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]

  

---

---

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

  

---

Fundraising?

If you're raising a round,

Luis Llorens

and

Ruben Dominguez Ibar

can help. We gather startup fundraising data and share it with our audience of 300k+ investors and startup operators. Fill out this form and we’ll will do our best to connect you with the right investors! 🚀

---

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]

  

---

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

---

That’s a wrap for this week.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, make sure you're subscribed. No fluff, just real startup insights delivered straight to your inbox.

See you next time 🚀