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☆ 2 investment areas in AI that people will be 'very bullish' on in the future, according to a VC
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-26 | by ( Jaures Yip | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewWith the AI arms race underway and a host of industries investing in the technology, Lux Capital venture capitalist Josh Wolfe identified the areas he's particularly keen on. AI in biology"AI into biology is really interesting because most computer scientists underappreciate how hard biology is," he said. "Biology is really complex — it is not linear, it is not 'programmable biology' the way many people think." AI in roboticsWhile "robots" typically invoke images of futuristic humanoid tech like Elon Musk's Optimus, Wolfe said he thinks "humanoid robots are not going to be the way." Although Wolfe thinks humanoid robots will attract money for their intrigue, he said that robots mimicking human capabilities are "really inferior to what robots can do."

Persons: —, Josh Wolfe, Logan Bartlett, Wolfe, Meta, Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, ESM3, Elon, Optimus Organizations: Service, Lux Capital, Business, Meta, Amazon Web Services, AWS

☆ Skyfire lets your AI agent spend your money. We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck the startup used to raise $8.5 million.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-26 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Skyfire Systems just launched out of stealth and raised $8.5 million in seed funding. The startup lets AI agents make autonomous purchases on behalf of their users. Check out an exclusive look at the pitch deck the startup used to raise its seed funding round. A new startup is now tackling the next frontier in the space: using AI to make purchases on a user's behalf. The startup, Skyfire Systems, just emerged from stealth with $8.5 million in seed funding from financial firms Neuberger Berman, DRW, and Brevan Howard Digital.

Persons: —, Neuberger Berman, DRW, Brevan Howard, Draper, Ripple Organizations: Skyfire Systems, Service, Arrington Capital, RedBeard Ventures, Crossbeam Venture Partners, Inception, Draper Associates, ARCA, Business Locations: Silicon Valley, EveryRealm

☆ Engineers have found a way to bootstrap their way to smarter AI models as they wait for Chat GPT-5
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewChat GPT-5, the next version of OpenAI's language model that changed everything, is on the way. As AI developers wait to test GPT-5, some have found a new way to bootstrap their way to more advanced AI without an entirely new model. Fewer idle GPUs then translate to more affordable computing, as Davis explained on the No Priors podcast released Thursday. When Davis and his co-authors used the compound AI method, the layered model produced the correct answer 37% of the time — a nearly 10-fold increase. "I think people are getting more sophisticated at thinking about cost in more of a life-cycle way," Davis said.

Persons: —, Jared Quincy Davis, Davis, Sarah Guo, Elad Gil, iterating Organizations: Service, Business, Foundry, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Systems

☆ Starpath Robotics, a startup founded by former SpaceX employees, just raised $12 million using this 10-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-20 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Starpath Robotics, a startup founded by former SpaceX engineers, has raised $12 million in seed funding. The startup aims to produce rocket propellant from lunar ice for spacecraft. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementStarpath Robotics, a startup founded by former SpaceX engineers who want to make lunar spacecraft reusable, has raised $12 million in seed funding.

Persons: —, Starpath, Saurav Shroff Organizations: Robotics, SpaceX, Service, Business

☆ Apheros helps data centers cool down. Check out the pitch deck it used to secure $1.85 million.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-19 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Apheros has secured $1.85 million in pre-seed funding for its data center cooling technology. Check out the pitch deck it used to secure the fresh funding. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA startup that helps data centers to cool down has just secured $1.85 million in pre-seed funding.

Persons: Apheros, — Organizations: Service, ETH Zurich, Business Locations: Zurich

☆ Trumpet, a new B2B sales startup from the cofounder of DesignMyNight, raised $6.35 million using this 12-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-15 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Trumpet, a London-based B2B sales startup, has raised $6.35 million in seed funding. Founded in 2021, Trumpet aims to centralize the B2B buying experience with collaborative tools. AdvertisementTrumpet, a London-based B2B sales startup, has raised $6.35 million in seed funding. Trumpet was cofounded in 2021 by CEO Rory Sadler and Nick Telson-Sillett, who sold the events and hospitality business DesignMyNight for $30 million in 2017. The startup offers B2B sales teams "pods" or collaborative sales rooms, where they can access deal information, content, and communication.

Persons: —, Rory Sadler, Nick Telson Organizations: Service, Business Locations: London

That’s why, he said, he invested in AppHarvest, a startup that promised a high-tech future for farming and for the workers of Eastern Kentucky. Despite promising local jobs, the company eventually began contracting migrant workers from Mexico, Guatemala and other countries, numerous former employees told CNN. After about a week on the job, Vance took a meeting with AppHarvest founder Jonathan Webb, as Webb later recounted in a Fox News podcast interview. The company’s health care benefits attracted Morgan, a single father, who told CNN he took a pay cut to join the startup. Such comments ring hollow to some former AppHarvest workers, who argue Vance’s rhetoric as a candidate for vice president doesn’t align with the reality they experienced.

Persons: JD Vance, Vance, “ It’s, it’s, ” Vance, AppHarvest, Donald Trump’s, Kentuckians Vance, weren’t, ”, Anthony Morgan, “, Luke Schroeder, AppHarvest’s, JD, Jonathan Webb, Webb, Peter Thiel’s, Thiel, Steve Case, Vance “, Morgan, ” Morgan, ’ ” Anthony Morgan, Shelby Hester, Hester, ” Hester, Grist, Andrew Miller, David Attenborough, Bethany, Gary Broadbent, “ AppHarvest, Mitch McConnell, Hester’s, Mitch Smith, bigwigs, CNN AppHarvest, Martha Stewart, Broadbent, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Fox, Republican, US Department of Labor, PayPal, AOL, Fox News, AppHarvest, Morehead State University, Workers, Kentucky’s Education, Labor Cabinet, Kentucky Center, Investigative, Kentucky Republican, Securities and Exchange Commission, Retirement Association, Senate, Republican National Convention Locations: AppHarvest, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Mexico, Guatemala, Ohio, Silicon Valley, Morehead, Appalachia, gurneys, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Canada, ”

☆ With the A's leaving Oakland, the Pioneer League B's want fan investment in Bay Area baseball
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

That gave birth to the Oakland Ballers, or the B's — the Pioneer League team that debuted earlier this year, co-founded by Freedman and Carmel. Courtesy: Oakland BallersThe Pioneer League, an MLB partner league whose teams aren't affiliated with the pro teams like those in minor league baseball, instantly appealed to Freedman's tech sensibilities because it's a testing ground for baseball evolution. Potential investors will be able to buy their shares on a first-come, first-serve basis "just like you're buying sneakers from the Oakland B's," said Stidd. Oakland Ballers stadium. Courtesy: Oakland Ballers

Persons: Paul Freedman, Oakland Ballers Paul Freedman, Freedman, Bryan Carmel, Charlie Finley, Kelsie Whitmore, Carmel, DealMaker, Jon Stidd, Stidd, It's, Lonnie Murray, Dave Stewart Organizations: Oakland, MLB's A's, Las Vegas, Oakland Coliseum's, CNBC, Golden State Warriors, Oracle, NFL's Raiders, MLB's Oakland, Pioneer League, Freedman, Oakland Ballers, MLB, League, Securities and Exchange, Green Bay Packers, Local, BART, AAA Insurance, Raimondi, Boilermakers, Little League, San Francisco Chronicle Locations: Oakland , California, Las, Palo Alto, Oakland, Chicago, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Carmel, Oakland —, West Oakland, workshopping

☆ I landed a job in venture capital at 24 after changing my career path twice. Here's how I got the coveted job with a varied résumé.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

My first job out of university was at a tech PR firm. I've always liked wearing different hats, and these threads led me to join Playfair, a generalist VC fund. I was so surprised at how relevant my PR experience wasI was so surprised at how relevant my PR experience was because so much of VC is investor relations. If your background is generalist and diverse, that kind of VC fund would likely suit you. But if you started your career with a technical background, you'd perhaps be suited to a deep tech fund.

Persons: Lucia Polverino, —, Piper Sandler, I've, I, Playfair, It's, it's, that's, grads Organizations: Service, Business, KKR, LexisNexis Locations: London, American

☆ 2 cofounders whose last company sold to Amazon have raised $5 million to turbocharge a new comic-book startup. Read their pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Go to newsletter preferencesSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Steinberger cofounded the comic-book platform Comixology in 2007, where Mosher would later serve as head of content. The pair joined Amazon in 2014 after it acquired the upstart, helping to shape the tech giant's digital comics and manga content experience. That background gave the pair a leg up when it came time to fundraise for Dstlry, Steinberger told Business Insider. "We spent a lot of time on the deck trying to really refine the storytelling," Steinberger said.

Persons: —, Dstlry, Chip Mosher, David Steinberger, Mosher, Steinberger, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mike Vorhaus, John Schappert, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon, 1AM Gaming, Kodansha, Warner Bros

☆ Read the pitch deck an AI startup tackling time-consuming tasks in Hollywood used to raise new funds
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewFilmustage, which uses AI to analyze scripts and do other pre-production tasks, raised $1.5 million in seed funding led by Raw Ventures, a London-based venture capital firm. It also performs other tasks like creating shooting schedules and analyzing scenes for risk elements like sex and weapons. AI tools have found applications in Hollywood, which is known for its lengthy and costly process of making TV shows and movies. Here's the pitch deck Filmustage used to raise its newest funding round:

Persons: —, Filmustage, There's, Roger Christian, Byron Saltysiak, Callan Green, Guy Ritchie's, Egor Dubrovsky, Dubrovsky, it's, Filmustage's Organizations: Service, Raw Ventures, Business, Guy Ritchie's Netflix, Universal Pictures, Investors, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hollywood Locations: London, Hollywood

Lovevery's toys are inspired by the homemade ones Rolph made for her son, each designed to nurture a specific developmental milestone. Launching with a single productPrior to starting Lovevery, Rolph was a co-founder of organic baby food company Happy Family, which launched in 2005. Zach Voss | CNBC Make ItThe duo decided to start simple, focusing on a single product: a play gym. They spent nearly two years relying on $2 million in seed funding to develop Lovevery's play gym, finally launching it in 2017. Lovevery's first product, the Play Gym, launched in 2017.

Persons: Jessica Rolph, Roderick Morris, Rolph, Morris, She'd, Morris —, Zach Voss, Lovevery, we'll, Raffi Paul Organizations: Boise -, CNBC Locations: Boise, Boise - Idaho, Boise , Idaho, Asia

☆ Check out the 12-slide pitch deck gaming studio Look North World used to secure $4.5 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Look North World has secured $4.5 million in seed funding. The startup works with creators to help them develop and publish games on platforms like Fortnite. AdvertisementA startup that has created a gaming studio for emerging and smaller creators has secured $4.5 million in seed funding. Los Angeles-based Look North World, which launched in 2023, bills itself as a "gaming ecosystem" for user-generated content creators and is already profitable, CEO Alexander Seropian told Business Insider in an interview. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Alexander Seropian Organizations: Service, Los, Business Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Jarvis, a London fintech startup that helps simplify pensions, has raised $2.3 million using this 11-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewJarvis, a London-based fintech startup in the pensions space, has raised $2.3 million in funding. Founded in 2022, Jarvis allows employees to visualize, manage, and invest in both personal and workplace pensions in different "jars." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. "I've built my own life on the concept of freedom and I wanted to do the same for pensions with Jarvis," Royden Greaves, CEO at Jarvis, told Business Insider. Jarvis lets users with existing workplace pensions transfer their holdings to the platform, offering pre-made or custom investment options for auto-enrolled employees or self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) in the UK.

Persons: —, Jarvis, Royden Greaves, Greaves Organizations: Service, Business, Ascension VC, Cornerstone VC, Tokio Marine Future Locations: London

☆ Exclusive: AI coding startup Anysphere is raising a new funding round with at least a $400 million valuation from A16z
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Sri Muppidi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A16z is investing in Anysphere at a valuation of at least $400 million, sources say. Anysphere's investors include OpenAI Startup Fund, Sequoia Capital, and BoxGroup. AdvertisementAnysphere, a startup creating an AI code editor called Cursor, is raising a new funding round with at least a valuation of $400 million from A16z, Business Insider has learned. Founded in 2022, Anysphere last raised $8 million in seed funding at a valuation of $56.5 million, according to PitchBook data. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Anysphere, Nat Friedman, Arash Ferdowsi Organizations: OpenAI, Sequoia Capital, Service, OpenAI Startup, Business Locations: Anysphere, A16z

☆ Iconic AI, a London-based game development startup, just raised $4 million using this 10-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Iconic AI, which aims to change AAA game development, raised $4 million in pre-seed funding. Iconic wants to use AI to expedite development, the cost and scale of which has "ballooned," its CEO said. AdvertisementIconic AI, a London-based video game developer, has raised $4 million in pre-seed funding. Founded in 2023, Iconic wants to change "AAA game" development: major titles produced by larger developers. Iconic CEO John Lusty told Business Insider that developers' business models were under threat as "development has ballooned" in size.

Persons: HodlCo, —, John Lusty Organizations: AAA, FOV Ventures, Service, Business Locations: London

☆ AI tools and startups are helping workers bluff their way through job interviews. Just don't call it cheating.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Read previewMichael Guan wants you to use AI to bluff your way through that job interview. He's the cofounder and CEO of Final Round AI, a startup building artificial intelligence-powered tools for job seekers. There's a debate in Silicon Valley about the appropriateness of candidates using AI in job interviews. An AI-powered proxy interview demoArjun, a professional interview proxy, hopped on a call to explain how it worked and then gave a demo. Guan argued that using AI during a job interview isn't underhanded; it shows the worker's ingenuity.

Persons: —, Michael Guan, Otter.ai, There's, Guan shrugged, Otter, it's, Arjun, AiApply, Aidan Cramer, Cramer, Buddy, that's, résumé, Guan, Jay Ma, Copilot, Ma Organizations: Service, Business, AWS, Google, Microsoft, Hub, Intel, Nvidia, Wayback, Bureau of Labor Statistics, YouTube Locations: Silicon Valley, Facebook, WhatsApp, London, San Francisco, Francisco, China, Seattle, TikTok

☆ Tracebit, a London-based cybersecurity startup, raised $5 million from Accel, using this 10 slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Tracebit has raised $5 million in seed funding to enhance cloud security solutions. Founded in 2022, Tracebit uses threat deception techniques to detect cloud security risks. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementTracebit, a London-based cybersecurity startup, has raised $5 million in seed funding. Tracebit, cofounded in 2020 by the former head of engineering of security startup Tessian, uses threat deception techniques to identify security risks in the cloud.

Persons: Tracebit, — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: London

☆ A sports startup shares the key pitch deck slides that helped raise the first $7 million for its athlete streaming and e-commerce platform
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Tiara White | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewSocial-commerce platform Millions is trying to change how athletes make money from their names, images, and likenesses, from the professional to the collegiate level. He thought an e-commerce platform could help them. "Millions is an e-commerce and streaming platform built for athletes to connect with their fans," said Whitteker. Whitteker shared key slides from the pitch deck Millions used to raise the early funding. Here are 29 key pitch-deck slides Millions used to raise its $7 million seed round:

Persons: —, Matt Whitteker, Whitteker, Joe Rogan, Valentina Shevchenko, Bryce Mitchell, Bruce Buffer Organizations: Service, Business, UFC, Shopify

☆ Uncaged Innovations is developing a sustainable leather alternative. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck it used to raise $5.6 million.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Uncaged Innovations has raised $5.6 million in seed funding. Founded in 2020, the startup develops plastic-free leather using grains and plant proteins. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck used to secure the fresh funds. Founded in 2020, the startup develops animal and plastic-free leather, and is the world's first company to develop the material from grains. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Stephanie Downs Organizations: Service, Business Locations: York

☆ See the 14-page pitch deck Jukin Media vets used to raise $4 million to disrupt travel media
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThree leaders of digital publisher Jukin Media, known for making videos like Pizza Rat go viral, have teamed up again, this time on a creator-driven travel media company called Lost iN. Brothers Jonathan and Mike Skogmo, and Anton Reut, built Jukin Media before it was sold in 2021 to Trusted Media Brands, parent of Reader's Digest. Skogmo acknowledged that his idea to start a media company raised some eyebrows. It's working with Rob Levy of Digital Media Capital Advisors to acquire other travel-related companies in areas like consumer products and media. Skogmo said he was inspired by media companies like Epic Gardening and Betches that have built fandoms and make money in various ways.

Persons: —, BDMI, Chris Williams, George Strompolos, Erik Huberman, David Alpert, Kevin Gould, Richard Wolbert, Matthew Rutler, Jonathan, Mike Skogmo, Anton Reut, Jonathan Skogmo, Condé, Skogmo, Rob Levy, It's Organizations: Service, Jukin Media, MaC Venture Capital, Pitbull Ventures, Hawke Media, Kombo Ventures, Business, Trusted Media Brands, Reader's, Digital Media Capital Advisors Locations: Croatia

But, not all AI startups are created equal. AdvertisementBusiness Insider surveyed nine VCs who invest in AI startups at firms like Bain Capital Ventures, Flybridge, and Sapphire Ventures. Startups building AI's "picks and shovels" are a better bet than yet another LLMStep aside, OpenAI and Anthropic. In contrast, unstructured data encompasses various formats such as text documents, images, audio files, emails, social media posts, and videos. Some AI investors say they're shying away from point solutions—think online payment processing or project management—in favor of full-stack solutions.

Persons: —, Harvey, Navin Chaddha, Chip Hazard, they're, Kahini Shah, there's, Rak Garg, Garg, Shah, Lauri Moore, Moore, Chaddha, Capital's Moore, she's Organizations: Service, Accel, Business, Bain Capital Ventures, Flybridge, Sapphire Ventures, Google, Meta, Mayfield Fund, Flybridge Capital Partners, Obvious, Investors, Obvious Ventures, Foundation, Dig Ventures Locations: Mayfield, Hazard, Flybridge

☆ Exclusive: A16z-backed Knownwell is buying AI-powered Alfie Health to supercharge its obesity care
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With that market shaking out this year, one obesity care startup just scooped up another. Knownwell, which provides obesity-centered primary care and weight management, has acquired Y Combinator startup Alfie Health, Business Insider has learned exclusively. But many investors leaned away from backing obesity care startups as the virtual prescription-focused model clashed with medication shortages. AdvertisementKnownwell has taken a different approach to weight management, with in-person providers alongside its virtual care services, and primary care in addition to obesity care. Alfie HealthGetting obesity care rightBoyarsky Pratt founded Knownwell alongside Dr. Angela Fitch, the president of the Obesity Medicine Association and the former associate director of Massachusetts General Hospital's weight care center.

Persons: —, Alfie, Alexander Singh, Ozempic, Knownwell, It's, Andreessen Horowitz, Alfie Health, Y Combinator, Nina Capital, Brooke Boyarsky Pratt, Boyarsky Pratt, it's, Angela Fitch, Vineeta, Kindbody, Agarwala Organizations: Service, Health, Business, Alfie Health, Knownwell, Flare Capital Partners, Nina, Obesity Medicine Association, Massachusetts, Oak, Carbon Health Locations: WeightWatchers, Plenty, Needham , Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Dallas, Minneapolis

☆ Tandem, a Swedish AI healthcare startup, just used this 14-slide deck to raise $9.5 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Tandem, an AI healthcare startup, has raised $9.5 million in seed funding. The startup uses AI to help clinicians reduce admin time, aiding efficiency. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementTandem, an AI-powered healthcare startup, has raised $9.5 million in seed funding. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Lukas Saari Organizations: Service, McKinsey, Business Locations: Nordic

☆ This startup wants to create software in minutes using AI. Here's the 11-slide pitch deck Proofs used to raise $2.6 million in funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewProofs, a startup that builds software using AI agents, has raised $2.6 million in pre-seed funding. The startup, based in San Francisco and Warsaw, is utilizing AI to speed up the process of developing proof-of-concept software for companies. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Proof claims that using AI agents can drastically reduce the time taken to develop custom software to minutes at a much-reduced cost compared to traditional processes. Advertisement"Every year you have around $700 billion of software being sold, but unlike out-of-the-box SaaS products, the bar to build and integrate customized software is higher," Pucek told Business Insider.

Persons: —, Bartek, Pucek Organizations: Service, Business, EarlyBird, Expeditions Fund, RTP Global Locations: San Francisco, Warsaw

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