Microsoft plans to deprecate Windows Mixed Reality, Cisco acquires Isovalent

Top News

Microsoft plans to deprecate Windows Mixed Reality and remove the feature in a future Windows update; most Windows VR headsets launched between 2017 and 2021. - Link

Cisco to acquire cloud-native networking and security startup Isovalent who has helped develop eBPF, a key open source technology that gives developers deep insight into the operating system layer. - Link

Y Combinator-backed Intrinsic is building infrastructure for trust and safety teams, focused on product integration, automatically orchestrating tasks like banning users and flagging content for review. - Link

Meet Kosmik, a visual canvas with an in-built PDF reader and a web browser with an infinite canvas interface where you can insert text, images, videos, and links. - Link

Stripe grew net revenue to ~$1B in Q3 2023, operating income to $150M+ in Q3 and nearly $200M from January to September 2023, vs. losing ~$75M in 2022. - Link

Over 78% of B2B marketers rate LinkedIn as the most effective social media platform for reaching objectives. Why? Because there are over 62 million decision-makers on LinkedIn, and they mean business! Get $100 off your first advertising campaign at linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Ad

Startup Funding

Medallion, a platform for artists to connect directly with fans, raises $13.7M in Series A funding co-led by Dragonfly and Lightspeed Faction. - Link

Cloudline, a South African aerospace startup aiming to lead the global frontier of carb emissions-free autonomous flight, has raised $6M in funding, backed by Schmidt Futures, Raba Partnership, Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, 4Di, and other venture firms. - Link

Vestwell, a company providing the infrastructure for employers to power workplace savings programs, raises $125M led by Lightspeed Venture Partners along with other backers including Fin Capital, Primary Venture Partners, FinTech Collective, Blue Owl, and HarbourVest. - Link

Product Demo & Launches

Drawww provides real-time AI drawings for the iPad, featuring fast generation speeds and functions offline. - Watch

Rex Nutribot is an AI nutrition and fitness coach that allows users to personalize health transformations tailored to their goals. - Watch

Spur allows users to automate chats and comments on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, all in one inbox to boost marketing and customer care. - Watch

Advice of the Day

Building a Great Brand

In 1996, Steve Jobs reintroduced Apple with the "Think Different" campaign, emphasizing the significance of clear values in marketing. He praised Nike's branding for going beyond product details to evoke emotions, highlighting the importance of a distinct brand identity. Jobs stressed that while Apple had evolved, its core values of empowering passionate individuals to change the world remained unchanged. The "Think Different" campaign aimed to honor those who had made a significant impact, reflecting Apple's soul. Jobs encouraged businesses to define their core values and what they honor when building a brand. - Link

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

E1869: Author Steven Berlin Johnson joins Jason to speak about the significance of document organization and the concepts and features of "sources" in NotebookLM, a platform that gives you a personalized AI, grounded in the information you trust. - Watch

E1868: Avi Schiffmann of Tab AI discusses the origin and capabilities of Tab, a wearable device focused on building a mental model of the user. The conversation covers topics such as Apple's new wearable, Humane, safety concerns with wearables, Tab's supportive role, achieving positive change, and a comparison with Rewind AI. - Watch

E1867: Sunny Madra joins Jason to discuss a viral post from Digi.ai about building animated characters for relationships, exploring the concept of AI companions and their societal effects. The conversation also covers the monitoring of AI conversations, confidentiality, and security concerns, along with demonstrations of tools like Vercel, Pika, and Outfit Anyone that showcase AI capabilities in generating code snippets, animated video clips, and creative remixes. - Watch

E1866: Jason and Kelly Schricker introduce Founder University's contestants, including Abe (GolfGolf), Mircea (Cicada), Spencer (dotflo), and Shreyas (Clinic Assist). The event concludes with Jason making a $25K investment in one of the participating startups. - Watch

E1865: Kruze COO, Scott Orn, joins Jason to discuss best practices for early-stage startups to prepare for and execute successful board meetings. The two dive into the reasons VCs want governance through board meetings, what should be in a full board packet, the formal things investors look for, and much more! - Watch

E1864: Jerry Colonna joins Jason in person in San Francisco for a philosophical dialogue about the search for meaning as an entrepreneur, drawing on their multi-decade friendship. They explore Jerry's personal journey from venture capitalist to founder coach, the challenges leaders face as startups evolve, how Jerry helps entrepreneurs transition from founder to CEO, and much more! - Watch

This Week in Startups Paid Partnerships

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