Benchmark's entire current partnership—Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle and Eric Vishria—will join a single main-stage panel at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco, marking the first time the full team has appeared together on the Disrupt Stage. The session, titled 'What We Believe Now,' will focus on where future startups may emerge and which founder assumptions deserve rethinking. The panel follows Benchmark's recent expansion, having raised roughly $2 billion this year across a new flagship fund and its first growth fund.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-21
Wealthy family offices are increasingly skipping traditional venture capital fund commitments in favor of buying secondary shares or striking direct deals with AI companies, according to Atlas Capital advisor Djoann Fal. He says these investors are drawn by the prospect of tripling returns in months rather than years, and want direct exposure to top AI names rather than ceding control to fund managers for a decade.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-18
TechCrunch is giving startups until 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, September 18 to secure a $12,500 exhibit table at Disrupt 2026, warning that tables are limited and sold on a first-come basis. The package includes 10 event passes, Expo Hall access, lead capture through the event app, press-list inclusion and Silver Tier sponsor branding.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-15
Exploration companies in nearly 30 countries are drilling to locate natural hydrogen gas trapped in underground rock formations, betting it could serve as a carbon-free energy source. Venture capitalists have poured almost $500 million into this search since 2023, with firms like UK-based H2Au already drilling test wells in Kansas.
nature.com
· 2026-09-15
Partner Keith Rabois revealed at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event that Khosla Ventures is setting up its first-ever satellite office, located on 14th Street in New York, with an expected fall opening. The firm currently has no presence even in San Francisco, making this a significant shift for the Menlo Park-based investor.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-11
Collaborative Fund, a $1 billion New York venture firm known for early investments in Lyft, Reddit, Sweetgreen and Olipop, has acquired a stake in Major League Soccer's D.C. United and its home venue, Audi Field. The move follows a broader pattern set by Thrive Capital, whose Thrive Eternal vehicle recently bought stakes in the San Francisco Giants and acquired the Los Angeles Lakers outright for $12.5 billion with Bob Iger as co-owner.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-10
A contributor for Entrepreneur argues that founders and business owners are increasingly turning to private capital, not just public markets, to grow wealth. The piece explains that more than 99% of U.S. companies are privately held, and that many valuable businesses build significant worth well before any public listing.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-08
A former startup CEO who has raised tens of millions in VC funding argues that traditional venture capital, once about backing founders to build companies, has been co-opted by a small group of extremely wealthy investors. He says this cohort now operates with little accountability to markets, regulators, or voters, using the VC label to pursue a broader ideological agenda rather than genuine innovation.
anildash.com
· 2026-09-03
Venture capital firms are increasingly directing funding toward businesses built around physical, real-world experiences—such as sports, gambling and travel—rather than digital or software-based startups. The strategy reflects investor concern that AI's rapid advancement could quickly disrupt or devalue many traditional tech business models.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-03
Entrepreneur magazine, working with Statista, is collecting recommendations from founders, startup employees, investors and service providers about their favorite business tools and services across finance, legal, HR, marketing, product and tech support. The findings will be compiled into a ranking of the most valued startup resources, to be published in an upcoming issue of Entrepreneur magazine.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-01
An Entrepreneur contributor argues that startups can no longer rely solely on a single venture capital raise as their financing plan, citing a sharp drop in global VC fundraising and slower exits that have left many funds unable to return money to their own investors. The piece recommends founders build a three-part capital stack combining equity, debt-based instruments and profitability to reduce dependence on favorable market timing.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-08-28
Julia Collins, who became the first Black woman to co-found a unicorn company after Zume Pizza hit a $1 billion valuation in 2018, later left to launch Planet FWD, a platform helping brands track and cut their carbon footprint. In an interview, she reflected on her entrepreneurial upbringing, her early career as the first hire at food chain Mexicue, and her approach to leadership across the more than $500 million she has raised in venture capital.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-08-26
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