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Length:
30 minutes
Released:
Nov 9, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.
This week was a blast. Connie and I were in the studio with our guest, True Ventures's Tony Conrad, while Danny repped the other side of the country, dialing in from New York.
It was another week shaped by news from Asia. Once we had sorted the sartorially expedient, we first turned to the world of SoftBank, this time taking a close look at its debt load. While SoftBank is currently famous for its investments through its Vision Fund, the company is picking up some notable, debt-powered investments into its vehicle that could add to its risk profile.
After all, who doesn't want more risk as 2018 comes to a close?
Moving on, Ford is doubling-down on its wager that mobility means more than cars, this time picking up Spin for some sum of money between $40 and $100 million, with most figures coming in a bit light from the nine-figure range.
We care as it's a fresh turn in the scooter skirmish, not to mention the greater micromobility wars. Bird and Lime have a new competitor that has, possibly, super-deep pockets.
Next, we took a peek at Luckin Coffe's meteoric rise. This is where our guest selection really showed off; Conrad is a former investor in Blue Bottle, making him a functional caffeine expert. We dug through margins, growth, and why venture players are interested in Luckin at all.
And finally, a look at how recently-public companies are selling more shares after their initial debut. So, when it comes to money on the table, don't fret it too much.
This week was a blast. Connie and I were in the studio with our guest, True Ventures's Tony Conrad, while Danny repped the other side of the country, dialing in from New York.
It was another week shaped by news from Asia. Once we had sorted the sartorially expedient, we first turned to the world of SoftBank, this time taking a close look at its debt load. While SoftBank is currently famous for its investments through its Vision Fund, the company is picking up some notable, debt-powered investments into its vehicle that could add to its risk profile.
After all, who doesn't want more risk as 2018 comes to a close?
Moving on, Ford is doubling-down on its wager that mobility means more than cars, this time picking up Spin for some sum of money between $40 and $100 million, with most figures coming in a bit light from the nine-figure range.
We care as it's a fresh turn in the scooter skirmish, not to mention the greater micromobility wars. Bird and Lime have a new competitor that has, possibly, super-deep pockets.
Next, we took a peek at Luckin Coffe's meteoric rise. This is where our guest selection really showed off; Conrad is a former investor in Blue Bottle, making him a functional caffeine expert. We dug through margins, growth, and why venture players are interested in Luckin at all.
And finally, a look at how recently-public companies are selling more shares after their initial debut. So, when it comes to money on the table, don't fret it too much.
Released:
Nov 9, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Equity Monday 08/17: This morning we had a bit of a detour, wandering into the world of BigTech to wonder what is going on with those megacorps. Too big for their own good, or too big to be good, here's what's up with the incumbents: Germany is taking on Amazon at the very same time that Canada is taking on Amazon, meaning that the Seattle giant is taking shots from two key markets at the same time. Google is having a war of words with Australia, after a ruling in the country didn't go its way. Walled gardens are seeing their walls come under heavy fire, which means that Apple and Google are fighting both sides of their marketplaces (producers, consumers) at once at the moment, which isn't great. And Microsoft might buy TikTok. All told it seems that the biggest tech companies are busy defending their market position instead of re-earning it with great products. A good time for startups? I think so. When incumbents are busy fighting with governments, themselves, and each other, it's by Equity