Top News | OpenAI’s growth forecasts rise: Back in late 2024, OpenAI thought it it would grow from around $4 billion in revenue to $12 billion this year. That number, The Information reports, is now closer to $13 billion. OpenAI expects $3 billion more in 2026 revenue, and $10 billion more in 2027. TI reports that AI agents are responsible for some of these boosted expectations at the AI giant, along with new products that have yet to hit the market. OpenAI might be too zealous in its forecasting — but you can’t deny that it’s aiming very, very high. Discord reorganizes as it scales: TWiST500 company Discord is shuffling its C-suite. Out from the CEO seat is Jason Citron, the company’s founder. He’ll stay on the board as Humam Sakhnini takes over the reins. Sakhnini was previously both CFO and President at King (a mobile gaming giant), and worked at Blizzard across two stints. Per VentureBeat, Discord is in good shape with “revenue growth and positive adjusted EBITDA for the past five quarters.” A new CEO is often a tell-tale sign that a company is gearing up for an IPO. Here’s hoping! Intel raises the scythe: Staffing levels at venerable American chip giant Intel are set to decline, again, as the company preps to cut as many as 21,000 jobs. The company was recently in the news over a potential partnership with TSMC regarding its foundry business (TSMC has moved to tamp down speculation), but the impending layoffs appear more concretely likely. Intel reports earnings tomorrow, and recently sold 51% of its Altera business — field-programmable gate arrays, or FGPAs — to private equity. Intel is slimming, and refocusing; now it needs a credible chipset to compete in the AI era.
| TWiST500 | Today on the podcast, we announced that Launch Accelerator batch 34 is underway. As promised, here are the participating companies: | | If you want to take part in LA35, starting in August, you can apply here. I look forward to inducting some of the above companies in due time. For now, give ‘em a look and we’re back tomorrow with more TWiST500 updates! - Alex | A message from Brex | Runway is everything for startups. That’s why 1 in 3 startups choose Brex for modern checking, treasury, and FDIC in one account. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/banking-solutions | This Week in Startups | E2115: We who are about to TWiST salute you! On a Sunday night pre-recorded Easter Weekend special, Jason and Lon look at OpenAI’s hallucinatory new models, behind-the-scenes Meta docs hinting at Zuckerberg’s FB-related woes, and China’s humanoid robot half-marathon. PLUS Alex chats with Thalamus founder Jason Reminick about how he’s helping to match medical residents with the ideal hospitals. | E2114: It’s Friday TWiST! Jason, Alex, and Lon chat about LMArena’s pivot from research project to full-blown company, the rise of application-layer AI startups, and they muse about the future of autonomous drone and weapons systems. PLUS a brand-new “Tips from the Trenches” featuring design and product UX advice from branding expert Scott Bair! | E2113: On a brand new TWiST, Jason, Lon, and Alex examine Figma’s surprise IPO filing (sorry, Adobe…) and make some informed guesses about OpenAI’s new social media plans. PLUS a chat with Chris Tung about his comic book art marketplace Nerd Crawler AND Steven Borrelli of Cuts Clothing gives us the lowdown on his viral appeal to President Trump and how tariffs are wrecking havoc on his ecommerce business. | TWiST Partner Offers | Squarespace: Turn your idea into a new website! Go to https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Northwest Registered Agent: Starting your business should be simple. With Northwest Registered Agent, you can form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. From LLCs to trademarks, domains to custom websites, they’ve got you covered. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today! Fidelity Private Shares℠: Manage your cap table and data room, get faster, more accurate 409A valuation and fully automate your next financing round. Visit https://fidelityprivateshares.com! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.
| Want to Work for This Week in Startups? | We’re looking to fill two in-person sales positions at our Austin, Texas HQ! First, a high-performing Sales Executive to help us seek out and promote clients, sponsorships, branded content, and more. Plus an experienced Sales Manager to lead, coach, and scale our sales executive team, while setting performance goals. Love the podcast and have B2B sales experience? We want to hear from you! | SF Live-Work Space Now Available | Need a flexible living and working environment in San Francisco? This thoughtfully designed loft-style residence at 787 Bryant St., the heart of the vibrant SOMA district and the city’s creative hub, is now available for rent or purchase. Check the listing for more details. | Founder University | Applications are open for Founder University Cohort 11, a 12-week remote pre-accelerator program tailored towards navigating early-startup practices, building an MVP, and growing traction. Submit your application at Founder University— Cohort 10 will kick off Summer 2025! | The TWiST500 newsletter is the new, updated, and improved TWiST Ticker. |
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