Angela Costa Simoes

Startup radar time! We’re back with another spotlight on startups making moves in Seattle: Govstream.ai, led by Safouen (Saf) Rabah, is using artificial intelligence to help government leaders improve the permitting and urban development process. Integrate, led by John Conafay, aims to help companies streamline program management for hardware development. Sound Games, led by Mike Schmid, is developing video games and “other things related to making games." Tamnoon, led by Marina S., offers a cloud security software platform boosted by AI. Yara AI, led by Joe Braidwood, uses advanced language models and deep memory features to help customers boost mental wellness. Read more about the startups and their leaders here: https://lnkd.in/gVi3KpgK

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A couple of weeks ago a journalist at our national broadcaster did a long piece on driverless taxis in San Francisco. While the piece played up on peoples' fears and asked if you'd feel safe in one, they never provided any safety data comparing driverless vehicles to those driven by people. I managed to reach them on Twitter and here's is what they said: "I agree that data is important. Unfortunately, there are no independent studies available. The only data is provided by robotaxis operators. One example from Waymo here (below)." I can't say how accurate these Waymo numbers are but they certainly sound impressive. I'm left with two questions. 1) If the driverless car operators' number are this good why don't they provide complete open access to their live numbers with independent researchers/journalists? 2) I'd be curious to know the number of accidents that are seen for every mile or hour of driving that have been recorded for human driven vehicles. And specifically, how do these numbers compare with those of the operators' claims. Insurance companies must have this information and feel more or less confident on insuring driverless car companies vs. people. At some point, if the driverless cars are truly that much better this should become a simple decision. https://lnkd.in/g6g3PqCa

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 Although "faster" often seems better, some of today’s biggest tech players are taking a surprising approach: 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Companies like OpenAI, Tesla, Waymo, and Boston Dynamics are opting to roll out groundbreaking technologies at a measured pace, balancing profit motives with societal readiness and ethical responsibility. Why are they doing this? It’s not just about reducing risk. The strategy of slowing down—through premium pricing, collaboration with regulators, and targeted early access—helps these companies refine their products, earn public trust, and ease consumers into major lifestyle shifts. In my latest article, I explore: 👉The role of high prices in limiting early access and gathering feedback 👉How regulatory frameworks prevent market overwhelm and support safer integration 👉Why consumer readiness is essential for tech adoption across sectors Real-world examples from the automotive, robotics, healthcare, and consumer electronics industries highlight a fascinating truth: responsible innovation isn’t just good ethics—it’s smart business. Let’s discuss: Have you seen this approach in action in your field? Do you think slower innovation is the key to a smoother future? 🚀 Read the full article to dive deeper into this essential balance between progress and responsibility: https://lnkd.in/dfBY_FFA #InnovationStrategy #DisruptiveTechnology #FutureOfTech #ResponsibleInnovation #TechEthics #BusinessStrategy #AutonomousVehicles #Robotics #ArtificialIntelligence #SustainableGrowth #TechTrends #InnovationLeadership #ConsumerBehavior #DigitalTransformation #RegulatoryCompliance #PacingInnovation

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The funding landscape for founders has been tough over the past two years—but for female founders, it's been even tougher. At Fierce Foundry, we're stepping up to change that. Like the trailblazing organizations How Women Invest and WE Global Studios, we’re fueling the flywheel of female investment. Our innovative approach isn’t just about making noise—it’s about making measurable impact. Join me at my info session today (and every other week - register via the link below) to learn how you can help drive meaningful change for female founders. Let’s make it happen! 🌟 https://lnkd.in/e9FUg9Uj

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If anyone is in North County San Diego, on Thursday May 2nd, we will be hosting a tech entrepreneur and investor meet up at 5:30pm. We’ll have a couple speakers, one of which is a fin-tech start-up raising a round, followed up by a presentation on the state of the stock & crypto market. We host these events quarterly and usually get a lot of founders and investors to attend. If anyone is interested, please message me and I can send you the details. LaunchPad San Diego #startups #startupincubator #entrepreneur #investing #crypto #meetup

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The Token Wars of the chip startups. Why the fight for the fastest inference will influence the future of AI. „Today, Cerebras, SambaNova, and Groq are all delivering over 1,000 tokens per second, and the “token wars” have revved up considerably. At the end of August, Cerebras claimed it had launched the “world’s fastest AI inference” at 1,800 tokens per second, and last week Cerebras said it had beaten that record and become the “first hardware of any kind” to exceed 2,000 tokens per second on one of Meta’s Llama models. “ „AI models are quickly being used to power far more complex applications than just chat.“ Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman simplifies why: „Nobody’s going to build a business on an application that makes you sit around and wait“. A piece by Sharon Goldman at Fortune. https://lnkd.in/eMs7Pxux

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San Francisco's political landscape is taking an innovative turn as mayor-elect Dan Lurie appoints OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to his transition team. This strategic move signals a fresh approach to bridging the gap between city government and the tech sector at a crucial time for San Francisco. What makes this particularly noteworthy is how it represents a shift in how cities might leverage tech leadership to address urban challenges - from public safety to economic revitalization. The inclusion of both Altman and former Twitter CFO Ned Segal suggests a deliberate strategy to reconnect with the tech community while maintaining the city's position as a global innovation hub. Key developments to watch: ▶️ How this tech-government partnership influences public safety initiatives ▶️ Impact on downtown revitalization efforts ▶️ Response from other tech leaders and companies ▶️ Potential new policies to attract and retain tech talent ▶️ Balance between innovation and traditional urban governance https://lnkd.in/gMJ3yvk9

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🚀 San Francisco: Still the Undisputed Tech Capital of the World Despite headlines suggesting otherwise, new research from SignalFire reveals that San Francisco's tech scene is not just alive—it's thriving. Here's why SF remains the epicenter of innovation: 📊 Key Findings: - SF dominates in tech talent and capital concentration - The Bay Area has more big-tech engineers than the next 10 markets combined - SF, East Bay, and Silicon Valley have more top startup engineers and VC-backed startups than Seattle, New York, and Austin combined - 26% of seed or Series A rounds from top VCs are in SF, with numbers rising since 2022 🧠 AI Boom: San Francisco's lead is even more pronounced in AI, cementing its position as the "epicenter of the new AI gold rush." 💼 Startup Haven: Y Combinator startups increasingly choose SF as their home base, especially in AI. 🌉 Why SF? - Unparalleled concentration of tech talent - Proximity to VCs, clients, and other entrepreneurs - Resurgence of in-person networking and collaboration 💡 The Big Picture: While other cities are growing their tech sectors, SF's lead "looks unlikely to be challenged any time soon." The city's tech ecosystem creates a flywheel effect that continues to attract talent and capital. https://lnkd.in/gCnPCBRU

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WAYMO -- WAYCOOL or GHOST RIDER? If you preside in San Francisco, Santa Monica or Phoenix you are now seeing driverless Waymo taxies making their way through town on an ever-increasing basis. The network is expanding, and I can honestly say that in the Santa Monica / West Los Angeles area I have not driven anywhere in the last two months without seeing one of them on the road every time. In fact, sometimes they are so prevalent that there might be three in a row waiting at a stop light. It still is kind of spooky seeing cars moving around with no driver, or anyone for that matter, in the front seat. It's not exactly the same as the Headless Horseman but it does conjure up that image in my imagination. I have not taken a ride in one, but several family members have and report their satisfaction. Waymo is a division of Alphabet (GOOGL). I have not seen any visible evidence of General Motors (GM) Cruise vehicles which I understand are still being road tested, while Tesla (TSLA) has been projecting their autonomous vehicle vision for some time. For now, Tesla seems to be behind but that could change quickly. GM is likely to use their own branded vehicles, and it would seem that Tesla will likely do the same. However, Waymo technology could be outfitted on any cars. That seems like a big advantage, staying out of the car business and just being like the "Intel/Microsoft" inside personal computers which is a much higher margin business. There has been a lot of noise in the business journals and chat rooms about a Waymo initial public offering but nothing from Alphabet itself. They recently concluded a $5.6 billion investment round; see TechCrunch post below. The autonomous race is on, and it will be expanding rapidly from here on out. I just wonder if we will ever see an autonomous police vehicle stop a wayward autonomous taxi and write it up for some violation as yet unknown. Will traffic school be an option? #waymo, #autonomousvehicles, #selfdrivingcars, #GM, #Generalmotors, #tesla, #Investing, #business,

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NEW: Ex-TuSimple CEO and cofounder launches a new robot truck startup Xiaodi Hou, the cofounder and CTO behind the failed startup TuSimple, is making another attempt to master robotic trucking. His new company just raised $20 million from venture investors and aims to launch commercial operations next year. Houston-based Bot Auto plans to operate autonomous semis on highway routes in Texas, hauling freight between warehouses and logistics facilities in Houston and San Antonio. Unlike San Diego-based TuSimple, which delisted shares early this year after a major implosion, the new company will own and operate its trucks directly rather than provide autonomous cargo-hauling technology as a service, Hou said. #selfdriving #trucking

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Introducing Stephan Little, a pioneer in entrepreneurship, investment, and mergers and acquisitions, who will be joining the AI Panel at the California Investment Forum in Anaheim, CA, on May 8-11. Steve's journey as a serial entrepreneur began at a young age, and he has since scaled six startups to private nine-figure acquisitions and raised over $2 billion in startup and growth funding for businesses across various industries. As the founder and managing director of Zero Limits Ventures and Zero Limits Capital, Steve has become renowned for generating accelerated value growth and delivering extraordinary acquisition value multiples for his portfolio companies and clients. With a keen eye for unique opportunities and a track record of identifying untapped potential, Steve has mastered the art of spotting valuation growth where others may not. In this introduction video, Steve highlighted the transformative power of AI in three distinct areas. Firstly, he touched on the creation and development of AI and generative tools, which are reshaping industries. Secondly, he delved into AI's practical applications within enterprises, emphasizing how integrating AI can dramatically enhance productivity and growth, ultimately increasing value for entrepreneurs. The third area Steve discussed was the middle ground of AI implementation, which presents an exciting opportunity for companies lacking in-house expertise. This gap in the market suggests a burgeoning demand for external AI knowledge and solutions, which can rapidly propel a company forward. AI is accelerating at an extraordinary pace and significantly impacting market dynamics. As an "older statesman" in the tech world, Steve expressed his excitement about being part of this "big bubble" of innovation. Join us at the California Investment Forum to hear Steve's insights and expertise on AI deployment, bridging the gap between generic AI models and task-specific enterprise applications. Learn how we can harness the power of AI to drive competitiveness, efficiency, and growth, improve productivity, and enhance business values in the next decade. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's most respected visionaries and game-changers. #AI #CIF Daniel Sieu Darlene Bryant (Chiu)

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General Motors is shutting down Cruise. The path forward is tele-operations like we are launching at Upshift. Join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/gemiY4Sh Way cheaper, easier to regulate, can scale everywhere today. Article on the wind down of Cruise: https://lnkd.in/gVAAF-sM

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How do we design funding mechanisms that are regenerative and built to last? In the latest Rehash episode, Sophia Dew from Celo Foundation joins me to talk about what blockchain enables for public goods funding, frameworks for designing regenerative onchain funding apps, and what it takes to build and maintain a layer 2 blockchain. Tune into our full conversation at the links below:

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Waymo's recent doubling of its paid ride volume is an impressive business result. But what does the feat say about the state of the self-driving industry? And how does Waymo stack up against self-driving rivals like Tesla, and ride-hailing giants like Uber? We dive into these questions on the latest episode of TWIST

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Exciting news from INJECTIVE! They have introduced #inSVM (formerly Cascade), the first Solana SVM rollup for the IBC ecosystem. This groundbreaking development allows Solana developers to effortlessly deploy contracts and dApps onto Injective. #Injective #Solana

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From 2017 - 2021, I lead growth efforts for Southern California’s largest innovation lab, Toolbox LA. 🚀 It was HQ for MiLA Capital, an early-stage hardware fund investing in tech you can touch. 🤖 I was fortunate to have amazing leaders who believed in my abilities and let me experiment. They also took the time to teach me new concepts about project management and finance. This was critical to our success. Without exceptional leaders, it's really hard to scale anything successfully. I feel so fortunate to have worked for smart, kind, and thoughtful investors who taught me so much. Thank you, Noramay Cadena, Carmen Palafox, and Shaun Arora for all that you've done to help my career. Here are some results I achieved through strategic marketing initiatives around customer acquisition (we had 2 business models: monthly membership fees and event space booking fees) 🚀 Grew memberships and revenue within the 24 months of operation from $4,000 to $35,000 MRR 🚀 Maintained a sales pipeline of over $500k in leads utilizing the HubSpot CRM system 🚀 Leveraged new and emerging industry-related digital channels (Peerspace, LiquidSpace, Croissant) for brand awareness and $150k in lead generation 🚀 Worked with LA Mayor Eric Garcetti’s team to launch Toolbox LA in tandem with LA’s Manufacturing Week, resulting in over 1000+ RSVPs, media coverage, and a continuation of successful government relationships 🚀 Launched First Fridays, a monthly event series showcasing local artisans, small businesses, creatives, and DTC brands There was a lot more we accomplished, but those achievements are the ones I am most proud of. Reflecting on this time, I am incredibly grateful for the ability to experiment. Freedom and trust within an organization are key to sustainable growth. We also had a major advantage in our value proposition: we were the only innovation lab in Southern California with open, community access to a full maker space, wet lab, and coworking amenities. I learned so much about product prototyping from the members and portfolio companies. I wish I could tell you this place still existed, but we were one of the unfortunate consequences of the pandemic. We shut down in January 2021. Now, it serves as home to Machina Labs, which is doing some truly innovative work in AI and manufacturing. I still use the Toolbox LA mantra when tackling hard problems: "Wake up, kick ass, repeat" This is just one chapter in my 16 years of experience in marketing, community building, and partnerships. Would you like to learn more about customer acquisition strategies? The RAR Studio is now accepting applications for Cohort 2 of Founder Bootcamp. You'll get to learn all my tips and tricks. And you'll also get 1:1 strategy sessions each week. Apply now: https://bit.ly/4aRHzF8 Would love to hear from anyone who's building something interesting and chat about growth strategies! #marketing #community #innovation #growth #leadership

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