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AI Friends, deepfake foes, and which Tiger Global partner is leaving now | Equity Podcast

On today’s Friday news roundup, we just had to talk about AI hardware taking on a new shape with Friend’s $99 necklace. The pendant gives you an AI friend to talk to and…that’s about it. Friend’s pitch is that its wearable can help combat loneliness, but other AI hardware products that have come to market…

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On today’s Friday news roundup, we just had to talk about AI hardware taking on a new shape with Friend’s $99 necklace. The pendant gives you an AI friend to talk to and…that’s about it. Friend’s pitch is that its wearable can help combat loneliness, but other AI hardware products that have come to market lately – like Humane’s Ai Pin and Rabbit’s r1 – have fallen short of expectations. 

For our deals of the week, Kirsten kicked things off with FranShares, a Chicago-based startup that lets people invest in franchise businesses starting with as little as $500 with a goal of providing passive income and portfolio diversification. Apparently, a lot of Gen Z and Millennials are investing in franchises through this platform, which just raised a $4.2 million seed round led by Chicago Ventures with participation from The Pitch Fund and Litquidity Ventures.

Finally, the team discussed VC movings and shakings. Specifically, Alex Cook, a former partner at Tiger Global who oversaw some of its largest fintech investments and India deals, has left the firm after nearly seven years. Cook is the latest VC to leave a firm before the fund closed and he could see a return on investment. There must be something in the water. 

Equity is a show about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. New episodes drop at 7 a.m. PT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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CNET

Siri AI Will Change the Way You Use Your iPhone for Good | #OneMoreThing

Bridget might have found the perfect method to actually make Siri AI… useful? It all starts with a few habit changes. Watch the full step-by-step on CNET. Video Credits Host: Bridget Carey Videographer/Editor: Carly Marsh Add CNET as a trusted news source Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉 Check out CNET’s…

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August 7, 2026

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Bridget might have found the perfect method to actually make Siri AI… useful? It all starts with a few habit changes. Watch the full step-by-step on CNET.

Video Credits
Host: Bridget Carey
Videographer/Editor: Carly Marsh

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Science & Technology

The Biggest Startup Mistakes a Lawyer Can’t Fix

You might not need a lawyer before you start fundraising but you do need to set up a good legal foundation. In this episode of Build Mode, the CEO and founder of Lexsy Kristina Subbotina breaks down the four unfixable mistakes that can make a startup unfundable or kill it outright. Watch the full episode…

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August 7, 2026

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You might not need a lawyer before you start fundraising but you do need to set up a good legal foundation.

In this episode of Build Mode, the CEO and founder of Lexsy Kristina Subbotina breaks down the four unfixable mistakes that can make a startup unfundable or kill it outright.

Watch the full episode here:

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Bloomberg Technology

Why Twilio Sees More AI Upside Ahead

Twilio shares surged after the cloud communications company beat expectations and delivered record profitability and free cash flow. CEO Khozema Shipchandler joins Bloomberg to explain why AI is still only a modest contributor to revenue today, how Twilio’s global communications infrastructure creates a competitive moat, and why he sees agentic AI as a long-term tailwind…

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August 7, 2026

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Twilio shares surged after the cloud communications company beat expectations and delivered record profitability and free cash flow. CEO Khozema Shipchandler joins Bloomberg to explain why AI is still only a modest contributor to revenue today, how Twilio’s global communications infrastructure creates a competitive moat, and why he sees agentic AI as a long-term tailwind for the business. He joins Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.”
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