Science & Technology

Edtech is the new SaaS

Full episode: Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast (now on Twitter!), where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. The whole crew was back, with Natasha Mascarenhas and Danny Crichton and myself chattering with Chris Gates behind the scenes making it all work. An extra shoutout to Natasha this week as we spent a lot of…

Published

6 years ago

September 4, 2020

CYBER TECH TV

Full episode:

Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast (now on Twitter!), where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.

The whole crew was back, with Natasha Mascarenhas and Danny Crichton and myself chattering with Chris Gates behind the scenes making it all work. An extra shoutout to Natasha this week as we spent a lot of time talking about edtech, a category that she spearheads for us and has brought to the show. It’s a big deal!

We’re on YouTube now, don’t forget, and with that, let’s get into the news:

Climax Foods raised $7.5 million to help fuel its work to develop alt-foods that are not animal-based. The Equity crew votes that this is a tasty deal. And, Capchase has raised $4.6 million to help cash-out SaaS contracts ahead of their real revenue accrual. Our read is that more financing options for SaaS companies will lead to lower costs of capital for those startups that want it. And, the Envision Accelerator made it through batch one and is on to batch two.
Then we chatted about edtech, with Natasha talking us through Owl Ventures raising huge new funds, Course Hero extending its Series B, Juni hitting $10M ARR and raising about as much, and Unacademy raising tons of cash from Vision Fund 2.
Next up, Patreon also got a new check, which means that it eventually has to go public at some point given that it is now a fancy unicorn.
And speaking of IPOs, Bumble is thinking about going public in 2021, Wish has filed, albeit privately, and GoodRX is going public as well. And it makes money.
What else? This a16z post on IPOs that we fangirl/fanboy’d over as it is good. And we forgot to mention this Fred Wilson post, but it is also good.

And with that, we are nearly at the weekend which is a long one thanks to a holiday, so expect Equity Monday to be, in fact, Equity Tuesday next week. Hugs and good vibes from the Equity Crew!

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4 Comments

Techie Science

September 4, 2020 at 12:15 pm

Your Website and Youtube channe! Is great, I follow it daily ????????

Greetings from ” Techie Science” Youtube Channe! ????????????????????????

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Alyssa Russell

September 4, 2020 at 12:24 pm

Very happy ???????? ????????♥️❤️

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I & N

September 4, 2020 at 12:52 pm

Good stuff

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Jack Ladd

September 4, 2020 at 1:31 pm

Unsubscribed. Boring.

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Science & Technology

When A Down Round Actually Saved a Startup

Down rounds carry a stigma, but they’re not always the end of a startup’s story. Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures shares an example of a company that survived a difficult fundraising process involving a down round and investor-friendly terms. It wasn’t easy, but making the hard financing decision ultimately gave the company a chance to…

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Down rounds carry a stigma, but they’re not always the end of a startup’s story.

Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures shares an example of a company that survived a difficult fundraising process involving a down round and investor-friendly terms. It wasn’t easy, but making the hard financing decision ultimately gave the company a chance to keep building.

For founders, the lesson is simple: The best fundraising outcome isn’t always the highest valuation — it’s the one that keeps your business alive.

Get more of Hudson’s advice in the latest Build Mode podcast episode wherever you prefer your pods.

CNET

The Ultimate Meal Kit Buyer’s Guide: Cheapest vs. Best Quality

Choosing the right meal kit can be tough, given the many budget, dietary and time-saving factors to consider. We break down premium, midtier and affordable services to help you pick the best subscription for your kitchen. 00:00 Intro to Meal Kits 00:37 Considering the Price and Budget Options 01:55 Premium and Mid-Range Meal Kit Services…

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

00:00 Intro to Meal Kits
00:37 Considering the Price and Budget Options
01:55 Premium and Mid-Range Meal Kit Services
03:06 Navigating Dietary Restrictions
04:00 Pre-Prepared vs. Cook-Your-Own Ingredients
05:47 The Best Overall Meal Kit Recommendation

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Science & Technology

These Two Founder Archetypes Are Catching Investors’ Eyes

Do you fit into one of the trendiest founder archetypes? Fundraising has always been competitive, but today’s market is especially tough for first-time founders. In the latest episode of our Build Mode podcast, Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures breaks down the most popular founder archetypes right now: repeat founders with proven track records and exceptionally…

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Do you fit into one of the trendiest founder archetypes?

Fundraising has always been competitive, but today’s market is especially tough for first-time founders. In the latest episode of our Build Mode podcast, Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures breaks down the most popular founder archetypes right now: repeat founders with proven track records and exceptionally young technical founders.

That leaves experienced, first-time founders facing a higher bar, even when they have a compelling business idea. But there’s still hope! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.