Unfiltered: AI & the Future of Venture. Live Podcast taping with Jake Yormak of Story Ventures and Samir Bakhru of Orrick.
AI isn't just another sector - it's rewriting the rules of how early-stage companies get built, funded, and defended. Valuations are being set on traction that didn't exist six months ago. Moats that felt durable are eroding in a single model release. And the gap between hype and a real, fundable business has never been harder to read.
So we're putting the people who actually make these calls in a room and letting them talk. On the record. Off the script.
Join us for a live taping of Inside Startup Funding, where we sit down with Jake Yormak (Story Ventures) and Samir Bakhru (Orrick) to get past the LinkedIn-friendly soundbites and into the real conversation: how AI deals actually get evaluated, structured, and won.
What we'll get into:
How VCs are actually underwriting AI companies right now — what earns a term sheet and what gets a polite pass
What "defensibility" means when the underlying technology resets every quarter
Where the money is really flowing — and which categories are quietly overfunded
The legal and structural traps founders fall into early (and how the best ones avoid them)
Live audience Q&A — bring the questions you can't ask on a pitch call
The Schedule:
8:30am — Doors open. Coffee and networking ☕
9:00am — Live taping begins: the conversation + audience Q&A
10:30am — Wrap, with time to connect with speakers and fellow attendees
The Speakers:
Jake Yormak — Managing Partner and Co-founder of Story Ventures, investing in startups across the modern data stack, from data infrastructure to AI applications. Prior to founding Story in 2016, he was an attorney at Gunderson Dettmer, advising startup technology firms on corporate formation, financing, governance, IP strategy, and liquidity matters. At Story, Jake leverages his legal and regulatory expertise to help companies navigate the intricate data ecosystem.
Samir Bakhru — leader of Orrick’s global Technology Companies Group, helps startups and high growth technology companies successfully raise capital and build their business from formation through exit. Samir has advised on venture financings totaling over $10 billion for both early and late-stage companies, and he has provided guidance on M&A transactions exceeding $5 billion. He has experience in advising founders on structuring their companies to maintain control and frequently counsels executive teams in maintaining and managing a successful board of directors. Samir also works closely with boards to guide them through complex crisis management situations, helping to navigate and overcome challenges.
Who should come:
Founders raising (or about to), operators thinking about their next thing, and investors who want an honest read on where the AI market is heading.
About Inside Startup Funding:
Inside Startup Funding brings founders, investors, and the people around the deal into the room for unedited conversations about how early-stage money actually moves. No polish. No edits. Just real talk about funding, building, and betting on what's next.