This Week in Startups

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Today's show:
Frontier AI models can ace PhD-level exams, but it's still bad at tracking down the product you want in the style that suits you. Onton's Zach Hudson tell us that the problem is that models are a black box.
His solution? A neurosymbolic model, Ontology 1, that learns about your taste and preferred aesthetic over time, then produces product searches tailored specifically to you, rather than just using keywords and relevant tags. How do neurosymbolic models work, and how does Onton understand your prompts and favorite design trends? And why aren't the frontier labs working on neurosymbolic models of their own? Zach joins Jason and Lon to discuss.
PLUS, following a record-smashing SpaceX IPO, Ashi Dissanayake of Spacium makes the case that the real bottleneck in space isn't launching rockets off the ground any more. It's refueling in orbit.
Guests
Zach Hudson on X: ****https://x.com/nosduhz
Onton: https://onton.com/
Spacium: https://spaceium.com/
Spacium on X: https://x.com/SpaceiumInc
Relevant Links
Poolside's journey to AGI: https://poolside.ai/vision/purpose
Startup Archive: Sam Altman on the Paul Graham advice that saved OpenAI: https://www.startuparchive.org/p/sam-altman-on-the-paul-graham-advice-that-saved-open-ai-always-make-an-api
Kelly Wearstler: https://www.kellywearstler.com/
Ennis House: https://franklloydwright.org/site/ennis-house/
Los Feliz Living: Ennis House profile: https://www.losfelizliving.com/los-feliz-historic-homes/ennis-house-los-feliz-hcm-149
Indiewire: Ennis-inspired "The Studio" offices: https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/the-studio-production-design-interview-seth-rogen-1235114365/
Monocle Magazine: https://monocle.com/
Spaceium on Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/spaceium-inc
Orbit Fab's RAFTI: https://www.orbitfab.com/rafti/
James Webb Space Telescope: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/
Timestamps:

0:00 Zach Hudson joins: What is "neurosymbolic search"
4:03 Ontology 1 isn't a black box
6:31 Who is using Onton?
9:36 Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
11:35 Could neurosymbolic models reach AGI?
13:19 Jason loves Wright's Ennis House
17:03 The shape of AI companies is changing
19:28 Agree.com - Stop chasing invoices and automate your entire contract-to-cash stack. Go to https://agree.com and tell them Jason sent you to get 50% off for life!
22:32 UGC as a data moat
26:03 The Dead Internet Theory
28:13 Ashi Dissanayake of Spacium joins
29:52 YSecurity - The on-demand security team for startups. Need enterprise-grade security without hiring a $400k CISO? YSecurity gives you 40+ expert engineers, matched to exactly what you need, by the hour, with your first six hours completely free. Go to https://YSecurity.io/TWIST
31:50 Storables vs. cryogenics: the zero-boil-off breakthrough
34:11 All kinds of propulsion requires refueling
36:09 Getting more value from LEO to GEO
38:28 Moving at rocket speed
44:54 Why demand is so acute
49:37 The investing climate for space, post-SpaceX



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Today's show:
We've been going deep on Bittensor and how it works all year on TWiST, meeting with the creators of some of our favorite subnets, and exploring how the system decentralizes inference, compute, and storage. Now, on this very special episode, Jason and Lon welcome Bittensor co-founder Jason Steeves (aka "Const") to the show.
He gives us a quick tour of the project's first principles, before diving into how subnets incentivize miners to contribute, how dTAO turned the creation of subnets into its own competition, how Const says he employs "the internal machinery of capitalism" to rank subnects, and his latest project, Subnet 120 (aka Affine).
Find out what the OpenTensor Foundation actually does, go inside the Templar controversy, and learn why Const is trying to make himself increasingly irrelevant.
Guest
Jacob Steeves on X: https://x.com/const_reborn
Bittensor: https://www.bittensor.com/
Affine: https://affine.io/
Relevant Links
Original Bittensor whitepaper: https://bittensor.com/whitepaper
Bittensor governance and documentation: https://www.bittensor.com/docs
Beginner's Guide to Dynamic TAO: https://www.tao.media/the-complete-beginners-guide-to-dynamic-tao-dtao/
Prime Intellect: TOPLOC: https://www.primeintellect.ai/blog/toploc
Engy (SN53): https://engy.ai/
Lium (SN51): https://www.lium.io
Targon (SN4): https://targon.com/
Templar (SN3): https://www.tplr.ai/
Hippius (SN75): https://hippius.com/
MakerDAO: https://makerdao.com/
Stillcore Capital: https://stillcorecapital.com/
Timestamps:

0:00 The origin of Bittensor (and the name Const)
10:48 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
13:55 From Bitcoin mining to mining intelligence
19:33 DigitalOcean - Head to https://do.co/twist to start building on DigitalOcean's AI-Native Cloud today — and cut your AI workload costs by up to 50%.
30:17 Odoo - The all-in-one business platform. Get started for free at https://Odoo.com/twist
32:37 What is a subnet?
33:35 Forcing honest inference from bad actors
37:14 Building a subnet is harder than it looks
40:42 Understanding dTAO
51:57 Where the registration TAO actually goes
1:02:57 All about the Conviction "rug pull"
1:15:19 How Const is making himself irrelevant
1:17:33 The "Buy One TAO" philosophy



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Today's show:
*Anthropic is likely headed for the largest IPO in history. A reported 2-3 trillion October debut would blow past SpaceX's recent record. Jason breaks down why the. numbers matter less than what they'll reveal about the entire AI economy.
Then, chats with a pair of founders: one who's selling subscription water filtration systems that will keep microplastics out of your brain (and other body parts), and another who's building the AI software that powers automated solar panel installation.
Guests
Sami Khoreibi: https://x.com/samikhoreibi
Wisewell: https://www.wisewell.com/
Puneet Puri: https://x.com/puneetp
Gritt Robotics: https://www.gritt.ai/
Relevant Links
Fortune: Anthropic reportedly plans $2T IPO in October: https://fortune.com/2026/08/13/anthropic-ipo-2-trillion-october-largest-ever-spacex/
Ramp AI Index: August update: https://ramp.com/data/ai-index-august-2026
Decart: https://decart.ai/
Bloomberg: Anthropic in talks to buy Decart: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-13/anthropic-said-in-talks-to-buy-ai-startup-decart-for-6-billion
Nat Geo: Profile of water sommelier Martin Riese: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/water-sommelier-martin-riese
Mailman School of Public Health: Nanoplastics study: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/bottled-water-can-contain-hundreds-thousands-nanoplastics
Bryan Johnson microplastics post: https://x.com/bryan_johnson/status/1937194358027190637?lang=en
Topo Chico: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/topo-chico
San Pellegrino: https://www.sanpellegrino.com/
Acqua Panna: https://www.acquapanna.com/intl/
Evian: https://www.evian.com/
Mountain Valley Spring Water: https://mountainvalleyspring.com
Fiji Water: https://www.fijiwater.com/
TechCrunch: Gritt exits stealth: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/gritt-exits-stealth-with-34-million-for-robots-to-build-solar-plants-then-everything-else/
Our World in Data: Solar panel prices: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/solar-pv-prices
Our World in Data: Solar module prices vs. cumulative capacity: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/solar-pv-prices-vs-cumulative-capacity
NYT: Do your emojis make you look old? https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/08/12/upshot/emoji-generations.html
DJI Mic 3: https://www.dji.com/mic-3
Ted Lasso S4 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk1KdTMhFs8
Lanterns trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UIBOsuUwc4
Furious trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBSqPDxmNZs
The Shards trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpm9HUOrZIc
Sporked: What are Tim Tams? https://sporked.com/article/what-are-tim-tams/
Timestamps:
0:00 New Segment: "Enough Already!"
3:36 Anthropic's record-breaking IPO plans
9:59 Why it's "Springtime for Trump and M&A"
10:39 PayPal - Built for payments, growth, and agentic. Paypal Open, built for all business. Visit https://paypalopen.com to get started
16:00 Sami Khoreibi of Wisewell joins
17:30 Hiring a water sommelier
20:23 CLA - Innovation takes balance. CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors can help you get from startup to where you want to end up. Get started now at https://www.claconnect.com/withyou
29:00 The problems with tap and bottled water
30:34 Odoo - The all-in-one business platform. Get started for free at https://Odoo.com/twist
49:58 Puneet Puri of Gritt Robotics joins
54:35 Solar's version of "Moore's Law"
1:05:08 Are you using the Boomer emojis?
1:09:02 Why Jason loves the DJI Mic 3
1:11:36 Jason & Lon's streaming recommendations


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These robots could cut delivery costs by 80% | Next Unicorns
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Today's show:
*Cytronic built a robotics-first fulfillment network, packing and shipping orders for cents instead of dollars, from small, city-adjacent micro-warehouses. Alex chats with CEO and co-founder Kevin Gibbon about how he can build a fulfillment warehouse for $1.2 million, and why it costs Amazon 50M-100M.
PLUS Eyebot delivers low-cost doctor-reviewed eyeglass prescriptions following 90-second vision tests, conducted in everyday kiosks. We asked CEO and co-founder Matthias Hofmann how he's trying to simplify vision care and caught up with his Walmart and Sam's Club pilot programs.
Guests
Kevin Gibbon on X: https://x.com/kevingibbon
Cytronic: https://cytronic.ai/
Matthias Hofmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mchofmann/
Eyebot: https://www.eyebot.co/
Relevant Links
Axios: Cytronic seed round: ****https://www.axios.com/pro/supply-chain-deals/2026/07/15/robotic-fulfillment-cytronic-13m
Airhouse acquired by Syncware: https://www.airhouse.io/
Amazon News: 10 Years of Robotics: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/10-years-of-amazon-robotics-how-robots-help-sort-packages-move-product-and-improve-safety
Serve Robotics: https://www.serverobotics.com/
Zipline: https://www.flyzipline.com
TechCrunch: Manna plots major US expansion: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/08/autonomous-drone-delivery-startup-manna-plots-major-u-s-expansion/
TechCrunch: Eyebot Series A round: https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/eyebot-gets-20m-series-a-to-boost-to-expand-eye-care-access/
CNET Eyebot coverage: https://www.cnet.com/health/medical/i-took-a-vision-test-in-90-seconds-with-a-robot-and-saw-the-future-of-vision-care/
Walmart & Sam's Club announcement: https://www.eyebot.co/resources/walmart-and-sams-club-pilot-fast-affordable-eyeglass-prescriptions-using-eyebots-technology/
Formlabs: https://formlabs.com/
Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses: https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/
Google Android XR AI announcement: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-xr-gemini-glasses-headsets/
World Health Organization: Blindness and vision impairment fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
Timestamps:
0:00 Kevin Gibbons of Cytronic joins the show
5:29 How small is a micro fulfillment center?
9:59 Squarespace - Turn your idea into a beautiful website! Go to https://www.squarespace.com/twist for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
11:33 Understanding the unit economics
20:24 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
22:29 Why fulfillment costs rise as you scale
29:46 Automatons Roll Out
30:12 Matthias Hofmann of Eyebot joins the show
30:31 Agree.com - Stop chasing invoices and automate your entire contract-to-cash stack. Go to https://agree.com and tell them Jason sent you to get 50% off for life!
31:29 Vision tests vs. eye exams
42:28 The terrifying doctor shortage
47:22 Fundraising and partnerships
57:07 Will we always need human doctors in the loop?
 
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Today's show:
*Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg published a 6,500 word essay about the future of AI, and Jason thinks it's his smartest PR move in years.
The thinkpiece, "The Future is for Everyone: The Path to a Positive AI Future," arrives alongside a new open-weight Meta model — Muse Glimmer — and the promise of an open-weight version of Muse Spark 1.2 to come. Zuckerberg's clearly pitching an "abundance" narrative, promising the American public untold benefits from AI technology — everything from a PhD-level tutor for every student to scientific breakthroughs, personal assistants, and beyond — all for the low low cost of not banning new data centers. Do our hosts think everyday voters will take this deal?
PLUS X retires its revenue sharing program, the CLARITY Act misses a key pre-recess vote, what can we do to stop widespread AI-powered community college cheating, and some of the podcasting positions for which LAUNCH is hiring.
Relevant Links
Meta: "The Future is for Everyone": https://about.fb.com/news/2026/08/the-future-is-for-everyone/
Meta: "Introducing Muse Glimmer": https://research.meta.ai/blog/introducing-muse-glimmer-open-agentic-model
MS Now: "Kevin O'Leary wants to atone for his data center sins": https://www.ms.now/news/kevin-oleary-wants-to-atone-for-his-data-center-sins
"The Social Reckoning" teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM4LkaXwGuY
X: Original Content Rewards Program: https://help.x.com/en/using-x/original-content-rewards
TechCrunch: Nikita Bier steps down as X's head of product: https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/05/nikita-bier-steps-down-as-xs-head-of-product/
Congress.gov: H.R. 3633 - Digital Asset Market Clarity Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3633/text
Politico: "Crypto faces a setback in the Senate": https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/07/delays-imperil-senate-crypto-bill-01029817
NYT: "AI Agents are Taking Entire Online Courses for Cheating Students": https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/us/ai-cheating-online-degrees.html
Inside Higher Ed: "Brown Professor Suspects Majority of His Class Used AI to Cheat": https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty/learning-assessment/2026/07/08/brown-professor-suspects-most-his-class-used-ai-cheat
Podnews: Spotify's Skip Ahead ad skip test: https://podnews.net/article/spotify-threat-ad-skipping
Tommy Vietor X post on Spotify: https://x.com/TVietor08/status/2085073214968037428?s=20
JJ Smith SF "open drug market" video: https://x.com/war24182236/status/2086839186137710724
Timestamps:
0:00 Why Zuck thinks the future is open source
2:26 Meta's roadmap: personal assistants and beyond
9:21 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io
20:22 Netsuite - For the first time ever, you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/TWIST
27:43 How to win the data center argument
29:32 YSecurity - The on-demand security team for startups. Need enterprise-grade security without hiring a $400k CISO? YSecurity gives you 40+ expert engineers, matched to exactly what you need, by the hour, with your first six hours completely free. Go to https://YSecurity.io/TWIST
39:24 X intros Original Content Rewards
51:58 The CLARITY Act faces new setbacks
1:00:46 AI agents are taking students' tests for them
1:09:37 LAUNCH is hiring!
 
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Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
 
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