Equity
TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Sean O'Kane, Theresa Loconsolo
The intersection of technology, startups, and venture capital touches everything now. That’s why Equity, TechCrunch's flagship podcast, digs into the business of startups for entrepreneurs and enthusiasts alike. Every Wednesday and Friday, TechCrunch reporters keep you up-to-date on the world of business, technology, and venture capital. Equity is ranked the No.2 podcast in the Top 100 Venture Capital All time leaderboard on Goodpods—As well as No.17 for the Top 100 Finance All time chart and No.32 for the Top 100 Business News All time chart.
Episodes
Mentioned books
42 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 37min
VCs are betting billions on AI's next wave, so why is OpenAI killing Sora?
A landowner turns down a $26M AI data center offer, sparking local fights over water, zoning and real-world infrastructure. Big VCs are raising massive AI funds and debating whether the frenzy is sustainable. Drone startups are finding niche traction while acquisition and regulatory questions loom. OpenAI shuttering a consumer video app highlights rapid iteration and shifting priorities. Courts are rethinking platform accountability.
47 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 37min
ReelShort made $1.2 billion on werewolf romances. Watch Club wants to do it better.
Henry Soong, founder of Watch Club and builder of mobile-first teen micro dramas, discusses bringing grounded, social-native short shows to young audiences. He contrasts Chinese micro drama success with Quibi, explains Watch Club’s interactive but non-branching social features, and debates monetization, intentional design versus addictive feeds, and AI’s role in formulaic scripts.
85 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 38min
Nvidia has an OpenClaw strategy. Do you?
A deep dive into Nvidia's GTC playbook and its push to be foundational across AI, autonomous vehicles, and theme parks. A look at Travis Kalanick's robot ambitions and the risks tied to his comeback. Coverage of Uber and Rivian's $1.25B RoboTaxi pact and the production hurdles behind it. News on Frore’s AI chip cooling unicorn jump and xAI’s ongoing reboot drama.
12 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 26min
The PhD students who became the judges of the AI industry
Wei-Lin Chiang, Arena co-founder and CTO who built evaluation systems for LLMs and agents, and Anastasios Angelopoulos, Arena co-founder and former UC Berkeley PhD who created benchmarking platforms. They discuss how Arena measures real-world intelligence, preserves reproducibility and neutrality despite big lab funding, and expands from chat to agents, coding, and expert leaderboards.
31 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 41min
Wiz's first investor breaks down Google's $32B acquisition
Shardul Shah, Partner at Index Ventures who led early investment in Wiz. He explains why Wiz landed a $32B takeover and its spot at the intersection of AI, cloud, and security. Short, sharp conversations cover founders rejecting an earlier offer, how Wiz will operate post-deal, and what this means for cyber M&A and future startups.
20 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 28min
How Poppi went from a Shark Tank pitch to a $1.95B exit
Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi and former Shark Tank pitcher turned Shark, built a prebiotic soda from a kitchen fix to a $1.95B PepsiCo sale. She talks about launching during COVID, scaling with digital-first and TikTok-driven marketing, a last-minute Super Bowl play, preserving brand identity in an acquisition, and what she looks for when evaluating founders.
30 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 35min
Anthropic vs. the Pentagon, the SaaSpocalypse, and why competition is good, actually
They dig into the Pentagon’s split with Anthropic and what it means for military access to AI models. Streaming consolidation and Paramount’s Warner deal get a lively breakdown. They cover MyFitnessPal’s buy of Cal AI and Pinterest’s billion-dollar AI-driven shakeup. Big defense raises and the looming SaaSpocalypse round out the conversation.
6 snips
Mar 4, 2026 • 29min
How PopSockets broke the VC-backed consumer hardware mold
David Barnett, founder and former CEO of PopSockets and a former philosophy professor, built a global phone-grip brand without institutional VC. He talks about funding the company from unexpected sources, surviving manufacturing crises, standing up to Amazon at huge cost, beating counterfeits through brand power, and choosing a successor who fit the company culture.
24 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 23min
Who's really running AI? Inside the billion-dollar battle over regulation, with Alex Bores
Alex Bores, a New York Assembly member with a computer science background who sponsored the RAISE Act and runs for Congress, discusses the clash over who controls AI and the flood of political money aimed at shaping rules. He outlines the RAISE Act's basic demands, fights over state versus federal power, super PAC influence, and upcoming bills on training data, provenance, and a national AI framework.
33 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 33min
Is crypto growing up? Tether risk, Stripe’s stablecoin play, and the GENIUS Act explained
Jacquelyn Melanick, CEO of Token Relations and former TechCrunch crypto reporter, breaks down crypto’s latest shifts. She talks ETH Denver’s cooling scene. She covers policy noise around the GENIUS and Clarity bills. She explains Stripe’s quiet stablecoin moves and Tether’s reserve risks. She maps where startups and venture dollars are actually headed.
