2025-06-21 00:15:00
OpenAI recently announced a $200 million deal with the U.S. Department of Defense (https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/17/openais-200m-dod-contract-could-squeeze-frenemy-microsoft/) , which has us wondering: Could this further strain the company’s relationship with its biggest backer, Microsoft?
After all, there have been numerous reports about growing tensions (https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/16/the-cracks-in-the-openai-microsoft-relationship-are-reportedly-widening/) between the two companies, particularly as they become more competitive over enterprise deals (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/11/microsoft-and-openai-may-be-renegotiating-their-partnership/) .
Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity (https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/) podcast, hosts Anthony Ha and Max Zeff discuss how the OpenAI/DoD deal reflects Silicon Valley’s increasingly cozy relationship with the military (https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/13/silicon-valley-tech-execs-are-joining-the-us-army-reserve/) and why industry leaders are calling for an AI “arms race.” (https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/13/the-ai-arms-race-is-about-more-than-who-will-lead-the-industry/)
Listen to the full episode to hear more highlights from the week, including:
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Whether it’s a good thing that Vice President JD Vance joined Bluesky (and was briefly suspended (https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/19/bluesky-briefly-suspended-jd-vances-account-after-he-joined/) )
•
What it means that Wix acquired a six-month-old “vibe coding” startup (https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/18/6-month-old-solo-owned-vibe-coder-base44-sells-to-wix-for-80m-cash/) for $80 million (and why Anthony hates the phrase “vibe coding”)
•
A panel in which investor Ali Partovi and Cognition President Russell Kaplan discuss what technical talent means in the age of AI
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 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780) , Overcast (https://overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity) , Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?si=rZDFHv2sQUul_g94iCRgpQ) and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X (https://twitter.com/EquityPod) and Threads (https://www.threads.net/@equitypod) , at @EquityPod.
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 (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices)
2025-06-20 01:11:39
Ali Partovi has helped launch the careers of a generation of elite founders through Neo. Russell Kaplan is building Cognition, the AI-native company behind Devin, the so-called "AI software engineer." Together, they unpack what it means to build and back technical talent in the AI age, what young founders often get wrong, and why this moment feels different from past tech waves.
Partovi joined TechCrunch at our StrictlyVC Menlo Park event in June 2025, among several other speakers whose discussions you can find here: https://bit.ly/4kZETuQ
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Bluesky: https://tcrn.ch/bluesky
Mastodon: https://tcrn.ch/mstdn
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/
2025-06-20 01:08:29
As the co-founder of Robinhood, Baiju Bhatt helped redefine how millions of people interact with trading and investing. Now he's setting his sights even higher — literally — with Aetherflux, a new venture aiming to harness solar power in space. In this chat, Bhatt talks about what drew him to one of the most audacious bets in tech, how building in hard science compares to fintech, and why big risks still matter.
Bhatt joined TechCrunch at our StrictlyVC Menlo Park event in June 2025, among several other speakers whose discussions you can find here: https://bit.ly/4kZETuQ
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Read more: https://techcrunch.com/
2025-06-20 01:05:16
Navin Chaddha has backed over 60 companies that have gone public or been acquired. In this conversation, the longtime Mayfield managing partner shares what he looks for in founders, why emotional resonance still matters in early-stage investing, and where he's placing his bets in AI and beyond.
Chaddha joined TechCrunch at our StrictlyVC Menlo Park event in June 2025, among several other speakers whose discussions you can find here: https://bit.ly/4kZETuQ
Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube
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Read more: https://techcrunch.com/
2025-06-20 01:00:03
Katie Haun, founder of Haun Ventures, is a leading voice at the intersection of crypto, policy, and venture capital and will share what it takes to invest with conviction in volatile, high-stakes markets. From her DOJ roots to building a $1.5B+ firm, Katie offers a rare, inside look at navigating regulatory headwinds, backing bold founders, and building trust with LPs across cycles.
Haun joined TechCrunch at our StrictlyVC Menlo Park event in June 2025, among several other speakers whose discussions you can find here: https://bit.ly/4kZETuQ
Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube
Follow TechCrunch on Instagram: http://tcrn.ch/instagram
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X: tcrn.ch/x
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2025-06-20 00:00:00
AI investments hit $110 billion in 2024 (https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/11/ai-investments-surged-62-to-110-billion-in-2024-while-startup-funding-overall-declined-12-says-dealroom/) , and the funding landscape in 2025 is more competitive than ever. For early-stage startups, that means more money in the market but also more pressure to stand out.
At TechCrunch Sessions: AI, Rebecca Bellan sat down with three experienced investors: Jill Chase, Partner at CapitalG; Kanu Gulati, Partner at Khosla Ventures; and Sara Ittelson, Partner at Accel. They broke down what they are really looking for when evaluating AI startups from seed through Series C. Their message to founders? Forget the perfect pitch. Focus on building trust, surviving the hype cycle, and being ready for copycats the moment you find product-market fit.
Listen to the full episode of Equity (https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/) to hear about:
•
Why VCs say founders are over-indexing on pitch decks instead of relationships
•
What it takes to go up against big incumbents without getting crushed
•
Why consumer focus (and speed) still win, even in B2B AI
•
How agents and automation are already reshaping the startup playbook
Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, 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 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780) , Overcast (https://overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity) , Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?si=rZDFHv2sQUul_g94iCRgpQ) and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X (https://twitter.com/EquityPod) and Threads (https://www.threads.net/@equitypod) , at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here (https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/) .
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 (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices)
