Tippets #192
Neuralink, semiconductors, Amazon v. Temu, and a quick reader poll. Enjoy!
A warm welcome to new readers getting this for the first time, and thank you for letting me be a small part of your week! As a reminder, I’m Rishi Taparia, Co-founder and General Partner at Garuda Ventures, a pre-seed focused fund that partners with founders as they pull the future into the present. Tippets is a curated set of tidbits and snippets (get it…tippets…) from my reading around the web.
Tippets from Around the Web:
Neuralink patient: Brain chip "not perfect," but it has "changed my life"
Talk about amazing. This week Elon Musk's Neuralink introduced a 29-year-old quadriplegic man as the first human user of its brain implant, allowing him to play online chess and video games. While the patient acknowledged the device is not flawless and has encountered some challenges, he emphasized how it has already transformed his life. Neuralink is part of a wave of brain-computer interface research, with other companies like Synchron also making strides in BCI technology and gaining FDA approvals for human trials and testing. 🤯
(3-minute read - Axios)
The Global Effort to Make an American Microchip
A good visual look at how a semiconductor is manufactured. As we’ve discussed a few times over the last few weeks, semiconductors play a crucial role in various industries, and the U.S. government is investing in building more chip factories domestically to strengthen the supply chain. However, the process of manufacturing chips involves a complex global network of suppliers and facilities, making it challenging to decouple from regions like China. Despite efforts to increase American chip production, the industry remains heavily centered in Asia due to factors like cost efficiency and expertise, with the U.S. aiming to regain a larger share of the global market through substantial investments.
(4-minute read - NYT)
With $40B fund, Saudi Arabia looks to become world leader in AI
Is AI the new oil? Saudi Arabia is certainly batting on it. The kingdom is creating a $40B fund to invest in AI. The fund, which would make Saudi Arabia the world's largest AI investor, is part of the Vision 2030 agenda to move away from oil dependence. The kingdom is seeking partnerships with venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz to boost its presence in AI, with plans to attract global VC firms to participate in the fund as well.
(3-minute read - AI Monitor)
Amazon’s New Focus: Fending Off Rivals Temu and Shein
Amazon is shifting its focus to emerging e-commerce rivals, Temu and Shein, viewing them as significant threats to its online shopping dominance. These Chinese-rooted companies have surged in popularity, surpassing Walmart and Target as Amazon's main competitors. And for good reason. Temu was the largest advertiser on Meta last year, spending $2B on the platform to attract customers. And while Amazon has a significant edge thanks to its logistics, customer trust, and fast delivery, Temu and Shein offer bargain prices.
(4-minute read - WSJ)
The Apple antitrust lawsuit goes after green bubbles on iMessage and Android users finally feel seen
The U.S. Department of Justice has brought an antitrust lawsuit against Apple. Among other things, it highlights the social stigma and technical limitations faced by Android users when texting iPhone users, pointing out issues like pixelated media, delayed messages, and lack of reaction icons. The lawsuit argues that Apple's iMessage system degrades the user experience on rival smartphones to maintain its market dominance. This will play out over years, but will certainly be one to watch
(3-minute read - Quartz)
Quote I'm thinking about: “They ain't cut from the same thread like him, They don't study, doing work to get ahead like him, They don't toss and turn in the bed like him, ‘Cause they don't love it, they don't love it” - Jack Harlow, They Don’t Love It
Reader poll: As part of a new project I’m working on, I am sitting down to interview Dropbox’s first employee to talk about the early days of building the company. What questions should I ask him? Click reply and let me know what you’ be interested in hearing about!
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Please share what you’re reading! If you have insight on anything mentioned above or have any interesting links/papers/books that you think would be worth sharing in future issues of Tippets, please reach out! Click here, reply to this email, or DM me on Twitter at @taps.