Equity

TechCrunch
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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.

  1. 17H AGO

    The PhD students who became the judges of the AI industry

    Artificial intelligence models are multiplying fast, and competition is stiff. With so many players crowding the space, which one will be the best — and who decides that? Arena, formerly LM Arena, has emerged as the de facto public leaderboard for frontier LLMs, influencing funding, launches, and PR cycles. In just seven months, the startup went from a UC Berkeley PhD research project to being valued at $1.7 billion.  On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan catches up with Arena co-founders Anastasios Angelopoulos and Wei-Lin Chiang to determine how a team like theirs can build a neutral benchmark when the companies they’re ranking are also their backers.  Listen to the full episode to hear:  How Arena actually works, and why its founders say you can't game it the way you mighta static benchmark.  What "structural neutrality" actually means, and whether taking money from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic is a conflict of interest.  How Arena is moving beyond chat to benchmark agents, coding, and real-world tasks with a new enterprise product.  Why Claude is currently winning the expert leaderboard for legal and medical use cases.  Arena's bet on what comes after LLMs, and why agents are next on the leaderboard.  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.    Chapters:  00:00 Intro  03:00 How Arena's leaderboard works, and why it's different from static benchmarks  07:00 Reproducibility concerns and how to scale  08:45 Can Arena stay independent while taking money from the labs it ranks?  11:15 Diversity, fraud prevention, and abuse mitigation  18:15 Arena's "data moat"  19:20 Agent benchmarking and expert leaderboards  21:40 Open sourcing data  22:45 How do Arena's rankings shape AI development?  24:15 Outro  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Wiz's first investor breaks down Google's $32B acquisition

    According to Index Ventures Partner Shardul Shah, cybersecurity startup Wiz sits “at the center of three tailwinds: AI, cloud, and security spend.” Those tailwinds powered what just became the largest venture-backed acquisition in history — Google's $32 billion deal, finalized after a declined 2024 offer, antitrust review on both sides of the Atlantic, and an extra $9 billion to sweeten the pot.    On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Anthony Ha, Rebecca Bellan, and Sean O'Kane sit down with Shah to dig into what made Wiz worth that price tag, and also cover more of the week's headlines.    Listen to the full episode to hear about:  Why a DOGE employee allegedly walked out of the Social Security Administration with a thumb drive full of personal data, and the questions it raises about access to sensitive systems  Taya and Sandbar, the latest startups betting voice is the next big AI interface — but do normal consumers agree?  Palmer Luckey raising for a retro gaming startup at a $1 billion valuation  Meta’s acquisition of Moltbook, the viral AI agent social network  The latest in the Anthropic vs. DoD saga, including tech workers at OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft signing their names on a legal brief in support of Anthropic  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.    Chapters:  00:00 Intro  00:16 Did a DOGE employee steal your SSN?  02:53 AI note-taking wearables are back: Taya & Sandbar  09:18 Palmer Lucky's retro gaming startup ModRetro  13:39 Meta acquires AI agent social network Moltbot  18:54 Inside Google's $32B Wiz acquisition with Shardul Shah  28:41 Anthropic's lawsuit against the DoD  38:40 Outro  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    41 min

  3. MAR 11

    How Poppi went from a Shark Tank pitch to a $1.95B exit

    For years, venture capitalists have been skeptical of beverage startups, citing thin margins and brutal distribution as reasons most brands never break out. But a new wave of “functional soda” companies has been challenging that assumption, including Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand that grew from a kitchen experiment into a $1.95 billion acquisition by PepsiCo.  On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan is joined by Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth to talk about building a beverage startup in a venture world dominated by SaaS and AI. From pitching on Shark Tank while nine months pregnant to scaling a digital-first brand during COVID, and now returning as a Shark herself, Ellsworth shares how social media, fast marketing bets, and customer feedback helped turn a niche drink into a category-defining company.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  Ellsworth’s Shark Tank return, and how she evaluates founders on the other side of the pitch.  How Ellsworth turned a personal health issue into Poppi and built early traction at farmers' markets.  Why TikTok and community-driven marketing helped the brand rack up billions of views and loyal fans.  The risky decision to buy a last-minute Super Bowl ad, and how the team executed it in days.  What it’s like selling a startup to PepsiCo while trying to preserve the brand’s identity.  Why beverage startups almost inevitably need acquisition-level distribution to scale.  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min

  4. MAR 6

    Anthropic vs. the Pentagon, the SaaSpocalypse, and why competition is good, actually

    The Pentagon has officially designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk after the two failed to agree on how much control the military should have over its AI models, including its use in autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. As Anthropic’s $200 million contract fell apart, the DoD turned to OpenAI instead, which accepted and then watched ChatGPT uninstalls surge 295%. As the stakes keep rising, the question remains: how much unrestricted access should the military have to an AI model?    On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O'Kane dig into what startups should think about when chasing federal contracts, especially when nobody seems to know what to do with AI in Washington, and more of the week's headlines.    Listen to the full episode to hear more about:  Paramount’s massive deal with Warner Bros, and the Equity crew’s ideas for what the new HBO Max-Paramount+ hybrid should be called  MyFitnessPal's acquisition of Cal AI, the calorie-tracking app built by teenagers  Who dropped $1 billion on Pinterest’s AI mission and how the company spent it on share buybacks. (Spoiler: Kirsten has thoughts.)  Anduril is raising again at a reported $60 billion valuation  Whether companies should brace themselves for the SaaSpocalypse, or if it’s just another chapter of the AI hype cycle   Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min

  5. MAR 4

    How PopSockets broke the VC-backed consumer hardware mold

    Does a consumer hardware company need to get on the VC treadmill to succeed? Eleven years and 290 million products sold across 115 countries later, PopSockets has proven that the bootstrapped, low-dilution path more viable than the industry gives it credit for. The global consumer hardware brand was built on less than $500k, no institutional capital, and a philosophy professor's determination.      On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Dominic-Madori Davis caught up with founder and former CEO of PopSockets David Barnett to talk about how he scaled from a Boulder garage, stood up to Amazon at a $10–20 million cost, and eventually handed off the CEO role to someone who'd grown up inside the company.    Listen to the full episode to hear:  How a house fire and some insurance money became the unlikely seed funding for a global brand  What nearly sinking the company in manufacturing defects actually taught him about building one that lasts  How ignoring his investors' advice turned out to be the right call  What he looked for in a successor CEO (and why culture was non-negotiable)  What he'd do completely differently if he launched PopSockets today  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.    Chapters:  00:00 Intro  01:15 From philosophy professor to phone grip inventor  05:17 How a house fire funded PopSockets  07:33 Manufacturing nightmares nearly killed the business  10:08 The local toy store that proved it could work  13:14 The $20M Amazon standoff  16:09 Growing too fast?  18:20 Beating counterfeits in China through brand building  19:11 Why David never wanted to be CEO  23:07 The worst advice received, and what to do instead  26:35 Outro  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min

  6. FEB 27

    Who's really running AI? Inside the billion-dollar battle over regulation, with Alex Bores

    The Pentagon is playing chicken with Anthropic over who gets to control how the military uses AI while communities across the country are blocking data center construction. As the AI debate has been flattened to “doomers versus boomers,” one state legislator is attempting to walk a middle road.  On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan sits down with Alex Bores, New York Assembly member and congressional candidate. Bores sponsored New York's first-of-its-kind AI safety law the RAISE Act — and quickly became the target of a Silicon Valley super PAC with $125 million to spend on attack ads.    Listen to the full episode to hear about:  The dueling super PACs now fighting over AI's future, and why Anthropic's $20 million bet on the pro-regulation side matters.  What the RAISE Act actually requires, why it's being called the blueprint for AI regulation nationwide.  Whether AI regulation ends up looking like finance and biotech or goes the way of social media — largely unregulated until the damage is done.  What's coming next from Bores’ office: bills on training data disclosure, content provenance, and a 43-point national AI framework.  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min

  7. FEB 25

    Is crypto growing up? Tether risk, Stripe’s stablecoin play, and the GENIUS Act explained

    Crypto is creeping back into the startup conversation, but at ETH Denver last week, the buzz was as much about Washington as it was about tokens. Policy shifts are rippling through the market as Tether and stablecoins face scrutiny, players like Stripe re-enter the chat, and startups either find traction or flame out. The hype cycle is over, or at least taking a break. So what comes next?    On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan sits down with Jacquelyn Melinek, CEO of Token Relations and host of the Talking Tokens and Crypto in America podcasts, to make sense of how the market has changed and what in the world of crypto is built to last.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  Why ETHDenver fell flat despite a strong speaker lineup, and what it signals about crypto’s shifting hubs.  What White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt and SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce are actually pushing for with The GENIUS Act and Clarity Act.  What Stripe is quietly building with Bridge, Privy, and Tempo, and whether it's becoming the Visa of stablecoin settlement.  Tether's shrinking equity cushion and what a de-pegging event could mean for the broader crypto market.  YC’s surprising move to accept stablecoin investment as Bitcoin prices sit at half their peak.  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    33 min
  8. Build Mode: Compensation, culture, and cap tables with Yuri Sagalov, GeneralCatalyst

    FEB 21 · BONUS

    Build Mode: Compensation, culture, and cap tables with Yuri Sagalov, GeneralCatalyst

    TechCrunch's founder-focused podcast, Build Mode, is back. This season we’re breaking down what it really takes to build a world-class founding team starting with your cap table, equity structures, and startup compensation strategy.  We kick off with Yuri Sagalov, managing director at General Catalyst and former founder, YC partner, and seed investor at Wayfinder Ventures. Yuri has worked with hundreds of pre-seed and seed-stage startups, and he shares practical advice on how early-stage founders should think about startup equity, cap table design, investor selection, and compensation structures from day one.  He breaks down:  The 3 types of investors (and which one to avoid)  Why your cap table is part of your team  The 20–25% seed dilution rule  How to split equity with a co-founder  How to talk to early employees about risk and compensation  No matter where you are in your startup journey, this episode will help you get the incentive structure right from the beginning.   Chapters:  00:00 - Why your first hires deserve more equity 00:31 - Meet Yuri Sagalov (YC → General Catalyst) 02:12 - Your cap table is part of your team 02:50 - The 3 types of investors (avoid this one) 05:02 - How to split equity with a co-founder 07:55 - How much equity to give early employees 09:37 - How to talk compensation and risk 12:31 - Red flags in formation docs and vesting 18:27 - Advisors for equity? Usually a mistake 20:05 - The 20–25% seed dilution rule 26:03 - The shift to 10-year stock options 34:11 - Don’t scale before product-market fit 39:23 - Final advice: Just start and choose your co-founder carefully  New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.2
out of 5
337 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Channel
    TechCrunch
  • Creator
    TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Sean O'Kane, Theresa Loconsolo
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    738
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Equity

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