Back in the Unicorn Club with Cowboy Ventures’ Aileen Lee
Jan 18, 2024
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Aileen Lee, who coined the term 'unicorn,' talks about different unicorn forms, venture capital returns, and the rise of seed round sizes. Unicorns are based in various locations including New York. The podcast also discusses the ranking of Fortune 500 companies based on revenue.
Unicorn companies are experiencing low interest rates and capital efficiency compression, leading to the rise of 'zerpacorns'
The future of the tech industry will heavily rely on AI, integrating it into all aspects of software and work activities
Deep dives
The Evolution of Unicorns Over the Past 10 Years
The podcast episode explores the evolution of unicorns over the past 10 years, discussing the origin of the term and its growing popularity in the VC and startup world. It highlights the significant growth in the number of unicorns, from 39 in the original analysis to 532 currently. The episode also delves into the changing composition of unicorns, with a shift towards more enterprise-focused or B2B companies. Additionally, it examines the impact of low interest rates on the rise of 'zerpacorns' and the compression of capital efficiency in enterprise companies. The episode concludes by addressing the need for greater diversity in founding teams and the potential future role of AI in driving consumer-focused technologies.
The Slimming Down of the Unicorn Herd
The podcast discusses the possibility of a reduction in the number of unicorns in the future, highlighting that 40% of unicorns are currently trading below their $1 billion valuation on secondary markets. It explores potential mechanisms for the herd reduction, including companies hitting the wall, pursuing recaps, and the availability of dry powder from venture funds. The episode also touches on the challenges of achieving greater diversity in founding teams, particularly in terms of gender diversity, acknowledging the slow progress in this area. Despite these challenges, it expresses optimism for the future, anticipating the growth of tech companies in various sectors and geographical locations.
The Role of AI and its Impact on the Tech Industry
The podcast episode delves into the role of AI in driving the future of the tech industry, predicting that AI will be integrated into all aspects of software and everyday work activities. It highlights the potential for AI to enhance productivity and deliver innovative, efficient, and personalized experiences. The discussion also touches on the prevalence of AI-powered software in various sectors and markets, leading to the emergence of new tech-native companies. The podcast concludes with a focus on the future of venture capital, pointing out the increasing specialization of firms and the need for continued support and training for venture investors, as well as recognizing the potential for widespread adoption of AI across multiple industries.
Venture Capital Growth and the Changing Landscape
The episode addresses the growth and transformation of venture capital firms over the years, highlighting the increasing number of VC firms from 850 in 2013 to over 2,500 currently. It discusses the factors contributing to this growth, such as the specialization of firms and the rise of seed funds. The discussion also explores the changing dynamics of seed rounds, with larger investments becoming the norm. The episode touches on the challenges and opportunities in the venture capital industry, emphasizing the importance of staying disciplined and providing post-investment support to founders. Additionally, it examines the potential impact of AI and changing market conditions on the industry's future.
Lee talked us through the data and taught us all sorts of new terms. You can sort of understand what one means when they say “unicorpse” or “zombiecorn,” but apparently there are even more exotic unicorn forms out there. We even wound up comparing venture capital returns to peaches in a bucket of piss (her words, not ours!).
We also talked about where unicorns are based today (19% in New York, for example), and why seed rounds are getting bigger. But really, you should read her post while you listen so you can have all the context while we chew through the numbers!
And for those of you who are here for the answer to our question, “How are Fortune 500 companies ranked?”, well, the answer is revenue and not market cap.
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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