Power Players with Brian Sozzi

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AI is disrupting drug discovery faster than expected Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

If you aren’t paying attention to the companies behind a new wave of AI-driven drug development, you may end up missing out on essential investment opportunities. One company that has caught our attention is Chai Discovery, founded in 2024 by co-founder Joshua Meier. After graduating from Harvard, Meier began working as a researcher at OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) during the development of GPT-1 and GPT-2. He then worked at Meta's generative biology group, where he co-led the development of ESM1, the first transformer protein-language model. Chai Discovery is currently one of the buzziest startups in AI drug development. In December, the company completed a Series B funding round, raising an additional $130 million at a valuation of $1.3 billion, cementing its unicorn status. Backers include Silicon Valley heavyweights such as General Catalyst and OpenAI. The company also recently inked a deal with Eli Lilly (LLY), under which the drug giant will use Chai’s models. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with Meier on Opening Bid Unfiltered to go inside the world of AI-driven medicine.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves, and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor, before the stock market opens.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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Are collectibles the next big investment boom? Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

The world of collectibles — from toys to unopened card boxes — remains red hot. And when you want to know anything about collectibles, there are only two places to head: one, the new collectibles hub on Yahoo Sports. And the second is serial entrepreneur Josh Luber. Luber co-founded StockX with Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. StockX revolutionized the trading of luxury goods by applying stock market principles — transparent bid/ask pricing and anonymous transactions — to sneakers and collectibles. Luber has since gone on to found toy collectibles outfit ghostwrite. Luber hopped on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast mic with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to go deep inside the collectibles growth market.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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From near bankruptcy to a $1B deal in just 40 days Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

From an entrepreneur to trying to reinvent a claim to fame to win in the era of artificial intelligence. This is where we find Ring's chief inventor, Jamie Siminoff. Siminoff founded Ring in 2013, which he later sold to tech giant Amazon in 2018 for $1.15 billion. Ring has since developed a host of connected security products from floodlights to new iterations of its iconic connected doorbell. Siminoff left Amazon in 2023, only to return in early 2025 to lead its suite of security products. He is said to be tasked with taking the connected security platform to new heights by leveraging AI while driving a more efficient business. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with Siminoff on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast to discuss what he is working on at Amazon, what motivates him as an inventor, and leadership lessons learned from building a consumer product hung from most doors in the US.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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

Klaus Schwab on Davos, power and why trust is breaking down Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Reflecting on decades of work to make the world a better place. That is where Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi finds World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Dr. Klaus Schwab, who just published a new book dubbed Restoring Truth and Trust. In a new episode of the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast, Schwab reflects on the origins of WEF and its evolving role in a rapidly changing global landscape. He emphasizes that the Forum — which he founded in 1971 — was created to foster dialogue between business, government, and civil society, arguing that complex global challenges cannot be solved by any single sector acting alone. Schwab says this principle of multistakeholder cooperation remains central to the WEF’s mission today. Of course, Schwab’s reflective moment comes against the backdrop of his absence from the epicenter of the 2026 annual meeting he created in Davos, Switzerland, which brought together billionaires like Salesforce (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff and Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, and world leaders like US President Trump. Schwab resigned from the WEF in April 2025 amid an investigation into its culture. Schwab was cleared of any wrongdoing before the end of 2025, but the Forum is now being led primarily by BlackRock (BLK) founder Larry Fink.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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

This startup is publishing 3,000 AI podcasts a week - on purpose Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Artificial intelligence is having profound impacts on Corporate America. But it’s also beginning to impact how humans create content and interact with it. It’s hard to imagine this impact doesn’t intensify in the years to come as AI becomes more sophisticated. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Inception Point AI co-founder and CEO Jeanine Wright. Wright is no stranger to the ups and downs in the podcast industry. She was COO at Amazon (AMZN)-owned podcast platform Wondery, overseeing operations and driving numerous growth initiatives. Wright and Sozzi discuss how AI personalities are changing the podcast industry, and how they may have a bigger impact on news generation and content creation in the year ahead.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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

The billion-dollar race to fix America’s sleep crisis Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

The business of sleep has gone well beyond hawking mattresses, pillows, and bedframes. And it’s with good reason that seemingly everyone is analyzing their sleep data on various hardware devices. Roughly one in three adults in the U.S. regularly gets insufficient sleep, driving demand for new tools that can monitor, analyze, and improve rest. Enter Eight Sleep, founded in 2014 by Matteo Franceshetti and his wife, Alexandra Zatarain. Eight Sleep has raised about $260 million since its inception, from the likes of Khosla Ventures to F1 notables Zak Brown and Charles Leclerc. The company sells bedding hardware and software – under the Pod name – that tracks sleep patterns and can heat and cool. The company’s valuation stands at nearly $1 billion. It has generated more than $500 million in Pod sales. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Eight Sleep co-founder and CEO Matteo Franceschetti to go inside the future of more advanced sleep, and what’s next for one of its leaders in the space.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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

Why Bill Gurley says AI investing is becoming crowded Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

One of the most prolific venture capitalists of the past 20 years is looking to share some wisdom to the next generation of investors and job seekers. Benchmark general partner Bill Gurley is seen as a heavyweight in Silicon Valley. His claim to fame is an $11 million bet on Uber (UBER) in 2011. But other key investments have included Twitter and Nextdoor (NXDR). Indeed, Gurley has seen it all over the course of his career, everything from the dot.com bubble burst to the current emergence of the AI revolution. He even worked on the Amazon (AMZN) IPO! In his new book dubbed Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love, Gurley shares several principles to finding success in one’s career. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Gurley to discuss observations he makes in his book and the outlook for tech in a new defining era.

Pre-order "Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love" now at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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

Bilt CEO says your rent isn't building your future Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

Bilt is entering its next chapter. As the payments and rewards platform for over 70% of the top rental companies nationwide, Bilt is now eyeing several new product launches to kick off 2026. The company is armed with $250 million in fresh funding from investors to pursue its ambitions, which valued the company at $10.75 billion. Former American Express (AXP) CEO Ken Chenault and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell remain on the board. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Bilt founder and CEO Ankur Jain to discuss what’s next for the privately held company that counts General Catalyst as a top investor. Jain also peels back the layers on his entrepreneurial journey.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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

Patrick McEnroe on competition beyond the court Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

From the tennis court to the broadcast booth. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with former professional tennis player Patrick McEnroe. McEnroe is also a long-time commentator for ESPN, calling hosts of big tennis matches and being among the top voices at venues like the US Open. McEnroe – the brother of John McEnroe – won one singles title and numerous doubles titles over the course of his career. McEnroe takes Sozzi inside the future of tennis post the retirements of legends Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. He also shares what he has learned from losing and competition, and how both could serve up valuable learning experiences for the corporate athlete of today.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.

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

Everyone’s watching tech but the next big deals may be industrial Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

There are dealmakers on Wall Street, and then there are the teams at Perella Weinberg. If you have a big deal to get done as a CEO, this is one of your first stops on the Street to try and make it happen.

Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with veteran deal maker Andrew Bednar, CEO of advisory firm Perella Weinberg. The firm was founded in 2006 by storied dealmakers Joseph Perella and Peter Weinberg. Bednar has had his own storied history in deal-making, rising the ranks from Salomon Brothers to Goldman Sachs (GS) to Bank of America (BAC) to now Perella Weinberg (PWP). He has overseen some very large deals in the process, including the $10.2 billion sale of the NYSE to Intercontinental Exchange and Kate Spade’s sale to Coach. Bednar reveals what he has learned from these pressure packed situations and what the outlook for deal-making is for 2026 and beyond.

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