Vibecoding for GTM💻, AI Market Research📊, Perplexity Labs🔬, Moats in the Age of AI 🏰

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—no fluff, 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 👇

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In-Depth Insights 🔍

• You Should Play with Vibecoding for GTM 💻
  AI tools like Lovable and Replit are making it easier for non-tech founders to build and launch GTM tools in hours. This enables faster prototyping and more efficient customer engagement without engineering teams. [Alex Shartsis,

  Kyle Poyar
  ]

  

• AI Market Research: How AI is Shaping the Future of Business 📊
  AI is revolutionizing market research by delivering faster, more precise insights. Companies can now better understand customer behavior and anticipate market shifts. [Andreessen Horowitz]

  

• Moats in the Age of AI 🏰
  Traditional moats are fading fast in the AI era. Speed - whether in execution, hiring, or decision-making - has become the key to staying ahead. [Jamin Ball]

  

• Sierra Ventures’ 5-Layer Startup Investment Strategy 💰
  Sierra Ventures outlines a 5-layer investment approach to identify high-potential startups. This strategy is designed to mitigate risks and maximize returns in an increasingly competitive market. [Crunchbase News]

• A Chief AI Officer Won’t Fix Your AI Problems 🚫
  A single AI leader won’t solve your company’s AI issues. True progress comes from integrating AI across all levels and functions, not just a top-down approach. [The New Stack]

• How Much Should You Invest in Customer Success? 👥
  Understanding the right investment in customer success can drive retention and growth. This breakdown shows how to balance spending for maximum impact. [CJ Gustafson]

  

• The Vertical AI’s Integration Problem 🔧
  Vertical AI faces hurdles in scaling due to integration challenges. Overcoming these issues is crucial for unlocking the full potential of niche AI applications. [Euclid Ventures]

  

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Trending News ⚡

• Humain Planning $10B VC Fund to Invest in US, European, and Asian Startups 💸
  Humain’s $10B fund will target high-growth startups in major global markets. The initiative highlights the growing influence of Saudi-backed investments in the tech ecosystem. [Tech Crunch]

  

• Influencer Agency Whalar Group Acquires Creator Startup Business of Creativity 🤝
  Whalar Group strengthens its grip on the creator economy by acquiring Business of Creativity. The move signals deeper integration into influencer marketing. [Business Insider]

• Introducing Perplexity Labs 🔬
  Perplexity Labs aims to push the boundaries of AI research. This new initiative will focus on accelerating advancements in generative AI and machine learning.

  

• Open-Sourcing Circuit Tracing Tools 🧠
  Anthropic releases open-source tools for tracing AI model decisions, allowing researchers to visualize and explore attribution graphs. The goal is to improve AI interpretability and encourage community-driven advancements. [Anthropic]

• xAI to Pay $300M to Integrate Grok into Telegram 💬
  xAI is paying Telegram $300M to distribute its Grok chatbot, adding advanced AI features like chat summaries and writing suggestions. Telegram will also earn a share of Grok’s subscription revenue. [Tech Crunch]

• Researchers Say New Contact Lenses Let You See in the Dark 👁️
  Scientists have developed contact lenses that turn infrared light into visible light, enabling night vision and offering potential benefits for colorblind individuals and secure data transmission. [Futurism]

• Gemini Will Now Automatically Summarize Your Long Emails Unless You Opt Out 💌
  Google’s Gemini AI now summarizes long emails automatically, streamlining your inbox. You can still opt out, but the feature keeps updating as replies come in. [Tech Crunch]

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Social Media Gems 💎

• Naval Ravikant’s Checklist for Starting a Company 📋
  Naval Ravikant’s startup advice focuses on finding the right cofounder and market. Passion and iteration are key - ideas alone won’t get you there.

• Lead Investors in Unicorns Founded After 2015 📊
  A16z is dominating with 43 lead investments in unicorns post-2015. Newer firms like Thrive Capital are proving that speed and relationships often trump legacy in the venture game.

  

• YC on Key Prompting Techniques Used by the Best AI Startups 🤖
  YC shares essential AI prompting techniques to improve agent reliability. Key strategies include clear roles, task breakdowns, and structured outputs for optimal performance.

• 10 Curated Startup Resources 💼
  Rubén shares essential tools for startup founders, including pitch decks, financial models, and investor lists. These resources cut through the clutter, helping founders scale faster.

  

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New Funds 💰

• Harper Court Ventures launches its first fund with $25M to back early-stage ventures in tech and healthcare.

• Merlin Ventures has closed its inaugural fund at over $75M, focusing on tech-driven startups.

• Cybernetix Ventures plans to raise a $100M fund to support startups in the cybersecurity space.

• Mitsubishi Electric has invested in the AT Partners III L.P. fund to advance its interests in tech and manufacturing.

• Energize Capital has closed its third fund at $430M to support the energy and industrial tech sectors.

• Taste Tomorrow Ventures has launched a $30M fund aimed at the food and beverage industry, focusing on sustainability.

• Poland PFR has launched a €150M fund of funds, investing in deep tech ventures across Europe.

• Planeteer Capital has raised $54M for its maiden fund, with a focus on environmental and climate tech.

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That’s a wrap for this week.

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