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Startups & Venture·September 15, 2026·1 min read

Carlyle’s Thomas: AI Slowdown ‘More Likely Than Not’

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When a major allocator like Carlyle frames an AI slowdown as ‘more likely than not,’ it’s a warning that capital may get more selective on infra and model bets. Operators should expect tougher underwriting on AI ROI and shift from “AI story” to concrete unit economics and payback in board materials.

Startups & Venture

Factory, whose AI coding agents, called Droids, switch between models depending on a task's complexity, raised $200M at a $5B valuation, up from $1.5B in April

A $200M round at a $5B valuation for Factory’s model-switching coding agents is a capital bet that orchestration — not just better base models — will own a big slice of software creation. If you lead engineering, you need a view on whether you build your own agentic layer or standardize on a vendor like this, because it will shape hiring plans, code ownership, and vendor lock-in for years.

Startups & Venture

DoorDash agrees to acquire Wonder's Grubhub Campus Dining business, formerly Tapingo, for $300M, and will add $125M to Wonder's $650M Series D announced in July

DoorDash paying $300m for Wonder’s Grubhub Campus Dining unit while also putting $125m into Wonder’s $650m Series D shows campus food is now a strategic logistics beachhead, not a side vertical. If you touch last-mile or on-prem food, assume campus and captive-audience environments will consolidate fast under a few platforms with deep capital and data advantages.