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☆ No evidence to show tariffs aren't passed to consumers, says Capital Alpha's James Lucier
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNo evidence to show tariffs aren't passed to consumers, says Capital Alpha's James LucierJames Lucier, Capital Alpha Partners managing director, and Tobin Marcus, Wolfe Research politics and policy head, join CNBC's 'The Exchange' to discuss outlooks on former President Trump's economic proposals, what companies would benefit from higher tariffs, and more.

Persons: James Lucier James Lucier, Tobin Marcus, Wolfe, CNBC's, Trump's Organizations: Capital Alpha Partners, Wolfe Research

☆ The hottest AI startups are raising back-to-back funding rounds. Suddenly, it's feeling very 2021 in Silicon Valley for a chosen few.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Ben Bergman | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Read previewIn February, Glean announced a $200 million funding round valuing the AI enterprise software startup at $2.2 billion. AdvertisementThe transaction is the latest in a string of dizzying back-to-back funding rounds at ever-higher valuations for a handful of AI startups that stand in stark contrast to the doldrums of the overall market for startups. Earlier this year, Sakana raised $30 million in a seed funding round led by Lux Capital. Slingshot AI, which has built an automated mental health counselor, also raised separate rounds of funding just months apart. Advertisement"VCs are increasingly faced with frequent requests from their hot AI companies to follow on or double down on investments," said Iris Sun, an investor at 500 Global.

Persons: —, Glean, Arvind Jain's inbox, Jain, Steve Brotman, Perplexity, SoftBank, Sakana, Gregg Hill, that's, Matt Murphy, Dario Amodei, Kimberly White, Murphy, I'd, I've, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Jai Das, Rajeev Dham, couldn't, Das, Sapphire, Uber, Iris Sun, Chandrasekar Organizations: Service, Business, DST Global, Alpha Partners, Bloomberg, Google, New Enterprise Associates, Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Parkway Venture Capital, Menlo Ventures, Getty, Sapphire Ventures, Investments Locations: Tokyo

☆ Trump and Harris should have discussed tax plans during the debate: Capital Alpha Partners' Lucier
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTrump and Harris should have discussed tax plans during the debate: Capital Alpha Partners' LucierJames Lucier, a founding partner at Capital Alpha Partners, joins CNBC's Kelly Evans on "The Exchange" to break down the tax plans of Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic Presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Persons: Harris, James Lucier, CNBC's Kelly Evans, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris Organizations: Trump, Capital Alpha Partners, Republican Presidential, Democratic

☆ 'These are not normal;' A new type of dealmaking for AI startups is rattling Silicon Valley
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Ben Bergman | Sri Muppidi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Google unnerved Silicon Valley last week when it agreed to pay $2.5 billion to license Character.AI's technology, hire its two superstar cofounders and 20 percent of employees. The deal came after AI developers Adept and Inflection both effectively sold themselves to Amazon and Microsoft, respectively, in recent months. It was only last year Character.AI raised $150 million in venture funding, which valued the company at $850 million. Its appeal as a chatbot that uses AI to make virtual characters that interact with users seems decidedly niche. Related storiesMost of the founders and investors Business Insider spoke to for this story say Google has little interest in Character.AI's actual product.

Persons: cofounders, Brent Queener, Kyle Sanford, Character.AI, Iris Sun, Noam Shazeer, Daniel De Freitas, Jack Selby, Peter Thiel's, Steve Brotman, Shazeer, De Freitas, PitchBook's Sanford, they're, Roy Bahat, Arvind Jain, Cameron Lester, Lester Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Bonfire Ventures, Business, Apple, Big Tech, AZ, Biden Administration, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Alpha Partners, FTC, DOJ, New York Times, Google, Madrona Venture, Bloomberg Beta, Jefferies

☆ EV regulations 'most at risk' from overthrow of Chevron, says Capital Alpha's James Lucier
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEV regulations 'most at risk' from overthrow of Chevron, says Capital Alpha's James LucierJames Lucier, Capital Alpha Partners managing director, and Danny Cervallos, NBC News and MSNBC legal analyst, join CNBC's 'The Exchange' to discuss the Supreme Court ruling that reduces government regulation.

Persons: James Lucier James Lucier, Danny Cervallos, CNBC's Organizations: Chevron, Capital Alpha Partners, NBC News, MSNBC

☆ Getting hot new weight-loss drugs like Wegovy will still be a struggle in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementIf you were hoping that powerhouse weight-loss drugs like Wegovy would be easier to get in 2024, you may be disappointed. Don't expect Medicare coverage any time soonMedicare could play a major role in expanding coverage of weight-loss drugs . Americans' hunger for weight-loss drugs, and the shockwaves it's likely to send through the culture and economy, are only just beginning. He oversees the state employee health plan, which saw costs skyrocket as thousands of workers suddenly started taking weight-loss drugs. People who are already getting weight-loss drugs will be able to keep taking them.

Persons: —, Renee Rayburg, Mercer, Eli Lilly's, Jose Luis Pelaez, there's, Wegovy, Bill Coyle, ZS, Eli Lilly, David Risinger, Lilly, Risinger, Morgan Stanley, Mounjaro, They're, That's, Patrik Jonsson, Lilly USA, Coyle, Dale Folwell, Folwell Organizations: Service, Pharmaceutical, Group, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, Mayo Clinic, University of Texas, Hennepin Healthcare, Medicare, Capital Alpha Partners, Vanderbilt University, Nordisk's Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, pharma, Nordisk's, FDA, Pharma, UBS BioPharma Conference, Walmart, Jefferies, Nordisk Locations: Mounjaro, Government, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Hennepin, ZS, U.S, Carolina, North Carolina

Both changes to the process for designating a non-bank as a "systemically important financial institution," or SIFI, were proposed in April. Friday's vote reversed a Trump administration policy that regulators should police risky activities rather than single out individual firms. Under the revamped process, FSOC will identify potential SIFIs based on existing information and give the company a chance to respond. Similarly, the Managed Funds Association, which represents hedge funds, said non-banks do not pose the same risks as banks. "The guidance imposes a black box designation process that introduces uncertainty for market participants," said MFA President and CEO Bryan Corbett.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Donald Trump, FSOC, Trump, Janet Yellen, Eric Pan, Bryan Corbett, Barack Obama, Ian Katz, Pete Schroeder, Chris Reese, Michelle Price, Richard Chang Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Treasury Department, U.S . Federal, BlackRock, Bridgewater, Investment Company Institute, Association, MetLife, Inc, General Electric Capital Corporation, American International Group, Prudential Financial, Capital Alpha Partners, Carolina, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, BlackRock, Bridgewater

☆ Boeing struggles to steer defense unit in another year of losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker is seen before a delivery celebration to the U.S. Air Force in Everett, Washington, U.S., January 24, 2019. Despite absorbing $4.4 billion in losses in 2022 – which executives said would lower the risk of future cost overruns – the unit has seen little improvement this year. Excluding last year, losses on Boeing's defense programs in 2023 exceed those from all years since 2014, according to a Reuters review of Boeing’s regulatory filings. The latest charge for Air Force One brought total losses to $2.4 billion on a $3.9 billion contract to develop two planes. A better bet, and one Boeing's defense segment is aggressively pursuing, is inking future contracts for next-generation fighter jets and cutting-edge drones.

Persons: Lindsey Wasson, Lockheed Martin, Brian West, Byron Callan, ”, Seth Seifman, JP Morgan, “, NASA's, West, there's “, Richard Aboulafia, ” Aboulafia, Valerie Insinna, Rod Nickel Organizations: Boeing KC, Pegasus, U.S . Air Force, REUTERS, Rights, Air Force, Boeing, Lockheed, General Dynamics, Capital Alpha Partners, U.S . Defense Department, NASA, BDS, Boeing Defense Space, U.S . Air Force's KC, KC, Thomson Locations: Everett , Washington , U.S, Ukraine

☆ Landmark marijuana financing bill set to move forward in the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A new bill that aims to give the marijuana industry access to banking services is expected to move forward in the Senate on Wednesday. The bill would provide legal protection to banks or other financial institutions that offer services to state-legal marijuana businesses. The Senate Banking Committee will mark up the bill Wednesday, and the panel is expected to vote to advance it to the full chamber's floor. Even as 39 states have legalized marijuana for recreational or medical use, the sector has struggled to scale. The new bill includes stricter requirements for federal regulators, such as prohibiting them from terminating any marijuana-related accounts without "valid reason," or from denying banking services based on "personal beliefs or political motivations."

Persons: Jeff Merkley, Steve Daines, Kyrsten Sinema, Cynthia Lummis, Chuck Schumer, Ian Katz Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Sens, SAFE, Democratic, Republican, GOP, Capital Alpha Partners, Republicans Locations: Oregon, Washington ,

Crypto companies have been expanding in Washington to combat growing regulatory scrutiny, especially from the SEC which says the industry has been flouting its rules. "Everybody wants to make sure that what they're doing isn't going to be erased by the government," said Kara Calvert, head of U.S. policy at Coinbase, referring to the crypto industry. A House vote before year-end is possible, but the outlook is dimmer in the Senate, where industry-friendly crypto bills have failed to gain traction. And Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown of Ohio has shown little interest in making it a priority to advance the House bills. "The last thing we need is for the crypto industry to write their own rulebook — too many Ohioans have been burned by fraud and scams," said Brown in a statement to Reuters.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Katherine Dowling, Coinbase, OpenSecrets, Brian Armstrong, Kara Calvert, Mark Hays, Sherrod Brown of, Brown, Ian Katz, Hannah Lang, Michelle Price, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Coinbase, Financial, National Defense, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Reuters, OpenSea, Financial Reform, Senate, Capital Alpha Partners, Thomson Locations: Washington, NFTs, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Ohio

It follows a tumultuous spring for regional banks in which Silicon Valley Bank and two other lenders collapsed, forcing regulators to backstop deposits to stave off a broader panic. The proposal, which is subject to industry feedback, would see banks raise their long-term debt issuance by roughly 25%, or $70 billion, according to the FDIC. The agency said banks would have three years from the rule's adoption to meet the new standard. 'COMPELLING CASE'Each bank's debt requirement will be based on their risk-weighted assets, total assets, or total leverage, depending on which number is highest. In a speech previewing the proposals this month, Gruenberg said recent bank failures made "a compelling case" for regulators to impose tougher rules on regional firms.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Martin Gruenberg, Matthew Bisanz, Mayer Brown, “ It’s, Greg Baer, Gruenberg, Ian Katz, Pete Schroeder, Megan Davies, Philippa Fletcher, Andrea Ricci Organizations: First Republic Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve, Wall, Bank, FDIC, Financial Services Group Inc, Fifth Third Bancorp, Citizens Financial Group Inc, Industry, Bank Policy Institute, Silicon Valley Bank, JPMorgan Chase, FDIC's, Insurance Fund, Capital Alpha Partners, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Silicon

The new requirement would bring large regional banks more in line with the largest global banks, which already have their own debt requirement. The proposal follows a tumultuous spring for regional banks, which saw three collapse, forcing regulators to backstop deposits to stave off a broader panic. The proposal would mean banks have to raise their long-term debt issuance by roughly 25%, or $70 billion, according to the FDIC. “These banks will have to go into the market issuing capital to meet the capital proposal and then issuing long-term debt to meet the long-term debt proposal," said Matthew Bisanz, a partner at Mayer Brown. The proposed rules were approved by the FDIC at a meeting Tuesday, giving the industry the opportunity to critique the approach.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Martin Gruenberg, Matthew Bisanz, Mayer Brown, Gruenberg, JPMorgan Chase, Ian Katz, ” Rob Nichols, Pete Schroeder, Megan Davies, Philippa Fletcher, Andrea Ricci Organizations: First Republic Bank, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, Financial Services Group Inc, Fifth Third Bancorp, Citizens Financial, Silicon Valley Bank, JPMorgan, FDIC's, Insurance Fund, Capital Alpha Partners, Federal Reserve, American Bankers Association, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Silicon

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A top U.S. banking regulator is set on Tuesday to propose heightened rules to ensure regional banks can be safely dissolved in times of stress. Now, regulators are looking to toughen their rules, particularly for regional banks like PNC Financial Services Group Inc and Citizens Financial Group Inc."The failure of three large regional banks this spring...demonstrated clearly the risk to financial stability that large regional banks can pose," said FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg in a speech earlier this month previewing the proposals. The regulator is also set to propose an overhaul to "living will" rules for banks, which require firms to detail how they could be safely taken apart after failing. As banks failed last spring, the FDIC was unable to find immediate buyers for some firms, such as Silicon Valley Bank. The banking industry is already pushing back against the upcoming proposal and similar efforts, calling them unjustified and economically harmful.

Persons: Martin Gruenberg, Kevin Lamarque, Gruenberg, JPMorgan Chase, Ian Katz, ”, Rob Nichols, Pete Schroeder, Megan Davies, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Deposit Insurance, Financial, Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Financial Services Group Inc, Citizens Financial, Inc, FDIC, Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, JPMorgan, FDIC’s, Insurance Fund, Capital Alpha Partners, American Bankers Association, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Silicon

In an interview, O'Leary said this would not deter JetZero and its radical design. The Air Force said materials and manufacturing advances have made production more attainable. Whereas Boeing aimed to commission new engines for its abandoned project, JetZero says aerodynamic savings allow it to exploit existing models. Capital Alpha Partners analyst Byron Callan said the decision to back JetZero suggested Air Force "frustration" with traditional aerospace companies' use of cash to favor shareholders rather than bigger developmental risks. "One way to potentially change behaviors is to award contracts to smaller firms like JetZero," he wrote.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Tom O'Leary, O'Leary, they're, NORTHROP, Northrop Grumman, Ron Epstein, Byron Callan, JetZero, Valerie Insinna, Tim Hepher, Mark Potter Organizations: Pentagon, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Air Force, The Air Force, Boeing, Airbus, Reuters, Air Force, Bank of America, Pratt, Capital Alpha Partners, Force, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, California, Asia, Kosovo

The rule, which would implement a 2017 agreement by global regulators, aims to overhaul how banks gauge their riskiness, and in turn how much money they must keep on hand. Industry opponents have already begun to criticize the plan as banks seek to soften, delay, or otherwise derail the government's long-planned effort. The proposal would see U.S. regulators implement a previous global agreement via the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. "Bank capital is critical," said Dennis Kelleher, president and CEO of Better Markets, which advocates for tougher financial rules. "However, maximizing Wall Street’s bonuses depends on minimizing capital and that’s why Wall Street fights to prevent regulators from requiring them to have enough capital."

Persons: it’s, Ian Katz, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Michael Barr, Barr, Joe Biden, Dennis Kelleher, Pete Schroeder, Susan Heavey Organizations: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal, Industry, Washington, Capital Alpha Partners, JPMorgan, Banking Supervision, Citizens Financial, Bank, Better, Thomson Locations: U.S, Basel, Huntington, that’s

Silicon Valley is bracing for what it fears will be an "extinction event" threatening the survival of hundreds of startups. Tom Loverro, a investor at 40-year-old Bay Area venture capital firm IVP, has been loudly warning for months on Twitter and in media interviews about a coming "mass extinction event" for startups. The total volume of venture capital investment into US startups has slumped for six consecutive quarters, according to data firm Pitchbook. Even a last-ditch slashing of the startup's prospective valuation — a "down-round," in Silicon Valley parlance — didn't whet investors' appetites. Over the past year, many startups that rely on Silicon Valley funding have been steeling themselves for the slowdown to avoid similar fates.

Persons: —, they're, Jennifer Neundorfer, That's, Tom Loverro, Loverro, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt, Cameron Lester, I've, Lester, Linda Ahrens, Ahrens, Unown, " Ahrens, Anna Dittrich, Plastiq, Vincent Harrison, Elad Gil, Steve Brotman, Brotman, Will Hawthorne, VC's, Mike Ryan, Pitchbook's Harrison, Sell, Hawthorne Organizations: Ventures, Sequoia Capital, —, Venture, Twitter, United States Federal Reserve, Jefferies, January Ventures, Alpha Partners, Avid Capital, Sugar, Menlo, BulletPoint Network Locations: Silicon, Sequoia, IVP, Valley, Instacart, Navan, Boston, Snowflake, America

Banks' commercial real estate portfolios performed better than expected, showing $65 billion in losses or 8.8% of average loan losses, slightly down on last year's 9.8%, the Fed said. "Some may ask how all the banks can get a regulatory thumbs-up when the industry just went through a period of turmoil. The test assesses whether banks would stay above the required minimum 4.5% capital ratio. The average capital ratio for the 23 banks was 10.1%, the Fed said. That compares with 9.7% last year, when the central bank tested 34 lenders against a slightly easier scenario.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Charles Schwab, Michael Barr, ” Barr, Banks, Barr, Lindsey Johnson, Dennis Kelleher, Ian Katz, Pete Schroeder, Caroline Valetkevich, Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates Organizations: Federal, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Charles Schwab Corp, Deutsche Bank's, Financial Corp, U.S . Bancorp, Valley Bank, Wells, JPMorgan, Industry, Consumer Bankers Association, U.S, Treasury, T Bank, PNC Financial, Citizens Financial, Better, Fed, Capital Alpha Partners, Thomson Locations: Big U.S, Wells Fargo, U.S

☆ Instagram's creator marketplace could see an influx of brand deal opportunities as it opens up to 3rd-party platforms and agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Instagram is now onboarding third-party influencer-marketing platforms and agencies. Despite being less than a year old, Instagram's test of a creator marketplace has already had its share of ups and downs. That means Instagram's creator marketplace could potentially see an increase in brands and paid opportunities for influencers in the coming weeks. Agencies will be able to communicate with creators directly via Meta's Creator Marketplace. InstagramTikTok's creator marketplace made a nearly identical move in 2021 when it brought on "alpha partners" such as Influential, Whalar, and Captiv8.

☆ Why Instagram's 'Creator Marketplace' has left many influencers twiddling their thumbs instead of scoring brand deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"I was so excited when the creator marketplace was rolled out," content creator Melanie Demi told Insider. "Over the last couple of months, I feel like the creator marketplace has died down a little bit," Demi said. "Even on the TikTok creator marketplace, it's the same," said Joseph Arujo, who has access to the feature on both platforms. On TikTok's marketplace, creators can add their starting rates for brand deals or negotiate terms. TikTok's creator marketplace, for example, brought on "alpha partners" in 2021 such as Influential, Whalar, and Captiv8.

Silicon Valley Bank had $209 billion in assets at the end of last year, while Signature Bank had some $110 billion. The failure of Silicon Valley Bank is a direct result of an absurd 2018 bank deregulation bill signed by (Republican former President) Donald Trump that I strongly opposed," Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement. he added, saying awareness of the bank's recent growth and business model should have led Fed officials to anticipate trouble. In an op-ed for the New York Times, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren placed some of the blame at the feet of bank regulators, whom she accused of "letting financial institutions load up on risk." "There won't be legislation getting through Congress, and so regulators will be making the big decisions," he said.

☆ This startup is taking on Tesla with its integrated solar roof tiles. SunRoof used this 9-slide pitch deck to raise $14.6 million from investors.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Solar panel startup SunRoof just raised 13.5 million euros (around $14.6 million) in fresh funds. The Swedish company, founded in 2013, is taking on Tesla's Solar Roof energy system. We got an exclusive look at the 9-slide pitch deck SunRoof used to raise the extension round. A startup taking on Tesla's Solar Roof has just raised a 13.5 million euros (around $14.6 million) extension round to fuel its growth. Swedish company SunRoof provides integrated solar roof tiles to offer homeowners as a slick alternative to mounted solar panels, which it claims are also more efficient and environmentally friendly than those of its competitors.

☆ Early-stage VCs are leaving $100 billion on the table by not exercising rights to buy into later startup funding rounds. One investor is trying to make sure they don't.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pro rata rights give early investors a place in later funding rounds and protect against dilution. Nearly 95% of pro rata rights go unused, often because investors lack the capital to exercise them. Alpha Partners provides the capital VCs need to take advantage of their lucrative pro rata rights. The company allows early-stage VCs to exercise their pro rata rights and participate in follow-on rounds by providing capital when no one else will. From a founder's perspective, pro rata rights can be a way of protecting those that took an early chance on the company.

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