20VC: Scale's $14.8BN Acquisition: Is Scale a Dead Man Walking / What Did Meta Buy | Chime IPO: Are IPOs Hotter Than Ever | Ramp Hits $16BN Diluting Only 1% | Salesforce, Slack and Dropbox Falling Behind: Are Incumbents Losing Ground | The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

In this episode of the 20VC podcast, Harry Stebbings hosts Jason Lemkin and Rory O'Driscoll, along with guest Garrett from Handshake, to dissect the week's major news in the tech and venture capital world. The discussion kicks off with Meta's acquisition of Scale.ai, raising questions about Meta's strategy and the impact on Scale.ai's competitors. The panel then shifts to IPOs, including Chime's successful debut, and debates whether this signals a broader reopening of the IPO market. They also analyze Ramp's latest funding round and valuation, and discuss OpenAI's $200 million defense contract with the Pentagon. The episode concludes with a quickfire round of predictions on topics ranging from Apple's manufacturing plans to the performance of Chinese AI models.

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20VC: Scale's $14.8BN Acquisition: Is Scale a Dead Man Walking / What Did Meta Buy | Chime IPO: Are IPOs Hotter Than Ever | Ramp Hits $16BN Diluting Only 1% | Salesforce, Slack and Dropbox Falling Behind: Are Incumbents Losing Ground

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Introduction to the Week's News: Scale AI Acquisition and More

Analyzing the Scale AI Acquisition by Meta: Motivations and Impacts

Talent Acquisition, Messaging, and Handshake's Perspective on the AI Boom

LP Activity, DOJ Scrutiny, and the Broader Implications of the Scale AI Deal

Founder Departures and the Discord Situation

Founder-Led Companies, Ramp's Fundraising Strategy, and Fintech Valuations

Relevance, Momentum, and OpenAI's Defense Contract

Chime's IPO, Databricks' Readiness, and Gusto's Tender Offer

Reflections on Gusto, Glean vs. Dropbox, and Slack's Future

Cauchy Quickfire: Apple in the US, S&P, and Chinese AI

Concluding Remarks and Sponsor Messages

20VC: Scale's $14.8BN Acquisition: Is Scale a Dead Man Walking / What Did Meta Buy | Chime IPO: Are IPOs Hotter Than Ever | Ramp Hits $16BN Diluting Only 1% | Salesforce, Slack and Dropbox Falling Behind: Are Incumbents Losing Ground

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

00:00Introduction to the Week's News: Scale AI Acquisition and More

Introduction to the Week's News: Scale AI Acquisition and More

04:43Analyzing the Scale AI Acquisition by Meta: Motivations and Impacts

Analyzing the Scale AI Acquisition by Meta: Motivations and Impacts

13:30Talent Acquisition, Messaging, and Handshake's Perspective on the AI Boom

Talent Acquisition, Messaging, and Handshake's Perspective on the AI Boom

18:03LP Activity, DOJ Scrutiny, and the Broader Implications of the Scale AI Deal

LP Activity, DOJ Scrutiny, and the Broader Implications of the Scale AI Deal

23:35Founder Departures and the Discord Situation

Founder Departures and the Discord Situation

27:32Founder-Led Companies, Ramp's Fundraising Strategy, and Fintech Valuations

Founder-Led Companies, Ramp's Fundraising Strategy, and Fintech Valuations

35:02Relevance, Momentum, and OpenAI's Defense Contract

Relevance, Momentum, and OpenAI's Defense Contract

42:37Chime's IPO, Databricks' Readiness, and Gusto's Tender Offer

Chime's IPO, Databricks' Readiness, and Gusto's Tender Offer

50:19Reflections on Gusto, Glean vs. Dropbox, and Slack's Future

Reflections on Gusto, Glean vs. Dropbox, and Slack's Future

57:27Cauchy Quickfire: Apple in the US, S&P, and Chinese AI

Cauchy Quickfire: Apple in the US, S&P, and Chinese AI

1:02:20Concluding Remarks and Sponsor Messages

Concluding Remarks and Sponsor Messages