Happy Monday!

Here are a few great things to read/watch this week:

😮 😮 The Next President Needs Social Media to Win - Former President Trump got Elon’s support and is going strong on X.  Meanwhile, Vice President Harris’ campaign wants to hire social media experts on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, YouTube, a Vertical Video Producer and more.  Biden also told creators at the White House Creator Economy Conference that they have something traditional media does not: ‘You’re trusted’.

💰💰 Co-Founder Equity Mistakes to Avoid by Michael Seibel - In order to get your startup off the ground it's critical to keep your co-founders motivated. I really like Michael Seibel’s comment on this topic.  Please avoid “part-time founder equity” or “weird performance based equity.”  Watch this 👉👉

🤜 🤛 Inside the Snowflake-Databricks Rivalry, and Why Both Fear Microsoft - Within Databricks, “coopetition” is a becoming a more common way to refer to the relationship with Microsoft. Read more.

🎤🎤 Eric Schmidt Walks Back Claim Google Is Behind on AI Because of Remote Work - “Google decided that work-life balance, going home early and working from home was more important than winning,” Schmidt said at Stanford. “The reason startups work is because the people work like hell.”  Despite Eric walking back his claim, I do agree with him.  Watch here and read more.

📱📱 Google Demos "Gemini Live" AI Android Voice Chatbot and it’s pretty cool - The beauty of having your own device is you can preload any AI assistants you want. No need for BD effort required.

Lastly, if you’re in the Bay Area on September 12, I am co-hosting Tech for America: What’s Ahead for Government Tech in 2025 with Hanwha and MLTwist.

As government agencies continue to embrace technology to enhance their operations and services, there is a growing focus on innovative solutions for the public sector.

​We'll hear from leaders in government tech about the latest developments and initiatives, and how they are leveraging AI and other technologies for the future of America. Learn from senior executives and government leaders about what’s next for tech in America, from chipsets to AI and other emerging technologies.

Apply to join us!

This week a total of 8 startups raised $295M in funding, 0 M&As:

• $53M goes to 3 Enterprise startups

• $32M goes to 1 FinTech startup

• $179M goes to 3 Healthcare startups

• $31M goes to 1 Manufacturing startup

If you love this newsletter, forward it to someone who would also enjoy it and have them subscribe.

Edith
X, LinkedIn

Funding (300 miles radius from Silicon Valley)

Enterprise

• Encord (AI data curation and management) raised $30M Series B led by Next47

• CodeRabbit (code review automation) raised $16M Series A led by CRV

• Goodfire (AI model debugging) raised $7M Seed led by Lightspeed

FinTech

• PayZen (post-care patient payment plans) raised $32M Series B led by New Enterprise Associates

Healthcare

• Neptune Medical (robotics for GI disease) raised $97M Series D led by Olympus, Sonder Capital

• Moximed (implantable shock absorber for knee osteoarthritis) raised $61M Series D led by Elevage Medical Technologies

• Jupiter Endovascular (catheter-based endovascular device) raised $21M Series A led by Sonder Capital

Manufacturing

• Guidewheel (AI-powered FactoryOps platform) raised $31M Series B led by Decarbonization Partners

IPO & M&A (300 miles radius from Silicon Valley)  

• N/A