Influencer audiobooks, what happened with Divvy Homes, Sam Altman is pulling a Bryan Johnson, and Apple collabs with SpaceX.

It’s official… I’m making the great migration and moving across the bridge to Williamsburg! But first, I’m traveling across the pond to Germany and Austria.

As an Army brat, I grew up in Germany and have been on this trip several times, but this is the first time I’m going with my entire family as well as some friends. I’m excited to share all the hot spots when I’m back, but for now, check out the Williamsburg recommendations people shared on X. I will compile them into a Google Map if that’s your thing.

Brain Food: More influencers will get into audiobooks

New section alert! Brain Food will be more of my own commentary and thoughts.

• With recent events like the very short TikTok shutdown and MrBeast hitting the medium screen with The Beast Games on Amazon Prime, it’s been interesting to see where creators are going outside traditional social media platforms to expand their audience. Creators are no strangers to writing books; TikTokers like Eli Rallo and Tinx have both published books in the past few years, and YouTuber Zoe Sugg (Zoella) wrote her first of many books over a decade ago. Now, they’re going straight to the audiobook game. Longer than a traditional podcast, more evergreen, fewer steps to get to the consumer than a physical book, and the chance to bring in friends to play characters; it seems like a no-brainer. Comedian Sabrina Brier, known for her “that friend” TikTok character, has turned it into a four-hour audiobook titled That Friend. The audiobook features a full cast, including fellow TikTok heartthrob Connor Wood and Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan. Another thing to note: audiobooks don’t have sizes or shades. Anyone can listen, as long as you pay for it. It’s a lot easier to please the masses. HOT SMART RICH founder Maggie Sellers had a great point related to this when it comes to celebrity perfume lines.

@maggiesellers_

should have posted this for @Alix Earle earlier #celebrityperfume #celebbrands #alixearle #alixearlejeans #celebperfume

Startups

• Divvy Homes, the rent-to-own startup that had a $2.3B valuation in 2021, is going to be acquired by Brookfield Properties' Maymont Homes for about $1B with the deal expected to close in mid-February... Yep. You read that right. More than half. Founded in 2016, Divvy raised $700M from massive investors like Tiger Global and a16z. I met Divvy CEO Adena Hefets a few years ago when I was working at the All In Summit and she was incredibly kind and very cool and even gave me her phone number. I can't wait to see what she dives into next and I hope she takes a well deserved break. According to TechCrunch, after Divvy Homes is sold, it will pay off its debts and preferred shareholders first. This means that founders, employees, and regular shareholders won't receive any money from the sale once those debts and obligations are settled. (TechCrunch)

  

  The outfit I was wearing when I met the Divvy Homes founder.

• Sam Altman is backing Retro Biosciences, a biotech startup focused on extending human lifespan by 10 years. I just know Bryan Johnson is foaming at the mouth right now. After funding their $180M seed round, he's now joining their $1B Series A. Retro is developing treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and using AI to turn regular cells into stem cells. CEO Joe Betts-LaCroix plans to launch drug trials and make progress on new treatments in the next few years. Retro is part of a larger trend of billionaire-backed longevity projects, including initiatives from Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel. I saw on X that the company has a Head of Theory. Wonder what his day-to-day looks like. (Financial Times)

Big Tech

• Apple has teamed up with SpaceX and T-Mobile to bring Starlink satellite support to iPhones with the latest iOS 18.3 update. For now, the service is focused on texting, but there are plans to expand it to data and voice calls soon. T-Mobile has started a small beta program, with a wider release expected in February. Unlike Apple's Globalstar service, which requires you to point your phone at the sky, Starlink will connect automatically, even if your phone is in your pocket. (Bloomberg)

• SiriusXM announced a new exclusive program with the Unwell Network, featuring Alex Cooper as the curator of a 24/7 music channel, along with her personal commentary and stories. In addition, two live shows will be included on the SiriusXM app, launching on February 11, 2025. (SiriusXM)

Recent Raises

• Output Sports raised $4.8M from Apex Capital, Uni.Fund, Dopamine Sports, Elkstone, Atlantic Bridge, and Enterprise Ireland to continue developing their wearable sensors and data analytics tools for athletes, helping to enhance performance and reduce injury risk across various levels of sports. (The Currency)

• Favorited raised $1.3M in Pre-Seed funding to support their livestream app that provides creators with an interactive platform to engage with their followers in real-time. (TechCrunch)

• Leap raised $20M, co-led by Tribeca Venture Partners and DNX Ventures, to support their retail platform that helps digital-only brands establish physical store locations by managing everything from site selection to staffing. (Yahoo Finance)

• Teal Health raised $10M in Seed funding, co-led by Emerson Collective and Forerunner, to develop their at-home cervical cancer test as an alternative to the annual Pap smear. (Fortune)

Thanks for reading!

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