Podcast Summary: This Week in Startups – Jason’s Top CES Products and Takeaways | E2232

Release Date: January 10, 2026
Host: Jason Calacanis
Guests/Co-hosts: Alex, Chris, Producer Oliver

Overview

In this lively episode, Jason Calacanis and co-hosts Alex and Chris break down the top takeaways from CES 2026, zero in on recent IPO news (Discord, Strava), dissect major AI market developments, and riff on the future of robotics, self-driving vehicles, and personal AI. FinTech, community businesses, and hardware innovation round out a sweeping conversation packed with founder insights and predictions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. US IPO Market is Back: Discord & Strava

Timestamps: 03:00–15:45

• Discord’s Confidential IPO Filing

  • Discord has confidentially filed to go public, marking a major moment for the consumer gaming chat service.
    • Valuations have shifted: declined from a $15B private peak to around $7–8B in secondary trading.
    • Revenue focus on subscriptions (Nitro), advertising, and new "Orbs" virtual currency.
  • Jason: “The public doesn't get to participate very early on because of the stay private longer movement. Discord's been around for a long time.” (04:02)

• Growth and Monetization Questions

  • Discord’s user base has remained at 200M MAUs for at least a year.
  • Alex: “So my question is how good are they at driving increased monetization from a... roughly static user base?” (07:50)
  • IPO will force more revenue scrutiny and could trigger M&A interest, just as with Slack.

• Strava’s Quiet Entry to the Public Markets

  • Strava, valued at $2.2B, confidentially files for IPO.
  • Issues with API changes upset user base but seen as preparation for IPO.
  • Noted for a sustainable subscription model ($80/year), user data lock-in (moat), and projected profitability.
  • Chris: “When people have their data in your product, you know it's very hard for them to unsubscribe.” (15:45)
  • Discussion on roll-ups and future consolidation among health and fitness tracking apps.

2. Global IPO Frenzy & AI Company Growth

Timestamps: 20:36–29:33

• Chinese AI Company IPOs in Hong Kong

  • Zippu AI (Z AI) and Minimax successfully IPO’d, demonstrating appetite for smaller AI firms to go public at $6–7B valuations.
  • US IPOs require higher revenue ($1B+), while Hong Kong sees smaller but riskier companies go public.
  • Chris: “Late stage VC is not a guarantee... you're going to be taking a lot of risk.” (21:26)
  • Examples highlighted for potential 10x revenue growth in nascent AI startups.

• Anthropic’s Mega-Fundraise & Valuation

  • Anthropic is raising another $10B at a speculated $350B valuation, with Singapore’s GIC and CO2 stepping in.
  • Jason and Alex break down multiples, showing that hyper-growth companies can justify higher run-rate multiples (20–35x).
  • Chris: “Eventually this will be priced not on price to sales, but ... on earnings. That’s going to take another two years.” (25:51)
  • Ownership in unicorns dramatically lower for VCs (5–10%) now versus earlier eras.

3. Robotics, Self-Driving, & CES 2026 Hardware Trends

Timestamps: 44:25–56:32

• Boston Dynamics Next-Gen Humanoid Robot

  • Widespread excitement about Boston Dynamics’ LLM-enabled humanoid (now owned by Hyundai, Softbank).
  • Impressive mobility, commercial/industrial targeting, and high load capacity (100 lbs).
  • Alex: “If this is what they're showing off on stage, I presume it's probably 80% as good as we think it is. But that's not too far away from actually being functional.” (47:51)
  • Hyundai’s mass-manufacturing background seen as key for scaling humanoid robots.

• Competition: Hyundai, LG, Auto Makers Enter Robotics

  • LG’s “Cloyd” robot and Apptronic (Mercedes-backed) highlight auto industry’s pivot into robotics manufacturing.
  • Chris: “The people who are applying robotics in their factories are going to be building the robots to go into other people's factories.” (48:21)

• Robo-Taxis, Autonomous Vehicles Expanding

  • Nuro (with Uber/Lucid/Nvidia partnership) launches production-ready robotaxi, initially for Uber Black-level service.
  • Multiple companies (Zoox, Tesla FSD, Waymo, Tensor) vying for dominance with differing go-to-market strategies:
    • High-end, Uber Black style robotaxis, mass market robo-fleets, and consumer-owned autonomous vehicles.
    • Discussion of vehicles with retractable steering wheels for geofenced autonomy (Tensor).
  • Chris: “We're moving into the mass production phase.” (53:07)

• Health & Pet Tech at CES

  • Longevity Mirror (Neurologic): 30-second camera-based health/aging analysis.
  • Pet tech: Smart collar (GPS, temp, activity) and cat feeder for tracking pet health.

4. AI-Driven Wearables & Foldables

Timestamps: 56:39–61:16

• Wearable AI Note-takers

  • Wave of products like the Plod Note Pin S (pocketable audio notetaker), similar to existing software but useful for in-person, in-field jobs.
  • Chris: “It's kind of neat to think of never forgetting things. And it's also super, super creepy.” (57:51)

• Folding & Trifold Phones

  • Samsung Galaxy Trifold, Pixel Fold: Cool ideas, but lacking killer apps that exploit the unique form factor.
  • Alex: “I like to have my computers be computers and my phones be phones.” (60:20)
  • Jason: “What really needs to happen is you need to be doing your Gmail on one side and ... summarizing it or doing AI.” (60:30)

5. Future of Personal AI & All-in-One Devices

Timestamps: 63:00–67:30

• Personal AI Creating Custom Apps on Demand

  • Rapid evolution of LLMs seen in tools like Claude Code: automate workflows, build custom dashboards, etc.
  • “Soon we will have a phone... you just open it and start talking to the LLM.”

• Integration of AI and Vehicles

  • Vision of Tesla + Starlink networked vehicles, AI-powered routing, and hands-off errands.
  • Alex: “We are going to have a personal AI that we take with us ... the phone is just a piece of hardware.”
  • Chris: “You're going to be able to give your car a series of instructions from everything of the comfort to the pickup, to the drop off and to the parking. Really interesting future.” (67:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Discord’s IPO:

  • “The public doesn't get to participate very early on because of the state private longer movement.” — Chris, (04:02)
  • “So my question is how good are they at driving increased monetization from a... roughly static user base?” — Alex, (07:50)

• On Health & Fitness Apps:

  • “When people have their data in your product, you know it's very hard for them to unsubscribe. That's the best moat.” — Chris, (15:45)

• On Venture Capital & Exits:

  • “If they own between 5 and 10% of the company and this becomes a trillion dollar company to take down 50 billion is incredibly rare.” — Chris, (27:19)

• On Self-Driving & Robotics:

  • “The people who are applying robotics in their factories are going to be building the robots to go into other people's factories and other use cases." — Chris, (48:21)

• On Future AI Hardware and Apps:

  • “Soon we will have a phone that you open and there's no apps. You just open it and start talking to the LLM.” — Jason, (63:31)

• On Foldables:

  • “It's a terrible idea.” — Alex, on playing Flappy Bird by folding a phone, (62:54)

• On AI and Data Privacy:

  • “It's kind of neat to think of never forgetting things. And it's also super, super creepy.” — Chris, (57:51)

Segment Timings for Key Topics

• Discord IPO discussion: 03:00–08:49
• Strava IPO, health stack/fitness apps: 13:37–19:18
• Chinese AI IPOs, Anthropic fundraise: 20:36–29:33
• CES 2026: Robotics, Self-driving: 44:25–56:39
• Health and Pet Tech at CES: 54:55–56:32
• Wearable AI and privacy: 56:39–59:33
• Trifold phones and UI future: 59:43–61:16
• Personal AI, custom apps, LLMs: 63:00–67:30

Tone & Style

Maintaining their signature mix of enthusiasm, irreverence, and deep domain expertise, Jason and his collaborators bounce energetically from earnest advice for founders to rapid-fire critiques of hardware demos and big-picture speculation on AI-driven futures. Plenty of inside jokes (especially on cats), candid skepticism, and big predictions keep the episode both informative and entertaining.

Conclusion

This episode delivers a sweeping look at what’s hot (and hype) from CES 2026, the recharged IPO market, and the convergence of robotics, AI, and hardware. For founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, it’s a treasure trove of practical takeaways and future-looking inspiration, all served up with the trademark humor and candor of Jason and his crew.