AI has opened a new era in Venture Capital with Forerunner's Kirsten Green
Forerunner has seen a number of high-profile successes in their investments, showing an ability to get ahead of consumer trends with investments in Oura, Chime, the Farmer's Dog and beyond in non-B2C companies. And to get a sense of how that happened, and what's next for Forerunner in the AI era, TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief Connie Loizos spoke with their Founder and Managing Partner Kirsten Green during a StrictlyVC event in San Francisco.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and Kirsten’s Investing Philosophy
01:42 - Founding Forerunner and the Early Vision
03:28 - Identifying Consumer Behavior Shifts
05:10 - Building Trust with Founders
06:47 - Evaluating Consumer Brands Today
08:15 - Challenges and Lessons in Venture
10:03 - Forerunner’s Collaborative Approach
11:50 - What Makes a Standout Founder
13:30 - Advice for Entrepreneurs and Wrap-Up
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16:18
Trump's tariffs swift impacts on the global supply chain with Flexport CEO Ryan Peterson
In this bonus episode, Connie Loizos is joined by Flexport's CEO Ryan Petersen to discuss the ins and outs of the tariffs' impact, the industry's reaction and why Petersen still sees long-term opportunity in global trade.
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21:27
Peter Diamandis answers the question: is longevity only for the wealthy?
In this week's episode, Connie Loizos and Alex Gove are joined by entrepreneur, futurist, and best-selling author Peter Diamandis. He's founder of XPRIZE Foundation and the co-founder of SIngularity University. In this conversation he laid out his vision for how tech will transform our lives and make longevity advances in the near future. The question is, will these advances just be for the unlta-wealthy?
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:26 - Peter Diamandis on Longevity Escape Velocity
00:08:14 - Epigenetic Reprograming and the Future of Gene Therapy
00:10:59 - Diamandis's Investments in Longevity Startups
00:11:28 - The XPrize Foundation and the Healthspan XPrize
00:14:19 - Comparing Approaches to Longevity: Brian Johnson and XPrize
00:15:18 - Fountain Life: Diagnostics and Therapeutics
00:18:28 - The Mechanics of the Healthspan XPrize
00:24:13 - Peter Diamandis and Elon Musk
00:27:13 - AI, Purpose, and the Future of Work
00:30:48 - Wealth Concentration and the Idea of Abundance
00:34:19 - The Post-Capitalist Society
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35:22
Why the founder of BuzzFeed is building an AI-Native social media platform with Jonah Peretti
Today Connie and Alex are joined by Jonah Peretti who has been working in digital media for the past two decades as the founder and CEO of BuzzFeed—a brand that has seen a ton of evolution. Last month, Jonah announced the next phase of Buzzfeed, a social media platform that will use AI to ensure a positive environment. They’re investing $10 million into BuzzFeed island which is an AI-native social media platform.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
03:19 - Previewing BF Island: A New AI-Native Social Platform
09:40 - Reimagining the Internet: From Crack Cocaine to Beer and Wine
11:16 - AI Models, Guard Rails, and Creative Hallucinations
15:26 - BuzzFeed's Business Model and Financial Strategy
18:30 - Divesting Complex Networks and First We Feast
22:03 - AI's Role in Content Creation and Media Efficiency
25:48 - The Closure of BuzzFeed News and Digital Journalism Challenges
28:24 - Balancing Financial Pressures with Creative Innovation
32:33 - Future of Media and Launching New Platforms
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33:41
The rise of secondaries and seed-stage liquidity with Michael Kim
This week on StrictlyVC Download TechCrunch editor-in-chief Connie Loizos and StrictlyVC’s Alex Gove are joined by Michael Kim, the long-time VC and founder of Cendana Capital where he has built a $2.6 billion portfolio focused exclusively on seed and pre-seed funds, backing some of the most successful emerging managers in the industry. In this episode they discuss Cendana’s latest $600 million fundraise, the rise of secondaries and how they’re affecting returns, how Cendana’s team sniffs out the winners in a competitive market, and of course we got into how AI is changing the startup ecosystem.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
03:49 - The Fundraising Journey and Institutional Investors
05:20 - Key Partnerships and Early Support
07:48 - Growth and Investment Strategy Adjustments
11:20 - The Rise of Secondaries in Venture Capital
14:32 - Identifying and Backing Emerging Fund Managers
17:24 - The Impact of AI on Venture Capital and Startups
18:19 - Changing Venture Investment Structures and Trends
20:26 - Spotlight on New Fund Managers
21:41 - Co-Investments, SPVs, and Strategic Adjustments
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Each week, StrictlyVC Editor-in Chief Connie Loizos and Alex Gove, a former journalist, VC, and operating exec, review the top stories in StrictlyVC and interview a mover and shaker in the world of tech.
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