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☆ Sequoia's Michael Moritz says Trump's Silicon Valley supporters are making a 'big mistake'
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Sri Muppidi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewWhile some Silicon Valley investors and startup leaders are going red hoping for a more "tech-friendly" White House, Michael Moritz, a storied Sequoia Capital investor, believes that does not reflect the Valley overall. "Fortunately, at least in Silicon Valley, Trump will not prevail," Moritz wrote in a Financial Times opinion piece, which was also posted on LinkedIn. Like the rest of the nation, Silicon Valley is deeply divided over whom to support in the upcoming presidential race. In his piece, Moritz chided Trump supporters in Silicon Valley. Moritz added that Trump had historically not performed well among Silicon Valley voters.

Persons: —, Michael Moritz, Trump, Moritz, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Doug Leone, Shaun Maguire, Roelof Botha, Andreessen Horowitz, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Fund's Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Chamath, Vance, Sen, JD Vance, Palmer Luckey, Elon Musk, VCs, Kamala, Harris, Vinod Khosla, Reid Hoffman, Mark Cuban, Ron Conway Organizations: Service, Sequoia Capital, LinkedIn, Business, Google, PayPal, Democratic, Republican, Tech, Trump, VR, Bloomberg, PAC, Street Journal, Netflix, Harris, Politico Locations: Silicon Valley, Sequoia, Park City , Utah, Silicon, Palo Alto , California, Newport Beach , California, Washington ,, Francisco, San Jose

☆ Trump's tech backers are 'making a big mistake,' Sequoia's Mike Moritz says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As leading tech investors continue to vocally take sides ahead of the 2024 presidential election, legendary venture capitalist Michael Moritz is making his preference clear. In a Financial Times opinion piece published Monday, Moritz wrote that those in the industry who are supporting Donald Trump "are making a big mistake." Moritz was referring to Trump's conviction, earlier this year, on 34 felony counts in New York State court. Other Trump backers include venture capitalists David Sacks and Joe Lonsdale as well as Doug Leone, Moritz's longtime partner at Sequoia. Moritz wrote in his op-ed that Trump's tech financiers and supporters were "making the same mistake as all powerful people who back authoritarians."

Persons: Michael Moritz, Moritz, Donald Trump, Moritz —, LinkedIn —, Trump, Andreessen Horowitz, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Elon Musk, David Sacks, Joe Lonsdale, Doug Leone, Moritz's, He's, Reid Hoffman, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, VCs, Harris, Kamala, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mitt Romney, John Kasich's, OpenSecrets Organizations: Sequoia Capital, Google, PayPal, LinkedIn, Trump, Tesla, Sequoia ., Democratic, Trump Lincoln Project, Republican, Tech Locations: Sequoia, New York, Silicon Valley, California, Ohio

☆ Kamala Harris gets support of more than 100 VCs and tech execs in online pledge
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta on July 30, 2024. More than 100 VCs on Wednesday pledged their support to Vice President Kamala Harris, the de facto Democratic nominee, as she ramps up her campaign to take on Trump in the November election. The group, calling itself VCs for Kamala, is made up of investors and entrepreneurs from a range of established and rising funds, and different demographic groups. "We spend our days looking for, investing in and supporting entrepreneurs who are building the future," the group said in its pledge. The VCs for Kamala list highlights a deepening political divide in Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Kamala, Vinod Khosla, Reid Hoffman, Mark Cuban, Aileen Lee, Rebecca Kaden, Elon Musk, VCs Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Trump, Musk, Shaun Maguire, 8VC's Joe Lonsdale, Musk's, David Sacks, Hoffman, Greylock, Harris, Erika Lucas Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Trump, Khosla Ventures, LinkedIn, Dallas Mavericks, Cowboy Ventures, Union Square Ventures, America PAC, Sequoia, Craft Ventures, Republican National Convention, Musk, Convention Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Silicon Valley, Chicago

☆ With tech leaders like Elon Musk turning to Trump, more than 100 Silicon Valley investors pledge support for Harris
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A group of right-wing venture capitalists have voiced support for Donald Trump and JD Vance, who was once a venture capitalist himself. "They don't speak for me," she said of Musk and other right-wing Silicon Valley leaders. "They don't speak for most of us. Harris, who was born in Oakland and is known as a pro-business politician, has a more sustained connection to Silicon Valley than Biden did. Next month, Harris will travel to Silicon Valley for a fund-raising trip in her continued effort reclaim the region amid its rightward tilt.

Persons: —, Kamala Harris —, Harris, Reid Hoffman, Mark Cuban, Ron Conway, Leslie Feinzaig, Graham, Walker, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Elon Musk, Marc Andreesen, Ben Horowitz, David Sacks, Trump, Feinzaig, MAGA, " Harris, Biden, Vance Organizations: Service, VCsForKamala.org, LinkedIn, Dallas Mavericks, Business, New York Times Locations: Oakland, Silicon, Silicon Valley

How the election is dividing techThe tech world has long been divided by rivalries: Macs versus PCs, open source versus closed source. It’s a reminder, as DealBook has noted, that Silicon Valley’s libertarian wing is feeling more emboldened to flex its money and influence to buck what has become a traditionally Democratic consensus. Who’s who: Some of the most vocal Democratic donors among the tech elite are Hoffman; Vinod Khosla, the venture capitalist; Aaron Levie, the C.E.O. On the Republican side are a camp of libertarians that includes Musk and the investors Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. Then there are those staying neutral, including Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, who are ostensibly trying to avoid antagonizing whoever wins in November.

Persons: Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, Ryan Mac, Erin Griffith, Mike Isaac, DealBook, Who’s, Hoffman, Vinod Khosla, Aaron Levie, Roger McNamee, Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Republican

☆ What JD Vance's rise tells us about the influence of Peter Thiel — and Silicon Valley in the age of Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Without Peter Thiel, Vance does not get anywhere near the US Senate. And in Silicon Valley, the conservative movement is much stronger, and more muscular than it was before. AdvertisementThere's this narrative, promoted by people like Thiel, that Silicon Valley is super-liberal. Because Silicon Valley has conservative roots in addition to roots in the counterculture. AdvertisementLike I said, the liberal nature of Silicon Valley has always been sort of overplayed.

Persons: —, I'm, Donald Trump, Vance, Peter Thiel —, Max Chafkin, who's, Thiel, Peter Thiel's, Trump, JD Vance, Narya, It's, supercharge, Bill Pugliano, David Sacks, Peter Thiel, revel, that's, he's, Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, They're, Elon Musk's, Apu Gomes, Steve Jobs, Ben Horowitz Organizations: Service, Republican, Trump, Business, Bloomberg Businessweek, Republican National Convention, YouTube, Ohio Senate, The, Thiel, Twitter Locations: Silicon Valley, Mithril, Narya, Ohio, West Coast, —, America, Silicon, San Francisco

Trump, the Republican nominee for president, has raised more than $4 million from a mix of digital tokens, a campaign aide told CNBC. At least 19 donors contributed more than $2.15 million bitcoin to the committee, the filing shows. Brian Hughes, a Trump campaign aide, said that of the more than $4 million in crypto raised, most of it arrived in bitcoin. "While the Biden-Harris Administration stifles innovation with more regulation and higher taxes, President Trump is ready to encourage American leadership in this and other emerging technologies." Thus far, it appears the Trump campaign is mostly converting these contributions immediately to USDC and then liquidating the donations.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Bill Pugliano, Donald Trump, Tyler, Cameron Winklevoss, Mike Belshe, Tyler Winklevoss, Eva Marie Uzcategui, he's, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Brian Hughes, Kamala Harris, Hughes, Harris, shiba inu, Jesse Powell, Stuart Alderoty, Alderoty, David Sacks, Ryan Selkis, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Vance Organizations: Van, Getty, NASHVILLE, Republican, CNBC, U.S, Trump, Republican National Committee, State Department, Gemini Trust, Bloomberg, Solana, Bitcoin, Music City Center, Democratic, Biden, Harris Administration, IRS, Libertarian National Convention, Ohio, Biden White, SEC Locations: Grand Rapids , Michigan, Tennessee, bitcoin, Miami , Florida, U.S, Nashville, San Francisco, USDC, Washington, Lago, Florida

☆ Kamala Harris' tech allies on track to raise over $100 million as they work to win over Silicon Valley skeptics
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris' allies in the tech community have launched a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to convince wealthy donors to back her campaign for president, according to people familiar with the matter. Longtime investors Reid Hoffman and Ron Conway have been among Harris' allies in Silicon Valley privately calling on those in their networks to support the vice president over former President Donald Trump, these people explained. The conversations have been ongoing since Sunday, when President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, according to people who described the discussions to CNBC. Hoffman convinced Netflix chairman Reed Hastings to support Harris with a $7 million donation to a pro-Harris PAC, according to The Information. A source familiar with the lobbying push by Conway, Hoffman and others estimates that their efforts alone are on track to raise over $100 million from major tech industry donors.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Reid Hoffman, Ron Conway, Harris, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Conway, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Andreesen Horowitz, Hoffman, Reed Hastings, Hastings, Biden, congrats Organizations: CNBC, Trump, Netflix, Harris PAC, Democratic, Conway Locations: Silicon Valley, California

☆ In Silicon Valley, Where Trump Made Inroads, Democrats Are Now Invigorated
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Erin Griffith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In recent weeks, many Democrats in Silicon Valley had kept uncharacteristically quiet as prominent technology leaders — including Elon Musk and the investors Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz — endorsed Donald J. Trump for president. Even though Democrats had long been a dominant force in Silicon Valley, some were unenthusiastic about supporting President Biden, who was unpopular in the tech industry. They wanted to see if Mr. Biden could change the narrative around his struggling campaign. And those who were vocal in their support — such as the tech investor Reid Hoffman — faced attacks. Across the tech industry, the floodgates immediately reopened.

Persons: Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz —, Donald J, Trump, Biden, Reid Hoffman —, ”, Nihal Mehta Organizations: Elon, Mr, Democratic, Eniac Ventures Locations: Silicon Valley, New York

☆ Big Tech's phony Trumpism
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Before Andreessen and Horowitz formed their venture-capital firm in 2009, Andreessen was an incisive observer of Silicon Valley. Big Andreesen (meaning the current bloated billionaire model) also contradicts Little Andreessen (the earlier, leaner blogger) on the issue of regulation. The reason, he now claims, is that government used to leave Silicon Valley alone. He and his fellow Silicon Valley investor-class billionaires have been sliding rightward for years. It's that I didn't see that this is where Silicon Valley was always headed.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, Donald Trump, That's, Andreessen, Bill Clinton, Hillary, Ben Horowitz, Elon Musk, Larry Ellison —, Trump, —, I've, Horowitz, It's, America's, Biden, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, they're, Dave Karpf, Hillary Clinton, we've Organizations: Democratic, Little Tech, Tech, Government, America, Justice Department, Microsoft, Trump, Little, Bloomberg Technology Conference, Netscape Locations: Silicon Valley, Silicon

☆ Elon Musk reacts to Biden dropping out: 'My smartest friends' are 'excited about Trump'
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Joe Biden's dropping out of the election prompted a reaction from Elon Musk, who backs Trump. Musk claims tech industry loyalty is shifting to Republicans, citing individual freedom and merit. Top Silicon Valley investors, including Ben Horowitz and Peter Thiel, are also backing Trump. AdvertisementJust minutes after US President Joe Biden announced he was dropping his campaign for re-election, Elon Musk announced that his Silicon Valley friends had already moved on to the Republican Party. "My smartest friends, including those living in the San Francisco Bay Area who have been lifelong Dems, are excited about Trump/Vance," Musk posted on X.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Elon Musk, Ben Horowitz, Peter Thiel, —, Joe Biden, Vance, Musk Organizations: Trump, Service, Republican Party, Business Locations: San Francisco Bay

☆ A rash of tech billionaires are pivoting to Trump — but not because they’re MAGA bros
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But there’s a small, powerful sect of Silicon Valley billionaires who are carving a path for the maybe-Trumpers and the MAGA-curious in the tech world. David Sacks, the billionaire tech investor, co-hosted a fundraiser last month at his San Francisco home and spoke at the Republican National Convention on Monday. In the last election cycle, the few Trump backers that existed in the Valley largely kept their support under the radar. Their numbers are still small, but they’re no longer hiding, and their wallets are open. And, as Kovacevich notes, just because there are a few big names turning toward Trump, “they’re not speaking for everybody.”“In fact, most of the big company CEOs aren’t terribly involved in partisan politics,” Kovacevich says.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, MAGA, Elon Musk, Trump, David Sacks, San Francisco, Doug Leone, Palantir, Joe Lonsdale, what’s, Adam Kovacevich, ”, “, Biden, Lina Khan, Joe Biden’s, Gary Gensler, who’s, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Trump’s, hasn’t, they’ve, Reid Hoffman, Eric Schmidt, aren’t, ” Kovacevich, “ They’re Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Silicon, Wall Street, Trump, America PAC, San, Republican National Convention, Sequoia Capital, Biden, of, Financial Times, SEC, Big Tech, LinkedIn, Google Locations: New York, Silicon

☆ Ethereum co-founder warns against voting only on 'pro-crypto,' a day after a16z founders support Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin on Wednesday cautioned against voting for political candidates based solely on whether they have adopted a "pro-crypto" stance. The best example of this is, predictably, modern Russia," added Buterin, a Russia-born coder who built ethereum in his late teens. Buterin did not single out any names in his post of either political candidates, or of those opting to support them. It comes in stark contrast to the Joe Biden White House, which has been seen as hard on crypto. However, the perception that Biden is anti-crypto and Trump is pro-crypto has some Biden allies concerned enough to take their case directly to senior White House officials.

Persons: Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Buterin, Putin, Donald Trump, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz, Donald Trump's, Ben, Marc Show, Horowitz, Joe Biden, They've, They're, Andreesen Horowitz, Coinbase, coder, Tesla, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Tyler, Cameron Winklevoss, Trump, —, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, bitcoiners, JD Vance, Vance, Biden Organizations: Republican National Convention, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Trump, Trump —, solana, Internal Revenue Service, Libertarian National Convention, Republican, Joe Biden White, SEC, Biden, White House Locations: Milwaukee, U.S, Russia, San Francisco, Washington, Mar, Nashville , Tennessee

Andreessen and Horowitz are the latest and most prominent members of the startup investing community to publicly support Trump. Up until now, there have been pockets of vocal Trump support within Silicon Valley, including conservative provocateur Peter Thiel, the pugnacious hosts of the All-In podcast, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale. WE HAVE A FORMER TECH VC IN THE WHITE HOUSE. Most of the VCs Business Insider spoke to were unanimously against Kahn. "If it is Biden vs. Trump officially, I think many '"never Trumpers" will go with Trump," said a Bay Area VC.

Persons: —, Andreessen Horowitz, Ben Horowitz, Marc Andreessen, Donald Trump, Sen, JD Vance, Peter Thiel's, Steve Case, Andreessen, Horowitz, provocateur Peter Thiel, Palantir, Joe Lonsdale, Elon Musk, who's, Joe Biden, Vance, Trump, IT'S JD VANCE, WE, MAGA, he's, Bradley Tusk, Chuck Schumer, Tusk, Lina Khan, That's, what's, Kahn, Lina Kahn, Khan, Biden, they're, David Hornik Organizations: Service, The Little, Business, Trump, Wall Street, Founder's Fund, TECH, Democratic, Biden, FTC, SEC, Bay, Republican, Sequoia Capital, Lobby Locations: America, Silicon Valley, New York, Delian, San Francisco, Silicon, There's

☆ Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have reportedly told employees that they're going to donate to Trump PACs
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz are reportedly planning donations to groups supporting Donald Trump. The pair told employees at their VC firm, Andreessen Horowitz, about the plans, The Information reported. It's the latest example of big names in Silicon Valley lending support to Trump's election bid. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementTwo of the biggest names in Silicon Valley are reportedly planning to throw cash behind groups supporting Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Donald Trump, Andreessen Horowitz, —, Donald Trump's Organizations: Service, White, Business Locations: Silicon Valley

☆ America must love Little Tech too if it wants to stay on top, say Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz would like to think startups can play a key role in that process. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementMarc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have been fretting about 21st-century America. Simply, the agenda is about "Little Tech" startups, as opposed to Big Tech companies such as Apple, Google, and Meta. The opportunities that Little Tech presents — and the threats it faces — must be fully understood if America wants to stay on top, the investors argue.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, —, A16z Organizations: Service, Tech, Big Tech, Apple, Google, Meta, Little Tech, Business

☆ How one rising Miami VC raised more money for his first fund. Other emerging investors haven't been so lucky.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Evans is the founder of Exceptional Capital, which launched in 2022 among the many emerging VC firms that sprouted during the fundraising boom years. Before pursuing a life in venture capital and tech, Evans hoped to make it to the NFL as a linebacker at the University of Michigan. And then in 2022, Evans decided to launch Exceptional Capital and invest as a solo VC. Exceptional CapitalBecause he's been able to increase the size of his fund, Evans has been able to expand his team. "I could see that for Marell as well, just his work with Exceptional Capital and kind of his determination there."

Persons: —, Marell Evans, Evans, he's, Dave Brandon, Brandon, Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz, Horowitz, A16z, Okta, Owen Van Natta, Hustling, Melissa Morano Aurigemma, Graham Stoddard, Andrew Van Nest, I've, Cody Coleman, Coleman, what's Organizations: Service, Exceptional, Business, NFL, University of Michigan, NCAA, IBM, Facebook, Vision, SV Angel, A16z, Exceptional Capital Locations: Miami, Michigan, San Francisco, Okta, Silicon Valley, SoftBank, —, Bessemer

☆ Andreessen Horowitz raises $7.2 billion, a sign that tech startup market may be bouncing back
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Andreessen Horowitz said Tuesday that it raised $7.2 billion across five different funds, a sign of optimism in the tech startup world, which has seen a dearth of significant exits over the past two years. Deal volume for U.S. venture investments in the first quarter sank to its lowest level since 2017, according to data published earlier this month by PitchBook. The firm raised a $4.5 billion crypto fund in 2022, bringing its total amount raised for crypto and blockchain investments to $7.6 billion. Andreessen Horowitz remains on track to raise more money for its crypto fund and a separate biotechnology fund, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. Andreessen Horowitz wrote a $350 million check to the company, which was just getting started and has yet to make inroads in the residential real estate market.

Persons: Andreessen Horowitz, Ben Horowitz, Marc Andreessen, Horowitz, PitchBook, bitcoin, Adam Neumann Organizations: Bloomberg, PitchBook, Astera Labs, CNBC Locations: Silicon Valley, U.S

☆ Ben Horowitz: We have to make sure AI regulation doesn't slow down the tech industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | 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 EmailBen Horowitz: We have to make sure AI regulation doesn't slow down the tech industryAndreessen Horowitz co-founder Ben Horowitz and General Partner David Ulevitch sit down with "Closing Bell: Overtime" anchor Morgan Brennan for an exclusive interview to discuss the role of government regulations in the tech industry, how the US can compete with China in AI, the future of defense tech and more.

Persons: Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz, David Ulevitch, Morgan Brennan Locations: China

☆ Marc Andreessen says student loan forgiveness is a 'bailout.' Ben Horowitz thinks college is mostly 'a scam.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marc Andreessen thinks student loan borrowers who received loan forgiveness are akin to companies and banks that got government bailouts rescuing them from bankruptcy. In a two-hour podcast titled "Crisis in Higher Ed & Why Universities Still Matter," published by his firm Andreessen Horowitz, Andreessen took issue with people having some or all of their outstanding student debt erased in actions by the Biden administration. Andreessen Horowitz is a major SVB customer, and the bank also invested billions in the firm's funds. The Biden Administration also had a broader student debt relief plan struck down by the US Supreme Court last year, and it has moved forward with targeted relief programs based on specific borrower criteria. In response to Andreessen's issue with student loan forgiveness, A16z cofounder Ben Horowitz responded with the argument that, although the action provides relief for some, it does not address "the real issue."

Persons: Marc Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz, Andreessen, Biden, they've, wouldn't, Ben Horowitz, Horowitz, they'll, That's, A16z Organizations: Service, Business, Legal, Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Biden Administration, US

☆ As the IPO market comes back to life, Navan (formerly TripActions) is targeting an April 2024 listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The company is now targeting a late April 2024 IPO, Insider has learned. Navan, formerly known as TripActions, is now targeting a late April 2024 IPO, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter not authorized to speak publicly. However, this month the nearly two year dormant IPO market has finally shown signs of coming to life. Andreessen Horowitz first invested in TripActions in 2018, when it led the company's series C funding round at a $1.1 billion valuation and general partner Ben Horowitz joined the board. Navan has raised more than $2 billion in equity and debt financing since it was founded 2015, according to Pitchbook.

Persons: Ariel Cohen, Kelly Soderlund, Instacart, Goldman Sachs, Andreessen Horowitz, Ben Horowitz, It's, " Horowitz Organizations: Navan, NASDAQ, Bloomberg, Softbank, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue Management, Zeev Ventures Locations: Navan, Caplight, TripActions

☆ The real reason Marc Andreessen is urging billionaires to homeschool their kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Marc Andreessen told billionaires to homeschool their children at the Sun Valley conference. Legendary venture capital investor Marc Andreessen has used this week's Sun Valley conference to espouse the benefits of homeschooling. Musk and Zuckerberg have been been trading barbs online since Musk summoned Zuckerberg to a cage fight last month. Meanwhile, it's not the first time that Andreessen has called for more homeschooling. "It certainly feels like we're on the front end of a pretty dramatic homeschooling boom," Andreessen said.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, “ We’re, Puck's Dylan Byers, Peter Thiel, Andreessen, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Byers, Musk, Zuckerberg, it's, Colossus, Andreessen Horowitz, Ben Horowitz Organizations: Sun, Morning

☆ A.I. doomers are a ‘cult’ — here’s the real threat, according to Marc Andreessen
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Andreessen Horowitz partner Marc Andreessen Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesVenture capitalist Marc Andreessen is known for saying that "software is eating the world." When it comes to artificial intelligence, he claims people should stop worrying and build, build, build. Andreessen writes that there's a "wall of fear-mongering and doomerism" in the AI world right now. Andreessen writes that people in roles like AI safety expert, AI ethicist and AI risk researcher "are paid to be doomers, and their statements should be processed appropriately," he wrote. In Andreessen's own idealist future, "every child will have an AI tutor that is infinitely patient, infinitely compassionate, infinitely knowledgeable, infinitely helpful."

Persons: Andreessen Horowitz, Marc Andreessen Justin Sullivan, Marc Andreessen, Andreessen, It's, it's, Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis, Ben Horowitz Organizations: Getty Images Venture, Nvidia, Microsoft, Center, AI Safety, Tech Locations: China

☆ TripActions Rebrands as Navan, Adds ChatGPT to Expense Reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Angus Loten | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

TripActions, a business-travel software startup, plans to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT capabilities across its online platform, an effort aimed at seizing market share by making expense reports easier to use. That way, the expense report is generated during the trip as expenses are incurred, Mr. Cohen said. “Generally, software in the business-to-business space is designed to serve the company,” rather than the employees, Mr. Cohen said. “Using AI helps you create the kind of software that I’m talking about,” Mr. Cohen said. PREVIEWSAP Concur has also begun using AI in its travel and expense software, which can “tap decades of expense data and experience tracking to identify hard-to-detect spend issues and anomalies,” said Charlie Sultan, president of Concur Travel.

☆ ChatGPT got all the buzz, but beneath it is a $1B developer framework that's quietly fueling the new era of lifelike AI at OpenAI and beyond
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Matthew Lynley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Beneath the buzz, the next-generation developer framework Ray was key in the viral model's training. "ChatGPT combined a lot of the previous work on large language models with reinforcement as well. Before deploying Ray, OpenAI used a hodgepodge set of custom tools built on top of "neural programmer-interpreter" model. All these tools, Ray and JAX included, are in service to a new generation of combustion engines for the internet called large language models. Multiple companies, both startups and giants, are building their own large language models including Meta, Hugging Face, OpenAI, and Google.

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