the competitive landscape of diabetes care. Additionally, Novo Nordisk's obesity treatment Wegovy has posted impressive quarterly revenues of $355 million thanks to strategic pricing and timely market entry ahead of competitors like Eli Lilly in the emerging oral obesity therapy segment. Such success suggests potential redefinition of market dynamics in obesity treatments. GlaxoSmithKline has entered into a $1 billion agreement with China's Siranbio for an oligonucleotide therapy targeting abdominal fat reduction. This partnership highlights GSK's strategic focus on cardiometabolic diseases through nucleic acid-based therapies, which offer high specificity and efficacy. Such therapeutics are becoming increasingly attractive for investment due to their potential impact on diverse health conditions. CellCentric's successful Series D funding round, raising $220 million for its myeloma drug, positions it well for pursuing clinical milestones independently. This signifies a shift towards self-reliant biotech models, illustrating how smaller companies are increasingly able to navigate the drug development landscape without traditional pharma partnerships. Gilead's acquisition of Arcellx for $7.8 billion and its subsequent workforce consolidation reflect ongoing realignments within the CAR-T therapy space. These consolidations indicate strategic prioritization within large biopharmaceutical companies to streamline operations while focusing on promising therapeutic areas like CAR-T cells. In corporate restructuring news, Gilead Sciences announced workforce reductions following its acquisition of Arcellx. While aimed at optimizing operations post-acquisition, it raises concerns about job security amid increasing merger activities within the biotech sector. Avalo's promising phase 2 results in skin disease treatment have renewed interest despite challenges from placebo comparisons. This emphasizes the competitive dynamics and high stakes in dermatological drug development, where even modest efficacy signals can significantly drive market activity. BioCryst's decision to halt its diabetic macular edema program to concentrate on rare diseases exemplifies a strategic pivot towards niche markets with potentially higher returns and less competition. This aligns with broader industry trends emphasizing precision medicine and targeted therapies. Eli Lilly's substantial $4.5 billion investment into its Indiana manufacturing complex underscores a commiSupport the show

For two decades, the mantra was clear: stay private as long as possible. Jeffrey Stewart says that was a colossal mistake.Jeffrey is a serial founder, investor, and author of Global IPO – The Great Rewiring of Capital Markets. In this episode, he challenges everything founders think they know about capital markets — why late-stage private rounds are often a red flag, why going public earlier is actually less risky than raising a Series D, and why European founders are being held back not by themselves, but by their investors.His provocation is simple: Public markets are 10x the size of private markets. If you're not thinking about them, you're playing a much smaller game than you have to.Essential listening for every founder who has ever been told to "wait for the right moment".

The Trump administration discussed an EO to form an AI oversight working group, a stark reversal from its hands-off approach. Apple explored using Intel and Samsung to make chips in the US, Coinbase cut 14% of its workforce, and OpenAI fast-tracks an AI phone for 2027. Sources: the Trump administration is discussing an EO to form an AI working group that would examine AI oversight procedures, like vetting models before release (NYT) Sources: Apple held exploratory talks with Intel and Apple executives visited a Samsung plant in Texas to explore producing core chips for its devices in the US (Bloomberg) Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announces the company is cutting ~700 jobs, or ~14% of its global workforce, to reduce costs, saying "AI is changing how we work" (Reuters) Meta is using AI on Facebook and Instagram to detect under-13 users by analyzing bone structure, height, and visual cues, but says it's "not facial recognition" (The Verge) Kuo: OpenAI appears to be fast-tracking its AI agent phone with two NPUs and a custom MediaTek Dimensity 9600 SoC, targeting mass production as early as H1 2027 (Ming-Chi Kuo) ElevenLabs raised $550M+ in its Series D, up from a previously announced $500M, adding BlackRock, Nvidia, and others as investors; its ARR passed $500M in Q1 (Tech.eu) Source: YC owns ~0.6% of OpenAI, which was seeded by a YC offshoot called YC Research in 2016; at OpenAI's current $852B valuation, the stake is worth $5B+ (Daring Fireball) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Suno, the AI music generation company that has attracted a staggering 100 million users is reportedly nearing a close of a funding round that could value it at more than $5 billion, more than double what it was valued after its last funding round in November. Suno is expected to close a Series D funding round in the coming weeks, Axios and Billboard reported Monday morning, which Axios reported could value the startup at more than $5 billion. The new funding round comes six months after Suno raised $250 million at a valuation of $2.45 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the Asia-focused Episode 35 of Biotalk, Geoff Meyerson, CEO of Locust Walk, reviews key 2026 Q1 Report: Global Trends in Biopharma Transactions trends across China, Japan, and Korea.  China: Dominated global licensing with 66% of deal value -up from 48% in full-year 2025 -anchored by CSPC–AstraZeneca ($18.5B) and Innovent–Lilly ($8.5B). Venture financing surged to a three-year high of $1.2B across 17 deals, led by Corxel Pharmaceuticals' $287M oral GLP-1 Series D. Out-licensing remains the dominant business model, now structural and increasingly central to global biopharma dealmaking.  Japan: Biotech stocks outperformed pharma (+10% vs. +8%), and the IPO market reopened after 18 months with Innovacell and J-Pharma raising $112M combined. Japan-based buyers licensed three programs averaging $1.2B in deal value, with 100% from early-stage programs -reflecting growing appetite for pipeline diversification.  Korea: The KOSPI rose 17%, though biotech stocks fell 14%. Venture financing rebounded to $125M across six deals, up from just $18M in Q4 2025, concentrated in early-stage oncology. Korean sellers drove the majority of licensing activity from non-major markets with two early-stage transactions averaging $405M.  Regional Takeaway: Q1 2026 confirmed Asia-Pacific's rising centrality in global biopharma. China's record out-licensing drove global deal value, Japan reopened its public markets, and Korea showed early signs of a cautious recovery.  Listen now to gain insights into the evolving global biopharma landscape, explore our report, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss its contents with you.  

Tony Jamous first joined Riding Unicorns in January 2023, just after Oyster became a unicorn. Since then, the company has raised its Series D, Tony has moved into the Executive Chairman role, and Hadi Moussa has stepped in as CEO.In this episode, James sits down with both Tony and Hadi to unpack what really happens when a founder hands over the CEO role in a high-growth company. They discuss why Tony knew Oyster needed a different kind of leader for its next stage, how the search process unfolded, and what Hadi has focused on in his first months in the role.They also go deep on scaling leadership, building operational rhythm, giving effective feedback, and how to turn a strong remote culture into a genuinely high-performing organisation. The conversation then shifts to the future of global employment, the impact of AI on hiring, and why Oyster still sees a huge opportunity ahead.A candid episode on succession, self-awareness, scale, and what it takes to lead a mission-driven company through its next chapter.Topics covered: Why Tony stepped aside as CEO  How Oyster prepared for a leadership transition  What Hadi is changing in his first months as CEO  Founder-led vision vs operator-led execution  Building a high-performing remote team  Feedback, vulnerability, and leadership maturity  AI's impact on hiring and global talent  The future of Oyster and global employment

Fortinet releases an emergency update for a critical vulnerability. A major outage disrupts Russian banking apps. A new report highlights critical skills gaps. CyberCorp scholars struggle to secure jobs. Scammers use QR codes in fake traffic violation schemes. A proposed lawsuit accuses Perplexity of oversharing users' AI transcripts. Cambodia outlaws scam centers. Scammers impersonate Harvard IT staff. With “wrench attack” threats of violence, life imitates art. Kevin Magee from Microsoft for Startups describes emerging trends. On Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson, Ann speaks with Allie Mellen about her new book "Code War: How Nations Hack, Spy, and Shape the Digital Battlefield." Users find Copilot's terms of use highly entertaining. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today on our Industry Voices segment, we are joined by Kevin Magee from Microsoft for Startups discussing how cybersecurity startups can succeed by focusing on real problems and navigating emerging trends. Tune into the full conversation here. Afternoon Cyber Tea On this segment of Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson, Ann speaks with Allie Mellen about her new book "Code War: How Nations Hack, Spy, and Shape the Digital Battlefield." You can listen to the full conversation here and catch new episodes of Afternoon Cyber Tea every other Tuesday on your favorite podcast app. Selected Reading New FortiClient EMS flaw exploited in attacks, emergency patch released (Bleeping Computer) Major outage hits Russian banking apps, metro payments across regions (The Record) SANS 2026 report flags cybersecurity skills crisis, putting critical infrastructure and OT sectors at measurable breach risk (Industrial Cyber) CyberCorps grads consider private sector as fed hiring challenges persist (Federal News Network) Traffic violation scams switch to QR codes in new phishing texts (Bleeping Computer) Perplexity's "Incognito Mode" is a "sham," lawsuit says (Ars Technica) Cambodian parliament passes landmark cybercrime law after scam centre scrutiny (Reuters) Harvard Warns of Active Cyberattack Impersonating IT Staff and Targeting Affiliates (The Crimson) Wealthy California crypto holders targeted in violent ‘wrench attacks' (KTLA) Security (xkcd) Censys raises $70 million in a Series D round. (N2K Pro Business Briefing)   Even Microsoft know Copilot can't be trusted (The Register) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our ⁠brief listener survey⁠. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at ⁠sponsor.thecyberwire.com⁠. The CyberWire 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

Canopii's robotic farms can autonomously grow 40,000 pounds of herbs and leafy greens a year while being the size of a basketball court. Also, Legora, an AI platform for lawyers, is now valued at $5.55 billion following a $550 million Series D led by Accel to fuel its growth in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the biggest bottleneck in your commerce strategy isn't the strategy itself, but the time it takes your team to actually perform the actions to execute it?Agility requires not just having the right insights, but also the operational capacity to act on them at the speed the market demands.Today, we're going to talk about a critical bottleneck many brands face: the delay between data-driven insight and real-world execution. Commerce teams are often drowning in data but struggle with the manual, time-consuming work of implementing changes, whether it's updating product pages or optimizing media spend. This has led to a major shift, where brands are looking beyond traditional agency models and toward a new paradigm of 'agentic AI'—using automated agents to handle execution, freeing up human experts to focus on what they do best: strategy.We are here at eTail Palm Springs, and to help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Himanshu Jain, Co-Founder and Head of Product, and Bill Schneider, VP Product Marketing at CommerceIQ. About Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-schneider-b32a6a/ Resources CommerceIQ: www.commerceiq.ai The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

What if the biggest bottleneck in your commerce strategy isn't the strategy itself, but the time it takes your team to actually perform the actions to execute it?Agility requires not just having the right insights, but also the operational capacity to act on them at the speed the market demands.Today, we're going to talk about a critical bottleneck many brands face: the delay between data-driven insight and real-world execution. Commerce teams are often drowning in data but struggle with the manual, time-consuming work of implementing changes, whether it's updating product pages or optimizing media spend. This has led to a major shift, where brands are looking beyond traditional agency models and toward a new paradigm of 'agentic AI'—using automated agents to handle execution, freeing up human experts to focus on what they do best: strategy.We are here at eTail Palm Springs, and to help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Himanshu Jain, Co-Founder and Head of Product, and Bill Schneider, VP Product Marketing at CommerceIQ. About Himanshu Jain Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Himanshu Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-schneider-b32a6a/About Bill SchneiderBill has 20+ years of experience in product marketing and communication roles building and leading product marketing and external communications . In addition to his deep knowledge of the product marketing role, Bill has has a wealth of experience working for SaaS growth companies in analytics, mobile engagement, shopper marketing, and identity verification.Bill Schneider on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-schneider-b32a6a/ Resources CommerceIQ: www.commerceiq.ai The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS: Why Embedding Sales with Engineering in Stealth Mode Changed Everything for Snowflake In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to scale go-to-market from zero to billions. We interview Chris Degnan, a builder of one of the most iconic revenue engines in enterprise software at Snowflake. This conversation is grounded in the transformation described in his book Make It Snow—the journey from early-stage chaos to durable, aligned growth. Embedding Sales with Engineering While Still in Stealth "I don't expect you to sell anything for 2 years. What I really want you to do is get a ton of feedback and get customers to use the product so that when we come out of stealth mode, we have this world-class product."   Chris joined Snowflake when there were zero customers and the company was still in stealth mode. The counterintuitive move of embedding sales next to engineering so early wasn't about driving immediate revenue, it was about understanding product-market fit. Chris's job was to get customers to try the product, use it for free, and break it. And break it they did. This early feedback led to material changes in the product before general availability. The approach helped shape their ideal customer profile (ICP) and gave the engineering team real-world validation that shaped Snowflake's technical direction. In a world where startups are pressured to show revenue immediately, Snowflake's investors took the opposite approach: focus on building a product people cannot live without first. Why Sales and Marketing Alignment Is Existential "If we're not driving revenue, if the revenue is not growing, then how are we going to be successful? Revenue was king."   When Denise Persson joined as CMO, she shifted the conversation from marketing qualified leads (MQLs) to qualified meetings for the sales team. This simple reframe eliminated the typical friction between sales and marketing. Both leaders shared challenges openly and held each other accountable. When someone in either organization wasn't being respectful to the other team, they addressed it directly. Chris warns founders against creating artificial friction between sales and marketing: "A lot of founders who are engineers think that they want to create this friction between sales and marketing. And that's the opposite instinct you should have." The key insight is treating sales and marketing as a symbiotic system where revenue is the shared north star. Coaching Leaders Through Hypergrowth "If there's a problem in one of our organizations, if someone comes with a mentality that is not great for us, we're gonna give direct feedback to those people."   Chris and Denise maintained tight alignment at the top level of their organizations through four CEO transitions. Their partnership created a culture of accountability that cascaded through both teams. When either hired senior people who didn't fit the culture, they investigated and addressed it. The coaching approach wasn't about winning by authority—it was about maintaining partnership and shared accountability for results. This required unlearning traditional management approaches that pit departments against each other and instead fostering genuine collaboration. Cultural Behaviors That Scale (And Those That Don't) "We got dumb and lazy. We forgot about it. And then we decided, hey, we're gonna go get a little bit more fit, and figure out how to go get the new logos again."   Chris describes himself as a "velocity salesperson" with a hyper-focus on new customer acquisition. This focus worked brilliantly during Snowflake's growth phase—land customers, and the high net retention rate would drive expansion. However, as Snowflake prepared to go public, they took their foot off the gas on new logo acquisition, believing not all new logos were equal. This turned out to be a mistake. In his final year at Snowflake, working with CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy, they redesigned the sales team to reinvigorate the new logo acquisition machine. The lesson: the cultural behaviors that fuel early success must be consciously maintained and sometimes redesigned as you scale. Keeping the Message Narrow Before Going Platform "Eventually, I know you want to be a platform. But having a targeted market when you're initially launching the company, that people are spending money on, makes it easier for your sales team."   Snowflake intentionally positioned itself in the enterprise data warehousing market—a $10-12 billion annual market with 5,000-7,000 enterprise customers—rather than trying to sound "bigger" as a platform play. The strategic advantage was accessing existing budgets. When selling to large enterprises that go through annual planning processes, fitting into an existing budget means sales cycles of 3-6 months instead of 9-18 months. Yes, competition eventually tried to corner Snowflake as "just a cute data warehouse," but by then they had captured significant market share and could stretch their wings into the broader data cloud opportunity. Selling Consumption-Based Products to Fixed-Budget Buyers "Don't believe anything I say, try it."   One of Snowflake's hardest challenges was explaining their elastic, consumption-based architecture to procurement and legal teams accustomed to fixed budgets. In 2013-2015, many CIOs still believed data would stay in their data centers. Snowflake's model—where customers could spin up a thousand servers for 4 hours, load data, while analysts ran queries without performance impact—seemed impossible. Chris's approach was simple: set up proof of concepts and pilots. Let the technology speak for itself. The shift from fixed resources to elastic architecture required changing not just technology but entire mindsets about how data infrastructure could work.   About Chris Degnan Chris Degnan is a builder of one of the most iconic revenue engines in enterprise software. As the first sales hire at Snowflake, he helped scale the company from zero customers to billions in revenue. Chris co-authored Make It Snow: From Zero to Billions with Denise Persson, documenting their journey of building Snowflake's go-to-market organization. Today, Chris advises early-stage startups on building their go-to-market strategies and works with Iconiq Capital, the venture firm that led Snowflake's Series D round.   You can link with Chris Degnan on LinkedIn and learn more about the book at MakeItSnowBook.com.

Stoke Space has announced an extension of its previous Series D financing, bringing the total amount raised in the round to $860 million. Starcloud has revealed plans to launch Amazon Web Services' AWS Outposts to space. Eutelsat has signed for €1bn Export Credit Agency financing for the procurement of satellites for its OneWeb constellation, 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 guests today are Stacey Connaughton and Jon Ferency from Purdue University.  You can find out more about Purdue University's Space Policy, Science, and Technology Symposium on their website. Selected Reading Stoke Space Technologies Extends Previously Announced Series D Financing to $860 Million Starcloud to launch AWS Outposts hardware in space, aims to deploy fleet of 88,000 satellites Eutelsat Signs Almost €1bn in Export Credit Agency Financing for the Procurement of LEO Satellites for its OneWeb Constellation China moves toward manned lunar landing with Long March-10 rocket test - CGTN Alpha FLTA007 2026 International Day of Women and Girls in Science- UNESCO Share your feedback. What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show.  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

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we're diving into a whirlwind of activity in the industry, where scientific breakthroughs, regulatory shifts, and strategic collaborations are all reshaping the future of healthcare.Let's start with a look at the ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to negotiate Medicare drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act. This initiative is set to impact 15 high-profile drugs, marking a significant push towards more stringent pricing regulations. The aim is to make medications more affordable for patients, but this move could also compel pharmaceutical companies to rethink their pricing strategies and revenue models. Such regulatory changes underscore a broader trend toward cost containment in healthcare, a critical issue as drug prices continue to be a major concern for policymakers and consumers alike. Additionally, proposed changes to Medicare Advantage rates by the Trump administration could lead to benefit cuts or market exits by insurers, highlighting ongoing uncertainties in healthcare financing that could significantly impact patient access to care.In the realm of oncology, Johnson & Johnson has achieved another milestone with its Darzalex Faspro. This drug has received FDA approval for an expanded indication in treating newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplants. This approval is not just a regulatory win; it reflects the growing importance of combination therapies in enhancing treatment outcomes for complex diseases like multiple myeloma. The shift towards combination regimens is a notable trend in oncology, aiming to maximize therapeutic efficacy and improve patient survival rates.Meanwhile, Teva Pharmaceuticals is bracing for a potential slowdown come 2026 after a period of growth. This projection highlights the inherent volatility in the pharmaceutical market, where external factors such as regulatory changes and competitive pressures can swiftly alter financial trajectories. Companies like Teva must remain agile and adaptable to navigate these unpredictable waters.On the innovation front, Cellares has secured $257 million in a Series D funding round aimed at expanding its cell therapy contract manufacturing operations globally. This significant investment underscores an increasing demand for advanced therapeutic manufacturing capabilities, reflecting the industry's pivot towards personalized medicine and cell-based therapies. As the landscape of medicine shifts towards more individualized approaches, companies like Cellares are positioning themselves at the forefront of this transformative trend.Novo Nordisk is actively exploring new growth avenues, with its business development head engaging in numerous strategic meetings at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. This proactive approach illustrates how critical partnerships and acquisitions are becoming for pharmaceutical companies looking to maintain a competitive edge and drive innovation forward. Novo Nordisk's pursuit of Metsera aligns with broader industry trends where strategic acquisitions are leveraged to bolster pipelines with innovative therapies.Pfizer continues to dominate the vaccine production arena despite challenging market conditions that have seen competitors like Sanofi face setbacks. This leadership can be attributed to Pfizer's robust product pipeline and strong relationships with healthcare providers, highlighting how trust and reliability remain crucial components of success in this field.In gene therapy news, Eli Lilly has forged a $1.1 billion agreement with Seamless Therapeutics aimed at developing gene-editing medications for hearing loss. This collaboration is indicative of gene therapy's expanding scope, offering hope for addressing previously untreatable conditions Support the show

D-Orbit has raised $53 million in a Series D funding round. Loft Orbital was selected as the prime contractor for France's Démonstrateur des Éléments Souverains d'Imagerie Radar (DESIR) program. Aalyria has been selected by the US Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL's) Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) program to advance software solutions for managing complex military space communications networks, 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 brings us the Space Traffic Report from NASASpaceflight.com. Selected Reading D-Orbit Secures $53M Series D Funding to Accelerate M&A and In-Space Computing Capacity – SatNews Loft Selected as a Prime Contractor for France's First Space-Based Radar Imaging Program Aalyria Selected by U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for Space Data Network Experimentation (SDNX) Program Tomorrow.io Announces DeepSky, the World's First AI-Native Space-Based Weather-Sensing Constellation Chinese capsule damaged by space-junk strike returns to Earth (video) Spire Global Selected by AiDASH to Bring Space-Powered Weather Intelligence to Vegetation Risk Platform for Electric Utilities Blue Origin Completes 38th New Shepard Flight to Space Study shows how earthquake monitors can track space junk through sonic booms - ABC News Share your feedback. What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show.  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

Mews just raised $300 million in a Series D, valuing the company at $2.5 billion — one of the largest hotel tech raises ever. But this conversation isn't about hype. In this GMH exclusive, Wil Slickers sits down for a third time with Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews, to unpack what this funding actually unlocks and why Richard believes much of hospitality technology has been built on the wrong assumptions for decades. They dig into why hotels still struggle with data ownership, how PMS platforms became gatekeepers instead of enablers, and why AI will only work if the industry fixes its foundations first. Richard also explains why RevPAR may be the industry's “original sin,” why guest experience should be a measurable output, and why fully autonomous hotels are the wrong goal. This is a wide-ranging, philosophical, and practical conversation about: • What Mews' $300M raise really changes • Why hotel tech copied the wrong SaaS playbook • Data standards, open APIs, and industry gatekeeping • AI agents, automation, and what should (and shouldn't) be automated • Why hospitality is more human than ever, even in an AI world Extra Links Related or Mentioned in This Episode: My first episode with Richard in 2021 My second episode with Richard in 2023 Skift Article around the $300M fund raise Connect with Airline Weekly LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/airline-weekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/Airline_Weekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/airlineweekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries.

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we're exploring a series of remarkable advancements and strategic collaborations in the industry, showcasing a dynamic period of innovation and regulatory evolution.Corcept Therapeutics has celebrated a significant win with their Phase 3 trial for relacorilant targeting ovarian cancer, revealing improved overall survival rates. This marks a potential rebound for Corcept following a previous FDA rejection for Cushing's syndrome, setting the stage for an impactful new cancer therapy. The success of this trial underscores the critical importance of positive clinical outcomes in securing regulatory approvals and preparing for market entry.Bristol Myers Squibb has embarked on an ambitious $850 million partnership with Janux Therapeutics to develop a novel tumor-activated therapeutic using T-cell engager technology. This collaboration is part of an ongoing trend towards personalized medicine and immunotherapy, where targeted treatments are preferred for their specificity and reduced systemic toxicity. Such partnerships not only combine resources but also accelerate the development of innovative cancer treatments.Corxel Pharmaceuticals has secured $287 million in Series D funding to advance its oral GLP-1 receptor agonist through Phase 2/3 trials addressing obesity. This significant investment highlights the growing interest in treatments for metabolic disorders, particularly as obesity remains a global health challenge with substantial unmet needs. Oral GLP-1 therapies offer promise given their potential for improved patient compliance compared to injectable forms.The regulatory landscape is also evolving. The FDA has issued draft guidance on utilizing minimal residual disease (MRD) and complete response metrics to support accelerated drug approvals for multiple myeloma treatments. This reflects an adaptive approach aimed at expediting access to life-saving therapies by leveraging advanced biomarkers and response measures. It also signifies a shift towards precision medicine, where treatment efficacy is closely monitored through molecular markers.Hoth Therapeutics has reported promising Phase 2 results addressing skin toxicities caused by EGFR inhibitors, common adverse effects in cancer treatment regimens. Despite this progress in supportive oncology care, Hoth's share price has remained stagnant, potentially due to market skepticism or the need for more data to substantiate clinical benefits.The industry continues to attract significant venture capital, as evidenced by companies like Mendra launching with $82 million to focus on innovative biotech solutions. These financial infusions are crucial for advancing early-stage research into clinical applications.On the legal front, Johnson & Johnson faces challenges with ongoing talc litigation. A court-appointed official has recommended allowing expert testimony on scientific evidence linking talc products to cancer. This could impact J&J's defense strategy and underscores the importance of robust scientific validation in legal contexts.Overall, these developments reflect an industry characterized by robust innovation, strategic collaborations, and evolving regulatory frameworks. The focus on targeted therapies, personalized medicine, and accelerated approval processes underscores a commitment to addressing complex health challenges while enhancing patient care outcomes.Shifting our attention to global trends, Samsung Biologics has achieved a financial milestone by becoming the first Korean biopharmaceutical company to exceed an annual profit of 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion). This accomplishment underscores the company's robust growth trajectory and strategic positioning in the global biopharma landscape, reflecting broader trends where increased demand for biologics and bioSupport the show

Founder Dilution Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders raising funding incur dilution. Their ownership stake goes down as they raise more funding. Founders start with 100% ownership. Each round of funding dilutes them by 25% or more. On average, founders own 60% after the pre-seed and seed rounds. After a Series A, they own 45%. After a Series B, they own 26%. After a Series C, they own 25% After a Series D, they own 11% There are often two to three founders in a startup, so they split this amount. Investors should consider the impact of dilution on the founder's ownership stake. If they own too little of the company, they may not find the incentive to carry it to an exit. Founders should consider funding strategies that are more capital-efficient. For example, after one round of funding, the company could grow based on revenue and profits alone. This may take longer, but it will reduce the dilution. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Adam Bry is the Co-Founder and CEO of Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology, founded in 2014 to develop AI-powered drones for consumer, enterprise, and defense applications. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in aerospace engineering, Bry was an early team member at Google X's Project Wing, contributing to delivery drone initiatives before launching Skydio. Under his leadership, Skydio achieved unicorn status in 2021 with a $1 billion valuation after a $170 million Series D round and has since grown to a multi-billion-dollar company, securing contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and international partners for autonomous systems like the Skydio X10 drone. Bry has testified before Congress on U.S. drone policy and national security, emphasizing innovation in aviation and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technologies. He advocates for American leadership in the next century of aviation, ethical AI in drones, and bridging public-private partnerships to advance critical infrastructure and defense capabilities. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://RocketMoney.com/SRS Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to https://RocketMoney.com/SRS today. https://lumen.me/SRS Head to https://lumen.me/SRS for 15% off your purchase. https://meetfabric.com/shawn https://trueclassic.com/SRS Upgrade your wardrobe and save on @trueclassic at https://trueclassic.com/SRS! #trueclassicpod https://helixsleep.com/srs Go to https://helixsleep.com/srs for 27% Off Sitewide Make sure you enter our show name into the post-purchase survey so they know we sent you! Adam Bry Links: X - https://x.com/adampbry LI - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambry Skydio - https://www.skydio.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Michael talks with Arturo Elizondo, founder and CEO of The EVERY Company, about the company's nationwide rollout inside Walmart products, its $55 million Series D fundraise, and the strategic shift toward becoming a “boring but sexy” B2B ingredient supplier powering baked goods behind the scenes. Arturo talks about the early IndieBio days, the decade-long journey from USDA intern to food-tech founder, and why he believes egg-based supply chains are destined for disruption as avian flu risks intensify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The small modular reactor startup is capitalizing on surging interest from tech companies and data center developers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a textGood morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we delve into a host of transformative events reshaping the landscape, from strategic acquisitions and funding infusions to regulatory maneuvers and scientific breakthroughs.Johnson & Johnson has taken a decisive step in its oncology strategy with the $3 billion acquisition of Halda's cell death technology. This acquisition, focusing on the "hold and kill" bifunctional small molecule platform, is poised to enhance J&J's prostate cancer pipeline significantly. It underscores J&J's commitment to expanding its oncology portfolio through innovative platforms designed to improve therapeutic outcomes. The move highlights a broader industry trend toward personalized medicine and targeted cancer therapies, which are becoming pivotal in improving patient care.In another domain of cancer treatment, Nuvalent has unveiled promising Phase 1/2 data for its candidate neladalkib, which could position the company as a formidable competitor to Pfizer's established lung cancer drug, Lorbrena. The promising data might expedite regulatory discussions with the FDA, potentially leading to an accelerated approval process. This development illustrates the competitive landscape in oncology, where firms strive to introduce novel therapies with improved efficacy and safety profiles.The field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) is also experiencing significant advancements. A San Diego-based biotech has secured $120 million in funding to develop a best-in-class ADC formula, with support from Merck & Co. This initiative aims to refine the precision and efficacy of ADCs by delivering cytotoxic agents directly to cancer cells while minimizing collateral damage to healthy tissues. Such innovations are crucial as they represent a new frontier in targeted cancer therapy.In terms of financial activities, Artios Pharma's successful $115 million Series D funding round is set to bolster its clinical efforts in exploring DNA damage response inhibitors for cancer treatment. These inhibitors target cancer cells' ability to repair DNA damage, holding potential for more effective therapies against resistant cancer types. Meanwhile, Sofinnova Partners' €650 million raise for biotech and medtech investments amid a volatile economic environment underscores continued investor confidence in life sciences despite market uncertainties.Bayer is making strategic moves in China by opening an incubator in Beijing. This facility will host local biopharma companies such as Suzhou Puhe Biopharma and Beijing Youngen Technology, fostering innovation and collaboration within China's burgeoning biotech landscape. Such initiatives reflect global efforts to leverage regional strengths and foster cross-border collaborations.On the operational side, Nxera Pharma is restructuring its workforce by laying off 15% of its staff as part of a strategic pivot towards profitability. This decision mirrors broader industry trends where companies refocus resources on core projects to streamline operations and enhance financial stability.A recent study has highlighted the impact of NIH grant cuts on clinical trials across the United States. Over 383 trials involving more than 74,000 patients have been disrupted due to funding terminations under the current administration. This situation raises concerns about the sustainability of clinical research funding and its implications for ongoing medical advancements.Jazz Pharmaceuticals has reported practice-changing Phase 3 results for its HER2-targeted drug Ziihera for gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. These findings reaffirm Jazz's confidence in positioning Ziihera as a preferred first-line treatment option for HER2-positive cancers, poSupport the show

The episode features Baseten CEO and cofounder Tuhin, who shares Baseten's journey from a small team in the pre-GenAI era to scaling rapidly and raising $150M in Series D funding. The discussion delves into building robust inference infrastructure for AI applications, navigating market shifts, and developing tools that prioritize speed, developer experience, and customer feedback loops.This episode is brought to you by WorkOS. If you're thinking about selling to enterprise customers, WorkOS can help you add enterprise features like Single Sign On and audit logs.Links:   •  Baseten   •  Tuhin's Linkedin

In this episode, Alisa Cohn interviews Isaac Evans, co-founder and CEO of Semgrep, a startup giving security tools directly to developers. Isaac shares his journey from conducting research at the U.S. Defense Department and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where he explored binary exploitation bypasses, control-flow integrity, and novel hardware defenses on architectures like RISC-V, to founding and leading a fast-growing company at the forefront of developer security. A graduate of MIT with BS and MS degrees in EECS, Isaac also brings a deep curiosity for next-generation programming languages, secure-by-design frameworks, and the intersection of cryptography and public policy.Together, Alisa and Isaac dive into the realities of startup leadership, the evolution of Semgrep's business model, the value of feedback, and the transition from founder to CEO. Isaac offers candid insights on managing a growing team, navigating change, and staying grounded through self-awareness. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping software development, concluding with advice and reflections for aspiring founders building companies in today's fast-moving world.Where to find Isaac:SemgrepXLinkedInTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Deep Conversations(01:55) Exploring Love Languages in Relationships(06:00) The Founding Insight of Semgrep(10:06) Navigating Early Startup Challenges(13:45) The Evolution of Semgrep's Business Model(17:53) Handling Community Feedback and Criticism(21:54) Crisis Management and Personal Growth(25:46) The Importance of Feedback Culture(33:20) Embracing Feedback as a Gift(35:45) Shifting Leadership Styles(38:32) The A-Plus Responsibilities of a CEO(42:34) Navigating the Founder to CEO Transition(46:46) Learning Through Experience(50:32) The Challenge of Team Dynamics(54:31) The Future of AI and Security(59:28) Imposter Syndrome and Self-Awareness(01:03) 15 Advice for Aspiring FoundersConnect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on Instagram: @alisacohn Twitter: @alisacohn Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/ Website: http://www.alisacohn.com Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon

Most people tracking their health today end up with scattered clues. Their smartwatch shows sleep duration. A fitness app logs steps. A nutrition app counts calories. Yet few tools help people understand how all of this fits together. Bevel, a New York–based startup, believes that's the missing piece in the shift toward proactive health. Also, IntrCity SmartBus, a tech-enabled intercity bus platform in India, has raised $30 million in funding to expand its network across smaller cities and towns in the South Asian nation. The all-equity Series D round, led by A91 Partners, values the Noida-based startup at $140 million post-money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stoke Space has raised $510 million in Series D funding. Muon Space has been awarded $44.6 million by the US Space Force for environmental monitoring. Momentus has been selected for two NASA demonstration flights, 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 Mark Wheatley, the founder of Delano Wheatley Consulting. You can read the report 'Resilience: Mobilising the UK Financial Services to Advance the United Kingdom's National Interests', report here. Selected Reading Stoke Raises $510 Million to Scale Manufacturing of Fully reusable Nova Launch vehicle Muon Space Awarded $44.6M Space Force SBIR Phase III Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Agreement to Demonstrate Dual-Use Environmental Monitoring Constellation Momentus Awarded Contract from NASA to Test Groundbreaking Thruster In Space Momentus Awarded $5.1M Contract From NASA for Mission to Support Production of Advanced Materials in Space Blue Origin Completes 36th New Shepard Flight to Space Japan program certifies space food specialists- Honolulu Star-Advertiser SpaceNukes Partners with Space Ocean for Deep Space Science NASA's Space Launch System rocket lifts off on McDonald's Monopoly bags- collectSPACE Share your feedback. What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show.  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

Story of the Week (DR):War against women continues: Uber Not Responsible for Sex Assault, Jury Finds, as More Cases FollowEthan P. Schulman, the judge presiding over the California state court cases, told jurors that Uber would be responsible for the woman's harm if the company was negligent in using adequate safety measures and the negligence was a “substantial factor” in causing the harm.In its decision, the jury unanimously agreed that Uber had been negligent in its general safety practices when the incident occurred in 2016 — but that the negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the attack. The jury's foreman: “We felt that they could have done more back in the early days of Uber, rather than just focusing on growth,”Meet Lisa Monaco, the 57-year-old Microsoft executive Trump wants fired“Corrupt and Totally Trump Deranged Lisa Monaco (A purported pawn of Legal Lightweight Andrew Weissmann), was a senior National Security aide under Barack Hussein Obama. Monaco has been shockingly hired as the President of Global Affairs for Microsoft, in a very senior role with access to Highly Sensitive Information. Monaco's having that kind of access is unacceptable, and cannot be allowed to stand.”Monaco helped coordinate the Justice Department's response to the Jan. 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters in 2021. In January 2022, Monaco publicly announced that the Justice Department was investigating the Trump fake electors plotMilitary women fear losing 'every bit of ground' as Hegseth looks backward to the 1990sDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he wants to review Defense Department standards that have changed since the 1990s, a time when military women saw far less support for their service and met drastically lower physical standards than today: "The 1990s test is simple. What were the military standards in 1990? And if they have changed, tell me why. Was it necessary change based on the evolving landscape of combat? Or was the change due to a softening, weakening, or gender-based pursuit of other priorities? 1990s seems to be as good a place to start as any."PGA of America CEO apologizes for Ryder Cup missteps, but group's president denies problemThe Misogynistic Abuse Towards Rory McIlroy's Wife at the Ryder Cup Is Deeper Than Golf. It shows a cultural shift, one in which men feel emboldened to attack women in public without shame or consequence. The abuse and taunts were so unrelenting that Stoll was spotted with “tears streaming down her face”PGA of America President Don Rea took a different approach on Sunday in a BBC interview where he downplayed the severity of the crowd's behavior: “Well, you have 50,000 people there that are really excited, and heck, you can go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things,” Rea said. When asked about the abuse directed at McIlroy, he responded, “I haven't heard some of that. I'm sure it's happened … Rory understands things like that are going to happen.”Fake billionaire manbaby “retirements” continue DRSpotify CEO Daniel Ek to Step Down. The Stock Is Falling.Spotify founder steps down amid controversy over defence linksIt comes after Mr Ek has faced fierce scrutiny for investing around €700m (£612m) in defence company Helsing through his venture capital fund. Munich-based Helsing sells AI software for military use and has expanded into weapons manufacturing following an investment by the founder of Spotify.Spotify has said that it is “totally separate” from HelsingSpotify founder Ek Daniel to step down as CEO; says: I will be more involved than a typical US chairmanGustav Söderström and Alex Norström under founder/former CEO/Executive Chair Daniel Ek (43%) (Ted Sarandos on this board)Spotify founder Daniel Ek once said he was the ‘least powerful person' at the company. Here's how he built it into a $145 billion music empireThe rise of the bro co-CEO: Lila MacLellanCEOs and Trump love affair continuesTrump, Pfizer agree to lower U.S. drug prices, exempt company from pharma tariffsTrump announces 'TrumpRx' drug-buying website alongside Pfizer CEOPartnering with Pfizer, beginning in 2026 the federal government will have a website, TrumpRx.gov, through which Pfizer's prescription drugs can be sold directly to consumers at discounts, without the intermediaries of pharmacy benefit managers such as CVS Health's Caremark and UnitedHealthcare-owned OptumRx46% against Say on Pay in 2025Proxy adviser ISS recommended against the compensation proposalCEO/Chair Albert BourlaOther board members include: former Vanguard CEO/Chair Mortimer J. Buckley, OpenAI (2024-) board member and former Meta (2013-2019) board member Susan Desmond-Hellmann; former Deloitte CEO Joseph J. Echevarria; Adobe CEO/Chair Shantanu Narayen; former Goldman Sachs Vice Chair Suzanne Nora Johnson; Coca-Cola CEO/Chair James Quincey; former State Street Global Advisor CEO Cyrus Taraporevala; Compensation Committee chair (James Smith, former Thomson Reuters CEO) received 93% supportOnly 23% women; 5 top NEOs all menTrump Adviser Admits Larry Ellison Is “Shadow President of the United States” Larry Ellison once predicted ‘citizens will be on their best behavior' amid constant recording. Now his company will pay a key role in social mediaElon Musk fighting for attention:Elon Musk speaks out on controversial $1 trillion Tesla pay package: 'It's not about compensation'"It's not about 'compensation,' but about me having enough influence over Tesla to ensure safety if we build millions of robots.”Elon Musk makes history as first person ever to hit $500B net worth milestoneNew Evidence Links Elon Musk to Epstein's IslandElon Musk Calls Wikipedia “Too Woke,” Announces His Own GrokipediaElon Musk implores people "Cancel Netflix" over a canceled TV show because of wokeMore Dummies from DealBook:Talking A.I. With CEO William Stone of SS&C, a major investment fund administrator and transfer agency, acquired the automation software company Blue Prism for around $1.6 billion in 2022:How do you personally use A.I.? “I'm interested in horse racing, and I own horses. I use A.I. to track how they're doing. There are all kinds of statistics, like how far can they travel before their performance starts to deteriorate: If they're in Kentucky, can they go to California? Can they go to New York?”Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Gavin Newson [sic] Signs Law Cracking Down on AI IndustryCalifornia governor Gavin Newsom signed what proponents say is the first AI safety and transparency law in the US. The Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, also known as SB 53, requires AI companies with over $500 million in revenue to publicly disclose their safety and security protocols in fairly granular detailMM: F.D.A. Approves a New Generic Abortion Pill DR MMMM: Activist Investor Wants Target's Brian Cornell Completely OutMM: One line from this story about Tesla's advising sleepy drivers to stay away by enabling Full Self Driving: Tesla's cars can't actually drive themselves without close human supervision. Nonetheless, the automaker labels its most advanced driving mode “Full Self-Driving” (FSD), while its CEO and chief overpromiser Elon Musk explicitly says that they do, in fact, “drive themselves” seemingly every other week.Assholiest of the Week Biggest Loser (MM):US WomenThe rise of the bro-co-CEOMilitary women fear losing 'every bit of ground' as Hegseth looks backward to the 1990sUber Not Responsible for Sex Assault, Jury Finds, as More Cases FollowKKR Appoints Former Eaton CEO Craig Arnold to Board of Directors, Increasing Independent Seats to ElevenContinues a trend - from 29% to 26% female by adding another dude through board expansionMeanwhile…Share of female execs at major Japan firms rises to 18.4%Spineless companiesDisney's image tanks among Republicans, Democrats after Jimmy Kimmel controversyCracker Barrel Drops Firm Behind Ill-Fated Logo ChangeInvestorsU.S. States are shedding shareholder protections. That's an advantage for CanadaPreparing the board for 2026: More than half of directors want a peer replaced, survey findsFedEx shareholders elect Richard Smith, son of founder Fred Smith, to board of directorsEveryone elseGodfather of AI Says We're Barreling Straight Toward Human ExtinctionOpenAI says it's worried about ‘doomscrolling, addiction, isolation, and … sloptimized feeds' as it rolls out Sora social media appMeta won't allow users to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chatsElon Musk Calls Wikipedia “Too Woke,” Announces His Own GrokipediaLarry Ellison once predicted ‘citizens will be on their best behavior' amid constant recording. Now his company will pay a key role in social mediaThe wealth of the top 1% reaches a record $52 trillionThe climateNew BP Chair Urges Faster Pivot to Oil and GasDuke Energy backs off renewables after North Carolina cuts climate goalTrump administration cancels nearly $8 billion in climate funding to blue states: VoughtMAGA comes for the ‘woke pope' after pontiff blesses block of ice in climate change gestureOpenAI's New Data Centers Will Draw More Power Than the Entirety of New York City, Sam Altman SaysHeadliniest of the WeekDR: New Poll: 94% of Gen Z Youth Report Experiencing Regular Mental Health ChallengesMM: Police Pull Over Waymo to Check for Drunk DrivingWho Won the Week?DR: Daniel Ek: the dude who got rich by devaluing artists, then used his billionaire ego to create a vanity money-spending company with the pretentious name Prima Materia (“formless primeval substance regarded as the original material of the universe”).Prima Materia says it wants to “partner with exceptional people to build companies that leverage technology to help solve meaningful problems for society.”He set it up with Shakil Khan — a fellow Spotify investor and close personal friend with a criminal past, who was accused of hiding his real role at Spotify during its IPO.Khan doesn't appear in any of Spotify's filing documents, even though he's been publicly described as: 1) “head of special projects,” 2) “advisor to Daniel Ek,” 3) “personal advisor to the Spotify CEO,” 4) “investor in Spotify,” 5) “founder,” 6) “consigliere,” 7) “second-in-command,” and 8) “prominent public role” — apparently to avoid scaring investors.Khan cites Mark Zuckerberg as the American leader he admires most.Now their company invests (and Ek chairs) in literal weapon building (Helsing/military strike drones, etc.) and nonsense like Neko Health, the so-called “Apple of healthcare” that charges £300 for preventative screenings like mole checks — giving Daniel Ek more time to feel super important and potentially destroy the world while getting richer?MM: Ron Sugar, who TWICE has had his age limit restriction waived on the Apple board, will turn out a-okay: Dr. Ronald Sugar and Gilman Louie join Ursa Major's Board of DirectorsPredictionsDR: Daniel Ek's Prima Materia leads €600 million Series D strategic financing round for Moodify, an AI-supported app that will “end depression” by pushing algorithmically-optimized dopamine ads 24/7, think TikTok for sadnessMM: LAY UP: After reading this - Apollo Global Management director Pauline Richards resigns from board - the board is now 4 women and 10 men (Marc Rowan owns 63% of board influence, so no one really matters). I predict Pauline Richards will be replaced by a male director, going from 33% female to 27% female in one fell swoop. Side note: Apollo's fun joke was to have a “sustainability committee” on the board they take so seriously, it's the committee with 3 women and and anti-woke anti-ESG ex-Senator Patrick Toomey

TALENT POOLING: LESSONS FROM TA COMMUNITY BUILDERS   We all know that it easier to get engagement from people who already know you or your brand. Have a think about how you respond to known contacts in WhatsApp vs unknown callers on your phone! As we move toward a world where AI generated communication will come to dominate, we can anticipate that the establishment of trust relationships with your target audience is going to be key in effective hiring.   Lets deep dive:   - What is talent pooling, how is this different from 'collecting CV's - What needs to be done in order to 'acquire' someone into a talent pool? - How do you convert a database into a community? - What are the policies of exclusion in this community? - How do we balance this with an inclusive ethos? - How to police bad behaviour? - How formal should be safe spaces? - What is the best tech platform to use to organise communities? - If we are planning to hire from this community, do we remove people who then get a job? - What professions are most suited for community building? - What circumstances make most sense when putting together a talent pooling plan? - Do we need a specialist function to do this? - What can AI do to help build community - or is this antithetical to how things are done?   All this and more, with Willem Wijnans, Community Lead (Ashby), Marie Chaponiere, Founder (Behind the Mask), Vanessa Raath, Founder (Talent Hunter) & Mahmoud Aly, Community Lead (Egypt Recruiting Community) & Lars Schmidt, Head of Talent (Fruitist)   We are on Friday 26th Sep, 2pm BST - follow the channel here (recommended) and save your spot for this demo by clicking on the green button.     Ep333 is sponsored by our friends Ashby   Ashby just raised $50M in Series D funding, and they're going all in on what modern recruiting teams actually need.   So, what's next?   AI is moving from novelty to necessity. Most tools talk about AI, Ashby makes it work. Their all-in-one platform gives AI real structure so recruiters get time back with AI note-taking, feedback summaries, and personalized outreach emails. In fact, 57% of Ashby's customer base is now using AI within the platform, up from 23% at the start of 2024.   Quality of Hire is finally getting real. More teams are rolling out Quality of Hire programs with Ashby than ever before. What used to be a slide in a quarterly review is now a real strategy, with surveys and reporting built in. It's clearer, faster, and easier to connect to business outcomes.   Community is the new operating system. Ashby already made a big splash with Ashby One, their first customer conference that brought hundreds of talent leaders and RecOps professionals together for a week of sessions, panels, dinners, and live events. With this new funding, they're doubling down on the community by expanding ACE (Ashby Customer Expert) chapters, scaling education programs, and giving local leaders more ways to connect, share learnings, and build lasting networks.   … and the word is out. Enterprise teams like Shopify and Snowflake are already in. With 123% growth and fresh funding to fuel what's next, Ashby is just getting started.   Bottom line: Ashby is not just building software. They are building the infrastructure for modern recruiting.   See the full announcement.   Not on Ashby yet? Get a demo today.

The total addressable market. TAM.We sometimes think the bigger the better, right? Hey, it means I can go to potential investors with a more impressive number.But too large a total addressable market can hinder success. As this episode's guest says, “serving everyone serves no one.”To hear the story behind that lesson, and many more lesson-filled stories, I talked to Itai Sadan, CEO & co-founder, Duda [https://www.duda.co/]. Duda has raised $100 million, including most recently $50 million in Series D growth funding. Sadan manages a team of 180 people at Duda.Lessons from the things he madeNo one needs to give you a mandate (even in a big company), just find your customer's problem and solve it for themCrank through itEvolve your product over time to land on the right ideaSpeed in decision making is very importantIf you are feeling the pressure, it means that you are not applying enough pressureSolve the right problems for the right customers…serving everyone serves no oneTurn your knowledge assets into a new revenue streamMarketingSherpa has teamed up with parent company MeclabsAI to produce a research study. We are granting 10 AI engineering vouchers worth $7,500 each to eligible companies. Apply for your $7,500 AI Engineering Voucher [https://meclabs.com/research/ai-engineering-voucher].Discussed in this episodeOpen-Source Start-up Marketing Strategy: Sometimes you need to poke the snake (podcast episode #147) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/open-source]Time To Value: 3 speed-to-value marketing case studies featuring A/B testing, value focusing, and niche ad targeting [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/time-to-value]Entrepreneurial Resilience: Many of the day-to-day annoyances that inspired him to sell, he actually missed after he sold (podcast episode #78) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/entrepreneurial]B2B SaaS Marketing: No progress after Series A without product marketing (podcast episode #148) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/B2B-SaaS]Get more episodesSubscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you'd like to get more episodes like this one.For more insights, check out...This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

What Brian Sheng is doing with Aquaria isn't a pipe dream, it's reality. He's pioneering air-to-water infrastructure, creating a world where homes can get all of their water off the grid.Brian Sheng recently raised over $100 million in Series D for his company, and you can already buy his air-to-drinkable-water products today.It's one of those crazy, science-fiction sounding things that is actually true, and it's something we need so badly. This is one of the coolest companies and founder stories I've come across so far!➡️ ⁠Brian Sheng ⁠➡️ Aquaria

Spacecraft manufacturer Apex has closed a $200 million Series D funding round. European aerospace groups Leonardo, Thales, and Airbus are reportedly looking to sign an initial agreement to combine their satellite businesses as early as this year. SES and Cailabs are partnering to test laser communication technology, 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 Patrick O'Neill, Public Affairs and Outreach Lead at the International Space Station US National Laboratory. You can connect with Patrick on LinkedIn, and learn more about the ISS National Lab on their website. Torsten Kriening from SpaceWatch.Global brings us the latest from World Space Business Week in Paris. Selected Reading Apex Raises $200 Million Series D Financing Airbus, Thales, Leonardo could sign first deal this year on satellite tie-up, Airbus executive says- Reuters SES Partners with Cailabs to Test Next-Generation Laser Communication Technology Infinite Orbits Signs Multi-Launch Agreement to GEO with Impulse Space NASA Science, Cargo Launches Aboard Northrop Grumman CRS-23 Globalstar to Enter Next Era of Mobile Satellite Connectivity with Expanded Operational Frequencies York Space Systems Establishes First Contact and Confirms Health of All 21 Satellites Launched for SDA's Tranche 1 Transport Layer Mission Share your feedback. What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show.  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

When Holly Grey first examined Horizon3.ai, she saw more than a cybersecurity startup. She saw a technology that could change the way companies safeguard themselves. Traditional pen tests, she tells us, are human-driven, vary widely by auditor, and usually happen just once a year. Horizon3.ai, by contrast, “started out as a technology alternative to pen testing.” Its platform can be deployed “within minutes, not hours or weeks or months,” Grey tells us, and has already executed “over 100,000 pen tests.”The system identifies exposures, connects them to known threat actors, and—most critically—prioritizes which vulnerabilities to fix. It integrates directly with tools like Jira, creates tickets, and confirms results after remediation. “Even as a CFO, I want to know we're not exposed,” Grey explains. That value proposition has already attracted more than 4,000 customers, she tells us.Her decision to join Horizon3.ai was equally deliberate. Grey noticed two respected colleagues had recently come aboard, including the CRO. That relationship, she says, is vital: “I need to know that I can trust that CRO implicitly.” After doing her own diligence, Grey was convinced of the company's momentum: “It's hard to grow over 100% year over year, and do that multiple years, without having product market fit.”The timing was fortuitous. Just as the company raised $100 million in Series D funding, its VP of Finance resigned. Horizon3.ai was ready to appoint its first CFO. “Here I am,” Grey tells us, “and I could not be happier in terms of joining.”

It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: kids' A1C and tech access correlation, first generic GLP-1 for weight loss approved, Metformin cuts long covid risk, Tandem Diabetes & Eversense updates, and more! Find out more about Moms' Night Out  Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom   Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Episode transcription with links:   Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. XX Accessibility to modern diabetes technology directly correlates with A1c among children with type 1 diabetes globally. Big, cross-sectional study, conducted in 81 pediatric diabetes centers in 56 countries, found that a greater extent of reimbursement for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), insulin pumps, glucose meters, and insulin was associated with lower A1c levels. Partha S. Kar, MD, Type 1 Diabetes & Technology lead of the National Health Service England, told Medscape Medical News, “As is now being shown in countries such as UK with widespread uptake of technology, there is now population-wide shift in A1c not seen before.”   He added, “If policymakers are serious about bringing A1c at a population level to sub-7.5% - 8% levels, then without technology it would be incredibly difficult to achieve, in my experience and opinion. Leaving the median A1c of a population at above 7.5%-8% goes with complications so that's a decision regarding investment many will have to make in the near future.”   In an accompanying editorial, Elizabeth R. Seaquist, MD, professor of diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism and co-director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, called it “striking” that access to technology in and of itself was associated with improved glycemic control, given that multidisciplinary team care is also needed to provide education and behavioral or psychological support.     https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/diabetes-tech-access-linked-a1c-kids-t1d-globally-2025a1000nn6 XX A man with type 1 in Illinois has received the first FDA-approved islet-cell replacement treatment, Lantidra, and  he is now producing his own insulin. The treatment works by restoring the body's beta cells, potentially eliminating the need for insulin injections.   The FDA approved Lantidra (donislecel) in 2023. Lantidra uses donor cells and requires lifelong immunosuppressive drugs.     Lantidra is only available at University of Illinois Chicago Health. Other universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, continue to do islet cell transplants as part of clinical trials. Early data has shown that a majority of participants in the Lantidra clinical study were able to achieve some level of insulin independence, but it's unclear whether the benefits of donislecel outweigh the treatment's safety risks. Nearly 87 percent of participants reported infection-related adverse events, and post-operation complications included liver lacerations, bruising of the liver (hepatic hematoma), and anemia. One patient died of multi-organ failure from sepsis, which Lantidra maker CellTrans stated was “probably related” to the use of either immunosuppression or study drugs.   In addition, some industry leaders have raised the question of whether it's ethical to commercialize the use of deceased donor islet cells. https://diatribe.org/diabetes-research/first-fda-approved-islet-cell-transplant-performed?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=social&utm_source=later   XX Patients in the U.S. now have access to the first generic GLP-1 treatment approved for weight loss as Teva has launched its copycat of Novo Nordisk's injected Saxenda (liraglutide).   The compound, which is a GLP-1 forerunner of Novo's semaglutide products Ozempic and Wegovy, has been approved by the FDA to treat adults with obesity and those who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems.     Saxenda also is endorsed for pediatric patients ages 12 through 17 who are obese and weigh at least 60 kg (132 pounds). The treatment is for both triggering and maintaining weight loss. Saxenda is not the first GLP-1 drug that is available as a generic. In June of last year, Teva also was the first company to launch a knockoff version of Novo's Victoza, which is the same compound as Saxenda but has been approved only for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Sales of the branded versions of both Victoza and Saxenda have declined significantly in recent years as demand for Novo's semaglutide and Eli Lilly's tirzepatide products have skyrocketed. In addition, marketers of compounded products have been aggressively competing for market share in the GLP-1 space. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/saxenda-knockoff-teva-launches-first-generic-glp-1-obesity   XX Metformin could cut the risk of Long COVID by 64% in overweight or obese adults who started the drug within 90 days of infection. The large observational study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, analysed health records of over 624,000 UK adults with COVID-19 between March 2020 and July 2023. Among these, nearly 3,000 patients who began metformin treatment soon after diagnosis were tracked for a year. Compared to non-users, their likelihood of developing Long COVID, defined as persistent symptoms 90 days or more after infection, was dramatically lower. https://www.ndtv.com/health/metformin-cuts-risk-of-long-covid-by-64-why-the-diabetes-pill-is-not-for-everyone-9242332 XX Forty-four percent of people age 15 and older living with diabetes are undiagnosed, so they don't know they have it, according to data analysis published Monday in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The study looked at data from 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023 in a systematic review of published literature and surveys. “The majority of people with diabetes that we report on in the study have type 2 diabetes,” said Lauryn Stafford , the lead author of the study.   “We found that 56% of people with diabetes are aware that they have the condition,” said Stafford, a researcher for the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. “Globally, there's a lot of variation geographically, and also by age. So, generally, higher-income countries were doing better at diagnosing people than low- and middle-income countries.” People under 35 years were much less likely to be diagnosed if they had diabetes than people in middle age or older. Just “20% of young adults with diabetes were aware of their condition,” Stafford said. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/08/health/diabetes-undiagnosed-half-of-americans-wellness XX A team of Hong Kong scientists is developing an injectable treatment that could potentially improve blood flow in diabetes patients' feet, in the hopes that it will reduce the need for amputation by rebuilding tissue in the arteries.   They also hope to apply the treatment to peripheral artery disease or PAD, a condition caused by the build-up of fatty deposits in arteries that affect blood circulation in the feet. “Traditional treatments for people suffering from poor blood flow in their legs are stent implantation or bypass surgery, which is invasive,” said Wong, who is also the co-founder of a biotechnology company called NutrigeneAI. He said it was his dream to turn research in the academic field into actual clinical treatments. But he added that the team still needed three to four years for further research on the treatment.   https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3324671/hong-kong-scientists-developing-new-blood-flow-treatment-aid-diabetes-patients XX   Tandem Diabetes announces Health Canada authorization for distribution of the Tandem t:slim mobile application for Android and iPhone users. The Tandem t:slim mobile app allows users to deliver a bolus from their compatible smartphone, and to wirelessly upload their pump data to the cloud-based Tandem Source platform.1 The app is expected to be available later this year.   The Tandem t:slim mobile app will be available for compatible smartphones in the Apple App Store and Google Play store later in 2025. Once available, Tandem will email eligible customers with instructions on how to download and use the app.  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250904665715/en/Tandem-tslim-Mobile-App-Now-Authorized-by-Health-Canada-for-iPhone-and-Android-Phones   XX Some changes to how the Eversense CGM will be rolled out.. right now it's being distributed by Ascensia Diabetes Care.  Senseonics will take back commercial control of the year long implantable CGM on January 1 in the US and expanding worldwide throughout 2026. The change was a mutual decision, according to the two companies, which said they have signed a memorandum of understanding before a definitive agreement is hammered out by the end of the year. To get started, Senseonics is also set to acquire members of Ascensia's commercial staff—including its CGM president, Brian Hansen, who is slated to become Senseonics' new chief commercial officer. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/senseonics-retake-eversense-cgm-commercial-control-ascensia-diabetes-care XX Utrecht-based medical device company ViCentra has closed an $85 million Series D round of funding led by Innovation Industries, along with existing investors Partners in Equity and Invest-NL. The round also drew support from EQT Life Sciences and Health Innovations.   The recent capital injection will be used to expand ViCentra's manufacturing capabilities, support regulatory approvals, and strengthen commercial rollout across Europe.   The funds will also be used to launch the next-generation Kaleido 2 patch pump in Europe and prepare for entry into the U.S. market.   The global insulin delivery market is growing quickly due to the increasing number of diabetes cases and demand for effective and user-friendly solutions. The market for insulin pumps is projected to exceed $14 billion by 2034. Patch pumps are the fastest-growing segment, signalling a trend toward compact and wearable devices. And here's where ViCentra is positioned to meet this need, offering a user-friendly, sleek design-led alternative to traditional systems.   Kaleido: design-led insulin delivery Kaleido is the smallest and lightest insulin patch pump developed as a lifestyle product with a particular focus on usability and personalisation.   Designed to feel more like personal technology than a traditional medical device, Kaleido features premium materials, and users can select their own favourite aluminium shells from a range of ten preset colour options.   It integrates with Diabeloop's hybrid closed-loop algorithms (DBLG1 and DBLG2) and is compatible with Dexcom CGM sensors, positioning it within the next generation of automated insulin delivery systems.   “Kaleido is a true disruptor — small, discreet, featherlight, and beautifully designed. It empowers people with diabetes by offering a more personal and distinctive choice in both function and style. Built with empathy and precision, it honours those who live with diabetes every day. With this funding, we can now meet surging European demand and fast-track our entry into the U.S. market. This is a pivotal moment — for ViCentra, and for the community we serve,” said Tom Arnold, Chief Executive Officer at ViCentra.   Improving the quality of life for diabetic patients ViCentra, led by Tom Arnold, is on a mission to improve the lives of those with diabetes.   The company reported that demand for Kaleido in Germany, France, and the Netherlands has already exceeded initial expectations.   ViCentra will present updates on Kaleido at the 61st Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), taking place September 15–19, 2025, in Vienna.   The company plans to engage with clinicians, investors, and strategic partners to further its role in the evolving diabetes care landscape.   “ViCentra is redefining insulin pump therapy with a platform that truly centres the user experience – combining clinical performance with design simplicity and wearability,” commented Caaj Greebe, Partner at Innovation Industries. “At Innovation Industries, we invest in pioneering companies that blend world-class technology with clear commercial potential. ViCentra exemplifies this by delivering a next-generation system addressing the urgent need for better treatment options in diabetes care. We're proud to lead this investment round and partner with Tom and the team as they deepen and expand their presence in Europe and prepare for U.S. entry.”   https://techfundingnews.com/dutch-vicentra-secures-85m-to-bring-insulin-patch-pump-to-more-markets/ XX Luna Diabetes announces they've raised more than 23-million dollars in early venture capital to help continue clinical trials and build out its capacity. This is the company that wants to offer a night time only, tiny, temporary insulin pump – to supplement insulin pen use. According to the company, more than 80% of the improvements in blood sugar from automated insulin delivery systems occur while the user is sleeping. Luna launched a pivotal trial late last year. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/nighttime-insulin-patch-pump-maker-luna-diabetes-raises-236m   XX Following 15 days and 150 fingerpricks, they're here. The results of the “9 sensor samba“. And what a set of a results…   Well maybe that's overplaying it a little.   Let's just say that the outcome of this n=1 experiment wasn't quite what I expected. One of the established players came out much worse than expected, while a newcomer did a lot better.   Let's dig in, and take a look at the variation. https://www.diabettech.com/cgm/the-nine-sensor-samba-results-revealed/   XX Hard work and perseverance define ranch life, but one man in eastern Montana takes it to another level. At 90, he's still living independently on the ranch he built from the ground up. Even more remarkable? He's a type 1 diabetic.   Bob Delp still begins each day just like he did decades ago, waking up on his ranch near Richey, Montana.   “I always thought if I could ever get a ranch and run a hundred cows, that's what I wanted to do from the time I was a kid,” said Delp.   He made that dream real, the hard way; after coming home from the army, he taught school, hayed for seven cents a bale and saved every cent he could.     “I worked at it real hard because I always felt like it was going to be part of getting me to that ranch that I always wanted,” said Delp.   He did it all while managing type 1 diabetes, a diagnosis that came with few answers and little hope back in the 1950s.   “The doctors tell me being a type 1 diabetic for 66 years isn't supposed to happen. Back then, it was a real challenge,” added Delp.   Statistically, it's almost unheard of. Fewer than 90 people in the world have lived more than 70 years with type 1 diabetes.     Bob credits his late wife, Donna, for helping him beat the odds.   “She has been key in that I always ate on time.”   They've faced their share of storms, both in health and out on the land. Not long after moving to Richey, a heavy snowstorm nearly tore everything apart just after they'd stepped out for dinner.   “If Donna hadn't said it was time to eat, we wouldn't have made it out of there. I guess that's one time that made me happy to have diabetes. And I think that saved us,” said Delp.     Now, he still checks his blood sugar daily but trusts his hands more than high-tech insulin pumps.   “I'm not satisfied with the sensors they have today. I just don't think they're accurate.”   To many, Bob's survival is extraordinary. To him, it's luck.   “The genes are there already, I can't change that so I guess I would have to say just lots of good luck,” said Delp.     And through it all, optimism has been his compass.   “You might fumble the ball, but if you're determined to be a winner, you'll recover that fumble someday,” said Delp.   He still welds nearly every day. Not because he has to, but because it keeps him going.   “As long as I keep doing something like this, I will not be in the nursing home,” said Delp.   https://www.kfyrtv.com/2025/08/09/against-all-odds-montana-man-thrives-with-type-1-diabetes-90/ XX Today, Dexcom is building on this belief and breaking new ground with the launch of its first open call across the U.S. and Canada in search of the next diabetes advocates—giving people with all types of diabetes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to raise awareness and share their voice on a global scale in the company's World Diabetes Day campaign (Nov. 14) and beyond.  Who is eligible?: Anyone age 2+ living with all types of diabetes or prediabetes can be nominated by themselves or by someone who knows them. Selected candidates will embody strength, advocacy and pride in living with diabetes or prediabetes. Where and how can I nominate myself or someone I know?: Visit Dexcom.com/WorldDiabetesDay When is the deadline to submit a nomination?: Nominations are open from September 10 through September 19 at 12pm PT. What will the selected candidates experience?:   An invite to participate in a World Diabetes Day photoshoot in Los Angeles to have their unique story featured in Dexcom's World Diabetes Day campaign The ongoing opportunity to attend events, connect with community, and raise diabetes awareness around the world XX The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2025 Annual Meeting will feature major clinical trial results in type 2 diabetes (T2D), type 1 diabetes (T1D), obesity, several new clinical practice guidelines, and much more. The 61st annual EASD meeting will take place on September 15-19, 2025, in Vienna, Austria.   

Send us a text00:00 - Intro00:52 - ByteDance Buyback at $330B, More Revenue vs Meta02:17 - Klarna IPO Back On03:28 - Framer $2B Valuation Series D04:21 - Rain Raises $58M for Stablecoin Payments Platform05:34 - Commonwealth $863M for Fusion Prototype06:38 - SpaceX 10th Starship Test a Huge Win07:42 - Anthropic Launches Chrome AI Agent08:47 - xAI Launches AI Coding Assistant

Mariano founded Onapsis back in 2009 to address the challenges securing a growing new class of technology: ERP systems. After working at CYBSEC for 5 years doing offensive security research, he discovered just how vulnerable SAP applications could be. Onapsis is sneakily a juggernaut, having raised a $55 million Series D in 2020. And while they started focused on SAP, they have since expanded into related tools such as Oracle. They have certainly established themselves as core to securing an often overlooked component of IT infrastructure. In the conversation we discuss the founding story, why SAP couldn't do this themselves, and how he has thought about growth opportunities over the last 16 years.Website

In Episode #118 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Qin En Looi, Partner at Saison Capital. Backed by Credit Saison (Tokyo-listed, ~US$30B AUM), Saison has 100+ direct investments and 15+ fund investments across Asia and LATAM.We unpack why operator experience produces better investor how Qin En's time scaling Glints shaped his emphasis on distribution, sales, and practical due diligence. The conversation dives deep into embedded finance. Saison's playbook for pairing venture equity with tailored debt to de-risk lending-backed businesses, and the market signals that matter for India, Southeast Asia, Brazil and LATAM from eKYC and payment rails to regulatory openness. We close with a pragmatic look at web3 and digital assets: institutional tailwinds, realistic timelines, and how blockchain could become the new rails for moving money at internet speed.About Saison Capital: Saison Capital is an early-stage venture fund (pre-seed to Series B) focused on emerging markets, backing founders across fintech, commerce and web3. Backed by Credit Saison (Tokyo-listed, ~US$30B AUM), the team combines operating experience with flexible capital solutions—100+ direct investments and active fund-of-funds activity across Asia and LATAM—to help startups scale faster and more sustainably.About Qin En Looi: Qin En leads Saison's early-stage direct investments across fintech, commerce and web3, and he jumpstarted Credit Saison's digital-asset strategy. He co-founded ONCHAIN (Asia's first real-world-asset conference) and sits on the boards of Southeast Asian fintechs including Helicap and SkorLife. Prior to VC, Qin En was Co-Founder and COO of Glints, Southeast Asia's largest talent ecosystem (Series D), and has been recognised on Forbes 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneurs 27 Under 27.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/looiqinenWebsite: saisoncapital.com

Peter Walker from Carta drops the hard data every founder needs. Based on actual cap table data from 1000s of startups, this Q2 update reveals the brutal new reality.It takes 2+ years to go from seed to A (up from 1.6), you need 3X the revenue you used to, and if you're not AI, you're getting half the attention. But there's good news too—teams are finally getting leaner, exits are picking back up, and the worst of the funding winter might be behind us. If you're raising in 2025, this is your reality check.Why You Should Listen:$3M ARR is the new Series A bar—& it takes 1 in 4 founders 3.5+ years to get thereHalf as many seed deals are getting done but at 20% higher valuations—you're either in the AI club or you're outFounders own just 56% after their first priced round and only 10% by Series D—every round costs more than you thinkKeywords:Carta data, Series A requirements, startup fundraising 2025, seed to Series A timeline, ARR benchmarks, AI startup valuations, bridge rounds, founder dilution, startup team size, venture capital trendsSend me a message to let me know what you think!

In this episode, we speak with Snehal Antani, Co-Founder and CEO of Horizon3.ai, a cybersecurity company that delivers autonomous penetration testing through its flagship platform, NodeZero. Designed to run real attacks in live environments, the platform helps organizations proactively find, fix, and verify exploitable vulnerabilities before malicious actors can strike. The company recently raised $100 million in Series D funding, led by NEA with participation from SignalFire, Craft Ventures, and 9Yards Capital. The funding will support global expansion, enhance product innovation across autonomous security operations, and scale the company's presence in critical infrastructure and federal markets. Snehal supports Spookstock. To learn more about this organization click here. I am your host RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode click to follow.

When I last spoke with Tony Jamous in November 2020, we were navigating the early days of a remote-first world. The shift was sudden and widespread, but what followed was even more transformative. In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I reconnect with Tony to explore how the world of work has changed and how Oyster has grown from an ambitious startup into a B Corp-certified unicorn focused on enabling global employment at scale. Tony is the CEO and founder of Oyster, a company built on the belief that where you live should never limit where you work. We discussed the journey from pandemic-driven remote work to today's distributed models, the growing need for location-independent hiring, and how AI is now being embedded into every layer of global workforce management. Oyster is helping businesses hire across 180 countries with just a few clicks, solving compliance, payroll, and benefits challenges without the traditional roadblocks. During our conversation, Tony broke down what it means to build a mission-driven company and why measuring impact matters. More than 40 percent of employees hired through Oyster now come from emerging markets. That shift is not just a statistic. It reflects real people gaining access to economic opportunities they were previously excluded from. Stories like Christina in the Philippines, who now works from home and spends more time with her children, highlight the human impact of Oyster's platform. We also talked about Oyster's recent Series D funding round and how the company is shifting from high-growth to sustainable profitability. AI is a big part of that evolution. From internal operations to customer support, automation is being used to reduce friction and let people focus on work that matters. For Tony, leadership now means focusing on vision and values while letting AI handle repetitive tasks. What does the future look like when the world becomes one talent pool? This episode offers a grounded, forward-looking take on what happens when mission, technology, and global opportunity intersect.