VC React SV E2: OpenAl's Power Loop with Thrive, America's Chip Gambit, and Apple's Al Reset

VC React Podcast - Silicon Valley:

Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, and Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on Silicon Valley startups, funds, and investment rounds.

Hosts:

• Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur.
  Sign up to VCpreneur Newsletter on https://www.vcpreneur.com/

• Jamie Lane, FWDstart.
  Sign up to FWDstart Newsletter on https://www.fwdstart.me/

Available on:

• Youtube: VC React Podcast

• Spotify: VC React Podcast

• Apple: VC React Podcast

Guest:

1. Joe Alalou, General Partner @ Daring Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephalalou/
- Company Website: https://hello.daringventures.vc/

This Week On The VC React Podcast:

News of the week brought to you by FWDstart:

• First up: OpenAI is taking a stake in Thrive Holdings — a services rollup already backed by one of OpenAI’s biggest investors, and built directly on top of OpenAI’s models. Are we watching brilliant ecosystem design that turbocharges enterprise AI… or a circular deal-making loop, that locks everyone else out of the club?

• Next, the U.S. government is writing a $150 million check into xLight, a lithography startup trying to become a homegrown alternative to ASML. Is this smart industrial strategy or is America trying to run a playbook it can’t stick with long enough to win?

• And finally, Apple has hired a senior AI leader from both Google and Microsoft to replace its retiring head of AI. Is this a true reset that puts Apple back in the AI game, or is it too late for founders to treat Apple as anything more than a nice secondary channel behind OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic

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