EP3-15 | VC Talks：Timothy Chen | How AI Is Redefining Early-Stage Venture Investing ft. Uly Su

In 2026, generative AI is crossing a critical threshold—from reactive tools to action-oriented systems capable of setting goals and executing tasks. This shift is already reshaping how organizations make decisions, how teams operate, and how individual roles are valued. This episode explores the most defining generative AI trends of 2026, including the real-world deployment of AI agents, the growing tension between scale and authenticity in generated content, and the expansion of AI into research, simulation, and professional decision-making. Rather than a technical overview, this conversation focuses on what has already changed and which capabilities are being repriced. If you’re a founder, investor, business leader, or a professional assessing how AI will impact your role and industry, this episode provides a clear framework for understanding what truly matters in the year ahead. 2026 年，生成式 AI 正在跨過一條關鍵界線——從被動回應指令的工具，轉變為能設定目標、主動執行任務的行動型系統。這個轉變，正實際影響企業如何做決策、團隊如何協作，以及個人工作的價值定位。 本集將聚焦生成式 AI 在 2026 年最具代表性的趨勢，包括 AI Agent 的實際落地、生成內容與真實性的張力、以及 AI 如何進入研究、資料模擬與專業決策場景。這不只是對技術發展的整理，而是協助你理解哪些變化已經發生、哪些能力正在被重新定價。 如果你是創辦人、投資人、企業決策者，或正在評估 AI 對自身工作與產業影響的專業工作者，這一集將幫助你用更清楚的脈絡，看懂接下來一年值得關注的方向。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

In this episode of VC Talks, we sit down with Timothy Chen, Founder of Essence VC, to unpack his core perspectives on investing in AI startups—and why, despite rapid advances in models and tools, the founder matters more than ever at the earliest stage. Drawing from his frontline experience in early-stage venture capital, Timothy reflects on the structural shifts in the AI investment landscape before and after 2022. As foundation models and cloud infrastructure become increasingly commoditized, where does true differentiation come from? He also speaks candidly about which layers of today’s AI value chain are likely to capture lasting value, and the seemingly compelling narratives that may look impressive on the surface but, in reality, lack defensible technical moats—clear red flags he watches for when evaluating young teams. The conversation also looks ahead to a disruption the venture world is just beginning to confront: when AI agents can already run diligence, analyze markets, and even take part in negotiations, how does the role of a venture capitalist evolve? Timothy shares his rethinking of where enduring VC value will lie, offering a key insight—while AI can dramatically amplify efficiency, it cannot replace human judgment or the ability to build long-term trust. If you’re thinking about how to become a more effective early-stage investor in the AI era, or want to understand how top VCs quickly identify the people and teams truly worth backing for the long run, this episode offers a compelling, first-hand perspective. 在這一集 VC Talks 中，我們邀請到 Essence VC 創辦人 Timothy Chen，深入解析他在投資 AI 新創時的關鍵判斷視角，以及為什麼相較於AI模型與工具，「創辦人」的因素，卻反而比以往任何時候都更為關鍵。 Timothy 從早期創投的第一線觀察出發，回顧 2022 年前後 AI 投資生態的結構性轉變：當基礎模型與雲端資源逐漸商品化，真正的差異化該如何被定義？節目中，他也坦率談到，在今日的 AI 產業鏈中，價值究竟會沉澱在哪一層，以及哪些看似華麗、實際上可能缺乏技術護城河的行銷語言，是他在評估早期團隊時最重視的警訊。 另外，我們也試著思考未來創投圈即將面對的衝擊：當 AI agents 已能執行盡職調查、分析市場，甚至參與談判後，創投的角色究竟又會如何演變？ Timothy 分享他對未來創投專業價值所在的重新想像，也拋出一個關鍵觀點——雖然AI技術可以放大效率，但無法取代人類的判斷與建立長期信任的能力。 如果你正在思考如何在 AI 世代成為極具影響力的早期投資者，或想理解早期創投如何快速辨識，甚麼是「值得長期下注的人與團隊」，這一集將提供極具啟發性的第一手視角。  📍 About Host: Uly Su General Partner, Addins Venture #CrossBorderMentor #StartupExpansion #TaiwanToSiliconValley 🌏 A cross-border mentor who supports startups in entering global markets, with deep experience in fundraising, talent strategy, and international operations across the U.S. and Taiwan. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulysu/ 📚 Learn more about Taiwan’s startup ecosystem 👉🏼 https://meetstartup.pse.is/4jhd5u 🚀 Stay connected with Taiwan–Silicon Valley innovation via the Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley Hub: https://sv.startupisland.tw/ Powered by Firstory Hosting

In late November 2025, Taiwan marked a significant milestone with the successful launch of the first satellite in the Formosat-8 constellation. Carried into a 561-km sun-synchronous orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, the “Chi Po-lin” satellite symbolizes both technical progress and cultural meaning, extending the late filmmaker’s aerial perspective of Taiwan into space. This mission inaugurates Taiwan’s first domestically built high-resolution Earth-observation constellation. FORMOSAT-8 will eventually consist of eight satellites deployed between 2025 and 2031. With native 1-meter resolution—improving to roughly 70 centimeters for two advanced units—the constellation will provide multiple daily revisits over Taiwan. Importantly, about 84% of each satellite’s core components are manufactured in Taiwan, covering optics, structures, propulsion, and electronics. This demonstrates the country’s ambition to develop a self-reliant industrial base for space technologies. The episode also explores the broader global landscape. The value of the global space economy reached USD 570 billion in 2023 and is projected to exceed USD 1 trillion within the decade. Reusable rockets from SpaceX and Blue Origin, mega-constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb, and commercial imaging companies like Planet Labs and ICEYE are reshaping how nations communicate, observe Earth, and respond to climate and security challenges. In this episode, we examine what Formosat-8 means for Taiwan’s space capabilities, how global players are redefining the space economy, and why satellite technology is becoming essential infrastructure for connectivity, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and national security. Taiwan’s emerging participation in this ecosystem reflects both technological ambition and a strategic need for resilience in an increasingly complex world. 2025 年 11 月底，臺灣太空發展迎來重要進展。福衛八號首顆衛星搭載 SpaceX Falcon 9 成功進入 561 公里太陽同步軌道，正式啟動臺灣第一組自製高解析度遙測衛星星座。以導演齊柏林命名的首枚衛星象徵「從空中看臺灣」的精神延伸至太空，也展現臺灣提升自主太空能力的決心。 福衛八號採「6＋2」配置，從 2025 至 2031 年將部署八顆衛星，其原生解析度達 1 公尺，部分可提升至約 70 公分，並具備每日多次回訪臺灣的能力。約 84% 的技術與零組件由臺灣研發製造，涵蓋光學、結構、推進與電子系統，意味著本土太空產業正逐步形成完整供應鏈。 本集節目也將延伸至全球脈動。2023 年全球太空經濟規模已達 5,700 億美元，預估本世代內有望突破 1 兆美元。從 SpaceX、Blue Origin 的可重複使用火箭，到 Starlink、OneWeb 的全球通訊網，再到 Planet Labs 與 ICEYE 的商業遙測服務，太空已成為通訊、氣候、國安與產業韌性的核心基礎設施。 在這集節目中，我們帶你理解福衛八號的技術進展、全球太空產業的競逐，以及臺灣如何藉由自主研發與國際合作，在新興太空經濟中建立關鍵角色。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

This episode unpacks how the U.S. reindustrialization wave—driven by the CHIPS Act, the IRA, and mega-projects like Project Stargate—is reshaping global AI infrastructure. Dr. Wesley Chu explains why this buildout still relies heavily on Taiwan’s supply chain, spanning advanced semiconductors, packaging, and AI hardware manufacturing. We also explore the shift from “Made in Taiwan” to “Made with Taiwan,” marked by co-built AI parks and highly automated AI factories. As global competition intensifies, Dr. Chu highlights why Taiwan must strengthen core technology protection and supply-chain resilience to maintain its central role in the democratic technology ecosystem. 本集帶你理解美國再工業化如何重塑全球 AI 基礎建設。從 CHIPS 法案、IRA，到 Project Stargate 等超大型投資，美國正以高速擴建算力需求所需的先進晶片與 AI 工廠。Dr. Wesley Chu 說明，這波建設浪潮的核心仍深度倚賴臺灣供應鏈，從先進製程、封裝，到 AI 伺服器與關鍵硬體。 節目也討論「Made in Taiwan」正逐步轉向「Made with Taiwan」——透過跨國共建 AI 園區、合作打造自動化工廠，臺灣在民主科技生態系的戰略位置進一步提升。同時，全球競爭加劇下，臺灣更需要強化技術保護與供應鏈韌性，確保在新一輪 AI 工業革命中的關鍵角色。 📍 About Host: Uly Su General Partner, Addins Venture #CrossBorderMentor #StartupExpansion #TaiwanToSiliconValley 🌏 A cross-border mentor who supports startups in entering global markets, with deep experience in fundraising, talent strategy, and international operations across the U.S. and Taiwan. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulysu/ 📚 Learn more about Taiwan’s startup ecosystem 👉🏼 https://meetstartup.pse.is/4jhd5u 🚀 Stay connected with Taiwan–Silicon Valley innovation via the Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley Hub: https://sv.startupisland.tw/ Powered by Firstory Hosting

In this episode of AI News, we take a closer look at the newly released Forbes “AI 50” list for 2025. Selected from nearly two thousand applicants, the fifty featured companies highlight a major shift in the global AI landscape—from model development races to full workflow automation and real-world deployment. We examine key players such as Cursor, Harvey, Figure AI, and World Labs, exploring how they are transforming software engineering, legal processes, medical information access, and robotics. The discussion then turns to Taiwan: with rising compute demand and rapid growth in edge AI, semiconductors, servers, and healthcare technology, how should Taiwan position itself for the next two to three years? This episode offers a strategic, international perspective on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. 本集 AI News 聚焦最新公布的 Forbes《AI 50》2025 名單。從近兩千家提名企業中脫穎而出的五十家 AI 新創，反映了全球 AI 發展正從模型競賽全面走向「產業流程自動化」與「實體世界應用」的新階段。 我們將解析 Cursor、Harvey、Figure AI、World Labs 等代表性公司，理解它們如何重新定義工程開發、法律審查、醫療資訊查詢與人形機器人的應用場景。節目也延伸討論這波變化帶給臺灣的意義——無論是算力需求、半導體與伺服器供應鏈、邊緣裝置，或醫療與法規科技，臺灣應如何在未來兩到三年精準抓住跨國合作與產業升級的窗口。這是一集從國際視角檢視台灣 AI 競爭力的提問。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

槓桿不賭命是一檔美股投資者的真實記錄，我是何星。每集我會完整告訴你我的資產配置，以及如何運用槓桿跟著資本成長。你我都是普通人，我不追求成功，我只想要生活輕鬆。如果你跟我一樣，podcast搜尋槓桿不賭命 https://fstry.pse.is/8dezyx —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— In this episode, we speak with Kai Chen, General Partner at Silicon Catalyst Ventures and Founder of OceanIQ Capital, to explore how family offices and long-term LPs are approaching the current AI boom. Unlike traditional venture firms that often emphasize speed, narrative, and rapid scaling, family offices prioritize discipline, capital durability, and value creation grounded in real-world application. Their focus is on AI solutions that fundamentally enhance system efficiency—whether in manufacturing, enterprise operations, healthcare, or infrastructure—rather than on hype-driven valuation swings. We also examine the cross-border innovation landscape. Taiwan plays a pivotal role in the global semiconductor and hardware supply chain, while Silicon Valley excels at transforming raw computational power into platforms, algorithms, and developer ecosystems. Instead of competition, this represents a symbiotic structure that underpins the next generation of AI progress. Kai argues that this moment in AI is more than a cyclical uptrend; it marks a structural shift in how knowledge work, organizational decision-making, and industrial output are defined. For long-term capital, the goal is not simply to “catch the wave,” but to understand which parts of this transformation will endure. 本集邀請 Silicon Catalyst Ventures 合夥人、同時為 OceanIQ Capital 創辦人的陳凱，深入談論家族辦公室與 LP 在 AI 浪潮中的位置與策略。 Kai 認為家族資本通常具備更長的時間視野，更重視資產配置的韌性與技術價值的真實落地。因此，在 AI 投資中，他們聚焦於能帶來系統性效率提升與穩健現金流的應用場景，而非僅依循市場情緒追逐熱門題材。 在節目中，我們也討論到跨境創新鏈的協作模式：臺灣憑藉半導體與先進製程掌握全球運算的根基，而矽谷則將算力轉化為平台、演算法與產品生態，兩地並非競爭，而是新一代技術革命中不可或缺的互補力量。陳凱認為，當 AI 不再只是「下一波科技浪潮」，而是逐步重塑醫療、工業、企業決策和知識工作時，真正的關鍵在於如何以長期心態面對這場改變人類文明結構的變化。 📍 About Host: Uly Su General Partner, Addins Venture #CrossBorderMentor #StartupExpansion #TaiwanToSiliconValley 🌏 A cross-border mentor who supports startups in entering global markets, with deep experience in fundraising, talent strategy, and international operations across the U.S. and Taiwan. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulysu/ 📚 Learn more about Taiwan’s startup ecosystem 👉🏼 https://meetstartup.pse.is/4jhd5u 🚀 Stay connected with Taiwan–Silicon Valley innovation via the Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley Hub: https://sv.startupisland.tw/ Powered by Firstory Hosting

槓桿不賭命是一檔美股投資者的真實記錄，我是何星。每集我會完整告訴你我的資產配置，以及如何運用槓桿跟著資本成長。你我都是普通人，我不追求成功，我只想要生活輕鬆。如果你跟我一樣，podcast搜尋槓桿不賭命 https://fstry.pse.is/8dezyx —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— In Case You Missed It: TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Review Welcome to our latest episode — a deep dive into TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, the global gathering where the next decade of innovation begins. If you’re a founder, investor, or simply curious about how technology is reshaping the real world, this one’s for you. Disrupt isn’t just another conference — it’s where vision meets execution, and where new industries are quietly being built. This year, the spotlight shifted from hype to hardware, from theory to traction. We’ll unpack the rise of Glīd, the logistics startup reinventing freight movement; Nephrogen, blending AI and gene therapy; and bold predictions from Zoom’s Eric Yuan, who believes AI could soon redefine the workweek itself. We’ll also explore how the event’s new Going Public Stage revealed the real playbook for scaling — and why Asia’s innovators, from Taiwan to Japan, are finding their global footing right here in San Francisco. By the end of this episode, you’ll understand not only what happened at Disrupt, but why it matters to you — how these shifts in AI, logistics, biotech, and hardware signal where the next opportunities are emerging. So grab your headphones, and join us as we decode the conversations shaping the future of startups, capital, and technology itself. Powered by Firstory Hosting

In this episode, we’re joined by serial entrepreneur and investor Terry Hsiao to explore the defining shifts that have shaped Silicon Valley from 2000 to 2025—from the dot-com boom and bust, through the rise of mobile and cloud, to today’s AI-driven transformation and the restructuring of venture models. Terry’s journey spans from engineer to serial founder, investor, and educator, bridging startup communities across the U.S. and Taiwan. He reflects on how each wave—from the internet era’s obsession with “eyeballs,” to the mobile revolution powered by the iPhone and AWS, to the post-COVID reinvention of venture—has redefined what it means to build and invest. Beyond taking a company public, Terry now mentors founders and investors on both sides of the Pacific, offering insights on what it takes to thrive in the decade ahead. 📍 About Host: Uly Su General Partner, Addins Venture #CrossBorderMentor #StartupExpansion #TaiwanToSiliconValley 🌏 A cross-border mentor who supports startups in entering global markets, with deep experience in fundraising, talent strategy, and international operations across the U.S. and Taiwan. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulysu/ 📚 Learn more about Taiwan’s startup ecosystem 👉🏼 https://meetstartup.pse.is/4jhd5u 🚀 Stay connected with Taiwan–Silicon Valley innovation via the Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley Hub: https://sv.startupisland.tw/ Powered by Firstory Hosting

槓桿不賭命是一檔美股投資者的真實記錄，我是何星。每集我會完整告訴你我的資產配置，以及如何運用槓桿跟著資本成長。你我都是普通人，我不追求成功，我只想要生活輕鬆。如果你跟我一樣，podcast搜尋槓桿不賭命 https://fstry.pse.is/8dezyx —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— In this special edition of EP 3–8, we explore how two innovation capitals—San Francisco and Los Angeles—revealed contrasting yet complementary visions of the tech future during Tech Week 2025. From OpenAI’s pragmatic focus on AI infrastructure at Fort Mason to IBM Ventures’ high-stakes corporate venture night downtown, San Francisco showcased a city obsessed with building the backbone of intelligence. A week later, Los Angeles responded with cinematic flair: AI-driven fashion in Beverly Hills, immersive storytelling summits in Culver City, and a CEO retreat at Terranea where culture met capital. This episode examines how the Bay Area engineered the systems of tomorrow while LA gave them soul—marking a shift from innovation as technology to innovation as experience. Powered by Firstory Hosting

This week, we trace two seismic shifts redefining both the AI race and the global economy. OpenAI–AMD Alliance marks a structural realignment in the AI hardware landscape. The multi-year partnership grants OpenAI access to up to 6 GW of AMD’s next-generation Instinct accelerators—a move that diversifies its compute base beyond NVIDIA and positions AMD as a credible second supplier in the frontier-model era. The deal, which could add tens of billions in market value, signals a future where model developers and chipmakers are financially intertwined to secure compute sovereignty. U.S.–China Trade Confrontation re-enters a critical phase as Washington moves to impose 100 percent tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports, citing Beijing’s rare-earth export restrictions as a strategic threat. The escalation threatens to fragment technology supply chains, drive inflationary pressure in the U.S., and accelerate the formation of rival industrial blocs—America’s “friend-shoring” network versus China’s Belt-and-Road manufacturing orbit. Together, these developments expose a world where AI capacity, economic power, and geopolitical control are converging into the same equation—and where nations, companies, and investors must decide which ecosystem they belong to. Powered by Firstory Hosting