How Lightspeed found its newest hire … via Instagram DM
Lightspeed partners Josh Machiz and Claire Zau stopped by the Equity studio to talk about the strategies behind their growing social media presence and their podcast, Lightwork.
Equity
This startup thinks robotics is about to have its ChatGPT moment
General Intuition is betting millions of hours of video game data can train the foundation models for physical AI, making it easier to build smarter robots with minimal real-world data.
Why Andrew Yang is building instead of waiting for Washington
Andrew Yang’s 2020 presidential campaign was based on a warning that automation and AI would hollow out the labor market and concentrate wealth in the hands of a few. At the time, ideas like Universal Basic Income felt fringe. Now Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Bernie Sanders are all saying versions of the same thing. An entrepreneur at heart, […]
The most interesting startups right now want to get you off your phone
While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck creators are going viral crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the AI-free browser crowd, this doesn’t just feel like backlash, […]
What happens when companies become too AI-pilled?
The people deciding that AI can replace your job are also the ones least likely to understand what your job truly involves, according to Box founder Aaron Levie, who pointed to this as an example of “AI psychosis.” Indeed, ClickUp recently cut 22% of its workforce for AI agents, tech layoffs in 2026 are already nearly matching all of 2025, […]
Fusion power may not be sci-fi. Just ask the people who sunk $5B into it.
Fusion energy has been “20 years away” for decades, but has the science finally caught up? Private investment in fusion companies surged from $10 billion to $15 billion in just months, and the money is coming from places you wouldn’t expect. Watch as Rebecca Bellan and guest host Tim De Chant sit down with Rachel Slaybaugh, general partner at DCVC on this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. The trio breaks […]
The AI gold rush is pulling private wealth into riskier, earlier bets
On a recent episode of Equity, we talked to Arena Private Wealth to explore a growing trend: family offices bypassing VCs to gain direct exposure to AI startups, turning them from passive investors into active participants.
What happened at Nvidia GTC: NemoClaw, Robot Olaf, and a $1 trillion bet
CEO Jensen Huang took the stage at Nvidia’s GTC conference this week in his signature leather jacket to deliver a two-and-a-half-hour keynote, projecting $1 trillion in AI chip sales through 2027, declaring that every company needs an “OpenClaw strategy,” and closing with a rambling Olaf robot that had to get its mic cut. The message was hard to miss: Nvidia […]
PopSockets founder David Barnett talks about building a viral business
David Barnett, founder of PopSocket, stops by Equity to talk about scaling the business and what he’s learned as a leader.
AI companies are spending millions to thwart this former tech exec’s congressional bid
A tech billionaire-backed super PAC is spending $125 million to undercut candidates pushing for AI regulation. New York’s Alex Bores, a former tech executive himself, is one of them.