Equity

Ever wonder if you’re talking to a real person online or just another bot? As bots increasingly outnumber humans online, leading to an explosion of deepfakes and AI-driven fraud, one company has a solution straight out of sci-fi: scanning your iris to verify your identity. 

Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan spoke with Adrian Ludwig, Chief Security Officer and Chief Architect at Tools for Humanity, the company behind World’s eye-scanning Orbs appearing around the globe. Bellan and Ludwig discuss building privacy-first identity verification, the open-source approach to biometric tech, and why proving humanity matters now more than ever. 

Listen to the full episode to hear: 

How zero-knowledge proofs verify that you're over 18 (or human) without revealing your location, browsing history, or other identifying information. 

Why Tools for Humanity open-sourced the entire Orb — from hardware to firmware and software. 

How Match Group, Event Pop, and other major platforms are partnering up to combat bot abuse. 

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

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Silicon Valley’s rule? It’s not cool to be cautious. As OpenAI removes guardrails and VCs criticize companies like Anthropic for supporting AI safety regulations, it’s becoming clearer who the industry thinks should shape AI development. 

On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff discuss how the line between innovation and responsibility is getting blurrier, plus what happens when pranks go from digital to physical. 

Listen to the full episode to hear about: 

The real-world DDoS attack that blocked Waymo service for a day near a dead-end San Francisco street 

Goldman Sachs acquiring Industry Ventures for up to $965 million, signaling Wall Street's growing interest in the secondary venture market 

FleetWorks' $17 million Series A to modernize trucking with AI 

Why advocating for AI safety has become "uncool" in Silicon Valley from Anthropic facing backlash to California's SB 243 regulation of AI companion chatbots and the success of companies like Character.AI 

Which startups are using an SEC workaround to file for IPOs during the shutdown 

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.  

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

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Can performance-enhancing drugs push the limits of human potential? The creators of the Enhanced Games say yes — and they’re building a new sporting event to prove it.  

Backed by Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital, the Enhanced Games aims to disrupt the Olympics with a competition that allows athletes to dope. Launching in Las Vegas in May 2026, the games promise $1 million bounties for breaking world records and lean on a business model reminiscent of Red Bull’s, using the spectacle as marketing for future enhancement products. 

Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan spoke with Aron D'Souza, co-founder and President of the Enhanced Games, about the business of enhancement, what it means to build in the longevity space, and who gets to do it. 

Listen to the full episode to hear: 

How the venture has raised "double-digit millions" and signed Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley, whom D'Souza believes will break Usain Bolt's 100m record at age 31. 

Why D'Souza believes Olympic drug testing has stunted performance enhancement research, and how allowing enhancements in sports could drive longevity breakthroughs. 

Enhanced's plan to build a telehealth platform selling testosterone and weight-loss drugs (which have yet to be developed). 

The societal, economic, and ethical implications of extending human longevity. 

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

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AI companies are making their much-anticipated enterprise plays, but the results are wildly inconsistent. Just this week, Deloitte announced it's rolling out Anthropic's Claude to all 500,000 employees. On the very same day, the Australian government forced Deloitte to refund a contract because their AI-generated report was riddled with fake citations. It's a perfect snapshot of where we are: companies racing to adopt AI tools before they've figured out how to use them responsibly. 

On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O'Kane dig into the messy reality of AI in the workplace, plus funding news and regulatory drama across tech and transportation. 

Listen to the full episode to hear more news from the week, including: 

AltStore's $6 million raise and its plan to integrate with the Fediverse, making app updates part of your social feed 

Base Power's massive $1 billion Series C to deploy home batteries across Texas and beyond 

NHTSA's investigation into Tesla FSD after 50+ traffic violations, plus the new "cheaper" models that strip out Autopilot and basic features 

Zendesk's claim that its new AI agents can handle 80% of customer service tickets autonomously, and what happens in the other 20% 

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.  

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration recently announced a massive change to the H-1B visa program, raising the application fee from $2,000-$5,000 to $100,000 per visa. The change has sent shockwaves through the startup world, with founders warning it could price them out of hiring international talent and undermine U.S. innovation.

Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Dominic-Madori Davis was joined by Jeremy Neufeld, the Director of Immigration Policy at the Institute for Progress, to break down what this H-1B change means for startups, founders, and the future of tech talent in America.

Listen to the full episode to hear about:

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.   

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. government shutdown that began this week is the first in seven years. While it might not feel immediately disruptive, for startups waiting on permits, visas, or regulatory approvals, even a few weeks can become an existential problem. 

On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff talk through how uncertainty is affecting startups in ways people might not realize, plus the messy reality of AI companies still trying to figure out sustainable business models.

Listen to the full episode to hear about:

OpenAI’s launch of the Sora app, its TikTok-style feed of AI-generated content, and whether people actually want to pay for an endless stream of synthetic videos

How AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood is proving that even fake performers can cause real industry drama

Periodic Labs’ $300 million seed round from Andreessen Horowitz, Jeff Bezos, and Nvidia to build AI scientists and discover new physics

The US government taking equity stakes in companies like Lithium Americas, MP Materials, and Intel, is raising questions about what happens when Washington steps in as a shareholder

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.   

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California just made history as the first state to require AI safety transparency from the biggest labs in the industry. Governor Newsom signed SB 53 into law this week, mandating that AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic disclose, and stick to, their safety protocols. The decision is already sparking debate about whether other states will follow suit. 

Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at Encode AI, joined Equity to break down what this new law actually means and why it managed to pass its predecessor SB 1047 incurred so much ire from tech companies that Newsom ended up vetoing it last year. 

Listen to the full episode to hear about: 

What "transparency without liability" means in practice, and whether it's enough to ensure safe AI is released to the masses. 

Whistleblower protections and critical safety incident reporting requirements. 

What's still on Newsom's desk, including regulation on AI companion chatbots. 

Why SB 53 is an example of light-touch state policy that doesn't hinder AI progress. 

The battle for federalism amid moves to take away states’ rights to enact AI regulation. 

Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, so don’t miss it.  

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.   

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From $100 billion OpenAI commitments to $100,000 visa fees, this week showed just how much the tech landscape is shifting. On the latest episode of Equity, Anthony Ha and Max Zeff unpack the AI infrastructure gold rush and tech's talent shuffle. Listen to the full episode to hear about:  

TikTok’s potential new home, and why Oracle is positioned to win big from the deal 

Oura Health's reported $875M raise at an $11B valuation and what it means for health tech  

Nvidia's $500M investment in UK self-driving startup Wayve and Jensen Huang's billion-dollar UK commitment  

The massive data center deals driving OpenAI's expansion, from Nvidia's $100B commitment to Oracle's $15B bond sale  

Trump's new $100K H-1B visa fee increase that had Amazon, Google, and Microsoft advising workers to stay in the US 

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.   

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Medical device funding is hitting levels we haven't seen since 2021, with investors pouring billions into diagnostics and imaging companies. But while innovation has raced ahead, a fundamental problem still hasn't changed: critical medical hardware like MRI machines cost millions of dollars and are gatekept by large hospitals. So how do you take one of the most expensive, hospital-bound technologies and make it available anywhere?

Evan Kervella, founder and CEO of Paris-based startup Chipiron, joined Equity to walk us through the problem and his vision for solving it.

Listen to the full episode to hear about:

The unscalable nature of traditional MRI machines that rely on superconducting magnets and liquid helium. 

How Chipiron is building installation ease and patient experience into its scaling mission. 

Why Chipiron’s lightweight MRI technology isn’t designed to compete with old school machines. 

Longevity movement backers.  

Why it’s okay to chase M&A as an exit strategy, especially in the medical industry. 

Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, so stay tuned.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. 

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Equity, Anthony Ha, Kirsten Korosec, and Max Zeff unpack the biggest moves in AI, robotics, and regulation. Listen to the full episode to hear about:

Meta Connect's AR/AI vision and neural wristband control (plus the demos that didn't go as planned)

Jack Altman's rapid $275M fundraise and the Altman brothers' expanding Silicon Valley influence

The Waymo-Lyft partnership bringing robotaxis to Nashville and the hunt for profitable AV models

California's new AI safety legislation and what it means for Big Tech

Why investors may soon call this the "golden age of robotics"

Equity will be back next week. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.
Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices