TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Max Zeff, Theresa Loconsolo
714 episodes
2 days ago
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.
All content for Equity is the property of TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Max Zeff, Theresa Loconsolo and is served directly from their servers
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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.
Equity's 2026 Predictions: AI Agents, Blockbuster IPOs, and the Future of VC
Equity
34 minutes
2 days ago
Equity's 2026 Predictions: AI Agents, Blockbuster IPOs, and the Future of VC
TechCrunch's Equity crew is bringing 2025 to a close and getting ahead on the year to come with our annual predictions episode! Hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Rebecca Bellan were joined by Build Mode host Isabelle Johansson to dissect the year's biggest tech developments, from mega AI funding rounds that defied expectations to the rise of "physical AI," and make their calls for 2026.
The group tackles everything from why AI agents didn't live up to the hype in 2025 (but probably will in 2026), to how Hollywood will push back against AI-generated content, to why VCs are facing a serious liquidity crisis.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
Why world models are the next big thing in AI and how they're different from large language models
The death of "stealth mode" for AI startups and the rise of alternative funding sources
Predictions on regulatory chaos around AI policy and what Trump's recent executive order means for startups
Hot takes on IPOs: Will OpenAI and Anthropic actually go public in 2026?
Rapid-fire predictions including Johnny Ive and Sam Altman's inevitable public breakup, the return of dumb phones, and why everyone will be calling themselves "AI native"
What's coming in Build Mode season 2: A deep dive into team building, hiring, and finding co-founders
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 - Introduction
01:43 - Rating our 2025 predictions
04:19 - Funding in the bubble era
06:35 - World models and the future of AI
09:05 - The year of AI agents (for real this time)
11:58 - Physical AI everywhere
15:19 - AI meets Hollywood
16:25 - Regulatory chaos and federal preemption
18:34 - The liquidity crisis and LP direct investing
22:19 - IPO predictions for 2026
23:57 - Startup trends for 2026
27:06 - Buzzwords we're sick of hearing
28:15 - Rapid fire predictions
32:50 - What's next for Build Mode
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Equity
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.
