Peter Thiel

What founders need to know about tech’s growing influence in D.C.

“Startup culture may be great for putting out a new app or building a successful company, but not for distributing tens of millions of people’s benefits. Real people with real interests are at stake,” says Daniel Weiner, director of the Brennan Center for Justice’s Elections and Government Program. In other words, when it comes to […]

What founders need to know about tech’s growing influence in D.C. Read More »

How Silicon Valley’s influence in Washington benefits the tech elite

Elon Musk isn’t the only tech billionaire with power over the federal agencies that regulate his businesses. Since Donald Trump took office, more than three dozen employees, allies, and investors of Musk, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Palmer Luckey have taken roles at federal agencies, helping direct billions in contracts to their companies.  Companies owned,

How Silicon Valley’s influence in Washington benefits the tech elite Read More »

Chapter, a Medicare startup with links to Vance, Thiel and Ramaswamy, just raised a round at $1.5B valuation

Chapter, a Medicare advisory startup co-founded by former Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, has closed a $75 million funding round at a valuation of $1.5 billion led by private equity and venture firm Stripes. The startup helps seniors choose Medicare health plans analyzing doctors, hospitals, and prescription drug coverage. Unlike many other Medicare insurance brokers,

Chapter, a Medicare startup with links to Vance, Thiel and Ramaswamy, just raised a round at $1.5B valuation Read More »

Controversial genetics testing startup Nucleus Genomics raises $14M Series A 

Last week, Founders Fund partner Delian Asparouhov realized he hadn’t checked on his genetics in a while. He clicked open a dashboard created by Nucleus Genomics, a Founders Fund-backed startup that gets saliva samples sequenced and then compares the DNA results to extensive data linking health issues to genes. Within seconds, he concluded that he

Controversial genetics testing startup Nucleus Genomics raises $14M Series A  Read More »

Lindus Health raises $55M to ‘fix the broken clinical trial industry’

A four-year-old London startup backed by Peter Thiel has raised a $55 million Series B round as it sets about “fixing the broken clinical trial industry.” The announcement comes as artificial intelligence is shaping up to revolutionize drug discovery and development, in turn spurring demand for a streamlined clinical trial process to help get new

Lindus Health raises $55M to ‘fix the broken clinical trial industry’ Read More »

From recruiting for Palantir to landing a plane on Highway 85: meet defense tech’s wildest power broker

In 2023, defense tech recruiter Peterson Conway VIII pulled up to the offices of nuclear fusion startup Fuse in a black Suburban, donning his signature cowboy hat. He picked up a recent Fuse hire and proceeded to regale her with stories of his old recruiting days. One story involved prostitutes attending a recruiting event (“not

From recruiting for Palantir to landing a plane on Highway 85: meet defense tech’s wildest power broker Read More »

From forced landings to stuffed animal heads, headhunter Peterson Conway is defense tech’s wildest power broker

In 2023, defense tech recruiter Peterson Conway VIII pulled up to the offices of nuclear fusion startup Fuse in a black suburban, donning his signature cowboy hat. He picked up a recent Fuse hire and proceeded to regale her with stories of his old recruiting days. One story involved prostitutes attending a recruiting event (“not

From forced landings to stuffed animal heads, headhunter Peterson Conway is defense tech’s wildest power broker Read More »

Peter Thiel-backed venture debt firm Tacora raises $268.7M for new fund

Tacora Capital, a Texas firm that specializes in venture debt, has raised $268.7 million for its second fund, according to a new SEC filing. Tacora’s inaugural fund in 2022 raised about $350 million, including $250 million from Peter Thiel — the prominent Republican billionaire and investor — in what was considered an “unusually large investment”

Peter Thiel-backed venture debt firm Tacora raises $268.7M for new fund Read More »