Fred Thiel

📈 Top Public AI Stocks for April 2024 - ClearOne Inc. (CLRO): A company specializing in audio, video, and web conferencing applications. Their AI configuration and control software, Console, is gaining attention. 🎙️💻 - B.O.S. Better Online Solutions (BOSC): Focused on supply chain and inventory solutions, BOSC’s Intelligent Robotics division incorporates AI technology. 🤖📦 - Opera Ltd. (OPRA): Known for designing web browsers, Opera has integrated ChatGPT and free VPN functionality into its browsers. 🌐🔒 Remember to consider your investment strategy based on value, growth, and momentum! 💡📊 #AI #Investing https://lnkd.in/gPWFe4PF

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The Wall Street Journal has a great article of how #BigTech is skirting regulators at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by “licensing,” struggling #AI companies that have raised “Billions of dollars,” to bail out investors where the companies themselves can’t last long enough to build a business. While this is obviously great for #venturecapitalists and #employees how long is it until some lawyers sues on behalf of the shareholders at Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and of course Google? All of these firms are following Microsoft’s with inflexion.ai where they #license and then recruit the team as part of the deal. What do you think? #management #venturecapital #privateequity #capitalmarkets #aifinance https://lnkd.in/gKTtJh83

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How To Assess Product-Market Compatibility, as discussed by a16z & Sequoia Capital. Discover more at https://buff.ly/4bJnqSi Gain insights into determining the fit between your product and the market with expertise from leading venture capital firms. #ProductMarketFit #StartupInsights

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https://lnkd.in/guEpn2fF Just wanted to comment on this highly ethical standard by which to abide by. Take a look. It is something that we here at HLC live by each and every day. I am referring to each and every principle listed here. Take a look it's definitely worth a read if you're in the VC arena. Even if you're not it's a standard by which everyone should be familiar with. It's things like this that make the world a better place to live and if everyone did business this way then imagine the possibilities of this tremendous world we live in?

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https://lnkd.in/dDGfRVai "The amendments can be broken down into five core components, and while they don’t actively advance the fortunes of AI companies, they do make their lives easier. For example, one amendment will replace criminal penalties for perjury with civil ones, meaning the act now invokes no criminal charges for any violation and the legal repercussions of stepping out of line are significantly reduced.  The amended bill now also cuts the Attorney General’s ability to seek civil penalties “unless a harm has occurred or there is an imminent threat to public safety.” The amended bill makes the Attorney General’s office the main regulatory body for AI, rather than an originally proposed state regulatory body."

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Just finished reading "The Next Giant Leap" by Space Capital - a pioneering VC investing in the emerging Space Economy. The report speaks to how SpaceX’s Starship is more than just the most powerful rocket ever built—it is poised to reshape the global space economy in profound ways. With its immense payload capacity, reusable design, and lower cost per launch, Starship will unlock entirely new industries and transform existing business models. But how should industries and businesses evolve to align with this paradigm shift? 📈 Rethinking Business Strategies & Supply Chains - For businesses, Starship represents an era of mass-production over precision engineering. This means moving away from the focus on mass efficiency toward cost-effective, redundant, and scalable production. - In terms of supply chains, this opens opportunities for new players in manufacturing, materials, and space components. The demand for off-the-shelf parts and non-aerospace suppliers will rise dramatically. 💡 New Use Cases & Opportunities   The opportunities Starship unlocks go beyond launching satellites. - In-space manufacturing of high-value products like pharmaceuticals and advanced materials that cannot be created on Earth. - Mega-constellations of satellites for global broadband, expanding on what Starlink has already begun. - In-orbit assembly and servicing, allowing for larger space structures like telescopes or even habitats to be built in orbit, radically reducing costs. - Lunar infrastructure and resource extraction will become more viable, paving the way for sustainable human presence on the Moon and, eventually, Mars. 📊 What Should Businesses Do Now?   1. Embrace Redundancy & Scale – Instead of focusing on one-off, high-cost solutions, businesses should embrace redundancy and mass production.    2. Simplify Design – With Starship’s payload capacity, there is less pressure to optimize for mass efficiency. Simplified, scalable designs will allow for faster production and iteration cycles, akin to how SpaceX rapidly tests and evolves Starship itself. 3. Develop Strategic Partnerships – Collaborating with forward-thinking space startups, suppliers, and even non-aerospace sectors will be essential to capitalize on the opportunities Starship provides. 🌌 A New Era of Innovation   Starship will democratize access to space, lowering the barriers for businesses to create and scale. The next decade will witness breakthroughs in scientific exploration, energy production, and in-space transportation that we can only begin to imagine today. #SpaceEconomy #Starship #Innovation #SupplyChain #Manufacturing #SpaceTech #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfSpace https://lnkd.in/gNdbwXdq

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The emergence of a large number of small venture funds may indicate that the venture industry is transitioning to a new stage of development. I believe this is an encouraging signal for micro-startups: they are more likely to catch the attention of these micro-funds, increasing their chances of securing early-stage funding and support.

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🌟Innovative VC Firm Overcomes Exits Drought with Secondary Sales🌟 ⛵Navigating a challenging landscape where exits are scarce, Santa Barbara Venture Partners (SBVP) has pioneered a novel approach to sustain its growth and attract investors for its second fund: secondary sales. Instead of waiting for traditional exits like IPOs or acquisitions, SBVP opted to sell shares of its portfolio companies, demonstrating its ability to generate returns for investors and stand out in a competitive market. 🎤According to Dan Engel, founder and managing partner of SBVP, these secondary transactions have been a game-changer, sparking investor interest and bolstering the firm's credibility. By leveraging its recent successes, including a lucrative stake in sports-betting company DraftKings Inc.' acquisition of digital lottery app Jackpocket, SBVP seized the opportunity to return profits to its limited partners (LPs) and pave the way for its second fund. 💡Engel highlighted the challenges faced by young VC firms in raising subsequent funds, particularly amid a downturn in exit activity and heightened investor scrutiny. With traditional exit routes becoming increasingly elusive, the pressure is on for firms to demonstrate tangible returns and establish a track record of success. ✨"For us, secondary sales have been a game-changer. They've helped us return profits to our LPs and attract investors for our second fund," said Dan Engel. 💰For SBVP, the decision to pursue secondary sales was driven by the need to provide liquidity to LPs and validate its investment thesis in the eyes of prospective investors. By strategically offloading portions of its holdings in high-performing portfolio companies like Bark Technologies and Rad AI, SBVP not only generated substantial returns but also bolstered investor confidence in its ability to deliver results. ⚠Despite the complexities and potential stigma associated with early share sales, Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing investor returns and seizing opportunities to unlock value for stakeholders. With a focus on profitability and transparency, SBVP remains committed to its mission of delivering sustainable growth and maximizing returns for its LPs. 🔍 "Returning profits to our investors is our top priority. By strategically selling shares, we're proving our commitment to delivering results and driving value for our stakeholders," added Engel. As SBVP continues to explore secondary transactions and expand its investor base, the firm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience in the face of market challenges. 🚀 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VCInnovation #SecondarySalesSuccess #InvestorReturns #ValueCreation 

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What if you want more details about funding rounds (e.g. for comparisons)? See the original source of funding news on shipshape.vc We aggregate data from the web to save you time, and we've just released a feature that lets you read the original news story. #capitalraising #startups #fundraising #founders #venturecapital #investors #vc #vcfunding #technology #startup #tech

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Cornami, Inc. CEO Walden C. ( Wally ) Rhines will provide a keynote at 9/9 Kisaco Research event on next innovation wave in generative AI: Private LLMs. The rise of private Large Language Models (LLMs) represents a significant next phase in the growth of generative AI, as organizations seek to leverage advanced AI capabilities while maintaining control over their data and customization needs. Private LLMs enable companies to build proprietary models fine-tuned to specific industries, processes, or use cases without relying on third-party cloud services, ensuring data privacy and compliance. As generative AI becomes more integral to business operations, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, manufacturing, government, and law, where data sensitivity is paramount, private models provide organizations with greater flexibility and security. This trend aligns with the growing demand for specialized, domain-specific LLMs tailored to unique workflows and datasets. Major tech companies along with some extraordinary new startups are leading the charge in facilitating private LLM adoption. OpenAI, for example, offers enterprise solutions allowing businesses to customize and deploy GPT models on-premises or within dedicated cloud environments, ensuring tighter control over data. Microsoft, a key partner of OpenAI, has integrated Azure OpenAI Service to provide businesses with private deployment options. Additionally, Google and Meta are focusing on developing LLM platforms such as Google Cloud's Vertex AI and Meta's LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI), which allow enterprises to fine-tune models on their own infrastructure while leveraging advanced capabilities for text generation, summarization, and more. This shift towards private LLMs is part of a broader industry movement towards democratizing AI while addressing concerns over data sovereignty, security, and model ownership. By empowering businesses to deploy generative AI models within secure, customizable environments, Cornami, Inc. is positioning itself as an enabler of the next wave of AI-driven innovation. Gordon (Gordie) A. Campbell, Jan Geldmacher, Alexander Fortmüller, John Wei, PhD. MBA, Pankaj K., Quinn Li, Yatish Mishra, Bindu Madhavan, Heejin Chung https://lnkd.in/g2Rttm2p

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https://lu.ma/gedw1srz event this upcoming Wed on embodied AI: come see robodog demos and hear Keith Adams , Jan Liphardt , Casey K. Caruso and more discuss where AI, robotics, and crypto intersect!

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Industry experts call for tailored AI rules in post-election UK

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https://lnkd.in/dn5xWPZT "The company declined to share its valuation but sources close to the matter said it was valued at $5 billion.The funding underlines how some investors are still willing to make outsized bets on exceptional talent focused on foundational AI research. That's despite a general waning in interest towards funding such companies which can be unprofitable for some time, and which has caused several startup founders to leave their posts for tech giants." "Investors included top venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global and SV Angel. NFDG, an investment partnership run by Nat Friedman and SSI's Chief Executive Daniel Gross, also participated. "It's important for us to be surrounded by investors who understand, respect and support our mission, which is to make a straight shot to safe superintelligence and in particular to spend a couple of years doing R&D on our product before bringing it to market," Gross said in an interview." "Sutskever, 37, is one of the most influential technologists in AI. He co-founded SSI in June with Gross, who previously led AI initiatives at Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab , and Daniel Levy, a former OpenAI researcher."

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In 2024, 28 U.S. AI startups have raised $100M or more, underscoring the growing investment in artificial intelligence across various sectors like generative AI, machine learning, and automation, and attracting significant interest from VCs and tech giants alike. #AIStartups #ArtificialIntelligence #TechInnovation #VentureCapital #AIRevolution #StartupFunding #AIinBusiness #MachineLearning https://lnkd.in/dqX23_Ps

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Physical Intelligence (PI): The Next Chapter in Human Innovation A fascinating new study from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Aidan Toner-Rodgers reveals the double-edged impact of AI in scientific innovation: While AI-assisted researchers from an R&D lab in a large U.S. firm discovered 44% more materials and increased patent filings by 39%, the benefits were dramatically uneven. Top scientists nearly doubled their output by effectively leveraging AI suggestions, while lower-performing researchers struggled with false positives. Most strikingly, 82% of scientists reported decreased job satisfaction, citing reduced creativity and skill underutilization. This study highlights the critical interplay between human expertise and AI in research, suggesting that successful AI integration requires not just technological implementation, but careful consideration of human factors. This paper highlights a crucial technological imbalance in our AI future. While AI-assisted scientists generated more potential new materials - humans are still needed to physically test and validate these suggestions in the lab. This exemplifies a broader pattern: software-based AI excels at creative and cognitive tasks, while we lack the robotic systems to automate physical work. Consider: ** In scientific research: AI can propose thousands of novel experiments but robots are still evolving reliably handle test tubes ** In manufacturing: AI can design innovative products but we still need humans for complex assembly ** In healthcare: AI can diagnose conditions but can't provide basic patient care ** In homes: AI can plan perfect recipes but can't load a dishwasher The bottleneck isn't algorithmic - it's mechanical. Until we develop sophisticated robotic systems that can reliably interact with the physical world, we're stuck in an odd middle ground: AI generates creative solutions at unprecedented speed, while humans become high-end "operators" - selecting, testing, and implementing the most promising AI suggestions. This is perhaps the greatest opportunity in technology today. While software AI has seen breakthrough after breakthrough, robotics represents the next great frontier. Imagine the possibilities when we can bridge this gap: - autonomous labs conducting millions of experiments, - manufacturing systems that can adapt and retool themselves, - healthcare robots providing 24/7 patient care. The companies and researchers who solve these complex challenges in robotics will unlock unprecedented potential across every industry. Full paper here: https://lnkd.in/gtcBGqVy #Robotics #FrontierTechnology #DeepTech #Innovation #EmbodiedAI #PhysicalIntelligence #PI

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5 Strategies To Future-Proof Your Startup! The startup ecosystem continued to demonstrate distress in the first half of 2024, with no signs of recovery to pre-pandemic levels of funding and exit activity. Startup Genome, renowned for its comprehensive database of startup trends and analysis, recently released its 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report. The report reveals a subpar performance in startup funding and exits, citing deceleration in funding rounds and lackluster exit performances with a 47% value decrease since 2022. Lauren Perkins author and expert at scaling startups, explores how startups can future-proof their businesses in her latest book Think Like a Brand. Act Like a Startup. I spoke with the author to gather insights on how startups can navigate through market instability and future-proof their startup. Lauren shares, "75% of the founders I've worked with, tanked their startups because they can't create any stability. The whole culture gets very unstable and chaotic, and they have a lot of churn with people and customers." Future-proofing your startup requires a balanced approach that combines the strengths of established brands with the agility of startups. As Lauren Perkins illustrates in Think Like a Brand. Act Like a Startup, by integrating these elements, you can create a dynamic environment that supports sustainable growth and ensures your startup is well-equipped to navigate the challenges of the future. #startup https://lnkd.in/dzUmCKED

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