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In partnership with
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In This Edition:
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-
First-Time Fund: How Many
LPs?
-
AI Agents in 2025: Key
Trends
-
️ AI Shopping Shift
Begins!
-
OpenAI’s $50M AI Push
-
Pre-Seed Fundraising in
2025
-
️ Google’s 2025
Cybersecurity Outlook
-
Voice AI Disrupts
Finance!
-
1,000+ Angel Investors for
$20
-
Perplexity AI Phone
Launching
-
AI-Powered Sales
Enablement
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How Many LPs
Should a
First-Time Fund
Have?
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Finding the right
number of LPs for
a first-time fund
is a crucial
decision. Every
LP, no matter the
size, requires
time and
attention—making
bandwidth a major
challenge,
especially for
solo GPs.
|
Key Questions to
Consider:
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How do LP
numbers differ
between spinouts
and emerging
managers?
How has the
number of LPs
per fund changed
over time?
What’s the
correlation
between DPI and
LP count?
How do minimum
check sizes
shift across AUM
buckets?
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For new fund
managers,
understanding
these dynamics can
help in
structuring better
conversations with
the right
investors.
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Stay ahead with Daily VC
News, Trends,
and
Frameworks—your go-to
source for venture
insights.
Subscribe
now!
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Brew (but for
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What’s Next for
AI Agents? 4
Trends to Watch
in 2025
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AI agents are
evolving beyond
copilots, taking
on complex
tasks
with minimal
intervention.
Their impact is
undeniable—mentions
on corporate
earnings calls grew 4x in
Q4'24
and are set to
double again this
quarter.
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Key Trends to
Watch:
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Big Tech
Leads
– More adoption,
lower costs,
better
models.
Specialization
Grows
– Niche AI agents
for support,
coding, &
compliance.
Infrastructure
Matures
– AI agent stack
gets more
structured.
Enterprise
Adoption
Rises
– 63% of companies
prioritize AI
agents.
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Stay ahead of
the curve! Read
the full report
here: What’s Next
for AI Agents?
4 Trends to
Watch in
2025.
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AI Trend Will
Change How You
Shop Forever!
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Consumer behavior
is constantly
evolving, making
it crucial for
businesses to
capture attention
in the right
moments. AI is
revolutionizing
shopping and
advertising by
delivering
personalized,
interactive
experiences that
connect people
with products
seamlessly.
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From YouTube’s
engaged audiences
to AI-powered
Google Search and
Shopping tools,
brands can now
reach consumers
more effectively
than ever.
|
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Explore
AI-driven
shopping
innovation
|
Read about AI,
personalization,
and the future
of shopping.
|
|
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Learn AI in 5
minutes a
day
|
|
What’s the secret
to staying ahead
of the curve in
the world of AI?
Information.
Luckily, you can
join 1,000,000+
early adopters
reading The Rundown
AI
— the free
newsletter that
makes you smarter
on AI with just a
5-minute read per
day.
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Sign up to
start
learning.
|
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OpenAI Launches
NextGenAI: A
$50M AI
Initiative
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OpenAI has
unveiled NextGenAI, a
groundbreaking
initiative
supporting
AI-driven research
and education
across 15 top
institutions
worldwide. With a $50M commitment
in funding, AI
tools, and API
access, this initiative
aims to accelerate
breakthroughs in
healthcare,
education, and
scientific
research.
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From Harvard’s
AI-powered medical
advancements to
MIT’s hands-on AI
model training,
NextGenAI is
empowering the next
generation of AI
leaders.
|
Key
Highlights:
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$50M in AI
funding
– Grants, compute,
and API
access
15+ top
institutions
onboard
– Including MIT,
Harvard, and
Oxford
AI for research
&
education
– Driving
discoveries in
healthcare &
tech
Training future
AI leaders
– Hands-on
learning & AI
literacy
Digitizing
historical
knowledge
– Libraries using
AI for
accessibility
Academia &
industry
collaboration
– Strengthening AI
innovation
globally
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OpenAI commits $50M
to advance AI
research and
education with top
institutions
worldwide.
Explore
NextGenAI &
its impact: Learn
More
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Pre-Seed
Fundraising in
2025: Still
Tough, But
Moving
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If you're out
there trying to
raise your first
check, you already
know how tough it
is. But just how
difficult is it,
really? And where
are founders still
closing solid
rounds? Raising
your first check
is complicated—but
here’s what the
data says:
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$4B in pre-seed
rounds—steady, but no
major
rebound.
Smaller rounds
dominate—44% were under
$250K.
California
leads, but NY, TX, FL
& WA are
gaining
ground.
Convertible
note rates
dipped
to 7.5% in
Q4.
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The verdict?
Funding is still
flowing, just more
selectively. Want
to see where
founders are
closing
rounds?
|
|
Check out the
full report: Click
here.
|
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Google
Cybersecurity
Forecast 2025:
Stay Ahead of
Emerging
Threats
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Cyber threats are
evolving faster
than ever, with
AI-driven attacks,
ransomware, and
geopolitical risks
reshaping the
security
landscape.
Google’s latest
report uncovers
key cybersecurity
trends for 2025,
helping businesses
stay
prepared.
|
Key Insights:
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✅ AI-powered
threats &
defenses
– Attackers are
leveraging AI, but
so can
defenders.
Geopolitical
cyber risks
– Threats from
Russia, China,
Iran, & North
Korea are
rising.
Ransomware
evolution
– Multifaceted
extortion is
becoming more
disruptive. ☁️ Cloud security
advancements
– Strengthening
security
operations in
cloud
environments.
️ Infostealer
malware
– A growing
concern for
organizations
worldwide.
Post-quantum
cryptography
– Preparing for
the next era of
encryption.
Regional
insights
– Focused analysis
for EMEA &
JAPAC
regions.
|
|
Download the
full report
& secure
your business
→ Read
now
|
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Voice AI in
Finance: The
Next Big
Disruption?
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Just as Waymo
took San
Francisco’s
ride-share market
by storm,
AI-powered voice
agents are set to
revolutionize financial
services. With 25% of
global contact
center
spending—over $100 billion—allocated to
banking
operations, the
potential for
automation is
massive.
|
Why now?
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AI voice models
have hit new
levels of latency &
emotion, driving wider
adoption.
Platforms like ElevenLabs,
Vapi, Retell,
and Bland
are making
deployment
easier.
Financial voice AI
is better than
human agents
in availability,
cost, and
multilingual
support.
|
Challenges &
What’s
Needed:
|
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✅ Regulatory
compliance
– Adapting to
strict financial
laws &
security
protocols. ✅ Custom
integrations
– Connecting with
legacy banking
systems. ✅ Industry
expertise
– Understanding
complex financial
products &
jargon.
|
|
The future?
AI-powered voice
agents won’t just
assist—they’ll run financial
operations
autonomously.
|
|
Are we ready
for a world
where banking
runs on
autopilot?
Read more in
the latest
a16z fintech
newsletter:
Voice AI
Will
Change How
We Bankere.
|
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Lifetime
Access
for
Only
$20
– No
Subscriptions!
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Gain
access to 1,000+
angel
investors, real
startup
pitch
decks,
and
exclusive
funding
insights—all in
one
place!
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✅ One-time
payment
of just $20 ✅ Lifetime
access—no
recurring
fees ✅ All the
resources
to secure
investors
&
scale
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Don’t
wait—get
your
access
now!
⬇️
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RECOMMENDATION
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Join
the "Big
Desk
Energy"
newsletter
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sales
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AI tools
&
prompts
to boost
marketing
by 40%.
Tips on
Wednesdays,
deep
dives on
Fridays!
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Join
"The AI
Report",
trusted
by 400K+
pros for
real AI
solutions.
Get
insights
from
experts
at
Apple,
Microsoft,
NASA,
and
more!
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
Perplexity
AI Phone
Launching in
2025
Deutsche Telekom
is set to launch
its AI-powered
phone this year,
featuring the
Magenta AI OS and
Perplexity
Assistant. The
device ditches
traditional apps,
allowing users to
perform tasks via
voice or text
commands, with
integration from
Google Cloud AI,
ElevenLabs, and
Picsart.
|
|
Pinterest
to Introduce
AI Content
Labels
Pinterest is
rolling out
transparent AI
labeling to combat
the surge of
synthetic content
flooding user
feeds. This move
aims to enhance
content
authenticity,
improve search
rankings, and help
users easily
distinguish
between real and
AI-generated
posts.
|
|
SEO AI
Agents: Your
24/7 Digital
Growth
Partner Unlock the
potential of
AI-driven SEO
strategies!
Discover how
automation is
reshaping keyword
research, content
ranking, and
backlink building
for maximum
traffic and
visibility.
|
|
Quantexa
Secures
$175M to
Expand
AI-Powered
Data
Analytics
British startup
Quantexa raised
$175M at a $2.6B
valuation to
enhance its
AI-driven data
analytics
platform. The
funding will help
scale its
anti-money
laundering
solutions and
expand AI services
for enterprises
and
governments.
|
|
Ex-OpenAI
Engineer
Subpoenaed
in ChatGPT
Copyright
Battle
Alec Radford, a
key ex-OpenAI
researcher behind
GPT models, has
been subpoenaed in
a copyright
lawsuit against
OpenAI. The case,
led by authors
like Sarah
Silverman, alleges
AI models were
trained on
copyrighted works
without
permission.
|
|
Amazon AWS
Bets Big on
AI Agents
Amazon has
launched a new AI
agents division
within AWS, aiming
to automate tasks
and enhance
enterprise
efficiency. Led by
Swami
Sivasubramanian,
the initiative
could be a
multi-billion-dollar
business,
competing with
Microsoft and
Salesforce.
|
|
Google
Pixel Drop
Adds AI Scam
Detection
and Live
Location
Google's latest
Pixel update
enhances security
with AI-powered
scam detection for
calls and
messages, adds
live location
sharing via Find
My Devices, and
improves Pixel
Watch health
features. Android
users also get new
scam alerts and
shopping insights
in Chrome.
|
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What
If
New
Never
Got
Old?
|
March
'25
Pixel
Drop
|
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|
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|
-
LlamaIndex
raised $19M in
Series
A
funding led
by Norwest
Venture
Partners. Founded
in 2023, the
company
provides a data
framework
for
integrating
private
data into
LLM
applications, enabling
seamless
connectivity
between
various data
sources and
AI models.
(Link)
-
Esper
secured $5M in
Seed
funding
from Paspalis. Founded
in 2017, it
offers a cloud-based
platform
for
application
deployment
and device
management, with
features
like cloud
APIs, SDKs,
and
automated
software
rollouts for
industries
including
healthcare,
retail, and
education.
(Link)
-
Aescape
landed $83M in
Series
B
funding,
backed by Valor
Equity
Partners. Founded
in 2017, the
company
develops AI-driven
massage
therapy
solutions,
revolutionizing
wellness
experiences
with
advanced
robotic
technology.
(Link)
-
GRAID
raised $30M in
Series
B, with Harbinger
Venture
Capital
leading the
round.
Established
in 2020,
GRAID
provides high-performance
RAID
controllers
for
enterprise
data
security,
optimizing
SSD
performance
and
enhancing
cybersecurity
for data
centers.
(Link)
-
Epirus
secured $250M in
Series
D
from 8VC. Founded
in 2017, the
company
specializes
in AI-powered
counter-drone
defense
systems,
leveraging
high-power
microwave
beams to
neutralize
drone
threats and
detect
unauthorized
vessels in
waterways.
(Link)
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AI for Business:
Stay Ahead of
the
Competition
|
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AI is no longer a
futuristic
concept—it’s a
necessity for
business growth.
While 90% of
organizations see
AI as a
competitive
advantage, only
35% actively use
it. From
automating tasks
and optimizing
operations to
enhancing customer
experiences, AI is
transforming
industries.
|
|
Learn how AI is
revolutionizing
business
strategies with
real-world case
studies and
must-have AI
tools.
|
|
Unlock AI’s
potential for
your business
→ Read the full
guide
|
|
|
|
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|
|
Find the Remote
Jobs You’ve Been
Searching
For!
|
|
Check out these
exciting job
opportunities in
top companies,
offering remote
and flexible roles
in software
engineering,
backend
development, and
more. Explore the
details and find
your next career
move!
|
|
|
|
Ready to take the
leap? Get the
full list of
remote
opportunities
with Y
Combinator-backed
startups and find
your perfect role
today!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AI-Powered
Sales
Enablement: The
Secret Weapon of
Top Sales
Teams!
|
|
|
|
Sales teams are
leveraging AI to
automate
proposals, analyze
buyer intent, and
close deals
faster. Here are
the top AI tools
reshaping
sales:
|
|
Qwilr,
Glencoco,
Cockpit
– Smart sales
proposals
SellMeThisPen,
DealCoach,
Imprint AI
– AI-driven
coaching
Foureyes,
AssetMule,
Chambr
– Prospect
insights
️ First Touch,
AISight,
SetSail
– AI-powered
engagement
tracking
Amplemarket,
Jiminny
– Smarter lead
generation
Avoma, CoPilot
AI
– AI sales
assistants
Quantified,
Substrata,
Awarathon
– Sales
analytics
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The future of
sales is selling
smarter, not
harder.
Get the full list
of tools here: AI Sales
Tools
|
|
Ready to
explore AI tools
that’ll
revolutionize
your editing
game?
|
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-
30 Pitch
Deck
Mistakes
Founders
Must Avoid
(Link)
-
The
Founder’s
Playbook to
Seed
Fundraising
Success
(Link)
-
8 Secrets
to
Bootstrapping
Without
Investors
(Link)
-
Paul
Graham’s
Startup
Wisdom:
Lessons from
Lecture 3
(Link)
|
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Lecture
3
-
Before
the
Startup
(Paul
Graham)
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Sam
Altman
@sama
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very
proud
of
the
openai
team
for
what
is
perhaps
the
most
impressive
scientific/technical
breakthrough
of
recent
decades
thought
that
was
the
thing
i'd
always
be
most
proud
of
in
life
turns
out
i
am
now
more
proud
of
a
preemie
baby
for
learning
how
to
eat
on
his
own!
|
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12:25
AM
•
Mar
5,
2025
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6.18K
Likes
244
Retweets
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401
Replies
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-
Apple
launches a
new iPad Air
with M3 chip
(Link)
-
OpenAI
Chairman
Bret Taylor
on the Rise
of AI Agents
(Link)
-
Trump
administration
cuts may
threaten AI
research
efforts
(Link)
-
People are
using Super
Mario to
benchmark AI
now
|
|
Andrej
Karpathy
@karpathy
|
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Replying
to@TheZvi
|
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My
reaction
is
that
there
is
an
evaluation
crisis.
I
don't
really
know
what
metrics
to
look
at
right
now.
MMLU
was
a
good
and
useful
for
a
few
years
but
that's
long
over.
SWE-Bench
Verified
(real,
practical,
verified
problems)
I
really
like
and
is
great
but
itself
too
narrow.…
x.com/i/web/status/1…
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6:29
PM
•
Mar
2,
2025
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2.21K
Likes
165
Retweets
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137
Replies
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