Rivian’s Q2 financials face a $1.46B loss, Airbnb is shaking things up

Top News

• Rivian's Q2 financials read like a soap opera with a whopping $1.46 billion loss—up slightly from last quarter's nail-biter. But there's a twist — the EV maker is betting big on a $5 billion deal with Volkswagen, set to turbocharge their tech and cash reserves. With revamped R1 trucks and a new R2 SUV on the horizon, this partnership could be the plot twist Rivian needs to drive toward profitability.

• Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, just dropped a game-changer for bloggers—an AI writing tool named "Write Brief with AI." This assistant helps you cut the fluff, making your posts clearer and snappier by suggesting simpler sentences and tweaking tones.

• Airbnb is shaking things up with new services that go beyond just booking stays. They're rolling out co-hosting to help property owners manage listings and bringing back "Experiences" with a new angle—think personal chefs and mid-stay cleanings. Despite a rocky financial quarter, Airbnb is betting big on these new features to redefine its brand and spark growth.

Alex is off this week so you are hearing from Bianca and Lukas from the LAUNCH team! Questions? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

TWiST Throwback

As we gear up for Episode 2000 (just 11 away!), we've been taking a fun trip down memory lane!

With Airbnb’s latest expansion making waves, we're reminiscing about a classic episode with Brian Chesky. In Episode 1735, Brian spills the tea with Jason on early rejections, a laser-sharp customer focus, and the future of AI in hospitality.

A message from DevSquad:

DevSquad helps startups design better products. If you need UI and UX expertise and don’t want to hire an entire design team, head to http://devsquad.com/startups and book a call. Mention that you are coming from TWiST to get 10% off.

This Week in Startups

E1989: Our first round of TWiST500 companies! Alex interviews Kyle Hanslovan of Huntress, Olivia Joslin and Toshit Panigrahi of TollBit, and Tamar Bar-Ilan of Cyera.

E1988: Josh Reeves and Alex discuss Gusto's growth, marketing strategies, and product development. A key theme is that serving small businesses presents both challenges and successes. Josh also touches on the competitive landscape, potential fintech ventures, and future expansion plans for Gusto.

E1987: On the latest episode of Liquidity Pod, Dana Johns (Head of Private Equity at New Jersey Division of Investment) and Tom Loverro (General Partner at IVP) joined David Weisburd (10X Capital) and Jason Calacanis (LAUNCH) to chat through the secondary markets, venture leverage in dealmaking today, and the IPO window.

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