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Pigment's Rise, AI's Future, and Tech Industry Shifts: A Dive Into the Latest Headlines
Episode 809
Wednesday, 4 March, 2026
Good morning from OWITH.ai, the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the AI and tech world.Eleonore Crespo, CEO of the French AI startup Pigment, has adopted a "never settle" attitude, significantly contributing to the company's rapid growth. Pigment aims to challenge giants like Workday, Oracle, and SAP by offering an AI-native enterprise performance management platform that integrates finance, sales, HR, and supply chain data for fast decision-making. The company has achieved nearly $100 million in annual recurring revenue, doubling this figure for three consecutive years and expanding its customer base by 74%. Notably, 57% of its new revenue comes from enterprise clients, with more than half of new customers migrating from larger SaaS companies—a 115% increase year-over-year. Pigment's core product consolidates business data into a single platform for scenario modeling without the complexities of spreadsheets. A standout feature is the "modeler agent," which allows users to create applications using natural language, dramatically reducing build times. The company has raised nearly $400 million in funding and reached a $1 billion valuation, backed by prominent investors such as Iconiq Growth and Meritech. Crespo serves as an advisor on AI to French President Emmanuel Macron but emphasizes Pigment's global identity rather than a purely European one. Despite facing the "saaspocalypse," there is a belief that AI will differentiate new players like Pigment from legacy vendors struggling to adapt.Transitioning now to broader industry developments... Several startups have secured significant funding rounds. Ayar Labs obtained $500 million for AI chips; Grow Therapy raised $150 million for mental health services; and Flink secured $100 million for its grocery startup. Various private equity activities were reported, including Thoma Bravo's acquisition of WWEX Group and BlackRock's sale of its stake in Naturgy. The venture capital landscape remains dynamic with numerous funding rounds announced across sectors like mental health, logistics, and AI-enabled platforms. Private equity firms are actively investing in companies across various industries, while several companies are preparing for IPOs or re-filing their offerings. Additionally, new funds are being launched to offer investment opportunities in alternative strategies typically inaccessible to everyday investors.This brings us seamlessly into the tech world’s latest updates... Intel has appointed Craig Barratt as the new chairman of the board. Known for leadership roles at Atheros Communications and Google, Barratt joins current CEO Lip-Bu Tan in efforts to revive Intel’s status in the chip industry. Nvidia has made headlines by deciding to account for employee stock compensation costs in its financial results. This move is significant due to Nvidia's hefty stock compensation expenses but contrasts with other chip companies where similar accounting would significantly affect earnings per share. In a major financial maneuver, ventures X (formerly Twitter) and X.ai are set to clear $17.5 billion in debt before SpaceX's anticipated IPO. Meta and News Corp have entered a licensing agreement allowing Meta’s AI tools access to News Corp’s content in the U.S. and U.K., providing News Corp with $50 million annually.Turning now to broader discussions about tech industry impacts... In an interview featured in Fortune's CEO Daily, famed Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla discusses his optimistic outlook for the year 2040 driven largely by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). Khosla predicts a future where AI will replace most jobs leading to a deflationary economy chSupport the showThanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin
