As the internet and AI create billions of pieces of garbage content, AI chatbots are being trained to sift through the web to search for the most credible content.

In a recent piece in Semafor, PR firms reached a surprising conclusion: Talking to journalists is the best way to get your client’s message into the output of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and the rest.

“...Authoritative publications — including declining local news outlets and specialist trade journals — shape the results of chatbot queries about a given company far more powerfully than a social media campaign or Reddit thread could.

The result is a striking reversal of the status quo at a moment when PR executives had begun to enjoy the social media-era option of ignoring journalists entirely.”

The world of communications is evolving as fast as AI itself.

Founders are going directly on social media, mixing in short-form video, and prioritizing intimate IRL events. This is why our philosophy on a multi-modal approach is still the playbook that works.

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is one of the fastest-growing companies we’ve partnered with. Its culture is one of speed and transparency.

We’ve partnered with their team to build awareness and credibility across top technology and business media, while adding our creative flair with outdoor campaigns—from cheeky billboards in front of the HQs of Google and Meta to Silicon Valley to Nasdaq visibility in NYC.

Ceramic.ai, founded by former Google AI chief Anna Patterson—the engineer behind Google’s first production search ranking system—is redefining autonomous decision-making with its new cost-efficient AI model training platform.

Osteoboost announced the nationwide availability of the first and only drug-free, FDA-cleared device to treat low bone density, filling a critical treatment gap for 60M+ Americans.

Led by Laura Yecies, one of the few female voices in longevity tech, the team is changing how we think about early and proactive intervention in bone health.

Already embraced by over 1,000 physicians during its pre-order phase, the launch is generating significant momentum, and was featured in Oprah Daily, San Francisco Business Times, Longevity.Technology, Orthopedic Design & Technology, and more. The moment was capped off with a billboard in Times Square, bringing attention to a critical women’s health issue in one of the most iconic spots in the world.

Inception Labs: Rethinking Text and Code Generation

Inception Labs exited stealth mode with a diffusion-based language model that’s challenging conventional AI paradigms. Backed by cutting-edge Stanford research, the model is already being adopted by Fortune 100 companies. The launch was a resounding success, earning 2M+ views and 50K+ social media engagements—and TechCrunch featured it on their front page.

‍The Art of the Multimodal Launch

In today’s market, a multimodal launch isn’t optional—it's mandatory. We applied this strategy when launching Future Family’s nationwide IVF Insurance product. The result? Market penetration in weeks, not quarters. By combining Tier 1 media coverage, broadcast TV, and in-house video production, reaching 30M Americans.

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Founder-Led Communications: Authenticity Wins

Founder-led communications are dominating the attention war. The stats are clear: authentic founder video content outperforms text-based content by 4x. Our founder-led videos are driving engagement and deal flow while also allowing us to experiment with new creative approaches.

Humans in AI

Our video series for Mayfield continues to get millions of organic views on LinkedIn. Why? Authenticity. Casual conversations between Mayfield Managing Partner Navin Chaddha and executives like new Intel CEO Lip Bu Tan and legendary investor Vinod Khosla.

More waves…

• Prenuvo has made the full-body MRI scan a mainstream behavior and recently secured $120M to bring healthcare to more locations across the U.S.

• Cambium is turning wood waste into the future of sustainable construction.

• Yoav Keren from BrandShield is now a regular on the Today Show, breaking down deepfake scams and educating viewers on online trust.

• Meet Apollo, a vibrating app that makes you feel better just by putting your iPhone on your heart. Read the full story in Fast Company.
• $1B berry startup Fruitist has become one of the fastest-growing names in the global fresh fruit market. Check out the profile with CNBC.
• $2.8B Groq solidified its status as a hyperscaler in AI inference, announcing deals with HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia’s new AI firm, and Meta’s official Llama API. Semafor called Groq core to the Kingdom’s national AI strategy, chosen for its alternative to Nvidia’s GPU stack. Also featured on the front page of Techmeme.

• Gruve.ai is helping enterprises get out of AI pilot purgatory and into real-world applications, all while promising software like margins to AI consulting and disrupting a decades-old industry. As exclusively featured by TechCrunch.
• Intangible, founded by repeat founder Bharat Vasan, who led startups August Home and Basis to exits, and Charles Migos, a former lead designer for iOS apps at Apple and the VP of product design at Unity, launched their AI-powered 3D creative platform, now backed by $4M in seed funding from a16z speedrun, Crosslink Capital, and more.

• Xeal and GrayMatter Robotics mark the 56th and 57th VSC brands to make Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list, with 2025 honors in transportation and robotics.

• Ample sat down with Bloomberg to discuss the challenges of EV supply chains, while Forbes covered their recent growth in Japan.
  
• Sidework’s intelligent beverage dispenser offers billions of drink variations at the push of a button to customers like Gregory’s Coffee. Check out the commercial we produced in-house and read about the margin-heavy non-alcoholic drink revolution in Restaurant Drive.

• Social media platform Fizz introduces new cross-campus communities to connect students from different schools who share similar interests and identities, and Gen Z can’t get enough. Fizz achieved 50% growth in daily active users and is on its way to creating a global social platform for Gen Z.

• Helium Mobile unveiled a totally free monthly wireless plan, which you can read about in Tom’s Guide, The Hustle, BGR, and Android Authority. Helium also struck a deal with AT&T, covered by Telecompetitor, Decrypt, Light Reading, Solana Floor, Cointelegraph, The Block, The Defiant, Android Police, PhoneArena, Crypto News, FierceWireless, The Fast Mode, TelecomDrive, DataCenter Dynamics, and Paul Barron Network.

• Chip startup Retym raises $75 million to make chips that help move information speedily between large data centers, a capability that has become increasingly important with the surge of interest in AI

OptimHire: Disrupting Tech Recruiting

We’re thrilled to join forces again with AdMob founder and current investor Omar Hamoui to back OptimHire, an AI-driven platform designed to revolutionize tech recruiting. The platform reduces hiring costs by 80%, automating the entire process from candidate sourcing to interview scheduling. In 2024, OptimHire helped 500 businesses and 8,000 candidates, driving faster growth for companies and candidates alike.

Read more in Business Insider about how OptimHire is solving one of tech’s biggest challenges.

Dirty Jobs

We’re gathering 200 startups and investors in New York City on May 22nd 2025 to discuss how we build the future of dirty, dusty, and dangerous industries together.

This year’s summit will focus on AI and automation in the physical world, exploring how we can transform these industries for the better.

Register here: https://lu.ma/dirtyjobs

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