Allied Angels: Venture Capital Insights

In this episode of Allied Angels, we dissect and debate the most talked-about tech deal of 2025: Nvidia's record-shattering $100 billion investment commitment in OpenAI, announced September 22nd. This unprecedented strategic partnership between the world's dominant AI chipmaker and the generative AI leader is sending shockwaves through venture capital, sparking antitrust investigations, an...

In this exclusive Allied Angels episode, we go behind the scenes of our recent investment in doFlo , a groundbreaking AI workflow automation platform positioned at the convergence of two massive markets projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030. Join us as we share insights from our original deal memo and explain why this investment represents everything we look for in early-stage startups. What You...

In this special newsflash episode of Allied Angels, we analyze OpenAI's historic return to open-source with the August 5, 2025, release of GPT-OSS-120B and GPT-OSS-20B - their first open-weight language models since 2019. This seismic shift toward transparency and accessibility under the permissive Apache 2.0 license is reshaping the entire AI startup ecosystem and creating unprecedented oppor...

In this special newsflash episode of Allied Angels, we dive into Google DeepMind's revolutionary Genie 3: the first general-purpose world model capable of generating unprecedented diversity of interactive, dynamic environments from simple text prompts. This isn't just another AI advancement; it's a paradigm shift that could transform gaming, simulation, training, and countless startup...

How Figma's 250% First-Day Pop Reveals the Broken IPO System and What Founders Must Know In this eye-opening episode of Allied Angels, we dissect one of 2025's most dramatic IPO debuts: Figma's public offering that skyrocketed from $33 to $115.50 on its first trading day. This 250% surge wasn't all cause for celebration—it exposed a fundamental flaw in the traditional IPO process t...

Breaking Down the Landmark Stablecoin Legislation That's Reshaping Crypto Investment In this essential episode of Allied Angels, we dive deep into the groundbreaking GENIUS Act of 2025, the first federal framework regulating payment stablecoins in the United States. Passed by the U.S. Senate with a bipartisan 68-30 vote on June 17, 2025, this landmark legislation fundamentally transforms the d...

Breaking Down the Biggest QSBS Rules Enhancement Since 1993 In this essential episode of Allied Angels, we dive deep into the groundbreaking changes to Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) tax benefits following President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025. This legislation represents the most significant expansion of Section 1202 benefits in over three decades, fundament...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we delve into the pivotal findings from the recent Stanford University paper, " Future of Work with AI Agents: Auditing Automation and Augmentation Potential across the U.S. Workforce ." This research introduces a novel auditing framework that goes beyond the traditional "automate or not" dichotomy, providing crucial insights into the evolving...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we unlock the secrets to mastering Large Language Models (LLMs) by diving deep into the essential skill of prompt engineering, drawing insights from Google's comprehensive whitepaper on the art and science of guiding AI to generate the desired outputs. Learn what prompt engineering is all about – it's not just about writing a question, it's about strat...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we unlock the inner workings of large language models (LLMs), like Claude 3.5 Haiku, by breaking down the latest cutting-edge research paper from Anthropic: Tracing the thoughts of a large language model . Join us as we delve into mechanistic interpretability, exploring how AI truly "thinks" by revealing its computational graphs and underlying circuits....

In this episode of Allied Angels, we explore the latest insights from our March LP newsletter , focusing on the evolving venture landscape and the striking divergence between AI-native startups and their non-AI counterparts. As we navigate the normalization of the venture ecosystem post-2021, we examine the implications of inflated valuations and the challenges faced by early-stage investors. Join...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we tackle the pressing challenges that startup founders face when raising venture capital through rolling SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity). Join us as we delve into a real-life case study of a founder who found themselves in a precarious position with only three months of runway remaining after raising over $1.5 million. Join us as we explore: • Underst...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we dive into our 2024 Annual Investor Letter , where we review the firm's performance and strategic insights. Join us as we highlight our successful investments that have achieved significant markups, contributing to a growing portfolio that now exceeds $500 million. Key Highlights: • Performance Review: Discover the standout investments that have propelled ou...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we shine a spotlight on our exciting new investment in RetinaLogik , a revolutionary healthtech company poised to transform the landscape of vision care. With its innovative AI/VR-powered eye exam platform, RetinaLogik is set to redefine how eye exams are conducted, making them more accessible and efficient. Join us as we explore: • Transformative Technology: Disc...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we delve into the transformative world of AI Agents—a groundbreaking development reshaping technology, business, and society. Join us as we explore the multifaceted capabilities and implications of AI agents, and how they are revolutionizing various industries, including: • The Emergence of AI Agents: Discover how AI agents are becoming a powerful force in custome...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we break down our step-by-step guide to ⁠ Crafting an Investment Thesis for New Angel Investors⁠ . Whether you're stepping into the world of angel investing for the first time or looking to refine your approach, this episode provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help you develop a robust investment thesis that aligns with your goals and risk tolerance...

In this episode, we dive into a critical yet often overlooked strategy: how to mobilize angel capital in emerging tech ecosystems through emerging fund managers rather than individual investments. Join the Allied VC team as we explore innovative approaches to enhance the durability of angel capital and generate superior returns for investors in burgeoning tech hubs like Calgary and Western Canada....

In this episode of Allied Angels, we delve into the key highlights from our Q3 2024 monthly LP newsletters. These monthly newsletters are crafted to provide current and prospective limited partners (LPs) with exclusive insights into our investment strategy, updates on our portfolio companies, and emerging industry trends. Join us as we explore: • Team Developments: Learn about our expanding core t...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we dive into the key takeaways from our Q2 2024 monthly LP newsletters. Our monthly LP newsletters are designed to provide current and prospective limited partners (LPs) with exclusive insights into our investment strategy, updates on our portfolio companies, and the latest industry trends. Join us as we explore: • Team Updates: Learn about the strengthening of ou...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we explore our strategic investment in Ediphi , a groundbreaking virtual reality training platform that is revolutionizing the way the global hospitality industry onboards, upskills, and retains its workforce. Discover how Ediphi's innovative approach leverages a comprehensive suite of AI and VR-based training modules designed specifically for the hospitality...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we recap the key insights and highlights from our Q1 2024 monthly LP newsletters. Tailored for both current and prospective limited partners (LPs), these newsletters deliver exclusive perspectives on our investment strategy, updates on our portfolio companies, and critical industry trends that are shaping the venture capital landscape. Join us as we explore: • Tea...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we highlight our investment in Trace : empowering the deployment of augmented reality experiences without coding or technical expertise. Founded by a talented team of former AR and spatial computing experts from industry giants like Samsung, Magic Leap, and Disney, Trace stands out as a leading innovator in the AR space. The company was handpicked by Apple from ov...

In this special bonus episode of Allied Angels, we dive into the key insights and highlights from our 2023 monthly LP newsletters. Designed for both current and prospective limited partners (LPs), these newsletters offer an exclusive look into our investment strategy, updates on portfolio companies, and vital industry trends shaping the venture capital landscape. Join us as we explore: • Team Upda...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we delve into the highlights of our 2023 Annual Investor Letter . Join us as we cover three critical topics that shape our investment strategy and market outlook. First, we’ll discuss Syndicate Metrics, Outlook & Portfolio Construction, where we break down our impressive growth, including our diverse syndicate of over 1,700 members and our strategic deployment...

In this episode of Allied Angels, we explore our investment in Bavovna AI , an AI-powered navigation system enabling seamless operation without GPS or remote controls. Bavovna’s proprietary AI navigation software is engineered to be quickly and inexpensively integrated into various vehicles, making it a game-changer for navigation in GPS-compromised environments such as aerial, underground, or und...