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Top News

• DoorDash vet pivots to machine guns: Reuters checks in today with a fascinating profile of Steven Simoni, who founded the Bbot hospitality tech startup that got acquired by DoorDash back in 2022. Following that successful exit, the US Navy veteran pivoted HARD to a wildly different kind of project... AI-powered autonomous machine guns. His new company, Allen Control Systems, is developing the Bullfrog, an autonomous weapon designed to take out drones. It’s one of a vast array of new startups getting into the defense tech space, and defying conventional wisdom about the difficulties of working with the US military when you have a tighter-than-average runway. Definitely a niche to watch, and one we’re hyper-focused on, TWiST 500-wise.

• Dash0 races to $35M in new funding: German startup Dash0 defines itself as “an AI-native observability platform.” What does that mean? The company helps developers and engineers managing complex platforms to troubleshoot problems wherever they may appear, in the cloud, applications, infrastructure, and so on. It employs an AI agent (the slickly-named Agent0) as a helper, digging through the code to seek out the root causes of various issues. The startup already has 300 paying customers — including some high-profile names like Porsche and UK publication The Telegraph — which likely helped them score a $35 million Series A led by Accel, Cherry Ventures, and Dig Ventures, bringing their total funding to $44.5 million to date.

• Sora is here and everyone has thoughts: OpenAI’s new TikTok-style video app launched earlier this week, and it remains invite-only. But clips of everyone’s creations have nonetheless started flooding every other social network, including a variety of monstrous takes on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. (Users all have the option of creating digital twins of themselves, and then allowing their friends — or even the public at large — to make use of their likenesses.) Beyond Altman memes, it’s also clear that Sora excels at copyright infringement, allowing users to populate their 10-second clips with characters ranging from SpongeBob to “Family Guy” and beyond. As Altman explained earlier this week to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI is proceeding with an “opt-out” take on copyright… If IP holders don’t specifically tell them not to use their characters, it’s apparently open season.

TWiST 500

As some of the most visible startups in the world right now, all the big, high-profile LLM makers are members of the TWiST 500, of course. But we don’t tend to speak about Perplexity quite as often as its brethren. That doesn’t mean they’re not doing interesting work and releasing compelling products. We’re big fans of Perplexity’s Comet Browser at “This Week in Startups,” and a number of our producers are using it daily behind-the-scenes.

Speaking of Comet, Perplexity announced this week that it will make the AI-powered “assistant” free to use, a significant discount from the $200/month that users have been shelling out to date. CEO Aravind Srinivas told Business Insider on Wednesday that the company is all about making a better internet, which means making products like Comet “accessible to everybody.”

There are limits to Perplexity’s generosity, of course, in the form of rate limits for Comet use. But hey, you get what you pay for. It’s also likely, as Business Insider also points out, that Perplexity’s move here is an attempt to get ahead of Google, which has already started rolling out AI features for its already-ubiquitous Chrome browser. So no matter how impressive Comet is, it’s starting from a considerable disadvantage, and probably needs to be free or almost-free to wean people away from their rival.

One more quick item before we go… We have a number of health and med tech startups in the TWiST 500, but one area that we have not really explored are startups dedicated specifically to infertility and IVF procedures. The Washington Post this week has a fascinating look at a group of tech startups making great strides in this area, particularly in terms of automating complex or labor-intensive portions of the process (no pun intended).

Could the same kinds of computer vision we use to steer Waymos around obstacles also help fertility doctors find the most viable sperm, with the greatest motility? Could AI help automate and simplify the process of freezing eggs? Compelling questions. We’re definitely going to take a deeper look in this sub-field as we close out our first pass at the TWiST 500 collection. – Lon

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This Week in Startups

E2187: Jason and Alex took a look at Sora 2 on this week’s TWiST, and wondered aloud about whether or not we should actually consider this content “Slop” or not. (The debate rages on.) Plus are Synthetic Performers like Tilly Norwood the future of Hollywood, or pure hype, why Jason thinks the death of the Boomers will be a huge boost for crypto, and our thoughts on the coming Wealthfront IPO.

E2186: On a special Tuesday TWiST, Alex chats with Boom Supersonic founder/CEO Blake Scholl about picking up where the Concord left off, getting investors excited about jet engines in the era of AI Everything, and the complexities involved in designing the world’s fastest airliner. PLUS check out TWO MORE finalists in our Gamma Pitch Deck competition: Confy and The Drive AI.

E2185: Friend’s new AI pendant wants to be your new companion, but New Yorkers have had enough already. On a new TWiST, Jason and Alex consider whether they’d try out the beleaguered wearable, that promises to serve as a new social outlet for lonely people, but has been thus far ripped apart by reviewers and NYC subway commuters alike. PLUS Producer Claude got a new update, financial influencer Tai Lopez has warrants, and Jason walks us through the basics of private jet etiquette.

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Angel University is Back!

Jason and Mike Savino are hosting our next virtual Angel University workshop on Tuesday, October 7. Jason will share proven strategies he’s used to invest $200M+ in over 500 startups. Whether you’re new to angel investing or looking to sharpen your skills, this is your chance to learn directly from one of the most active angel investors in the world. Register now at angel.university!

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 on November 3rd, followed by in-person and virtual sessions throughout the program. Founders in MENA: this is your chance to turn your idea into a business and get world-class insights on building a successful startup. Apply today: https://mena.founder.university/

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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