Baidu you can drive my car

Top News

• Uber and Baidu join forces: The ride-sharing platform and the Chinese carmaker plan will team on bringing autonomous robotaxis to new markets outside the US and mainland China. According to TechCrunch, Uber users throughout Asian and Middle Eastern territories will be able to start ordering rides from one of thousands of Baidu vehicles, being deployed as soon as this year. Baidu already operates one of the largest robotaxi fleets in China, and its in-house robotaxi service, Apollo Go, has given more than 11 million public rides (putting them ahead of even Google’s Waymo).

• OpenEvidence closes new round: The hot AI startup helps doctors do more efficient and accurate background research, using proprietary algorithms to quickly scan through millions of peer-reviewed medical publications in search of the best answers and treatment options. The software is free for verified doctors, with a business model relying on ad revenue. It’s already in use by about 430,000 doctors in the US, with ARR of about $50 million. It’s another upbeat example of AI apps aimed at helping people do their jobs more effectively, rather than replacing them outright. The company raised a $210 funding round led by Google Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, at a $3.5 billion valuation. (That’s a major jump from its $1B valuation last year.)

• The New Nextdoor is here: The hyperlocal social networking platform for neighbors and IRL communities has become something of a punchline, more associated with bickering, rants, and complaints — the kind of cringe content favored by viral accounts like Best of Nextdoor — than anything helpful. The company is attempting to shift the conversation with a new update, adding practical features like interactive Alert maps for emergencies, and publisher partnerships bringing timely regional news content to the platform.

TWiST500

There are SO MANY TWiST 500 AI companies with major updates this week, the only reasonable thing to do is break this section down and tackle them one at a time…

• Thinking Machines Lab: The AI startup from former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati closed a $2 billion seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz this week, one of the largest such rounds in Silicon Valley’s history. It’s particularly impressive given that TML is not even one year old and we don’t yet have a clear understanding of specifically what it is they actually plan to… do. But someone somewhere (Marc Andreessen) must be pretty impressed.

• Mistral: The French “Le Chat” makers released their first family of open-source text-to-audio models for enterprises, collectively known as “Voxtral.” The company claims Voxtral can produce “truly usable speech intelligence” for productions at around half the cost of rival offerings from Gemini and GPT-4.

• Anthropic: The startup released a new package of financial tools, Claude for Financial Services, aimed at assisting accountants and analysts with market research, due diligence, and even investment advice. It was developed by pairing Claude with info from third-party data subscription services like FactSet, PitchBook, and Morningstar.

• xAI: Subscribers to xAI’s new “SuperGrok” package now have access to two interactive AI companions, Ani and Rudy. (She’s a blonde anime girl while he’s a anthropomorphic red panda.) Another character, “Chad,” is apparently still in the works. There’s a voice mode, where you can chat back and forth with the avatars, and even an “NSFW” option allowing you to view them in their underwear (if that’s something you decide you just have to see).

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This Week in Startups

E2151: On a brand-new TWiST, Jason and Alex are considering Windsurf’s abandoned OpenAI deal and the meaning of the term “blitzhiring.” Then Jason’s making some BOLD predictions about AI’s future impact on the job market, a look at Tesla’s NSFW new Austin robotaxi coverage map, a fond remembrance for the SnapStream live TV archiving service, and MUCH more.

E2150: On TWiST Friday, Jason and Alex consider just how xAI’s Grok 4 leapfrogged OpenAI, Google and others to become the top-ranked AI model (of the moment, at least). Plus why some AI startups are still raising their prices, even as the cost of running LLMs drops considerably. We’ve also got Ben Seidl of Autolane in the our studio in ATX to talk autonomous commerce and the future of the urban curbside. Check it out!

E2149: It’s a brand-new TWiST, and Jason and Alex are considering all the news that matters to founders and investors. Today that includes Tesla’s plans to introduce Wifi hotspots within their rides, Nvidia’s historic $4 trillion valuation, Perplexity’s slick new AI powered browser bringing the fight to Google’s Chrome, Waymo’s new “teen” accounts, and lots more. Plus Tim Ranzetta stops by to talk about financial education and his nonprofit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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Founder U is coming to the MENA region!

Our 12-week pre-accelerator—designed to help early-stage founders build and grow—kicks off this fall in Saudi Arabia. The first cohort launches in Riyadh this fall with in-person and virtual sessions. Founders in MENA: this is your chance to turn your idea into a funded company and get world class insights on building a successful start-up. Apply today: https://www.mena.founder.university/

LAUNCH Accelerator

Our current Accelerator batch is graduating! Watch 11 strong startups pitch to Jason and our investor-judges. We are livestreaming the event on Monday, July 28th at 12:30 PM PT. Register here.

Want to Work for This Week in Startups?

We’re looking to fill two in-person sales positions at our Austin, Texas HQ! First, a high-performing Sales Executive to help us seek out and promote clients, sponsorships, branded content, and more. Plus an experienced Sales Manager to lead, coach, and scale our sales executive team, while setting performance goals. Love the podcast and have B2B sales experience? We want to hear from you!

SF Live-Work Space Now Available

Need a flexible living and working environment in San Francisco? This thoughtfully designed loft-style residence at 787 Bryant St., the heart of the vibrant SOMA district and the city’s creative hub, is now available for rent or purchase. Check the listing for more details.

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