Trump’s sovereign wealth fund could buy TikTok

Alex Wilhelm
February 03, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Top News

A place for TikTok: The United States could build a sovereign wealth fund of sorts, though Jason and Alex are a little skeptical of how it might be a better use of funds than merely paying down debt. Regardless, President Trump floated the idea of putting TikTok into the fund so long as a deal that he likes can be struck; recall that TikTok is in legal limbo at the moment, putting its future and future value into doubt.
Palantir soars: Shares of AI software company Palantir shot higher after announcing earnings that beat expectations. After reporting $828 million worth of top line in its most recent quarter compared to an expected $776 million, Palantir guided way above street estimate for its current quarter. The company’s government business is growing particularly rapidly, something to keep an eye on.
The solution to app overload: The old riff that ‘there’s an app for that’ had a good run. Apple loved tout its app store’s depth. But what happens when folks get overwhelmed by having so many different apps? The answer, in the AI era, could be unified apps. That’s the bet that Hero, an iOS app that offers a suite of productivity services — calendar, reminders, weather, ordering, notes — in a single package. Sure, the joke that all technology is just bundling and unbundling is cliche, but it’s also not wrong. Hero has raised $4 million for its effort.

TWiST500

Two notes on the TWiST500 front today. First, we’re adding Lovable to the group. Why? Insanely quick revenue growth. The AI software development startup is growing at about $1 million ARR per week at present and doesn’t appear to be at risk of slowing down in the near future.

Second, OpenAI’s new Deep Research product is taking on Google’s product of the same name. The company’s new feature is currently stuck behind it’s highest paywall. That said, we gave it a spin on the show and it’s pretty darn impressive.

In the last few days, there have been reports that OpenAI’s paid services are scaling by leaps and bounds. For example, The Information reports that OpenAI saw the number of paid ChatGPT subscribers triple to 15.5 million last year. That’s a lot of growth for the TWiST500 member company..

Both Loveable and OpenAI are growing at a pace that was incredibly rare before the AI era. The challenge for both, from where we sit, is to retain their paying users over an enterprise SaaS-like timeframe. We’ll know a lot more by the end of the year. — Alex

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This Week in Startups

E2079: Jason and Alex break down how general-purpose robots, AI-powered chicken coops, and voice clones are redefining daily life and work. They dig into OpenAI’s sky-high valuation, the surprising rise of DeepSeek’s R1 model, and why the AI cost curve is dropping at an insane pace. Plus, the latest on AI hardware, antitrust battles, and why the “No Buy 2025” trend could change how we think about consumer tech.

E2078: Jason and Alex cover Jason’s unique sauna experience, leading them to discuss the value of niche communities and supporting small startups. They break down Boom Supersonic’s latest milestones, Starlink’s aviation moves, and key financial updates, including the Fed’s actions and CapEx’s impact on tech giants. Lastly, they dive into the DeepSeek controversy, which sparks a debate on OpenAI’s IP battles and the future of AI.

E2077: Jason and Alex discuss the shockwaves from DeepSeek, a $6M open-source AI model from China, disrupting NVIDIA and AI infrastructure trends. They explore the 25% surge in startup shutdowns, the lessons from leaner teams, and why some companies just couldn’t make the runway. Plus, insights on SailPoint’s debt-heavy IPO and private equity’s risky strategies.

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