Telegram founder's arrest, and who's using acqui-hires to tip-toe around antitrust

Aug 30, 2024

Discover the groundbreaking technology from a startup analyzing brain scans to assist in neural ICUs. Dive into the rapid growth of Comun, a neobank focused on Latino immigrants, securing major funding. Uncover the drama at Fluid Truck with a hostile takeover of its co-founders. Delve into the arrest of Telegram's founder and the pressing debate on accountability for tech executives. Finally, explore the complexities of acqui-hires and regulatory scrutiny surrounding Microsoft's recent talent poaching.

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ANECDOTE

Podcast Introduction

Mary Ann Azevedo and Rebecca Bellan joined Devin Coldeway on the Equity podcast.
They discussed various startup news and industry trends.

ANECDOTE

Piramidal's AI for Brain Scans

Devin Coldeway presented Piramidal, a startup using AI to analyze brain scan data.
This technology aims to assist doctors and nurses in neural ICUs by identifying signs of seizures or strokes.

INSIGHT

How Piramidal Works

Piramidal uses EEG readings to identify patterns in brain activity.
This helps medical professionals recognize potential issues like seizures, supplementing specialist knowledge.

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Today on Equity, Devin Coldeway kicked off our Deals of the Week rundown with Piramidal, a startup which offers a foundational model for analyzing brain scan data that just raised $6 million, as his deal of the week. The premise behind the company is a fascinating one in that its technology aims to help complement the work of nurses and doctors in neural ICUs by helping identify signs of things like an epileptic episode, or a stroke.

Mary Ann Azevedo wanted to talk about Comun, a neobank serving Latino immigrants in the U.S. with financial services and banking products. The fintech just raised $21.5 million a round led by Redpoint Ventures, not that long after closing its seed round. It’s seeing fast growth — as well as a higher valuation.

Rebecca Bellan dug into a scoop she had about Fluid Truck and recent drama there. The startup, which was founded to disrupt the commercial vehicle rental industry, has apparently ousted its sibling co-founders — CEO James Eberhard and chief legal counsel Jenifer Snyder — in what is being described as a hostile takeover.

We then moved into the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, and whether or not tech executives can, and should, be held responsible for what happens on their platforms. And lastly, we dug into what’s going at Inflection after Microsoft poached its co-founders. That move has drawn attention from antitrust regulators in the U.S. and U.K., who are now investigating whether Microsoft was anticompetitive. The Equity crew discussed whether or not companies are using acqui-hires to get around antitrust regulation.

Honestly, we had so much fun we could’ve gone on for a whole other episode. Give it a listen!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

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