It’s been a while since we covered the latest startup investment news, and there have been a number of important stories. Here are some of my favorites.

AngelList Lands the Largest Seed Fund in History

Back in October, AngelList announced a new $400 million fund called CSC Upshot. It’s funded by one of the largest private equity groups in China.

The fund will invest in early-stage opportunities through the AngelList platform, to the tune of $200,000 per deal.

This is a major endorsement of the AngelList syndicate model. The deal was announced back in October, and I’ve now seen CSC Upshot participate in a number of deals.

Why would it participate through AngelList, and pay the associated fees, rather than invest directly? Because almost half the deals on AngelList are “private,” and the arrangement gives it access to everything, including private deals and follow-on rounds (AKA “pro rata”).

The Deployment Age

This is one of the more interesting pieces I read all year. It’s about a theory that proposes we are currently in the “deployment” phase of this technology cycle. If true, the theory suggests the next few decades will be prosperous ones. And a great time to invest in early-stage tech.

You’ll have to read the whole piece to grasp the impact of this theory. Anyone who appreciates the cyclical nature of technology should enjoy this long-form piece by veteran investor Jerry Neumann.

Wisdom of the Crowd Kicks Smartphones to the Curb

Ericsson asked 100,000 people all over the world what the future will bring. One answer: In five years, smartphones will disappear. Instead, we’ll be talking to our AI-outfitted wearables and other “smart” things.

The crowd isn’t exactly breaking new ground here. Earlier in the year, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg said that we’ll be using and connecting to a much better version of Google Glass. In the movie Her, everybody is wearing and talking to their earplugs.