Latest news with #AndreessenHorowitz
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Y Combinator, a16z experts hold invite-only summit for founders
On August 9, the people who previously ran startup incubator Y Combinator's events and PR, along with a former Andreessen Horowitz social media manager, are holding a small, invitation-only event, TechCrunch has learned. The To Do List Summit will cap off at 80 early-stage founders and will teach them how to work with the press and run their own social media, the organizers promise. The fee for the event is $600. YC laid off most of the folks putting on this event between a small layoff about a year ago and a larger one in 2023. These layoffs were surprising at the time because Y Combinator's events have always been highly popular and were a major force in making San Francisco the hub for the burgeoning AI startup community. (Of course, the center of that universe is YC-affiliated OpenAI, also headquartered in San Francisco and run by former YC president Sam Altman). The people putting on this event are doing it because they are appalled at how often early-stage startups are led to believe they must pay tens of thousands of dollars to hire PR and social media agencies, one person involved told TechCrunch. Still, in the wake of startups that routinely go viral, like Cluely, founders feel pressured to do the same. It's also true that a single social media post can make an early-stage startup go viral these days. The founders of app vibe coding startup Rork were almost broke when a viral tweet led them to raise $2.8 million and nab a spot in a16z's Speedrun program. Defense tech startup Theseus landed a contract with the U.S. Special Forces, $4.3 million in funding, and a spot in YC from a viral X post. If the folks behind the new event could help YC founders, they believe they can help founders who aren't part of the famed program — and on the cheap without giving up equity. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
TechCrunch
6 hours ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Former Y Combinator, a16z experts hold invite-only summit for founders
On August 9, the people who previously ran startup incubator Y Combinator's events and PR, along with a former Andreessen Horowitz social media manager, are holding a small, invitation-only event, TechCrunch has learned. The To Do List Summit will cap off at 80 early-stage founders and will teach them how to work with the press and run their own social media, the organizers promise. The fee for the event is $600. YC laid off most of the folks putting on this event between a small layoff about a year ago and a larger one in 2023. These layoffs were surprising at the time because Y Combinator's events have always been highly popular and were a major force in making San Francisco the hub for the burgeoning AI startup community. (Of course, the center of that universe is YC-affiliated OpenAI, also headquartered in San Francisco and run by former YC president Sam Altman). The people putting on this event are doing it because they are appalled at how often early-stage startups are led to believe they must pay tens of thousands of dollars to hire PR and social media agencies, one person involved told TechCrunch. Still, in the wake of startups that routinely go viral, like Cluely, founders feel pressured to do the same. It's also true that a single social media post can make an early-stage startup go viral these days. The founders of app vibe coding startup Rork were almost broke when a viral tweet led them to raise $2.8 million and nab a spot in a16z's Speedrun program. Defense tech startup Theseus landed a contract with the U.S. Special Forces, $4.3 million in funding, and a spot in YC from a viral X post. If the folks behind the new event could help YC founders, they believe they can help founders who aren't part of the famed program — and on the cheap without giving up equity.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blackstone drops out of group seeking stake in US-based TikTok
(Bloomberg) — Private equity firm Blackstone Inc (BX) has pulled out of a group of investors seeking to take a minority stake in TikTok's US-based business, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Dutch Intersection Is Coming to Save Your Life Mumbai Facelift Is Inspired by 200-Year-Old New York Blueprint How San Jose's Mayor Is Working to Build an AI Capital Milan Corruption Probe Casts Shadow Over City's Property Boom LA Homelessness Drops for Second Year Blackstone has ceded its potential stake in TikTok's US operations to the other investors in a consortium that includes Oracle Corp., venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and growth equity investment firm General Atlantic, said the person, who asked not to be named while discussing private conversations. President Donald Trump in late June said he'd identified a buyer that would allow the popular social media app to legally continue operating in the US, splitting it off from Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. Bloomberg News later reported that Trump's proposed buyer was the same consortium that included Blackstone. The Trump administration had recently issued another 90-day extension to work out the deal. That extension expires in mid-September. Reuters reported details of Blackstone's withdrawal from the consortium earlier on Friday. A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border What the Tough Job Market for New College Grads Says About the Economy How Starbucks' CEO Plans to Tame the Rush-Hour Free-for-All Godzilla Conquered Japan. Now Its Owner Plots a Global Takeover Why Access to Running Water Is a Luxury in Wealthy US Cities ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Blackstone Drops Out of Group Seeking Stake in US-Based TikTok
Private equity firm Blackstone Inc. has pulled out of a group of investors seeking to take a minority stake in TikTok's US-based business, according to a person familiar with the matter. Blackstone has ceded its potential stake in TikTok's US operations to the other investors in a consortium that includes Oracle Corp., venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and growth equity investment firm General Atlantic, said the person, who asked not to be named while discussing private conversations.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Newsletter platform Substack valued at $1.1 billion in latest funding round
(Reuters) -Substack has raised $100 million in a funding round led by venture capital firms Bond and the Chernin Group at a valuation of $1.1 billion, the newsletter platform said on Thursday. The series C funding round also saw participation from existing investor Andreessen Horowitz, as well as Rich Paul, CEO and founder of Klutch Sports Group and Jens Grede, CEO and co-founder of SKIMS. The funding comes four months after the San Francisco-based company said it had more than 5 million paid subscriptions on the platform, up from 4 million paid subscriptions in November last year. The company, which has raised $200 million in total since its founding in 2017, is a leading platform for writers, journalists and creators to publish and monetize newsletters, podcasts and other digital content directly to subscribers. Users are increasingly turning to newsletter platforms such as Substack and Ghost amid growing digitization, as they offer creators greater control by delivering content directly to subscribers. Such content distribution often bypass traditional social media algorithms providing better user-targeting. "We're doubling down on the Substack app, which is designed to help audiences reclaim their attention and connect with the creators they care about," Substack co-founders said in a blog post. As part of the funding, Bond general partner Mood Rowghani will join Substack's board of directors, the company said. Sign in to access your portfolio
