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Sourcery

Sourcery with Molly O'Shea
Sourcery
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  • How The Rarest Company On Earth Raised $75M
    Vulcan Elements CEO John Maslin joins Sourcery to announce their $65M Series A led by Altimeter (Brad Gerstner, Erik Kriessmann) with participation from One Investment Management (Rajeev Misra) to build the most advanced rare earth magnet factory in America—fully decoupled from China. Bringing their total funding to $75M.We cover why rare earth magnets are the “essential invisible building blocks of the economy,” powering everything from everyday consumer electronics, AI data centers, EVs, and robotics to satellites, drones, and every major U.S. defense platform. Maslin explains why China’s 90%+ dominance in magnet manufacturing is a national security risk, how Vulcan has decoupled from Chinese supply chains, and the company’s plans to scale from hundreds to thousands of tonnes of production this decade. From building a factory from scratch in North Carolina to deploying AI inside the magnet-making process, this is a behind-the-scenes look at the startup quietly powering the future of U.S. national security and AI.Highlights​ $65M Series A led by Altimeter, bringing total funding to $75M.​ China makes 94% of magnets; the U.S. makes less than 1%.​ Magnets power everything: phones, drones, data centers, robotics, EVs – demand could 10x from robotics alone.​ Reindustrializing America: North Carolina “Research Triangle” facility with U.S.-made equipment, local talent, SpaceX alums, and PhDs.​ Next-gen factory: AI-driven production using Vulcan’s own sensor and material data for a “2025-era” industry 4.0 plant.Connect with us:​ John Maslin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmaslin/​ Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea​ Sourcery: https://x.com/sourceryvcBrought to you by:​ Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, and travel. As a Sourcery Listener you get: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on Brex card(s), white-glove onboarding, $5,000 in AWS credits, $2,500 in OpenAI credits, & access to $180k+ in SaaS discounts. On top of $500 toward Brex travel, $300 in cashback, plus exclusive perks (like billboards..) visit → https://brex.com/sourcery​ Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. Visit: turing.com/sourcery​ Kalshi—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: https://kalshi.com/sourcery​ Fourthwall—The #1 way to sell merch online — Fourthwall is the easiest way to launch a fully branded merch store—used by big brands like MKBHD, Acquired, & even the Smithsonian. 100+ products. No upfront cost. Visit Fourthwall to start today: https://fourthwall.com/Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!https://www.sourcery.vc/Chapters: (00:00) Introduction to Domestic Production and Resilient Supply Chains(01:59) $65M Series A Led by Altimeter(04:01) Vulcan Elements(05:27) Why Rare Earth Magnets Are Critical(08:58) Decoupling from China: Challenges & Strategies(12:24) American Talent & Reindustrialization(14:23) Assembling a SpaceX-Level Team in the Research Triangle(17:58) Scaling Up: New Facilities and Hiring Plans(19:14) The Manufacturing Process of Rare Earth Magnets(29:25) Challenges and Innovations in Manufacturing(32:02) The Role of AI and Advanced Technologies(36:18) Future Milestones and Policy Impacts
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  • Nuclear Race to Power AI: Valar Atomics, Fuse, Not Boring
    Isaiah Taylor (Valar Atomics), JC Btaiche (Fuse), & Packy McCormick (Not Boring) join Molly O’Shea to explore how nuclear energy—fission and fusion—is at the heart of America's industrial resurgence and the race for AI dominance.Isaiah unpacks Valar Atomic’s plan to scale modular fission reactors across the U.S., breaking decades of regulatory stagnation and reimagining how America powers its factories and data centers. JC shares Fuse’s rapid-fire progress in fusion technology, from breakthroughs in pulse neutron generation to vertical integration strategies that echo SpaceX. Packy ties it all together with insights from his investing & writing in Nuclear through Not Boring, explaining why energy-rich, hardware-driven businesses will define the AI age... Bonus we talk about his popular essay The Great Differentiation.Together, we dive into:• Fission to fusion, atoms to AI, and Detroit to D.C.• The role of next-gen nuclear in energy sovereignty• The strategic urgency to outpace China• Regulatory tailwinds post-EOs and DOE testing• Why AI’s energy demands are the catalyst• How differentiated brand, design, & execution will define the winners in an AI slop worldThis conversation is part of Sourcery’s “Made in America” Mini-Series recorded at the Reindustrialize 2025 Summit.Connect with us:1. Isaiah Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaiahptaylor/2. JC Btaiche: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcbtaiche/3. Packy McCormick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/packym/4. Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea5. Sourcery: https://x.com/sourceryvcBrought to you by:• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, and travel. As a Sourcery Listener you get: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on Brex card(s), white-glove onboarding, $5,000 in AWS credits, $2,500 in OpenAI credits, & access to $180k+ in SaaS discounts. On top of $500 toward Brex travel, $300 in cashback, plus exclusive perks (like billboards..) visit → https://brex.com/sourcery• Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. Visit: turing.com/sourcery• Kalshi—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: https://kalshi.com/sourcery• Fourthwall—The #1 way to sell merch online — Fourthwall is the easiest way to launch a fully branded merch store—used by big brands like MKBHD, Acquired, & even the Smithsonian. 100+ products. No upfront cost. Visit Fourthwall to start today: https://fourthwall.com/Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!https://www.sourcery.vc/(00:00) The American Atomic Age(01:15) Isaiah Taylor on U.S. nuclear industry(03:34) Why modular reactors are the key to scale(06:47) China’s nuclear lead(08:32) Valar’s path to criticality & DOE testing(11:06) Foreign funding & misinformation campaigns(13:01) Nuclear myths: “It wouldn’t fill an Olympic pool”(15:29) Why Gen IV reactors are meltdown-proof(17:29) AI as a tailwind for nuclear infrastructure(19:21) Misconceptions in nuclear & energy performance(21:13) Pressure to deliver in this presidency term(22:59) The future of global energy(24:26) JC Btaiche: Building the world’s highest-power pulse system(26:41) Fuse’s strategy: revenue today, power tomorrow(28:34) Fusion’s role in reindustrialization(33:12) The AI-power constraint: “Energy = Intelligence”(35:31) Can we catch up to China in energy?(38:13) Packy McCormick on vertical integration(41:11) The Great Differentiation: Why brand matters in the age of AI
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  • Carta’s Path to $500M ARR, Raising $1B, & Why PE is The Future | Henry Ward, CEO
    Henry Ward, CEO of Carta, joins Sourcery to share how the company scaled to nearly $500M in ARR, raised $1B across seven rounds, and evolved from a startup serving cap tables to a platform targeting massive markets like private equity and private credit. Ward discusses the Peter Thiel-inspired strategy of dominating small markets before expanding, the importance of focusing on inputs over outputs, the challenges of selling to both hoodie-wearing founders and Midtown CFOs, and Carta’s AI-driven future. This wide-ranging conversation dives into scaling lessons, product innovation, network effects, and why private equity is the future. Carta was a classic 3x, 3x, 2x, 2x, to $100M in Revenue & are now growing 20%+ at scale.Highlights• Carta has raised $1B to date & is approaching $500M in ARR, growing 20%+ annually.• Strategic shift from venture into larger asset classes like private equity & private credit.• Peter Thiel’s “competition is for losers” philosophy shapes Carta’s market-entry strategy.• AI as both a customer-facing differentiator & an internal productivity engine.• Scaling up to delivering million-dollar enterprise solutions for institutional private equity & private creditConnect with us:1. Henry Ward: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heward/2. Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea3. Sourcery: https://x.com/sourceryvcBrought to you by:• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, and travel. As a Sourcery Listener you get: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on Brex card(s), white-glove onboarding, $5,000 in AWS credits, $2,500 in OpenAI credits, & access to $180k+ in SaaS discounts. On top of $500 toward Brex travel, $300 in cashback, plus exclusive perks (like billboards..) visit → https://brex.com/sourcery• Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. Visit: turing.com/sourcery• Kalshi—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: https://kalshi.com/sourcery• Fourthwall—The #1 way to sell merch online — Fourthwall is the easiest way to launch a fully branded merch store—used by big brands like MKBHD, Acquired, & even the Smithsonian. 100+ products. No upfront cost. Visit Fourthwall to start today: https://fourthwall.com/Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!https://www.sourcery.vc/Chapters: (00:00) Competition is for Losers(01:07) Carta’s Growth: Approaching Half a Billion ARR(02:51) $1B Funding Journey & Board Evolution(05:30) Measuring Success: Inputs vs Outputs(07:55) Product Portfolio & Power Law in Software(10:58) Peter Thiel’s Influence: “Competition is for Losers” & Growth Strategy(12:02) Expanding from Small Markets to Big Impact(14:00) Entering Private Equity & Credit(15:59) Network Effects: Global vs Local(18:02) Product Market Fit & Building a 10X Product(20:30) Relationship with Mark Andreessen & Board Insights(23:10) Company Building vs Product Building(25:58) AI at Carta: Internal & Customer-Facing Innovations(31:29) The Impact of AI on Jobs & Workflow(34:33) Personal Motivation & Performance(35:44) Looking Forward: New AI Products & Excitement for the Year
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  • Made in America: Peter Thiel’s $50M Bet on American Nuclear Fuel, General Matter
    Scott Nolan, Founder & CEO of General Matter and Partner at Founders Fund, joins Sourcery to break down America’s urgent need to rebuild its nuclear fuel supply chain. With $50 million in funding led by Founders Fund, General Matter is developing U.S.-based production of HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium), the nuclear fuel critical for powering next-generation reactors. As part of the recent investment, Peter Thiel, Founders Fund Partner & billionaire investor, is joining the board–a notable move for Thiel, who stepped down from Facebook’s board in 2022 and rarely takes on new board roles beyond his long-standing position at Palantir.Nolan shares how General Matter is applying a “SpaceX x Palantir” playbook to reindustrialize the U.S., from assembling a cross-functional engineering team to securing government contracts and navigating executive orders. We dive into the HALEU bottleneck, AGI power demand, reactor deployment timelines, and the energy arms race with China—and why enrichment is the unlock for nuclear to become the cheapest, safest, & most scalable baseload energy source.This conversation is part of Sourcery’s “Made in America” Mini-Series recorded at the Reindustrialize 2025 Summit.Highlights• America’s Enrichment Deficit: The U.S. currently supplies less than 0.1% of global nuclear fuel enrichment, with 25% of its supply still coming from Russia.• General Matter’s Mission: Founded in 2023 to make enrichment affordable and scalable, enabling nuclear to become the lowest-cost baseload power.• SpaceX/Anduril-style Playbook: Blending industry veterans with startup talent to accelerate execution: “1/3 incumbents, 2/3 Silicon Valley engineers”• AI Energy Demands: By 2030, AI is projected to consume the equivalent of today’s entire U.S. power grid, making energy production the bottleneck.• Executive Orders & Industrial Strategy: Recent U.S. government actions aim to re-regulate nuclear, fast-track licensing, and quadruple nuclear output by 2050—backed by DOE, DOD, and NRC.Connect with us:1. Scott Nolan: https://x.com/ScottNolan2. Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea3. Sourcery: https://x.com/sourceryvcBrought to you by:• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, and travel. As a Sourcery Listener you get: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on Brex card(s), white-glove onboarding, $5,000 in AWS credits, $2,500 in OpenAI credits, & access to $180k+ in SaaS discounts. On top of $500 toward Brex travel, $300 in cashback, plus exclusive perks (like billboards..) visit → https://brex.com/sourcery• Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. Visit: turing.com/sourcery• Kalshi—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: https://kalshi.com/sourcery• Fourthwall—The #1 way to sell merch online — Fourthwall is the easiest way to launch a fully branded merch store—used by big brands like MKBHD, Acquired, & even the Smithsonian. 100+ products. No upfront cost. Visit Fourthwall to start today: https://fourthwall.com/Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!https://www.sourcery.vc/(00:00) U.S. Nuclear Resurgence(00:56) Why General Matter Was Founded(02:49) Making Nuclear The Cheapest Baseload Energy(04:00) Enrichment And Fuel Process Breakdown(05:16) Decline Of U.S. Enrichment Capacity(07:26) Building General Matter & SpaceX/Palantir Playbook(09:55) Skunkworks Team: Nuclear Experts + Generalist Engineers(11:11) Breakdown Of The Four Executive Orders(16:35) Geopolitics, GDP, & The China Energy Gap(21:14) End Of Stranded Assets & AI’s Power Bottleneck(24:40) AGI & Software’s Role In Nuclear Deployment(31:13) General Matter’s 12–18 Month Milestones
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  • Made in America: Winning the AI Race & Reindustrialization | Christian Garrett, 137 Ventures
    Christian Garrett, Partner at 137 Ventures and Co-Founder of the Hill & Valley Forum, returns to Sourcery for a deep dive into Winning the AI Race—a high-stakes summit bringing together Trump, J.D. Vance, top tech CEOs, and government leaders to chart America’s AI future. In this fast-moving conversation, Christian breaks down how AI is driving reindustrialization across mining, energy, and manufacturing, why pricing—not capital—is the real bottleneck in U.S. mining, and how the Pentagon's landmark deal with MP Materials could start to reshape the global rare earths market. He also unpacks Applied Intuition’s $600M Series F at a $15B valuation, the rise of venture opportunities enabled by new policy, and why the Invest America Act—seeding every American newborn with a $1,000 investment account—could be the most important wealth-building policy of this generation.Join us for a quick dive into the state of national resilience, generational investing, and the convergence of tech, defense, and policy.This conversation is part of Sourcery’s “Made in America” Mini-Series recorded at the Reindustrialize 2025 Summit. HighlightsReindustrialization with AI across mining, energy, & manufacturingCreating new wealth for Americans with the Invest America ActApplied Intuition’s $600M Series F at $15B valuationMP Materials’ rare earths deal with the PentagonChina’s control of pricing—not capital—is stalling U.S. mining growthWinning the AI Race summit with Trump, Vance, and tech leaders pushing for U.S. AI dominance and job creationConnect with us:1. Christian Garrett: https://x.com/CGarrett_152. Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea3. Sourcery: https://x.com/sourceryvcBrought to you by:Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, and travel. As a Sourcery Listener you get: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on Brex card(s), white-glove onboarding, $5,000 in AWS credits, $2,500 in OpenAI credits, & access to $180k+ in SaaS discounts. On top of $500 toward Brex travel, $300 in cashback, plus exclusive perks (like billboards..) visit → https://brex.com/sourceryTuring—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. Visit: turing.com/sourceryKalshi—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: https://kalshi.com/sourceryFourthwall—The #1 way to sell merch online — Fourthwall is the easiest way to launch a fully branded merch store—used by big brands like MKBHD, Acquired, & even the Smithsonian. 100+ products. No upfront cost. Visit Fourthwall to start today: https://fourthwall.com/Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!https://www.sourcery.vc/Timestamps:(00:00) – Christian Garrett Returns(01:30) – Hill & Valley, Reindustrialize, & 137’s Industrial Bets(06:10) – AI + Legacy Industry = New Industrial Revolution(08:30) – Big Bets On Defense, Auto (Applied Intuition), & Mining(10:55) – MP Materials + Pentagon: Rare Earth Strategy(13:15) – U.S. Needs Pricing Support + Vertical Integration(15:30) – Policy Drives Markets: Dodd-Frank, JOBS Act, 174(17:45) – Invest America: $1K Seed Accounts For All Newborns(20:10) – “Winning The AI Race” Summit: Tech X Government
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