Headline

Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro has just surpassed OpenAI's GPT-4o on the latest benchmark test, signaling yet another shift in the AI landscape. In this week’s new Headline AI Podcast episode, Conrad Chu and Sasha Krecinic dive into the latest AI and LLM news. They discuss Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro victory, Google’s acquisition of Character.AI’s founding team, Groq’s impressive $640 million funding round, Argentina’s AI security initiatives (which feels like a precursor to Minority Report!), and more. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/g9mJtGqW

Congratulations to this year's Forbes #Cloud100, including two honorees from the Headline portfolio — Mistral AI and Icertis — as a record number of AI companies land spots on the list! Check out the full list here: https://lnkd.in/etRHGNfs

Many founders have fascinating, eclectic histories powering their companies — and LucidLink Co-Founder & CEO Peter Thompson is no exception. How did he prepare for running his startup? 🐓 As a child, growing up in a small farm town in central Minnesota, where his family worried about which farmers would grant access to the best land (and pheasants). ✏ As a college student doing coursework in Japan, teaching English to pay the bills and living inexpensively in a "nearly condemned" apartment, asking neighborhood grocers knew to set aside slightly spoiled or bruised items he could swipe. 🌊 As the underwater photographer and above-water translator for a multiyear expedition to the mountains in Japan’s Iwate prefecture, exploring and mapping a subterranean cave system, spending 8 to 9 hours in 37F degree water. Knowing how to navigate your ever-evolving environment is just part of the job as a founder, and Peter came to LucidLink well-prepared. Read more about his interesting background (and what it taught him) at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gdBwKw4G

OpenAI's SearchGPT brings the tech world to the brink of another transformative moment — this time, powered by AI. Can SearchGPT take on Google? At Headline, we're deep in discussion around AI on a weekly basis - and now we're pulling back the curtain on those conversations with Conrad Chu and Sasha Krecinic. In our new weekly podcast, Conrad and Sasha delve into all things AI and LLMs. Today we're talking about SearchGPT, LLMs vs. searching on Google, whether a consolidation of the AI landscape is on the horizon, the early 2000s browser wars, and more. https://lnkd.in/gkuxY7BX

It has been a packed week with bicoastal events at Headline! From #NYC to #SF, we hosted… 🍷 #Consumer scouts & friends dinner in a cozy alleyway wine cellar in NYC. ⚙️ Build Club AI Builders Demo Day in our SF HQ with founders flying all the way in from Australia to demo. 📺 Sigma Squared Society TED Talk Powerpoint Night where we dove into the history of language, AI wearables, adventure-seeking, and more. We love fueling community and connections — stay tuned for future Headline community events in a city near you. We can’t wait to see you! Matthew Brown Zehra Naqvi Sasha Krecinic Annie Liao 🇦🇺 Lisa Shmulyan

Brandon Werber, Founder & CEO of Airvet, grew up in what he sweetly called the “Dr. Dolittle House.” 🐕 🐈 🐀 With a dad as a veterinarian, Brandon was usually followed around by a gaggle of dogs, cats (and even rats) each day. “I loved it,” he previously told Headline Partner Mathias Schilling, so much so he considered following in his dad’s footsteps as a vet. It took until adulthood for Brandon to realize that he’d grown up with a luxury — a father who could assess a pet’s health at a moment’s notice, not having to worry about whether an issue was treatable at home, life-threatening, or might possibly rack up an unexpected $5,000 bill. The digital health revolution brought with it a unique opportunity: Finally allow pet parents an accessible telehealth platform to assess and treat some of the most common ailments. “I thought, ‘Why help 50 pets a day if I could help 50,000?’” Brandon said. On Airvet, anyone can take a call with a vet to get a professional’s opinion at a moment’s notice — bringing peace of mind to pet parents everywhere. Today, Airvet is booming with a Series B fundraise last year and a slate of new enterprise clients now offering employer-sponsored pet care to their workers. Read the full story of Airvet and Brandon’s founder journey here: https://lnkd.in/gQ63tsnu

In the ever-evolving landscape of 2024, mediocrity is not an option. The rapid advancements in AI and other technologies have transformed the business arena, creating a fiercely competitive environment for all. With world-class engineers and state-of-the-art tech at everyone's fingertips, the stakes have never been higher. So, how can your startup not only survive, but thrive, in this high-stakes game? Join Headline VP Nicolas von Blottnitz as he unveils seven crucial insights from startups that are currently making waves and achieving remarkable success. Discover the secrets behind their triumphs and learn how to integrate these winning strategies into your own startup to stay ahead of the curve. Ready to elevate your venture to new heights? Let’s dive in!

The Toronto #fintech scene is electric like no other!⚡ We had a blast hosting an intimate fintech fizz & biz happy hour last week to bring together fintech aficionados in a hi-fi listening cocktail bar. We were stoked to be able to spend more time in Toronto and get to know more of the many great #founders emerging from the Canadian tech landscape. Special thank you to our co-host Tal Schwartz from Canadian Fintech and to everyone who joined us that evening! This is the first of many events in #Toronto, and we hope to see you at a future Headline community event in a city near you. Ketul Patel Sophia Samutin King Goh, CFA

Everyone wants to understand Gen Z, from their spending habits to their work culture needs. Headline investor Zehra Naqvi, creator of The Z List, sat down with Allie Garfinkle at Fortune Brainstorm Tech to discuss what Gen Z wants at work — and in life. Here's why this generation hits different. Read more. ➡️➡️➡️

Building a company has as much to do with thinking on your feet as planning your steps. Shane Hegde, co-founder & CEO of Air, a digital workspace for creative assets, likens the process to his ideology around cooking. “Whether you’re cooking or starting a company, you have to wing it,” he explains. “I’m not following a recipe. You’re going to make a million mistakes, and they don’t matter.” What other lessons has Shane learned as a founder? 🌟 Bring people on your cap table who you can ultimately learn from. 🌟 Acknowledge your founder skill gaps and find creative ways to bring those skills into your business. 🌟 Don’t simply force others to mold to your working style; learn from theirs. 🌟 Every modern company is a media company. It’s important to tell the story of your business. Check out the rest of Shane’s interview with Headline Partner Jett Fein in our Air Founder Spotlight. ➡️➡️➡️