- Founders' Daily Briefing
- Posts
- 📝 Microsoft destroys startup it led investment in
📝 Microsoft destroys startup it led investment in
Liam Gill
March 20, 2024
Sponsored by
News of the Day
Less than a year after raising $1.3 billion, Inflection, a company aimed at creating "more personal AI," has been significantly absorbed by Microsoft, its lead investor. The transition sees Inflection's co-founders, Mustafa Suleyman and Karén Simonyan, moving to Microsoft to spearhead the newly established Microsoft AI division, along with a substantial portion of their team. This move has left Inflection, once a burgeoning AI firm, in a precarious position, with Reid Hoffman and new CEO Sean White tasked with salvaging what remains. Inflection's main project, Pi, a conversational AI designed for personalization across platforms, struggled to keep pace with competitors like OpenAI, Google's Gemini, and Anthropic, despite the substantial funding. The shift suggests a strategic recalibration for Inflection towards an "AI studio business" model. Meanwhile, Microsoft's role raises questions about its strategy in the competitive AI landscape, reminiscent of past tactics of backing multiple entities in the same sector, potentially positioning itself as both a savior and an opportunist in the industry's tumultuous evolution.
Tweet of the Day
If you have tweets you want to submit to be featured here (from you or someone you like), then reply to this email with a link to them!
There is no such thing as value investing in venture capital. The steep power law distribution of returns means you want to be in the best startups at whatever the price happens to be.
— Paul Graham (@paulg)
6:51 PM • Mar 19, 2024
Visa and Mastercard agree to historic $5 Billion Settlement! In a groundbreaking move for the payment industry, Visa and Mastercard have come to a historic $5 billion settlement, marking a pivotal moment for small business owners. If you are a small business owner, claim your share today!
Chart of the Day
Rate this issue... |
AI-Powered Creativity
Instant, polished presentations powered by AI. Impress your audience effortlessly with Gamma. Engage users on any device. Measure engagement, get quick reactions, and collaborate seamlessly.
Are you looking to grow your business? Here is how I can help:
📢 Promote your startup to 2,000+ VCs including investors from a16z, YC, Techstars, Rarebreed, Sequoia and more.
📱 Book a Strategy Call to get 1:1 feedback on your pitch, pitch deck and/or fundraising strategy. (If you need general startup advice, then reply to this email, and I’ll let you know if/how I can help.)
📺 Access FundraiseOS, the ultimate fundraising course with video lessons and practical worksheets helping with everything from deciding how much to raise to understanding a term sheet.
💸 Promote your product or service to 100,000+ entrepreneurs.
🌐 Connect with me on LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter) to get access to new content about startups, fundraising, venture capital, and more every day.
Liam’s Exclusive Partner Discounts*:
Startups get six months free of Zendesk's industry-leading customer support solution that's scalable and easy to use.
Get 20% off Keap's automated sales and marketing solutions, tailored to boost business growth with automation tools and coaching.
Get 40% off Mobly's lead capture app that enriches data and pushes to your CRM instantly for their first year, worth up to $3,000 in savings.
* This is sponsored content.
Onwards and Upwards,
