VCS TO AI STARTUPS: PLEASE TAKE OUR MONEY

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

The fundraising script has flipped for a few dozen of the top AI startups: VCs are pitching to them and presenting them with gifts and favors in hopes of leading their next round. The best companies are getting preempted every round, and the time between rounds is shrinking. The surge in preemptive deals and soaring valuations has kindled fears of an AI bubble. Some founders have been wary of accepting offers as they risk pricing themselves out of future M&A opportunities or locking themselves into aggressive growth expectations if they raise cash at unsustainable levels.