Google announces AI features for education, TikTok tests 30-minute videos

Top News

Google announces AI-powered features for education, including classroom management, accessibility, question creation, and lesson plans, as part of the Bett ed-tech event in the UK. - Link

TikTok has been spotted testing the ability for users to upload 30-minute videos, signalling a move away from the short-form video format that made it popular. - Link

Swedish fintech company, Klarna, announces its subscription plan for $7.99 per month, featuring benefits like no added service fees, double rewards points, and access to exclusive discounts as it approaches an IPO. - Link

TextQL aims to add AI-powered intelligence on top of business data by connecting a company’s existing data stack to LLMs. - Link

EU lawmakers are presenting a package of support measures, including upgrading its supercomputers to support generative AI startups. - Link

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Advice of the Day

The Kernel of a Good Idea

Peter Thiel, former CEO of PayPal, emphasizes the importance of having "the kernel of a good idea" for starting a company. He outlines three key components for a successful company:

1. A talented and cohesive team

2. A good product

3. A solid business strategy

Thiel notes that a company with a strong foundational idea can still succeed even with significant management flaws. - Link

Startup Demo of the Day:

AdCreative.ai helps users generate ad creatives using AI, empowering advertisers, brands, and creative professionals to improve ad performance and work efficiency. Many new features are included in their version 5 update, including a product photoshoot, creative scoring, and updates to their creative studio editor.

Founder University is a 12-week pre-accelerator program run by Jason/LAUNCH for builder founders. We're investing $25k in 20-30 companies from Cohort 7. Apply at founder.university/letsbuild.

This Week in Startups

E1885: Jesse Lyu from Rabbit joins Jason to discuss their latest innovation, the Rabbit R1, a compact AI device. They cover various aspects of the product, including its introduction, pricing, and the distinction between large language and action models. The video gives insights into Rabbit's early development, Jesse Lyu's journey, AI prospects, along with a discussion about the product's timeline and getting it to early adopters. - Watch

E1884: Sunny and Jason discuss how AI is used at work, especially in remote settings. Sunny shows different AI tools like Hour One, Bland AI, Dinnerfly, and AI Comic Factory. They also talk about Apple's behavior with smartwatches and share a short film called "Borrowed Time" made entirely with AI. - Watch

E1883: David Weisburd and guests delve into various aspects of the venture capital landscape, discussing positive trends in startup valuations for 2024, current valuation methods, and key considerations for investors. The conversation also explores strategies for securing competitive deals, examines controversial practices like round-tripping, and highlights recent developments in the industry, such as Lexington's successful $22.7 million secondary investment raise and increased mergers and acquisitions activity. - Watch

E1882: Joshua Berkowitz from Berkocorp joins host Jason to discuss various facets of VC and fundraising. They cover why family offices are increasingly diversifying into VC, focusing on aspects such as higher returns and the entrepreneurial element. The conversation also explores how venture firms make decisions, weighing consensus against individual decision-making, and what it takes for a VC fund to succeed. - Watch

E1881: Flexport's CEO, Ryan Petersen, covers topics including the company's focus, pick-and-pack economics, global logistics challenges, the Red Sea Crisis impact, trends in sourcing, and the effects of the market collapse on CEO transition. The conversation also touches on leadership challenges, decisions on going public, and the state of the global workforce and remote work. - Watch

This Week in Startups Paid Partnerships

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Uizard helps you generate editable app designs with text prompts and handoff completed designs as React or CSS code. Get access to all Uizard’s AI features and more with 25% off Uizard Pro. Head over to http://uizard.io/twist and use code TWIST at checkout.