Financial expert Becca Szkutak joins the hosts to discuss Elon Musk's AI startup funding, Solutions by Text's success, and the Synapse Collapse impact on FinTech. They also talk about potential IPOs this year and the choices between acquisitions and going public for companies.

The Equity crew, including Alex Wilhelm, Mary Ann Azevedo, Kirsten Korosec, and Becca Szkutak, share their predictions for 2024, including startup trends, consolidation in fintech, changing VC landscape, and the potential decrease in the number of VCs. They discuss recent layoffs, shifts in the venture industry, and express uncertainty in late stage valuations.

Join Mary Ann Azevedo, a savvy voice in real estate and tech, Becca Szkutak, a finance and innovation expert, and Devin Coldewey, an AI enthusiast, as they dive into the chaotic world of tech investments. They discuss You.com's ambitious AI strategy aimed at complex task solving. Becca explores DubClub's potential to legitimize sports betting, while Mary Ann breaks down Paylocity's acquisition of Airbase, questioning true valuations. The trio also muses over the volatile secondary shares market, likening it to Beanie Babies economics.

This podcast features Becca Szkutak and Rebecca Bellan discussing Elon Musk's legal battles, Microsoft leaving OpenAI's board, Duolingo's acquisition of Hobbes, and challenges faced by companies without their founders. They delve into the complexities of denied severance payments, antitrust concerns, and the impact of AI acquisitions on user experience in language learning projects.

In honor of 2022 finally coming to a close, the Equity crew is getting reflective. We dug through the archives, and this week, we're listening back to Alex, Natasha and Mary Ann's coverage of the biggest stories of the year as they unfolded.Here's what the trio got into with help from guest hosts, Becca Szkutak and Anita Ramaswamy: How Alex jinxed us from the start when he asked for more tech drama (TC+) back in January Early signs of the downturn to come with Better.com and the human cost of layoffs The will-they-won't-they courtship of Elon Musk and Twitter The downfall of FTX (TC+) and why you should never let FOMO guide your investments (TC+)  Some of these stories are still evolving as we type, but don't fret - we'll catch you up in the new year.Of course, we can't sign off without saying thank you to all of you for sticking by us during this rollercoaster of a year, and we can't wait to see you in 2023!Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more! 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.