All posts filed under: News

This is DIGIRAM, the digital telegram – “digigram” – from Silicon Valley. I write on what I consider trends and emerging topics in technology and the Silicon Valley community, I list my personal Silicon Valley tops and flops, and report on events I plan to attend.

Digigram | November 2023

Published by Gert Christen

In this edition of Digigram: #1: One Year of ChatGPT – What Have We Learned? – In the whirlwind year since its inception, ChatGPT has dazzled with its conversational and creative prowess, while also contending with the inevitable growing pains of misinterpretations (plus some puzzling weekend CEO-firing entertainment, re-hiring by the biggest investor & customer, followed by employee revolt, followed by the board getting fired and re-hiring of the same CEO under a new board, which now includes the biggest investor and customer…) and the learning curve associated with scaling a complex tech business. Yet, the most challenging hurdles have emerged from ethical and regulatory concerns over misinformation, privacy, and potential misuse, revealing the complex tapestry of how we might integrate AI into society. As we reflect on the groundbreaking journey of ChatGPT, one question looms: What comes next for AI, and how will we balance innovation and responsibility on the path forward? #2: USA Launching Pad’s Fall 2023 Cohort – Two pioneering companies, Hypt and Flowit are in San Francisco as a part of their USA Launching Pad …

Digigram | September 2023

Published by Gert Christen

In this edition of Digigram: #1: AI Boom in San Francisco: The Next Gold Rush? – The whole world seems to be bashing San Francisco for empty offices, high prices, and drug addicts downtown. Away from this noise, AI startuppers have quietly taken over the Hayes Valley neighborhood behind the Opera House and turned it into the world’s leading AI hub under the cryptic name of “Cerebral Valley”. From state-of-the-art hacker houses to a focus on inclusivity and transformative technology, this enclave has become the stage for the next wave of startups. Can Cerebral Valley revive San Francisco’s tech scene and establish it as the epicenter of the AI boom? The VCs think so and are all over this emerging community. #2: When Tech Titans Rebrand: Driven by Business or Ego? – Bye-bye Twitter; meet “X.” Farewell Facebook, hello “Meta.” Adios, Google, call me “Alphabet.” When big tech companies suddenly change their names, is it a brand makeover for the better or just an ego show of their high-profile CEOs? While Elon Musk seems to …

AI Boom in San Francisco

Published by Gert Christen

If You Think San Francisco is Dying, You’re Looking in the Wrong Place: Cerebral Valley Is The New Epicenter of the AI Gold Rush While downtown San Francisco grapples with vacant office spaces—equivalent to “more than 14 Salesforce Towers”—a seismic shift occurs a few miles away in a neighborhood called Hayes Valley: Meet Cerebral Valley. Cerebral Valley is rapidly establishing itself as the epicenter of Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation. Why Hayes Valley? If you think the San Francisco tech industry is fading, you’re simply not looking in the right place. Strategically positioned in an upwardly mobile neighborhood, Hayes Valley offers a unique blend of modernism and intellectual brain power. It has become a thriving nucleus of AI innovation, no longer merely a hotspot for boutiques and trendy restaurants. The influx of AI-focused “hacker houses” provide shared living spaces and act as incubators, setting the stage for hackathons, fireside chats, and AI meetups. These are not just makeshift accommodations; AGI House, for example, is a $58 million mansion with a koi pond and a climate-controlled wine …

Gert’s Digigram Newsletter of June 2023!

Published by Gert Christen

Happy summer! This season brings not only many exciting tech highlights (including $3500 VR goggles, more below) but also many great opportunities to travel, explore, and enjoy some much-needed sunshine after a rainy winter season. In this edition of Digigram: 1: Best of Digigram – Digigram is turning four years old with this edition, a great reason to celebrate. Let me know which topics you like best. Cast your vote for the stories that have connected with you the most! Which topics of the last few issues resonated with you, and what do you want to see more of? #2: Climate Change as a Business Opportunity – With the pressing issue of climate change, I am convinced that innovation is a critical key to winning the race to stall or reverse damaging effects on the climate. Environmentally sustainable solutions and climate tech are booming, and entrepreneurs have a tremendous opportunity to solve global issues with ideas and businesses that scale. Over the last six months, I have given a talk on this topic at many conferences …

Digigram Newsletter of January 2023!

Published by Gert Christen

Welcome back to DIGIGRAM! Thanks to those who read our last issue and inquired about USA Launching Pad and the recent Connected Life class at UC Berkeley. Excited to share that the next USA Launching Pad starts in March, and Connected Life will make a comeback in the fall semester (it was voted the second-most popular startup class at UC Berkeley, woohoo!). 2023 is off to a stormy start – literally! San Francisco just recorded the wettest 22-day period since 1862. It was so wet that it saturated sand dunes, which gave way to drop a world-war II bunker onto the beach below. Looks like a scene from the “1941” movie! Luckily, the sun has finally returned to dry out a soaked California. Photo: “Relocated” bunker at Fort Funston (Source) In this edition of Digigram: #1: MIT & Climate Energy Prize – This long-running competition for student-led climate startups is solving some of the biggest issues facing our environment. Hear from this year’s organizing team about how promising young people from the world’s best universities fight climate change today. #2: …

2023 MIT Climate Energy Prize

Published by Gert Christen

I am thrilled to be working to bring the MIT Climate & Energy Prize competition to Europe this year as a part of my work as senior advisor to McKinsey. This is the largest and longest-running competition among university students to launch companies tackling climate change. Teams compete for $100,000+ in prize money and have access to mentoring and other resources. Founded in 2007, the MIT Climate & Energy Prize has received over 750 applications, offered world-class mentoring to over 260 teams, and granted more than $3.3M in non-dilutive cash prizes. Over 220 MIT Climate & Energy Prize companies have successfully launched and raised $1.7+ billion in follow-on funding. Over 100 startups, including two dozen from Europe’s best universities, applied for this year’s competition. The best climate startups from each continent will be chosen in Paris on March 9 and in Boston on March 16 to compete for the grand prize at MIT in Boston on April 13. If you’re interested in learning more about the competition, you can watch our recent webinar. We welcome volunteers to spend …

“Connected Life” Startup Class at UC Berkeley

Published by Gert Christen

I just finished teaching my latest course at UC Berkeley, “Connected Life”. In this course, we examined our “always-on” lifestyle and how this expectation of being ever-connected in our social and professional lives continues to develop, especially in a post-COVID world that allows for work via connectivity. We examined connectedness from an entrepreneurial standpoint to solve previously unsolvable problems using apps, data, IoT for machines, AI for decision-making, robotics for automation, and beyond. The course explored practical applications of e.g. 5G-connected smartphones, machines, and sensors, empowering entrepreneurs to solve previously unsolvable problems. For example, a surgeon can now use technology to save patients’ lives on the other side of the world, or anyone can be automatically alerted if a faraway family member needs help. However, questionable uses have also appeared, such as the constant battle to protect private data against illegal use for commercial, political, or criminal gain. The course explored the use of technologies at the foundation of connectivity for people, communities, businesses, factories, and the environment and what happens when there is a lack of equity in …

USA Launching Pad Brings Mitipi to the USA

Published by Gert Christen

For many years startup and scale-up entrepreneurs have asked me about how to enter the US market successfully. As someone who built businesses in the USA before, I’ve experienced firsthand how complicated it can be. Getting noticed, creating messaging that resonates with the American culture, and campaigning and selling in the US are very different than in other countries. It is a very big country, and the biggest problem may be to know where even to start. To navigate these obstacles, I founded USA Launching Pad, which helps foreign companies build their sales in the USA and be more successful more quickly. Our team of experienced American business builders supports entrepreneurs every step of the way with our proven method and our personal networks. This fall, we worked with a cohort of three tech companies to bring them into the US market. One of these companies is Mitipi, who are innovating the home security market by creating a deterrent from burglaries and home invasions. Their first product, KEVIN, is a plug-and-play smart device that simulates sounds and projects images that make …