It's New iPad Air day!

Top News

• Apple unveils new iPad Air: The company’s latest, lightest tablets are available in 11-inch and 13-inch options for $599 and $799, respectively. They’re upgrading from the M2 to the M3 chip, which the company suggests doubles the processing speed over the classic M1 Air. According to Apple, AI tasks run 60% faster than the previous edition of iPad Airs. The external Magic Keyboard accessory also got a long-awaited upgrade. Orders are now open; the first devices ship on March 12.

• OpenAI’s Bret Taylor praises AI agents: During a fireside chat at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the OpenAI board chair favorably compared agentic AI to first-generation AI chatbots. In customer service scenarios, Taylor claims that AI-powered solutions can already improve on the overall experience by being instantaneous. Rather than waiting for a field service team, AI helps people fix their problems immediately.

• That’s when I reach for my massage-bot: New York startup Aescape raised $83 million to expand and fine-tune its line of AI-powered massage machines. (First, the Massage-O-Tron builds a 3D model of the subject’s body. Then, a pair of mechanical arms apply warm pressure while the person getting massaged operates the controls via an LCD screen.) The company, now valued at around $250 million, has a deal to install massage-bots at 60 Equinox gym locations, and they hope to continue expanding into more “wellness hotspots” like hotels, pro sports locker rooms, physical therapy clinics, and beyond.

TWiST500

Autonomous driving startup Wayve’s latest testing ground will be Stuttgart, Germany, a European hub for automotive innovation where Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Audi already have facilities of their own.

This TWiST500 company is taking a slightly different approach to cracking self-driving from many of its more visible competitors. Rather than going Full Tesla and designing a car from the ground up to drive itself around, the British startup developed a range of cameras and sensors that can fit on top of most regular cars. This data is then fed into an AI model, giving the car spatial awareness via what’s known as “embodied AI.”

Over time, at least in theory, the system will learn more about driving and begin self-correcting and improving its responses. So rather than building Wayve-Mobiles using their tech, the company aims to partner with pre-existing auto brands and sell these systems directly to manufacturers.

Investors have taken a strong interest. In May, Wayve raised a $1 billion Series C round led by SoftBank, and including Nvidia, Microsoft, and others. It’s the largest-ever single investment in a European AI startup. But if they can really teach your car how to avoid obstacles and get you home safely, it’ll all be worth it. — Lon

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This Week in Startups

E2092: Jason and Alex are back on an all new This Week in Startups, talking about a US Crypto Reserve. Do we need one? How is this going to work? Should we fund it with via a Crypto Tax? One that’s out of the way, there’s still time to talk Ramp’s big raise, Jason’s ETF pitch, a potential CoreWeave IPO, PLUS a brand new Founder Hack.

E2091: On a busy, news-heavy Friday, Jason and Alex break down the SEC’s head-scratching memecoin ruling, which seemingly codifies pump-and-dump schemes into law. Plus a chat with GRIN co-founder and former CEO Brandon Brown, a look at the rise of AI-driven startups, Tesla’s latest challenge to Google’s Waymo, Jason’s response to Palmer Luckey, and much much more.

E2090: In a packed, epic, extended-length episode, Jason welcomes TWO mega-guests: Superhuman CEO/founder Rahul Vohra and Robinhood CEO/co-founder Vlad Tenev. Together, they trade philosophies of product design, relate their origin stories as founders, provide helpful tips about scaling, marketing, customer feedback and SO MUCH MORE. This is a can’t-miss TWiST.

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• LinkedIn Jobs: A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to https://www.linkedin.com/twist to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

Angel University

Angel University is back! Jason and Mike, President at LAUNCH, are hosting our next live Angel.University workshop in person on Wednesday, April 23rd, in NYC. Jason will be teaching the strategies he’s used to invest $100M+ in 300+ startups over the past decade. Register at: angel.university.

LAUNCH Accelerator

Applications are open for the 34th cohort of the LAUNCH Accelerator; a 14-week program focused on fundraising and growth. We invest $125K in our accepted companies and help them raise their pre-seed or seed round. Submit your application at LAUNCH Accelerator.

Founder University

Applications are also open for Founder University Cohort 10, a 12-week remote pre-accelerator program tailored towards navigating early-startup practices, building an MVP, and growing traction. Submit your application at Founder University— Cohort 10 will kick off Spring 2025!

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