Consensus vs Conviction🤝, Startups Push Back on $100K H-1B Fee🌍, Inside a16z Speedrun🚀

If you're building, investing, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, you're in the right place. Every week, we break down the latest insights, funding news, and founder-friendly gems. Just what matters. Plus, we track the freshest VC funds deploying capital so you know where the money’s moving.

Let’s get into it 👇

In-Depth Insights 🔍

• Is T3D2 Still Alive in the AI Era 📈
  The T3D2 path to IPO looks shaky as AI companies hit $200M to $12B ARR faster than SaaS benchmarks. Founders may now face a bar closer to $300M ARR with 50% growth. [Tomasz Tunguz]

  

• Brex AI Ops Transformation 🚀
  AI systems are automating KYC, disputes, and onboarding at greater speed and accuracy. Human teams are shifting toward oversight, decision making, and system design. [FirstRound]

• Alpha in the Age of Agreement 🤝
  Venture capital is caught in a loop of chasing the same pedigreed AI founders at inflated valuations. Generating alpha now requires contrarian timing and selective risk-taking. [The Angle]

  

• Inside a16z Speedrun 🚀
  Founders can access $1M in cash, $5M in credits, and a 12-week SF program with top operators. The real advantage comes from network strength, credibility, and investor access. [a16z speedrun, Ryan K. Rigney, Guillermo Flor]

  

• Consensus or Conviction in VC Deals 🤝
  Nearly 40% of top-tier venture deals now include another leading firm. The rise of syndication raises questions about whether alpha comes from consensus or conviction.

  

• Corporate Work as Performance 🎭
  Meetings, slides, and inflated titles are turning corporate jobs into theater. Many workers are using salaries as funding for side projects and alternative value creation. [Alex McCann]

  

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Trending News ⚡

• Apple Prepares MCP Support for Agentic AI 🤖
  Beta code reveals Apple enabling Model Context Protocol inside App Intents. This could let models like ChatGPT and Claude act inside iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps with minimal developer work. [9to5Mac]

• Meta Forms Super PAC on Tech Policy 📰
  The American Technology Excellence Project plans to spend tens of millions on state candidates backing U.S. tech leadership. Meta is targeting over 1,100 state bills it sees as restrictive. [AXIOS]

  

• Stripe Considers $106.7B Share Buyback 💲
  Stripe is weighing a plan to repurchase shares at its latest private valuation. The move offers investor liquidity while reinforcing that an IPO is unlikely soon. [Axios]

• OpenAI and Nvidia Finalize $100B Pact💰
  Sam Altman and Jensen Huang struck a last-minute deal aligning OpenAI with Nvidia for infrastructure. The partnership cements Nvidia as core while leaving options for other providers. [CNBC]

  

• OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Pulse 📲
  Pulse generates five to ten personalized reports overnight, from news to travel and family updates. The feature starts with $200-a-month Pro users and could widen as efficiency improves

  

• Microsoft Cuts Azure Access for Israeli Unit 🛑
  Microsoft disabled cloud and AI services tied to surveillance of Palestinian phone calls. The step followed an internal probe and reflects its stance against civilian mass surveillance

  

• Startups Push Back on $100K H-1B Fee 🌍
  Founders warn the proposed visa fee hike will block smaller firms from global hiring. Big Tech may adapt, but rivals in Canada, the U.K., and Germany stand to benefit

  

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Fundraising?

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Social Media Gems 💎

• 10 Paul Graham Essays Every Founder Must Read 📚
  From “Do Things That Don’t Scale” to “18 Mistakes That Kill Startups,” these essays shaped Airbnb, Stripe, and Reddit. They remain the sharpest crash course in building and surviving startups

  

• 10 Essential Resources Every Founder Needs 🛠️
  Pitch decks that raised millions, cap table templates, and financial models are just the start. These links help founders approach VCs, manage equity, and avoid reinventing the wheel.

  

• Europe Launches ETN, Its Own TBPN 🚨
  The European Technology Network raised £150k at a £1M valuation to spotlight founders and investors on air. Backed by early angels, ETN wants to match Silicon Valley’s visibility

• The Figma Mafia Builds the Next Wave 🎨
  Ex-Figma talent is now behind startups like /dev/agents, Braintrust, and Infisical, raising tens of millions. The alumni network is turning into one of tech’s most powerful founder engines. [Rubén Domínguez Ibar]

  

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New Funds 💰

• Leonis Capital closed Fund II at $25M, continuing its focus on early-stage startups.

• Touring Capital announced the close of Fund I at $330M, targeting global technology investments.

• Simple Ventures raised $15M in funding, supporting its Toronto-based venture building model.

• Archetype closed its third crypto fund at over $100M, doubling down on blockchain and Web3.

• AZ-VC launched its second fund, aiming to back Arizona’s fast-growing startup ecosystem.

• First Round Capital launching Fund X with a $500M target to keep backing the earliest-stage founders

• Tribe Capital hit the $150M mark for its fourth AI-focused fund riding the wave of machine learning startups

• Archetype closed Fund III at $100M doubling down on crypto and Web3 bets

• Simple Ventures closed a $15M debut fund to fuel Canadian startups through its venture builder model

• VastPoint Ventures debuted with a $22M fund to back startups coming out of Poland’s growing ecosystem

• BNVT Capital launched a $150M debut fund focused on startups solving large-scale societal challenges

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That’s a wrap for this week.

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