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Venture Capital

Venture Capital's Liquidity Squeeze: LPs Rethink Investment Strategies

Limited partners (LPs) are facing challenges in the venture capital landscape due to extended fund lifespans and valuation disconnects. Funds are lasting longer, up to 18-20 years, impacting LP allocation models.

A significant gap exists between VC valuations and what buyers are willing to pay, with potential markdowns of up to 80%. Emerging managers are struggling to raise funds, as institutional LPs concentrate investments in larger platform funds.

The panel discussed the idea that venture is not an asset class because of the wide dispersion of returns, also addressed the normalization of GPs selling into up rounds. For fundraising, new managers should network with family offices and offer co-investment opportunities, hustling to refresh networks.

AI and American dynamism dominate, with a focus on San Francisco-based managers.

Finance & Compliance

Sphere Secures $21M Series A to Revolutionize Global Tax Compliance with AI

Sphere, a tax software vendor, has raised a $21 million Series A round led by a16z to automate and streamline global tax compliance for companies. Founded by Nicholas Rudder and Adrian Sarstedt, Sphere helps companies with registration, calculation, filing, and remittance obligations across borders.

Sphere's AI-powered tax review and assessment model engine (TRAM) codifies tax rules in every jurisdiction, providing tax determinations with reasoning and citations. The platform integrates with billing platforms like Stripe and Campfire and directly connects to over 100 tax authorities worldwide.

The funding will be used to expand infrastructure, grow the AI and engineering team, and build an international sales team. Sphere aims to become the indispensable tool for finance teams expanding into new markets, covering all forms of transactional compliance.

Business & Finance

Physics Wallah's Successful IPO Signals Potential Revival for Indian Edtech

Indian edtech startup Physics Wallah experienced a successful IPO, with shares closing 44% higher than the listing price. This suggests a possible recovery for the Indian edtech sector after a period of decline.

The company's shares closed at ₹156.49, valuing it at ₹448 billion (around $5 billion), significantly above its listing valuation. The IPO raised ₹34.8 billion (around $393 million).

Physics Wallah's success contrasts with the struggles of other major players like Byju’s and Unacademy, which have faced financial difficulties and operational scaling back.

Physics Wallah plans to use the IPO proceeds to expand offline centers, enhance its technology, and pursue acquisitions. The company reported a 49% revenue increase to ₹28.9 billion (approximately $326 million) in FY25 and has 4.5 million paying subscribers.

Mobile Apps & Productivity

Focus Friend: Google Play's Top App for Disconnecting

Hank Green's Focus Friend, a screen time assistant, has been named Google Play's app of the year. The app, launched in August, helps users manage screen time by blocking distracting apps and encouraging them with a virtual friend.

Focus Friend gained popularity, reaching No. 1 on Apple's App Store and achieving over 1 million installs on Android. Google recognized it as a helpful and cute app that effectively aids users in disconnecting.

Other app winners in various categories include Pokémon TCG Pocket (best game), Luminar (best multi-device app), and Disney Speedstorm (best multi-device game). Additional winners were recognized in categories such as Best for Fun, Personal Growth, Everyday Essential, and more.

Technology

Cloudflare Outage Disrupts Major Platforms, Including X, Following Musk's AWS Jibe

A widespread Cloudflare outage on Tuesday disrupted access to several prominent online platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude, Spotify, and X. The outage occurred just a month after Elon Musk, CEO of X, criticized AWS dependencies following a previous outage. Signal President Meredith Whittaker highlighted the risks of the internet's reliance on a few infrastructure services like Cloudflare and AWS. Cloudflare acknowledged the issue and implemented a fix, with services gradually being restored.

Healthcare Technology

Tayla Cannon Secures $1.1M Seed Funding from Slow Ventures to Revolutionize Rehab with Rebuildr

Tayla Cannon, an Australian native, received $1.1 million in seed funding from Slow Ventures' Creator Fund to develop Rebuildr, a HIPAA-compliant mentorship app designed to assist rehab professionals in managing their online businesses. Cannon, a former physiotherapist, transitioned to content creation, amassing a significant online following by sharing proactive and holistic approaches to pain management.

Driven by her experiences in the traditional physical rehab model, Cannon aims to shift towards a proactive, holistic approach with Rebuildr, combining consumer solutions, clinical expertise, education, and software to deliver scalable care. She credits her success to authenticity and unfiltered content, and the funding from Slow Ventures will help her expand Rebuildr's vision and reshape the rehab industry, making high-quality rehab accessible globally.

Autonomous Vehicles

Zoox Opens Robotaxi Rides to Public in San Francisco: A Step Towards Commercial Service

Zoox, an Amazon-owned company, is initiating public robotaxi rides in San Francisco, marking a move closer to commercial operations and competition with Waymo.

The company's custom-built robotaxis, without steering wheels or pedals, have been tested in San Francisco for about a year. Initially, rides were limited to employees and their network.

Now, through the Zoox Explorer program, select individuals from the waitlist will gain free access to the service. Zoox intends to gradually expand the service, aiming to eliminate the waitlist by 2026.

Currently, Zoox operates around 50 robotaxis in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with the service area covering SoMA, Mission, and Design districts in San Francisco.

To launch a commercial robotaxi service, Zoox needs permits from the California Public Utilities Commission and approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Advertising & Marketing

Agentio Raises $40M to Expand AI-Powered Creator Marketplace Beyond YouTube

Agentio, a startup connecting brands with YouTube creators for sponsored videos, has raised $40 million in Series B funding led by Forerunner. This brings their total funding to $56 million, valuing the company at $340 million.

The company leverages AI to automate ad buying, matching brands with creators and reviewing content to ensure brand safety and campaign alignment.

Agentio has seen significant growth, with brands experiencing improved return on ad spend and new customer acquisition. They are expanding beyond YouTube to platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snap.

The funding will be used to further scale the team and platform capabilities, focusing on AI-powered features and multi-platform support.

Technology & Gaming

Roblox Mandates Age Verification for Chat to Enhance Child Safety

Roblox is implementing mandatory facial verification for all users to access communication features, starting in January. The platform introduces age-based chat, restricting communication to similar age groups.

Users can voluntarily verify their age to secure access to communication features. In December, the age-check becomes mandatory in select markets like Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

The move follows lawsuits over child safety concerns, with reports of young users being exposed to grooming and explicit content.

The age-check involves facial verification through a third-party vendor, Persona, with deletion of images/videos post-verification. Users will be assigned to one of six age groups: under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, and 21+.

Roblox is also launching a Safety Center for parents with guidance and tools for Parental Controls.