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Chinese scientists built a working EUV prototype using former ASML engineers and secondary-market parts. The machine generates light but hasn't produced chips. ASML took 18 years from prototype to production. Beijing wants 3-5. The math doesn't add up.
Zuckerberg paid $14 billion for Scale AI's founder to lead Meta's AI push. But Wang built a data labeling company, not a research lab. The Financial Times reports tensions mounting as Turing Award winner Yann LeCun heads for the exit.
Discover how the "Vibe Coding" revolution, powered by AI, is creating $10M companies with teams of less than 10. Unlock business potential now.
Y Combinator's latest batch of startups is growing at an unprecedented pace, with the entire cohort achieving 10% week-over-week growth for nine straight months. CEO Garry Tan attributes this remarkable performance to artificial intelligence, according to CNBC. Silicon Valley's newest flex: having robots write your business plan.
At YC's annual demo day in San Francisco, Tan revealed that AI has fundamentally changed how early-stage companies operate. Startups can now automate repetitive tasks and generate code through "vibe coding" – letting AI models write software. For about 25% of current YC companies, AI wrote 95% of their code. Somewhere, a computer science professor is quietly weeping into their algorithms textbook.
This AI advantage means founders need fewer engineers. Companies are reaching $10 million in revenue with teams smaller than 10 people, stretching capital further. "You don't have to raise as much. The capital goes much longer," Tan explained to CNBC.
The growth-at-all-costs mindset has vanished, replaced by a focus on profitability. While tech giants implement layoffs, Tan sees opportunity. Engineers rejected by Google or Meta can now build standalone businesses worth millions with minimal staff.
About 80% of presenting companies were AI-focused, with robotics and semiconductor startups making up the remainder. Unlike previous cohorts riding on hype, these startups have proven commercial validation early. "If you're an investor at demo day, you'll be able to call a real customer, and that person will say, 'Yeah, we use the software every single day,'" Tan noted.
Y Combinator, founded in 2005, invests $500,000 in startups for equity. The accelerator has funded over 5,300 companies collectively worth more than $800 billion. Despite increasing competition from specialized incubators, Tan believes YC's broad network and flexibility give it an edge.
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CNBC: Y Combinator startups are fastest growing, most profitable in fund history because of AI
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