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AI Agents, Mega Rounds, and 2026 Predictions | Equity Podcast

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 Johannessen to dissect the year’s biggest tech developments, from mega AI funding rounds that defied expectations to the…

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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 Johannessen 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 tackled 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.

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

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. @mycitychannelstoken8221

    December 30, 2025 at 7:44 am

    The future is #AI and #Blockchain technology… You are the NFT. #ChannelsBiz

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CNET

I Was in AWE of This Techie Art Exhibit (Ministry of Awe)

Scott Stein takes you inside the Ministry of Awe, Philadelphia’s immersive six story art experience. Go on a journey with him as he explores how technology and art meet in this space. Hear from the founders of Spatial Pixel, who explain what inspires them to combine AI with this physical art experience. 0:00 Entering the…

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Scott Stein takes you inside the Ministry of Awe, Philadelphia’s immersive six story art experience. Go on a journey with him as he explores how technology and art meet in this space.
Hear from the founders of Spatial Pixel, who explain what inspires them to combine AI with this physical art experience.

0:00 Entering the Vault
0:13 The Concept
1:07 Programmable Space
1:41 Interacting with AI
3:12 The Future of Immersive Tech

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#MinistryOfAwe #ImmersiveArt #PhiladelphiaEvents #SpatialAI #FutureOfTech #CNET #InteractiveArt #SpatialPixel #OldCityPhilly

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Science & Technology

Why Taskrabbit’s Founder Prioritizes Diversity Early │ Build Mode Podcast

As a founder or any team builder, diversity is best built at the start. As Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan learned, procrastination leads to weaker teams and a harder effort later. We dive into all of her expert tips for builders and founders in the latest episode of our podcast Build Mode right here:

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As a founder or any team builder, diversity is best built at the start. As Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan learned, procrastination leads to weaker teams and a harder effort later.

We dive into all of her expert tips for builders and founders in the latest episode of our podcast Build Mode right here:

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Science & Technology

Are orbital data centers all hype, or an actual AI infrastructure solution? l Equity Podcast

Tech companies are racing to build data centers in space, pitching orbital compute as the next frontier for AI infrastructure, even as the technical and economic realities remain far from clear. Add in OpenAI’s massive $122 billion round and Bluesky’s latest AI backlash, and the message is clear: The future of AI is being shaped…

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Tech companies are racing to build data centers in space, pitching orbital compute as the next frontier for AI infrastructure, even as the technical and economic realities remain far from clear. Add in OpenAI’s massive $122 billion round and Bluesky’s latest AI backlash, and the message is clear: The future of AI is being shaped as much by ambition and hype as it is by real-world constraints.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane unpack these massive capital bets, user backlash, and off-world compute plans along with Whoop’s major valuation and the literal downfall of robot Olaf.

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
00:20 A humanoid Olaf robot collapses at Disneyland Paris
03:30 OpenAI raises $122B at an $852B valuation
11:30 Whoop lands $575M and bets big on wearable data
18:50 The risks (and value) of personal health data
23:00 Bluesky’s AI feed builder sparks backlash
30:00 Can Bluesky keep growing — and compete with X?
36:30 The race to build data centers in space
44:30 SpaceX, Starlink, and the business of orbital compute
49:30 Outro

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