šŸš€ $8M Raised! No Pitch Deck Needed.

šŸ”„ Musk vs. Altmanā€”AIā€™s Billion-Dollar Battle

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In This Edition:

šŸš€ STARTUPā€™S STRATEGY

This Startup Raised $8M Without a Traditional Pitch Deckā€”Hereā€™s How

What if we told you that a startup just raised $8M without a traditional pitch deck, a clear business model, or even a face-to-face meeting with investors before securing a commitment?

Thatā€™s exactly what Boardy pulled off in its seed round, backed by Creandum and 100+ investors. Instead of fancy slides and perfect financials, they let AI do the pitchingā€”literally.

In a world where founders obsess over crafting the perfect deck, Boardy flipped the script. And it worked.

Hereā€™s how they did itā€”and what every startup can learn from their playbook.

The Fundraising Playbook Flipped

Most startups follow a predictable formula:

  • Slick pitch deck packed with traction metrics and financial projections.

  • Well-rehearsed investor meetings to sell the vision.

  • Clear monetization strategy to ease concerns.

Boardy ignored all of that. Instead, they:

āœ… Let investors speak to their AI before meeting the team.
āœ… Listed reasons why investors shouldnā€™t invest.
āœ… Focused on network effects over revenue numbers.

The result? Creandum committed after speaking only with Boardyā€™s AI.

This isnā€™t just a gimmickā€”itā€™s a glimpse into the future of fundraising.

3 Unconventional Tactics That Won Investors Over

1. Product-Led Fundraising: AI as the Pitchman

Rather than dazzling investors with numbers and slides, Boardy let them experience the product firsthand.

Investors had conversations with the AI itself before ever speaking to a human. This flipped the traditional processā€”proving the productā€™s value before the pitch even began.

Itā€™s a bold move that makes perfect sense:

  • If your AI can impress investors, it can impress customers too.

  • This approach forces clarityā€”either the product works, or it doesnā€™t.

And in Boardyā€™s case, it worked.

2. Radical Transparency: "Why You Should NOT Invest"

Most startups spend hours perfecting how to sell the dream. Boardy did the opposite.

Their pitch deck explicitly listed:

āŒ ā€œThis is a crazy idea.ā€
āŒ ā€œWe are very early (~10k users).ā€
āŒ ā€œNo clear business model.ā€

Why? Because in a world flooded with overhyped AI startups, honesty is a differentiator.

Instead of playing defense, Boardy leaned into the risksā€”and built trust in the process.

Investors donā€™t expect startups to have everything figured out. But they respect founders who are self-aware about their challenges.

3. Emphasizing Network Effects Over Vanity Metrics

Rather than traditional growth metrics, Boardy highlighted its network-driven value

āœ… EQ: Boardy learns to build better relationships over time.
āœ… IQ: Boardy gets smarter at making high-value introductions.
āœ… Network: The more people Boardy knows, the more powerful it becomes.

This shifts the focus from short-term revenue to long-term compounding growthā€”a strategy that legendary companies like Airbnb and Uber have mastered.

And itā€™s why investors bought in.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Fundraise Matters

Boardy isnā€™t just changing how startups raise moneyā€”itā€™s redefining how AI fits into human relationships.

In a world where AI can build anything, trusted networks become the real competitive advantage.

This raises big questions for founders:

  • Will AI-driven fundraising become the norm?

  • Will investors prefer products they can test before meeting the team?

  • Will radical transparency replace the traditional ā€œpolishedā€ pitch?

One thing is clear: AI is no longer just an automation toolā€”itā€™s becoming an integral part of how we build relationships, trust, and even raise capital.

Key Lessons for Founders: How to Apply Boardyā€™s Playbook

If youā€™re raising a round, hereā€™s how to stand out in an investor-saturated world:

āœ… Let your product do the pitching.

If your product is compelling, let investors experience it firsthand. Show, donā€™t tell.

āœ… Radical transparency wins trust.

Be upfront about your challenges. Investors appreciate honesty over hype.

āœ… Prioritize network effects over vanity metrics.

Demonstrate how your productā€™s value compounds over time, not just how many users you have today.

Is This the Future of Fundraising?

Boardyā€™s $8M raise proves that the strongest pitch isnā€™t always about perfect slides or polished storytellingā€”sometimes, itā€™s about letting your product speak for itself.

The question is: Are you ready to rethink how you pitch?

šŸ“Œ Want to dive deeper into unconventional pitch decks that actually get funded?

Need a Winning Pitch Deck? Drop a comment below!

What If Networking And Introductions Could Be Automated?

Meet Boardy - an AI networking partner who makes introductions to investors, founders, recruiters, executives, operators and anyone else that you would like to meet.

Boardy just raised an $8M seed round from VC firm Creandum - the guys behind Spotify, Klarna, Depop - and built a network of over 25,000 incredible individuals to connect with.

No forms, fees or signups required. All you do is šŸ‘‡šŸ»

  1. Send Boardy a DM on Linked

  2. He will call you immediately

  3. After the call, he will make an introduction to someone who he thinks you should meet!

In the past 6 months alone, Boardy has already:

  • Helped 3 founders raise over $1M

  • Introduced a CEO to his new CTO

  • Raised $8M for himself

  • Connected grad students to full time positions

  • Sourced a $60k software deal

  • Brought together countless business partners

  • And much moreā€¦

Youā€™re always one introduction away from changing your life and your business in ways you canā€™t imagineā€¦

Send Boardy a DM and see what he can do for you.

šŸ’” AI INSIGHTS

DeepSeek Just Took Over AI.comā€”What Does It Mean for the Global AI Race?

AI dot com Now Belongs to DeepSeek

For years, AI.com has been the ultimate mystery domain in artificial intelligence. It first redirected to OpenAIā€™s ChatGPT, then Elon Muskā€™s xAI. But now? It points to DeepSeek, a fast-rising Chinese AI startup making serious waves.

Hereā€™s why this matters:

A Silent Endorsement? Whoever controls AI.com just handed DeepSeek a massive credibility boost. This domain has only ever pointed to AI heavyweights, so landing it is a huge signal of legitimacy.

DeepSeekā€™s Meteoric Rise: In just weeks, DeepSeekā€™s chatbot app skyrocketed to 21 million daily active users, outpacing ChatGPTā€™s early growth.

Server Struggles: Demand has been so intense that DeepSeek had to pause API top-ups last week and restrict free-tier access.

Price Hike: They just doubled API pricing, yet itā€™s still significantly cheaper than OpenAI and Anthropic.

Chinaā€™s AI Power Play: DeepSeekā€™s models compete with top US AI models but are trained at a fraction of the cost. Thatā€™s got everyoneā€”from Sam Altman to Donald Trumpā€”taking notice.

Hereā€™s what we think:

AI.com isnā€™t just a domainā€”itā€™s a statement. And right now, that statement is: DeepSeek is the next big thing in AI. Whether this is a business deal or a strategic play, it just pushed DeepSeek to the forefront of the global AI race.

šŸ”„ CREATOR CATALYST

YouTubeā€™s Biggest AI Leap Yet! What It Means for Creators

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan just announced a major wave of AI upgrades, supercharging content creation, moderation, and audience reach with cutting-edge tools.

Whatā€™s New?

  • AI Detection & Control: High-profile creators and artists will get expanded tools to identify and manage AI-generated content that mimics their likeness or voice.

  • Auto-Dubbing for All: The feature is now available to all monetized creators, after YouTube revealed that dubbed videos accounted for over 40% of translated content watch time.

  • AI-Powered Age Estimation: A new machine-learning system will analyze viewer age ranges, optimizing content recommendations and safety measures.

  • Enhanced AI Tools for Shorts: YouTubeā€™s Dream Screen and Dream Track will integrate Googleā€™s Veo 2 for more advanced background and music generation.

Why It Matters

YouTube is weaving AI into every aspect of the platform, making content creation more efficient and expanding global reach.

With auto-dubbing and AI-powered tools rolling out more broadly, creators can connect with larger audiencesā€”faster than ever.

šŸ”® AI AGENTS

The Vertical AI Agent Market No Startup Can Afford to Ignore

Is AI just another passing tech trend, or are we on the brink of a transformation that will reshape entire industries?

Every few decades, a major shift redefines the startup landscapeā€”the SaaS boom of the 2000s, the rise of mobile-first businesses in the 2010s. Today, AI stands at a similar tipping point, but this time, the impact could be even greater.

The AI agents market is projected to grow from $5.1 billion in 2024 to $47.1 billion by 2030, fueled by an astonishing 44.8% CAGR.

At the heart of this explosion are vertical AI agentsā€”industry-specific AI solutions designed to automate complex workflows in sectors like finance, retail, and healthcare.

Unlike horizontal AI, which provides broad, general-purpose tools, vertical AI agents deliver highly specialized automation, unlocking new levels of efficiency and profitability.

And yet, many founders are underestimating the scale of this opportunity.

A leading VC predicts that within the next two to three years, at least five Vertical AI companies will surpass $100M+ ARR, fundamentally transforming their industries.

YC takes this a step further, forecasting that Vertical AI Agents could outscale SaaS by 10X, redefining automation as we know it.

For startups looking to build the next wave of AI-powered businesses, one thing is clear: ignoring the vertical AI agent market is no longer an option.

šŸ“ˆ INVESTMENT & FUNDRAISING

Macronā€™s ā‚¬109B AI Gamble: Can France Take on the U.S. and China?

AI is heating up, and France just went all in. President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled a jaw-dropping ā‚¬109 billion ($112 billion) AI investment planā€”his boldest move yet to put France on the global AI map.

Hereā€™s the breakdown:

  • Paris is center stage as it hosts the AI Action Summit, where Macron used the spotlight to drop this massive funding announcement.

  • Franceā€™s answer to Stargateā€”thatā€™s what Macron is calling it, referencing the U.S.'s $500 billion AI push. (France has 5x fewer people, so he says the numbers check out.)

  • Big money is backing itā€”the UAE, Canadaā€™s Brookfield, Franceā€™s Bpifrance, and telecom giant Iliad have already pledged ā‚¬83 billion ($85 billion), with more expected to follow.

  • Infrastructure firstā€”most of the funding is going into AI-focused data centers, the backbone for training and running massive AI models.

  • Franceā€™s AI startups are inā€”top European OpenAI competitor Mistral and others are investing billions in new AI clusters.

  • Nuclear energy is a strategic playā€”Franceā€™s stable, low-carbon power supply gives it an edge in meeting AIā€™s massive energy demands.

Why It Matters

France is making a serious power move in AI. The nuclear advantage is smart, and theyā€™re backing it up with real money. But hereā€™s the real test: Can they keep their top AI startups from relocating to the U.S.? Thatā€™s the billion-euro question.

What do you thinkā€”does France have what it takes to stay in the AI race?

  • ConverzAI, a U.S.-based AI recruitment platform, raised $16M in Series A led by Menlo Ventures. It automates candidate engagement and interview scheduling. (Link)

  • Positron, a U.S. AI hardware startup, secured $23.5M in Seed funding from Flume Ventures. It builds energy-efficient chips for multimodal AI. (Link)

  • Moderne, an AI-powered code analysis platform, raised $30M in Series B from Acrew Capital. It automates code migration and security
    analysis.(Link)

  • Stellaromics, a biotech firm, secured $80M in Series B from Catalyst4. It specializes in 3D spatial transcriptions and multi-omics research. (Link)

  • QuEra, a quantum computing startup, raised $230M in Series B from SoftBank Vision Fund. It develops Rydberg atom-based quantum computers. (Link)

šŸ” NEW JOBS

AI at Work: Powering Coders and Creators

A recent analysis of 4 million interactions with Anthropic's AI assistant, Claude, provides valuable insights into how artificial intelligence is currently utilized across various professions.

The findings highlight that AI's impact is most pronounced in software development and writing-related roles, while its presence in physically intensive jobs remains minimal.

Key Insights:

  • Dominant Sectors: 37.2% of AI usage is in the computer and mathematical sector (software modification, code debugging, network troubleshooting).

  • Arts & Media: 10.3% of AI interactions occur in arts, design, sports, entertainment, and media, primarily for writing and editing tasks. 

  • Limited Physical Labor Integration: Minimal AI adoption in construction, healthcare, and transportation due to physical task requirements.

  • Augmentation vs. Automation: 57% of AI use augments human capabilities (learning, brainstorming, task iteration).

  • Automation: 43% of AI use automates tasks (formatting documents, generating code snippets).

  • Mid-to-High Wage Professions: AI is widely used by computer programmers and copywriters.

  • Low AI Engagement: Minimal usage in low-wage (shampooers) and high-wage (obstetricians) roles due to manual dexterity and complexity.

These insights suggest that while AI is making significant inroads in certain sectors, particularly those involving cognitive tasks, its role remains largely supportive.

The technology is currently enhancing human productivity rather than replacing it, especially in fields that require creativity, analytical thinking, and specialized knowledge.

Find the Remote Jobs Youā€™ve Been Searching For!

Check out these exciting job opportunities in top companies, offering remote and flexible roles in software engineering, backend development, and more. Explore the details and find your next career move!

Campany Name

Job Profile

Beam

Frontend Engineer (Contract)
Software Engineer

Wanderlog

Full-Stack Software Engineer (4+ years experience: Canada)
Full-Stack Software Engineer (4+ years experience: international-Americas)
Full-Stack Software Engineer (New & recent graduates: United States)

Velt

Founding Developer Success Engineer
Software Engineer (Backend leaning)
Software Engineer (Frontend leaning)

Alguna

Data Engineer
Product Engineer

TaxGPT

Staff Software Engineer (Gen AI Focused)
Senior Software Engineer (Gen AI Focused)

šŸ’¼ Ready to take the leap? Get the full list of remote opportunities with Y Combinator-backed startups and find your perfect role today! šŸš€

šŸŽ“ FREE AI AGENT COURSE

AI Agent Certificationā€”Enroll Today!

The AI landscape is evolving fast, and AI agents are at the forefront of this transformation. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, developer, or entrepreneur, understanding how to build and deploy AI agents is a game-changer.

Thatā€™s why Hugging Face just launched a FREE AI Agent Courseā€”and itā€™s already making waves! šŸŒŠ In just 1 hour, 160+ students have earned their first certification.

Whatā€™s in it for you?

šŸ”¹ Learn AI Agent fundamentalsā€”from theory to hands-on coding
šŸ”¹ Use top AI libraries like LangChain, LlamaIndex & smolagents
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How to get started?

āœ”ļø Sign up and explore the syllabus
āœ”ļø Join the Discord to connect with AI experts & peers
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šŸ’” AI agents are reshaping automation, productivity, and innovation. Are you ready to be part of this revolution?

šŸ¤– AI TOOLS

šŸŽÆ Boost ROI with These AI Ad Tools!

Traditional ad strategies are no longer enough in todayā€™s competitive digital landscape. Marketers need real-time insights, hyper-personalization, and automation to maximize ROI. Thatā€™s where AI-powered advertising tools come inā€”transforming how businesses create, optimize, and scale their campaigns.

  • šŸš€ Hyros ā€“ Advanced ad tracking and attribution for accurate performance insights.

  • šŸŽØ AdCreative.ai ā€“ AI-powered ad creatives that boost engagement and conversions.

  • šŸ“ Hoppy Copy ā€“ AI-generated ad copy optimized for performance and impact.

  • šŸ“Š Metadata ā€“ Automates B2B ad targeting and campaign optimization.

  • šŸ¤– Madgicx āœØ ā€“ AI-driven ad management for scaling campaigns effortlessly.

  • šŸŽ¬ Wavel.ai & DeepBrainAI ā€“ AI-powered video creation and voiceovers.

  • šŸ“¢ Hootsuite ā€“ AI-assisted social media ad management and scheduling.

  • šŸ” Lunio ā€“ Fraud detection to eliminate wasted ad spend on bots and fake clicks.

šŸ’” AI is reshaping the future of advertising, making campaigns smarter, more efficient, and highly targeted. Are you leveraging AI in your ad strategy?

Ready to explore AI tools thatā€™ll revolutionize your editing game?

šŸ“š FREE FINDS

200 Online Side Hustles That Can Replace Your 9-5!

Unlock 200+ AI-Powered Income Ideas

Artificial Intelligence isnā€™t just transforming industriesā€”itā€™s reshaping how we create wealth. Whether youā€™re an entrepreneur, creator, or professional looking for new revenue streams, now is the time to leverage AI for financial growth.

šŸ”Ž The Big Question: How can you use AI to build a sustainable income?

This guide reveals 200+ actionable strategies designed for:
āœ… Solopreneurs & Freelancers ā€“ Automate workflows, optimize pricing, and enhance services.
āœ… Content Creators ā€“ Scale content production, monetize engagement, and build AI-powered communities.
āœ… E-commerce Innovators ā€“ Use AI for smarter product recommendations, dynamic pricing, and automated fulfillment.
āœ… Tech Professionals ā€“ Develop AI-driven solutions or consult on AI implementation.
āœ… Side Hustlers ā€“ Launch low-cost, AI-powered businesses with minimal upfront investment.

šŸ“Œ Why This Matters:

  • AI is no longer optionalā€”itā€™s a competitive advantage.

  • The future of work is changingā€”adapt now to stay ahead.

  • Opportunities exist across industriesā€”from AI-generated art to automated investing.

šŸš€ Your AI Wealth-Building Playbook Awaits!
This isnā€™t just a list of ideasā€”itā€™s a roadmap with clear steps to get started. If youā€™re ready to future-proof your income, download the guide and explore practical, high-impact AI opportunities.

šŸ’¬ Which AI income idea interests you the most?

šŸš€ STARTUP SPOTLIGHT

  • How to Break Into Venture Capital & 10 Years of AI VC Insights (Link)

  • 7 Startup Valuation Strategies Every Founder Needs (Link)

  • 25 Must-Answer Questions for Winning Founders (Link)

  • 300+ Investor Questions Every Founder Must Know (Link)

  • 15 Key Questions to Define Your Funding Strategy (Link)

  • Go-to-Market Strategy 2025: Beyond Just Sales (Link)

  • Founder Pay: Why It Matters & How to Get It Right (Link)

šŸŽÆWEB PICKS

  • Convergence Proxy vs. OpenAI Operator: The AI Agent Battle (Link)

  • Perplexity AIā€™s Sonar Model Boosts Search Speed (Link)

  • Musk Bids $97.4B for OpenAI, Altman Counters with $9.74B for Twitter (Link)

  • US & UK Skip AI Safety Pact as 60 Nations Sign (Link)

  • Apple & Alibaba Bring Apple Intelligence to China (Link)

  • Roblox, Discord, OpenAI & Google Form Child Safety Group (Link)

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