Equity Live: From $300M seed rounds to data center builds, AI is feeling bubbly

The Equity crew was live at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025! Hosts Kirsten Korosec, Max Zeff, and Anthony Ha took over the Builders Stage on Monday morning to kick off the event with the question everyone's asking: are we in an AI bubble?  Between valuations that have tripled in months, $300M seed rounds, and $100B commitments flying around, the money is moving fast — maybe too fast. The Equity team breaks down what peak bubble looks like, where the actual business models are (spoiler: a lot of companies are betting on AI datacenters), and why some founders are betting against the scaling race entirely.  Listen to the full episode to hear:  Why this feels like peak bubble territory, and what the wildest funding rounds of the past month tell us about where AI is headed  How the AI data center boom is reshaping infrastructure investing, and which unexpected players are getting in on the action  Why Cohere's former AI research lead is going against the grain and betting against the scaling race  What happens when a startup's viral demo becomes its entire business model (and whether that's sustainable)  Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a small startup exit and being turned down by every VC firm he applied to, Tim Chen began angel investing and eventually stumbled into raising his own fund.   Now, as the solo investor behind Essence VC, he just closed his fourth fund at $41 million "without even trying." Chen's secret weapon? Being technical enough to debate PhD founders on implementation details while understanding the market dynamics that turn scrappy startups into category leaders.  Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Julie Bort sat down with Tim Chen to explore the rise of solo VCs and who's rewriting the traditional venture playbook.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  Why the YC playbook of "revenue at all costs" doesn't work for infrastructure startups, and what Chen tells technical founders to focus on instead  The strategic pivot Chen pushed one portfolio company to make that completely changed their trajectory  What being a "small exit founder" taught Chen about venture capital, and why he thinks the industry has it backwards  Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The browser wars are heating up again, this time with AI in the driver’s seat.  OpenAI just launched Atlas, a ChatGPT-powered browser that lets users surf the web using natural language and even includes an “agent mode” that can complete tasks autonomously. It’s one of the biggest browser launches in recent memory, but it's debuting with an unsolved security flaw that could expose passwords, emails, and sensitive data.  On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Max Zeff, Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane break down Atlas’s debut, the broader wave of alternative browsers, and more of the week’s startup and tech news.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  Why Rivian spinoff Also just landed a massive deal with Amazon for thousands of pedal-assist cargo vehicles (and why the name is a nightmare to say in conversation)  How Sesame, the conversational AI startup from Oculus founders, raised $250M for a product that doesn't really exist yet  The AWS outage that broke much of the web, turned Eight Sleep mattresses into temperature nightmares, and exposed just how fragile the internet really is  The alternative browsers that either embrace or push back against AI-everything, from privacy-focused options like DuckDuckGo and Brave to "mindful" browsers like Opera Air  Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder if you’re talking to a real person online or just another bot? As bots increasingly outnumber humans online, leading to an explosion of deepfakes and AI-driven fraud, one company has a solution straight out of sci-fi: scanning your iris to verify your identity.  Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan spoke with Adrian Ludwig, Chief Security Officer and Chief Architect at Tools for Humanity, the company behind World’s eye-scanning Orbs appearing around the globe. Bellan and Ludwig discuss building privacy-first identity verification, the open-source approach to biometric tech, and why proving humanity matters now more than ever.  Listen to the full episode to hear:  How zero-knowledge proofs verify that you're over 18 (or human) without revealing your location, browsing history, or other identifying information.  Why Tools for Humanity open-sourced the entire Orb — from hardware to firmware and software.  How Match Group, Event Pop, and other major platforms are partnering up to combat bot abuse.  Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Silicon Valley’s rule? It’s not cool to be cautious. As OpenAI removes guardrails and VCs criticize companies like Anthropic for supporting AI safety regulations, it’s becoming clearer who the industry thinks should shape AI development.  On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff discuss how the line between innovation and responsibility is getting blurrier, plus what happens when pranks go from digital to physical.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  The real-world DDoS attack that blocked Waymo service for a day near a dead-end San Francisco street  Goldman Sachs acquiring Industry Ventures for up to $965 million, signaling Wall Street's growing interest in the secondary venture market  FleetWorks' $17 million Series A to modernize trucking with AI  Why advocating for AI safety has become "uncool" in Silicon Valley from Anthropic facing backlash to California's SB 243 regulation of AI companion chatbots and the success of companies like Character.AI  Which startups are using an SEC workaround to file for IPOs during the shutdown  Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.   Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can performance-enhancing drugs push the limits of human potential? The creators of the Enhanced Games say yes — and they’re building a new sporting event to prove it.   Backed by Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital, the Enhanced Games aims to disrupt the Olympics with a competition that allows athletes to dope. Launching in Las Vegas in May 2026, the games promise $1 million bounties for breaking world records and lean on a business model reminiscent of Red Bull’s, using the spectacle as marketing for future enhancement products.  Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan spoke with Aron D'Souza, co-founder and President of the Enhanced Games, about the business of enhancement, what it means to build in the longevity space, and who gets to do it.  Listen to the full episode to hear:  How the venture has raised "double-digit millions" and signed Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley, whom D'Souza believes will break Usain Bolt's 100m record at age 31.  Why D'Souza believes Olympic drug testing has stunted performance enhancement research, and how allowing enhancements in sports could drive longevity breakthroughs.  Enhanced's plan to build a telehealth platform selling testosterone and weight-loss drugs (which have yet to be developed).  The societal, economic, and ethical implications of extending human longevity.  Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI companies are making their much-anticipated enterprise plays, but the results are wildly inconsistent. Just this week, Deloitte announced it's rolling out Anthropic's Claude to all 500,000 employees. On the very same day, the Australian government forced Deloitte to refund a contract because their AI-generated report was riddled with fake citations. It's a perfect snapshot of where we are: companies racing to adopt AI tools before they've figured out how to use them responsibly.  On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O'Kane dig into the messy reality of AI in the workplace, plus funding news and regulatory drama across tech and transportation.  Listen to the full episode to hear more news from the week, including:  AltStore's $6 million raise and its plan to integrate with the Fediverse, making app updates part of your social feed  Base Power's massive $1 billion Series C to deploy home batteries across Texas and beyond  NHTSA's investigation into Tesla FSD after 50+ traffic violations, plus the new "cheaper" models that strip out Autopilot and basic features  Zendesk's claim that its new AI agents can handle 80% of customer service tickets autonomously, and what happens in the other 20%  Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.   Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration recently announced a massive change to the H-1B visa program, raising the application fee from $2,000-$5,000 to $100,000 per visa. The change has sent shockwaves through the startup world, with founders warning it could price them out of hiring international talent and undermine U.S. innovation. Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Dominic-Madori Davis was joined by Jeremy Neufeld, the Director of Immigration Policy at the Institute for Progress, to break down what this H-1B change means for startups, founders, and the future of tech talent in America. Listen to the full episode to hear about: The massive loophole that lets 80% of H-1B applicants skip the $100,000 fee entirely Why the new wage system could give more visa slots to experienced acupuncturists than fresh AI PhD grads making $200K Why universities and national labs are stuck in limbo, knowing they have to pay but not knowing how Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.    Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. government shutdown that began this week is the first in seven years. While it might not feel immediately disruptive, for startups waiting on permits, visas, or regulatory approvals, even a few weeks can become an existential problem.  On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff talk through how uncertainty is affecting startups in ways people might not realize, plus the messy reality of AI companies still trying to figure out sustainable business models. Listen to the full episode to hear about: OpenAI’s launch of the Sora app, its TikTok-style feed of AI-generated content, and whether people actually want to pay for an endless stream of synthetic videos How AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood is proving that even fake performers can cause real industry drama Periodic Labs’ $300 million seed round from Andreessen Horowitz, Jeff Bezos, and Nvidia to build AI scientists and discover new physics The US government taking equity stakes in companies like Lithium Americas, MP Materials, and Intel, is raising questions about what happens when Washington steps in as a shareholder Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.    Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California just made history as the first state to require AI safety transparency from the biggest labs in the industry. Governor Newsom signed SB 53 into law this week, mandating that AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic disclose, and stick to, their safety protocols. The decision is already sparking debate about whether other states will follow suit.  Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at Encode AI, joined Equity to break down what this new law actually means and why it managed to pass its predecessor SB 1047 incurred so much ire from tech companies that Newsom ended up vetoing it last year.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  What "transparency without liability" means in practice, and whether it's enough to ensure safe AI is released to the masses.  Whistleblower protections and critical safety incident reporting requirements.  What's still on Newsom's desk, including regulation on AI companion chatbots.  Why SB 53 is an example of light-touch state policy that doesn't hinder AI progress.  The battle for federalism amid moves to take away states’ rights to enact AI regulation.  Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, so don’t miss it.   Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.    Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices