Welcome to the TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly newsletter focused on startups and markets. As its name suggests, it is inspired by the daily TechCrunch+ column and is delivered to your inbox every Saturday by signing up here.
Journalists and readers alike are drawn to the allure of scoops. However, it is equally important to state the obvious. This week, I am reminded of the fragility of democracies, but also the potential for technology to offer aid. Additionally, I delved into the world of crowdfunding and its effectiveness in launching innovative products.
On a side note, this newsletter will be on hiatus until January 6 of next year. In the meantime, I wish you all a happy holiday season. Sincerely, Anna.
Why agentic tech?
When I stumbled upon the news that a new venture firm called ex/ante had successfully raised $33 million to be invested in “agentic tech,” my curiosity was piqued. What exactly did this term mean and why were renowned LPs such as Marc Andreessen and Union Square Ventures interested in backing an emerging fund manager focused on this particular category?
I already had some information to go on, thanks to Forbes’ Alex Konrad who mentioned that ex/ante would be focusing on online privacy and security. He went on to describe “agentic tech” as “a fledgling term that the fund defines as technology that relates to human agency and rights in the digital age.” However, my curiosity was not completely satisfied, so I decided to have a conversation with the founder of ex/ante, 32-year-old Zoe Weinberg.
