Latest news with #EricYuan
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: First full agenda reveal for the brand-new Going Public Stage
We recently unveiled the Going Public Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — a new destination for founders navigating the complexities of company building, from early traction to IPO and beyond. Today, we're excited to announce additions to the agenda that bring even more insight and firepower to the stage. Joining the speaker lineup are Eric Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom Communications Inc., and Santi Subotovsky, general partner at Emergence. These trailblazing leaders will share candid perspectives on scaling companies, preparing for public markets, and steering through pivotal transitions. Whether you're just getting started or mapping out your long-term strategy, the Going Public Stage offers lessons, frameworks, and stories that apply across every phase of the founder journey. Mark your calendar — the Going Public Stage is shaping up to be a highlight of Disrupt. Don't miss it. Grab your ticket before July ends to save up to $675. How Long Should a Startup Stay Private? , general partner, Andreessen Horowitz Startups today can grow to huge valuations, cash out their employees, and stay private longer than those of previous eras. But that also means that late-stage startups are facing a whole new set of rules. George unpacks the shifting VC landscape, what the next generation of scaled startups needs to know, and how capital is being deployed in an era of tighter money and higher expectations. From IPO windows to secondary markets to the evolving role of growth investors, this fireside chat goes deep on what it really takes to build enduring companies in today's market — and what's coming next. What Comes After Breakout Success? , general partner, Emergence; and , founder and CEO, Zoom Communications Inc. You've built the hit product — now what? Zoom CEO Eric Yuan and Emergence general partner Santi Subotovsky take the stage to dig into what comes after the breakout moment. From expanding into new markets to launching the next product bets, this panel will explore how great companies avoid becoming one-hit wonders. We'll get into the tough calls on focus versus diversification, how to keep innovating at scale, and what investors want to see in a second act. If you're staring down the post-product/market fit phase, this convo is your roadmap. How AI Is Forcing Late-stage Startups to Rewire GTM — or Be Left Behind Jane AlexanderVanessa LarcoNirav Tolia AI is rewriting the playbook for how startups reach and win customers — and late-stage companies are feeling the pressure to adapt fast. In this panel, two top VCs and a seasoned founder break down how AI is transforming go-to-market strategies, from sales and marketing to customer success. We'll get into what's working, what's hype, and how to build AI into your GTM engine without losing focus. If you're scaling and wondering how AI fits into your next phase of growth, this is the conversation you don't want to miss. Building What Comes Next Julie WainwrightAhara Wainwright knows how to spot a wave — and ride it. From pioneering luxury resale at The RealReal to jumping into personalized nutrition with Ahara, she's made a career out of building ahead of the curve. In this fireside chat, Wainwright opens up about what it takes to start over, scale fast, and stay resilient through market shifts and personal pivots. We'll dig into the lessons learned from category creation, the risks of reinvention, and why experience might just be the ultimate startup edge. Everything You Need to Know Before an Exit Jai DasRoseanne Wincek Go public, get acquired, or double down and stay private? In today's unpredictable market, founders need to think about exit strategy earlier — and more strategically — than ever. This panel brings together two top VCs and a seasoned CFO to unpack how to set your company up for every option. We'll talk timing, metrics that matter, investor expectations, and what it really takes to navigate M&A and IPO prep, or just keep building through the storm. Whether you're 12 months out or just starting to scale, this conversation is all about making smart moves now for whatever comes next. Exit strategy? Start shaping it at Disrupt 2025 Whether you're building your first product, scaling your team, or planning for the long term, the Going Public Stage at Disrupt 2025 is built for founders ready to make bold moves. Hear from leaders who've navigated the highs, the risks, and the reinventions — and walk away with insights you can act on now. Don't wait to sharpen your exit strategy. Secure your pass to Disrupt 2025 now and save up to $675 before prices rise after July. 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
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Low-Volatility Stocks We're Skeptical Of
Stability is great, but low-volatility stocks may struggle to deliver market-beating returns over time as they sometimes underperform during bull markets. Finding the right balance between safety and returns isn't easy, which is why StockStory is here to help. Keeping that in mind, here are three low-volatility stocks that don't make the cut and some better opportunities instead. Zoom (ZM) Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.84 Started by Eric Yuan who once ran engineering for Cisco's video conferencing business, Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) offers an easy to use, cloud-based platform for video conferencing, audio conferencing and screen sharing. Why Is ZM Not Exciting? Average billings growth of 5% over the last year was subpar, suggesting it struggled to push its software and might have to lower prices to stimulate demand Competitive market dynamics make it difficult to retain customers, leading to a weak 98% net revenue retention rate Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street's estimates imply tepid growth of 3% At $75.75 per share, Zoom trades at 4.9x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ZM doesn't pass our bar. Brown-Forman (BF.B) Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.49 Best known for its Jack Daniel's whiskey, Brown-Forman (NYSE:BF.B) is an alcoholic beverage company with a broad portfolio of brands in wines and spirits. Why Does BF.B Worry Us? Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth Forecasted revenue decline of 3% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall off a cliff Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last year as its operating margin fell by 6 percentage points Brown-Forman's stock price of $30.90 implies a valuation ratio of 15.9x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with BF.B, check out our full research report (it's free). MGP Ingredients (MGPI) Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.79 Headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, MGP Ingredients (NASDAQ:MGPI) is a leading supplier of high-quality ingredients to the food and beverage industry Why Do We Pass on MGPI? Annual sales declines of 2.8% for the past three years show its products struggled to connect with the market Forecasted revenue decline of 19.8% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall even further Operating profits fell over the last year as its sales dropped and it struggled to adjust its fixed costs MGP Ingredients is trading at $32.49 per share, or 12.3x forward P/E. If you're considering MGPI for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Stocks We Like More Donald Trump's April 2024 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities. The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don't miss out on the recovery - check out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here. Sign in to access your portfolio
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Disrupt 2025: First full agenda reveal for the new Going Public Stage
We recently unveiled the Going Public Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — a new destination for founders navigating the complexities of company building, from early traction to IPO and beyond. Today, we're excited to announce additions to the agenda that bring even more insight and firepower to the stage. Joining the speaker lineup are Eric Yuan, Founder and CEO of Zoom Communications Inc., and Santi Subotovsky, General Partner at Emergence. These trailblazing leaders will share candid perspectives on scaling companies, preparing for public markets, and steering through pivotal transitions. Whether you're just getting started or mapping out your long-term strategy, the Going Public Stage offers lessons, frameworks, and stories that apply across every phase of the founder journey. Mark your calendar — the Going Public Stage is shaping up to be a highlight of Disrupt. Don't miss it. Grab your ticket before July ends to save up to $675. How Long Should a Startup Stay Private? David George, general partner, Andreessen Horowitz Startups today can grow to huge valuations, cash out their employees, and stay private longer than those of previous eras. But that also means that late-stage startups are facing a whole new set of rules. George unpacks the shifting VC landscape, what the next generation of scaled startups needs to know, and how capital is being deployed in an era of tighter money and higher expectations. From IPO windows to secondary markets to the evolving role of growth investors, this fireside chat goes deep on what it really takes to build enduring companies in today's market — and what's coming next. What Comes After Breakout Success? Santi Subotovsky, general partner, Emergence; and Eric Yuan, founder and CEO, Zoom Communications Inc. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW You've built the hit product — now what? Zoom CEO Eric Yuan and Emergence general partner Santi Subotovsky take the stage to dig into what comes after the breakout moment. From expanding into new markets to launching the next product bets, this panel will explore how great companies avoid becoming one-hit wonders. We'll get into the tough calls on focus vs. diversification, how to keep innovating at scale, and what investors want to see in a second act. If you're staring down the post-product/market fit phase, this convo is your roadmap. Eric Yuan, founder and chief executive officer of Zoom Video Communications Inc., stands before the opening bell during the company's initial public offering (IPO) at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, U.S., on Thursday, April 18, 2019. Zoom reported net income of $7.6 million on revenue of $331 million for the year ended January, and is now worth nine times the $1 billion valuation it secured after a funding round two years ago. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images Image Credits:Bloomberg / Getty Images How AI is Forcing Late-stage Startups to Rewire GTM – or Be Left Behind Jane Alexander, partner, CapitalG; Vanessa Larco, co-founder, Premise; and Nirav Tolia, CEO, Nextdoor AI is rewriting the playbook for how startups reach and win customers — and late-stage companies are feeling the pressure to adapt fast. In this panel, two top VCs and a seasoned founder break down how AI is transforming go-to-market strategies, from sales and marketing to customer success. We'll get into what's working, what's hype, and how to build AI into your GTM engine without losing focus. If you're scaling and wondering how AI fits into your next phase of growth, this is the conversation you don't want to miss. Building What Comes Next Julie Wainwright, CEO, Ahara and founder and former CEO, TheRealReal Wainwright knows how to spot a wave — and ride it. From pioneering luxury resale at The RealReal to jumping into personalized nutrition with Ahara, she's made a career out of building ahead of the curve. In this fireside chat, Wainwright opens up about what it takes to start over, scale fast, and stay resilient through market shifts and personal pivots. We'll dig into the lessons learned from category creation, the risks of reinvention, and why experience might just be the ultimate startup edge. BRENTWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 02: Julie Wainwright attends the Visionary Women presents Female Founders Salon at Brentwood Country Club on November 02, 2023 in Brentwood, California. (Photo byfor Visionary Women) Image Credits:Araya Dohen / Getty Images Everything You Need to Know Before an Exit Jai Das, co-founder, president, and partner, Sapphire Ventures; and Roseanne Wincek, co-founder and managing director, Renegade Partners Go public, get acquired, or double down and stay private? In today's unpredictable market, founders need to think about exit strategy earlier — and more strategically — than ever. This panel brings together two top VCs and a seasoned CFO to unpack how to set your company up for every option. We'll talk timing, metrics that matter, investor expectations, and what it really takes to navigate M&A, IPO prep, or just keep building through the storm. Whether you're 12 months out or just starting to scale, this conversation is all about making smart moves now for whatever comes next. Exit strategy? Start shaping it at Disrupt 2025 Whether you're building your first product, scaling your team, or planning for the long term, the Going Public Stage at Disrupt 2025 is built for founders ready to make bold moves. Hear from leaders who've navigated the highs, the risks, and the reinventions — and walk away with insights you can act on now. Don't wait to sharpen your exit strategy. Secure your pass to Disrupt 2025 now and save up to $675 before prices rise after July.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Profitable Stock Worth Investigating and 2 to Turn Down
While profitability is essential, it doesn't guarantee long-term success. Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies - as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity". Profits are valuable, but they're not everything. At StockStory, we help you identify the companies that have real staying power. Keeping that in mind, here is one profitable company that generates reliable profits without sacrificing growth and two that may face some trouble. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 18.1% Started by Eric Yuan who once ran engineering for Cisco's video conferencing business, Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) offers an easy to use, cloud-based platform for video conferencing, audio conferencing and screen sharing. Why Does ZM Give Us Pause? Average billings growth of 5% over the last year was subpar, suggesting it struggled to push its software and might have to lower prices to stimulate demand Customers have churned over the last year due to the commoditized nature of its software, as reflected in its 98% net revenue retention rate Anticipated sales growth of 3% for the next year implies demand will be shaky At $78.29 per share, Zoom trades at 5.1x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with ZM, check out our full research report (it's free). Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 5.1% With roots dating back to 1859 and a presence in over 100 countries, Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE:DBD) provides automated self-service technology, software, and services that help banks and retailers digitize their customer transactions. Why Are We Hesitant About DBD? Sales tumbled by 2.9% annually over the last five years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model Negative returns on capital show management lost money while trying to expand the business Diebold Nixdorf's stock price of $59 implies a valuation ratio of 15x forward P/E. If you're considering DBD for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 12.3% With security scanners deployed at airports and borders worldwide and patient monitors used in hospitals across the globe, OSI Systems (NASDAQ:OSIS) designs and manufactures specialized electronic systems for security screening, patient monitoring, and optoelectronic applications. Why Are We Positive On OSIS? Impressive 18.5% annual revenue growth over the last two years indicates it's winning market share this cycle Earnings per share grew by 27.4% annually over the last two years, massively outpacing its peers Rising returns on capital show the company is starting to reap the benefits of its past investments OSI Systems is trading at $232.51 per share, or 23.2x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it's free. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
The National
03-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Can AI avatars ensure that a CEO has eyes and ears everywhere?
Having an avatar has seemingly always been for those immersed in video games and social media. It was confined to fun and games, until now. Sebastian Siemiatkowski, chief executive of Klarna, and Zoom chief executive Eric Yuan recently made news when they sent their AI avatars to take their place at quarterly earnings meetings. Better known as digital twins, these AI creations use data to build a visual representation of a real human being and mimic their speech and behaviour. In short, it is a virtual body double. Are business leaders finally getting to a point where they can be in two places (or more) at once? The reason this is possible is the emergence of agentic AI systems that have memory and are self-controlled, contextually aware, and capable of aligning goals. Such AI agents do not simply carry out orders, but know why a decision was made, how organisational dynamics work, and when it is time to act or escalate. To CEOs, this means a strategic leverage unseen before: the ability to triage complexity, extend presence over geographies and functions as well as provide leadership continuity at a machine-speed. The chief executive will be informed by their avatar, but we believe that the line will be drawn at decision making. Yes, the download that the CEO takes from their digital twin will be considered, but no true decision on the direction of a company, staffing, or choice of products or services can be made by an avatar. This is where the CEO must insert themselves and deliver all decisions and messages as themselves, as a human. Real-life implications of digital twins The global digital twin market is estimated to reach $155.84 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research estimates. In fact, when speaking of advanced industries, about 75 per cent of them have already adopted some form of digital twin technology, a McKinsey study found. The vast majority of this, however, is product simulations and service twins where companies can test and practice scenarios in controlled environments before going to market, not twins of actual humans. The benefits range from faster development, safer products, and greater innovation, to cost savings and greater predictions of outcomes. But, what about a human digital twin? Before any technology is truly embraced, there must be a proof of concept. With the likes of Mr Siemiatkowski and Mr Yaun successfully using digital avatars (albeit in closed one-off internal meetings) the technology is likely to gain momentum across industries. We already see people like Otter chief executive Sam Liang, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Khosla Ventures managing director Keith Rabois, all using AI digital twin avatars. The drive behind this? Time and availability. In some cases, digital twins have already cut total development times by 20 per cent to 50 per cent, and resulted in 25 per cent less quality issues on entering production, according to the McKinsey report. If these numbers stay true, or probably increase, there will be no stopping this technology from spreading across industries around the globe. When CEOs find that there is an increase in safety, production times are lessened, R&D time and expense goes down, and their profits go up from using digital twins, why would they not use digital twin technology? As more and more leaders around the globe see this technology used successfully, they will follow suit with a digital version of themselves. They will decide what meetings they will need to attend and then send their digital self to the rest. There will be no more double booking or missed opportunities. They can attend every meeting and have eyes and ears everywhere. They no longer have to rely on notes from someone else. The digital twin avatar will report back based on the data input it receives. The ethical dilemma As this technology spreads, we will begin to ask where the physical world ends and the digital world begins. Is there too much of a blur? Is it the moral responsibility of a leader to inform everyone before a meeting that an avatar will attend on their behalf? Consequently, will the people required to be in that meeting feel disrespected that the CEO did not physically show up? Leaders will need to struggle with this continuously. The follow-up from a digital twin also raises ethical concerns. How do you ensure that inherent biases are accounted for? As a human you can read facial expressions, notice that someone spends a lot of the meeting off camera, or appears to be having side conversations while the meeting is taking place. Will the avatar have these same instinctual observations and report back? As the technology evolves so will the demands put upon it by its human creators. This new power a chief executive can harness will be accompanied with an additional dimension of ethical and fiduciary responsibility. The digital twin of a CEO should have well-established guardrails and transparency, traceability and accountability of all the decisions that it might be involved in and influence. Auditability of agentic actions and alignment to corporate governance practices should be guaranteed to the boards and shareholders, not black-box behaviours. The ethical requirement is not simply to enable digital avatars, but to root them in human control, corporate responsibility and the interests of the business in the long term. This technology will become commonplace throughout the corporate world. But it will be up to each individual leader to decide what responsibilities they abdicate to a machine and which they keep for themselves. It will be interesting to see this evolution and monitor what becomes of businesses and the reputations of leaders that send digital twins to do their work.
