Equity

Latest Episodes:

DeepSeek: separating fact from hype Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

Today, we’re bringing you a bonus episode zeroing in on DeepSeek, the Chinese AI lab that’s recently taken over the news and the app stores, beating out OpenAI's ChatGPT. Max Zeff is talking about it all with Ion Stoica, Professor of Computer Science Division at UC Berkeley and the cofounder and executive chairman of software startup Databricks.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

Why Stoica believes the future of AI lies in "doubling down on open source."
Microsoft's decision to host DeepSeek on Azure.
What the U.S. can do to foster accelerated innovation – with a look back at SB-1047 and a look ahead to 2025.
The controversy surrounding claims that DeepSeek used OpenAI’s models to train its own.

Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here.

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DeepSeek lights a fire under Silicon Valley Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

DeepSeek, DeepSeek, DeepSeek. We couldn’t escape the headlines around the Chinese AI lab this week. The startup -- which claims to have built its models more efficiently and at a fraction of the cost of competitors -- lit a fire under Silicon Valley after releasing its R1 “reasoning” model and displacing ChatGPT as the App Store’s top app.

Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Margaux MacColl and Max Zeff are digging into the latest news, including the reactions from both tech giants and the U.S. government, which is increasingly concerned that China is pulling ahead in the AI arms race.

Listen to the full episode to also hear about:

Tesla earnings -- from promises made to robotaxi updates, and questions left unanswered. Don’t worry, Kirsten brought her bingo board if you want to play along.
Nucleus Genomics’ $14 million raise for DNA sequencing and analysis.
The demand for fusion, and Helion’s $425M raise to build its own fusion reactor for Microsoft.

Equity has a special DeepSeek deep dive on the way for those who want more, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Subscribe to us onApple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here.

Credits:Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget ‘Founder Mode,’ what about Customer Mode? Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

You might have noticed in your time online that a lot of the services and the websites that you’re using are kind of getting…worse. The good news, though, is that this means that there are different sectors that are ripe for disruption.

On today’s episode of Equity, Rebecca's joined by Ed Zitron —CEO of EZPR, host of the Better Offline podcast, and author of Why Everything Stopped Working—to dig into why this shift is happening and what it means for startups.

Listen to the full episode to hear the pair discuss:

Why it’s time to ditch ‘founder mode’ for what Ed calls ‘customer mode’ – a more sustainable, customer-first approach that beats the growth-at-all-costs mentality.
The opportunities Ed sees for startups in what he sees as a declining market
The long-term outlook for generative AI companies like OpenAI. (Note: this interview was recorded before the DeepSeek news broke, but don’t worry – Equity will have that update for you later in the week.)

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are founders positioning themselves for the next 4 years? Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Margaux MacColl and Anthony Ha are digging into the latest tech and startup news from inauguration week in the U.S., including the new administration’s approach to startups and the potential transparency challenges that come with it.

Listen to the full episode to hear about:

TikTok’s rapid return and which apps are waiting in the wings – just in case.
What is Stargate, and why are OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and others committing $100 billion to the project?
Why some shareholders are walking away from Divvy Homes’ acquisition with nothing.
The IPO market for 2025: Who’s planning to make their debut, and who’s reconsidering going public?

Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Credits:Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI's $100 billion impact: 2024’s venture capital surge and the road ahead for startups Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Today on Equity, Julie Bort sits down with Crunchbase News’ Senior Data Editor, Gené Teare, to dive deeper into the year’s slight growth in investment, which reached $314 billion, up from $304 billion in 2023. The pair explores how AI became a dominant force in the landscape. As Teare puts it, “Tech rides on bubbles. What bubbles tell you is that if everyone's putting dollars into a certain sector, it means there are very big outcomes coming.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

The surge of AI investment and what it signals for the future
The challenges startups face in raising capital, particularly in Series A
Regional concentration of venture funding, especially in the U.S.
What’s next for the IPO market as we look toward 2025

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

$200M woolly mammoths and a farewell to TikTok Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

The clock is set to run out on TikTok over the weekend, following the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the ban. So, what’s next for the video-sharing app’s 170 million U.S. users?

On today’s episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Margaux MacColl and Anthony Ha dive into the week’s biggest stories, including where all the ‘TikTok refugees’ are heading. Many are flocking to Chinese apps like RedNote and Lemon8, with some even turning to Duolingo to brush up on their Mandarin as they search for new digital homes.

Listen to the full episode to hear about:

How Maki and Synthesia are rethinking the recruitment process – and yes, it involves AI.
Colossal Biosciences’ colossal raise. Where will the woolly mammoths go? Did we learn nothing from Jurassic Park?
Powerset’s decentralized venture fund, and the challenges ahead for mid-size venture firms.
And finally, are we stepping into risky territory with AI companions, from falling in love with ChatGPT to making an AI chatbot say it loves you?

Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Credits:Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Social media should be built on protocols, not platforms,' according to Mastodon's CEO Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

Last week, Meta announced changes to its content moderation policy, including the removal of third-party fact-checking across its apps in favor of a crowdsourced community notes feature, similar to X.

Today on Equity, Rebecca Bellan caught up with Eugen Rochko, CEO of Mastodon, to explore what these changes mean for users and how decentralized social media platforms like Mastodon could offer a viable alternative to mainstream giants like Meta.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

Mastodon’s decision to transition to a non-profit in Europe
The challenges of implementing interoperability with platforms like TikTok -- which is set to “go dark” in the US over the weekend -- and the importance of user choice.
Which other decentralized platforms we should keep an eye on. (Hint: Pixelfed is in the mix.)

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here.

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We'd also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

$5B livestream shopping apps, Nvidia reveals, and the weirdest tech at CES Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

As CES 2025 comes to a close, TechCrunch’s Equity podcast hosts Kirsten Korosec, Margaux MacColl, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff are back on the mic to discuss the week's top news, the tech that caught their eye, and the companies still figuring out AI.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

What's driving Meta's push for “more speech, fewer mistakes” as it ends its third-party fact-checking program.
Livestream shopping app Whatnot's $265M raise, and which companies could be capitalizing on livestream shopping next.
Who is Peterson Conway, and why is he defense tech’s wildest power broker? Margaux couldn't wait to give us the inside scoop.
Kirsten and Max's full CES review, from robot-arm Roomba competitors to smart glasses, and what Nvidia's Project Digits could mean for future startups.

Equity will be back with a new expert interview on Wednesday, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Credits:Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank our illustrator, Bryce Durbin, and TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The future of AI on wheels, according to Jesse Levinson from Zoox Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

Today on Equity, we're taking you on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt for Kirsten Korosec's conversation with Zoox co-founder and CEO Jesse Levinson. The pair discuss building custom robotaxis, how Zoox's approach compares to that of Tesla, and the 'current and future landscape' of AI on wheels. It's also worth noting that Amazon-owned Zoox recently scooped up some of Tesla’s top talent, bringing on Zheng Gao late last month to lead hardware engineering.

Equity will be back on Friday with a full CES recap, so don't miss it!

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We'd also like to thank our illustrator, Bryce Durbin, and the TechCrunch audience development team.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robinhood’s 'comeback' and big plans for 2025 with co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev Jan 03, 2025

Show notes

Instead of our usual Friday news rundown, we’re bringing you a conversation about what Yahoo Finance dubbed the “comeback stock of the year” - Robinhood. TechCrunch Editor in Chief and General Manager Connie Loizos chatted with Robinhood’s CEO and co-founder, Vlad Tenev, about the company’s evolution.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

Why Tenev believes the company is poised for significant growth.
Robinhood's approach to prediction markets, sports betting, and wealth management.
How the Robinhood plans to empower a younger generation of investors.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices