FUSE

As we've seen this week with the ChatGPT Studio Ghibli craze, deepfakes and synthetic media are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making trust and authenticity more important than ever. Today, Loti announced FREE deepfake protection for all, making it easier to verify what's real and what isn't in a world where misinformation can spread quickly. Big moves from Luke Arrigoni and the team at Loti - excited to see the impact of this! More info from Variety linked in the comments Cameron Borumand, Kellan Carter, Brendan Wales, Zane K., Nolan Van Nortwick, Emily Harrison, John Connors, Satbir Khanuja, Bobby Wagner

Come work with us! Brendan Wales, Kellan Carter, Zane K., Nolan Van Nortwick, Emily Harrison, John Connors, Satbir Khanuja, Bobby Wagner

Exciting news from Starcloud (YC S24)! They’ve just secured an additional $10M in funding, bringing their total seed round to $21M. Huge testament to their vision and the growing momentum behind putting data centers in space. Congrats to Philip Johnston the entire team—can’t wait to see what’s next!???

New interview alert! ??? This week, we chatted with Ezra Feilden, Co-founder and CTO of Starcloud (YC S24) (formerly Lumen Orbit) about their bold vision: data centers in space. As AI model training fuels unprecedented demand for data centers and the energy required to power them, the world needs to find innovative solutions to sustain rapid growth. Tune in to hear how Ezra and his Co-founders Philip Johnston and Adi Oltean are making it happen. Links to listen + watch! ?? Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gqwZyia4 Apple: https://lnkd.in/g_qPw9wT Video Interview: https://lnkd.in/gsW8tCxr Brendan Wales, Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand, Zane K., Nolan Van Nortwick, Sara Lindquist, Emily Harrison, Satbir Khanuja, Bobby Wagner, John Connors

YoungTech would love to give a special shoutout to Cameron Borumand and David Tepper for an incredible event last night! Even with some Seattle snowflakes, we enjoyed a fantastic turnout and fascinating discussions on the rapidly-evolving world of generative AI. Cameron Borumand, Founding Partner at FUSE, spoke passionately about his dedication to supporting founders in the Pacific Northwest. Cameron emphasized Fuse’s commitment to vertical solutions and highlighted how AI is poised to transform traditional industries. And good news for all founders, according to Cameron, “the cost of starting a company has never been cheaper” due to the rapid developments in generative AI. David Tepper, Co-Founder and CEO of Pay-i, shared his journey from Microsoft to founding Pay-i, a cutting-edge GenAI FinOps platform. David emphasized that "the AI wave is not a moment; it’s a movement," underscoring the profound impact of AI on the software development landscape. His advice for all GenAI founders: “be careful about building only off of what GenAI can do now.” A big thank you to Cameron and David for their incredible insights! Thank you to AI House by AI2 Incubator and Connor McClain and Joe Conner from Colliers for support in securing such an amazing venue! And thank you to all the YoungTech members who spent their Thursday evening with us! As always, a special shoutout to our sponsors for making these events possible! As we continue to roll into 2025, make sure to register for YoungTech’s next event,?YoungTech x 9Zero Present: DeepTech Pioneers?on February 26, 2025!

Since our initial investment in Carbon Robotics, we've been stunned by the pace of innovation from this team, led by Paul Mikesell! They are redefining the future of farming - with over 110 first-generation LaserWeeders in operation worldwide, the impact is already clear. Now, LaserWeeder G2 takes it even further—faster, lighter, and modular, making this groundbreaking technology accessible to farms of all sizes. Brendan Wales, Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand, Nolan Van Nortwick, Zane K., Sara Lindquist, Satbir Khanuja, Bobby Wagner, John Connors

Speaker Spotlight: Brendan Wales | 2025 Investment Outlook Panel We’re excited to welcome Brendan Wales, Founding Partner at FUSE to the 2025 Investment Outlook Panel! ?? About Brendan: ? Founding Partner at FUSE, managing $420M+ across two early-stage VC funds. ? Spent his entire career in startups and investing. ? Former Partner at Headline, where he spent 9 years backing high-growth companies. Join Brendan and a panel of top investors as they discuss emerging investment trends, AI-driven opportunities, and the evolving startup landscape in 2025. ?? Register Now: https://lnkd.in/gP7zcuzV #InvestmentOutlook2025 #VentureCapital #Startups #AIInvestments #TechInnovation #Entrepreneurship #TiESeattle #EarlyStageVC #StartupFunding #FutureOfAI

New interview alert! ??? This week's episode features Karthik Jagannathan, Co-founder and CEO of Gallabox. In this episode, we explore Kathik's entrepreneurial journey and lessons he has learned from past business experiences that have shaped his approach to building Gallabox. Gallabox is transforming customer engagement by helping businesses turn conversations into revenue on WhatsApp - effortlessly and at scale. Links to listen + watch below! ?? Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gP_Ht3yG Apple: https://lnkd.in/gUs6fNAZ Video Interview: https://lnkd.in/gG8zu8hU Brendan Wales, Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand, Nolan Van Nortwick, Zane K., Sara Lindquist, Satbir Khanuja, Bobby Wagner, John Connors

So excited for this event with YoungTech Seattle! ?? Join us for a panel with David Tepper (CEO & founder of Pay-i) and FUSE's very own Cameron Borumand, to hear about the financial infrastructure fueling the AI revolution ?? ?? When: Thursday, Feb 13th | 5:30-7:30pm ?? Where: AI2’s new home at Pier 70 - formerly MTV’s Real World set ?? Link in the comments to register!

?? Seattle founders & investors—big news! We’ve just added Nolan Van Nortwick from FUSE to our panel next week! FUSE is one of Seattle’s top VC firms, backing early-stage founders from day zero through Series A. Nolan brings a pulse on the #PNW startup scene and will share what VCs are looking for in today’s market. He joins: ?? Kevin Corliss – Managing Director at Forum Ventures, who sold his last company to Deel. ?? Alexandra Taylor – COO at Sphere, currently fundraising and sharing real-time insights. ?? Tuesday, Feb 4 | 6:00 PM | Seattle Join us! Registration link in the comments. Also—this is my first time in Seattle! If you’re around, let’s connect. Who should I meet while I’m in town? Drop a comment! ?? #startups #venturecapital #SeattleTech