The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 20VC: Groq's $20BN NVIDIA Acquisition | Manus Acquired by Meta for $2BN | Why Sam Altman Does Not Care About Dilution | Navan Trading at 4x ARR & Why Going Public Does Not Make Sense Anymore | The Rise of Invisible Unemployment and Labour Markets in 2026
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Jan 8, 2026 The podcast dives into Groq's staggering $20B acquisition by NVIDIA, examining the strategic implications and market dynamics. They also discuss Meta's $2B acquisition of Manus and the factors influencing early exit decisions for founders. The conversation shifts to OpenAI's compensation strategies and how AI may disrupt venture capitalists' roles. Furthermore, they highlight the rise of 'invisible unemployment' and its impact on the future labor market, prompting a reevaluation of the IPO landscape and the balance between public and private company dynamics.
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Inference Is The New Growth Engine
- Inference (running models for users) is becoming the dominant growth vector as people run AI 24/7.
- Nvidia paid up for Groq because removing a competitor was cheaper than risking long-term margin pressure.
Strategic Acquisitions Break Finance Rules
- For a giant acquirer, paying a premium can be rational if the acquisition protects massive existing margins.
- Traditional finance metrics don't always explain strategic M&A pricing in strategic markets.
Grok's Long Run From TPU Team To $20B Exit
- Groq started in 2016–17 with ex-Google TPU talent and low revenue until the AI wave hit.
- The company grew from ~$4M in 2023 to sub-$50M in 2024 before the $20B acquisition.