TechCrunch's Equity crew is bringing 2025 to a close and getting ahead on the year to come with our annual predictions episode! Hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Rebecca Bellan were joined by Build Mode host Isabelle Johansson to dissect the year's biggest tech developments, from mega AI funding rounds that defied expectations to the rise of "physical AI," and make their calls for 2026.
The group tackles everything from why AI agents didn't live up to the hype in 2025 (but probably will in 2026), to how Hollywood will push back against AI-generated content, to why VCs are facing a serious liquidity crisis.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:43 - Rating our 2025 predictions
04:19 - Funding in the bubble era
06:35 - World models and the future of AI
09:05 - The year of AI agents (for real this time)
11:58 - Physical AI everywhere
15:19 - AI meets Hollywood
16:25 - Regulatory chaos and federal preemption
18:34 - The liquidity crisis and LP direct investing
22:19 - IPO predictions for 2026
23:57 - Startup trends for 2026
27:06 - Buzzwords we're sick of hearing
28:15 - Rapid fire predictions
32:50 - What's next for Build Mode
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