Would you let AI run your PC?

Top News

• Anthropic wants AI to run your PC: While OpenAI consumes lots of media oxygen, other AI model companies are hard at work. Today Anthropic released an update to its Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, adding a “Computer Use” to it. Now, Claude can use your PC for you, allowing for text-prompted task completion on the desktop. While RPA and other models executed similar work, Anthropic’s offering could unlock homebrew tinkering and corporate experimentation alike.

• So much for gaming: Netflix’s gaming strategy is getting pared down, GameFile reports. The well-known streaming giant’s push into gaming seems prepped to stick to lower-budget titles. While Netflix is not yet known for gaming — akin to how Spotify was once not synonymous with podcasts — it has aspirations to expand into more interactive entertainment. You can see the logic, as Netflix has its own IP to mine for gaming titles and lots of users whose time it wants more of. It’s just hard to get into a new category, especially one as established and competitive as gaming.

• Creatives are mad: More than 10,000 creative folks have written a statement arguing that “the unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.” If this statement will change the market, as previous letters and complaints and even lawsuits have yet to, it will bear out in time. But it adds to the drumbeat of complaints from copyright holders that, hey, using their protected works without paying for that use is pretty lame.

TollBit Raises a Series A

TollBit was one of the first companies we added to the TWiST500, inducted along with Human Native as the two content-licensing-for-AI startups to watch. Today, our early wager on TollBit bore fruit. Here’s Axios:

Previously the company had raised just $7 million, so the new capital infusion is not only a far larger round than TollBit has raised before, but it also multiplied its total capital base.

And I can see why investors are bullish. As noted in today’s news section, creatives are pretty irked at how the economics of AI are bearing out thus far — with their work being used by for-profit companies to generate lots of value, with very little of it trickling back to original rights holders.

Enter TollBit et al. We had the founders on TWiST the other week if you want to go deeper, but it seems that we were right thus far: There’s real gold in those AI data mining hills. — Alex

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This Week in Startups

E2029: Jason and Alex open the show discussing a new prime number discovery and GPU market trends, followed by guest John LePore from BlackBox Infinite. The conversation covers VisionPRO app development, integrating Hollywood VFX, and the influence of science fiction on real-world technology, including F1 prototype experiences and self-driving car safety. They also explore how media inspires tech and the role of stablecoins in financial systems.

E2028: Sarika Garg joins Alex to share her entrepreneurial journey founding Cacheflow, addressing challenges in B2B sales and the complexities of SaaS billing. She discusses HubSpot’s acquisition of Cacheflow, integration into HubSpot's Commerce Hub, and their positioning as an AI company, along with key lessons on early exits, product-market fit, and organizational efficiency. Sarika also reflects on shifts in SaaS buying behavior, remote work, and future growth plans with HubSpot.

Startup Finance Basics: Kruze COO Scott Orn joins Jason to share top financial advice for startups, including managing cash flow and avoiding the pitfalls of over-fundraising. They explore growth strategies, legal considerations around financial representation, and how to maintain credibility with VCs. Key insights also cover building a strong financial plan and the evolving landscape of funding with a focus on regulatory issues.

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• Digital Ocean: Whether you’re just getting started with AI, or seeing your project take off, DigitalOcean is the cloud platform that lets you focus on what matters: building killer apps. Right now get up to $100k in free credits at https://www.do.co/twist. Terms and conditions apply.

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• Kalshi: Kalshi—the largest regulated predictions market—now lets you trade on US elections. Visit kalshi.com/twist to see live odds, trade, and get $20 when you deposit $100.

Angel University

Angel University is just around the corner. It’s a four-hour online workshop with Jason and Mike, President at LAUNCH, where they cover key factors to consider when angel investing. They also provide insights into our investment process at LAUNCH, including the criteria we use when evaluating startups. If you’re interested, you can find more information here. The next workshop is on November 6th.

Founder University

Founder University Cohort 9 will kick off on October 25th. It’s a 12-week remote pre-accelerator program tailored to navigating early-startup practices, building an MVP, and growing traction. There’s still time to apply—submit your application at Founder University.

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