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This Week in Startups

Coinbase cuts 20%, Microsoft to invest $10B into OpenAI & Ascend Elements CEO Mike O’Kronley | E1654

This Week in Startups

Jason Calacanis

Technology

4.21.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 January 2023

⏱️ 95 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Molly and Jason discuss the news that Coinbase is doing another 20% RIF. (6:50) Then they discuss the announcement that Microsoft is investing $10B into OpenAI with some pretty favourable terms. (27:19) After, Molly and Jason chat about Make Sunsets’ plan to cool the planet and Enpal, a German solar panel company raising money at a $2.4B valuation. (46:56) Then we wrap with this year’s first edition of TWiCS featuring Mike O’Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements. (1:00:56)

(0:00) M+J kick off the show

(2:10) Atmospheric rivers and the chaos in California

(6:50) Coinbase does another 20% RIF

(11:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(13:03) The future of employment in tech

(21:50) Mixpanel - Apply for $50K in credits at https://mixpanel.com/startups

(23:16) The perfect amount of founders

(27:19) Microsoft is invests $10B into OpenAI

(32:46) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST

(34:10) OpenAI going from a non-profit to a for-profit + What is roundtripping?

(46:56) Make Sunsets raises $750K to do what?!

(53:05) Enpal raises at a $2.4B valuation

(1:00:56) TWiCS: Mike O’Kronley of Ascend Elements


FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, everybody, welcome back.

0:00.9

It is Tuesday.

0:01.8

We have a big show for you.

0:03.8

First up in the bed, it's the end of the world here

0:07.8

in the Bay Area monsoon season has hit.

0:11.3

We've got atmospheric rivers and cyclone bombs

0:14.5

and the continuation of the Rift Train Coinbase

0:18.7

is on a second major riff, 18% the first time.

0:21.1

Now they're doing 20%.

0:22.0

We'll talk about that.

0:23.1

Yeah, the crypto winter is real.

0:24.7

Then we're going to break down the latest

0:26.1

in the Microsoft Open AI relationship.

0:28.7

Satyan Nadella is either the greatest CEO in tech

0:31.4

or I have a very contrary intake on Open AI.

0:36.4

Yeah.

0:37.1

And very interesting to think about the relationship

0:40.8

between Azure and the billions of dollars Open AI.

0:45.0

It's apparently spending on cloud computing

0:46.9

with Microsoft.

0:47.6

We'll talk about round tripping and some of the back channel

0:50.8

there, you know what they say here in Silicon Valley,

...

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