Taking a Bath and Watching the Game With Five Brand-New VC Firms

@Guo Yunxiao

In the early hours of July 20 (late night on Sunday, July 19), the final day of WAIC, elsewhere will host a World Cup final watch party.

First, thanks to our new fund friends: Nebulon Ventures, Creek Stone, Impa Ventures, XIAOXIAO FUND, First Rule Ventures, Magic Find Ventures, AGI House from Silicon Valley, and this year's World Cup broadcaster Xiaohongshu for their generous support. They'll join us to watch the final together on-site.

The event starts at midnight on July 20, 2026. We've chosen a bathhouse in Shanghai as our venue, so everyone can make a dignified return to work and life on Monday.

This should be the first event where new funds make a collective appearance.

The first event held in a bathhouse.

The first event to start in the middle of the night.

Many friends have asked us: why not host something more AI-focused instead of watching soccer together? The reason is simple. By our rough count, there are already dozens of side events during WAIC; and for most humans on this planet, the World Cup is at least as important as AI.

As of now, only four teams and four matches remain in this tournament. Most teams have gone home, most players have returned to their families, and those left are about to step onto the semifinal pitch.

Since 1930, the World Cup has kept its four-year rhythm, interrupted only during World War II. Around 2021, FIFA explored the feasibility of a biennial World Cup, but the proposal never materialized. So for nearly a century, there have been only 23 World Cup finals, 13 teams have reached this stage, and 8 have lifted the trophy.

Winning matters, of course.

But soccer captivates us never merely because of winning. Cruyff said that having your own style is the greatest gift; Blanchflower said that soccer is about glory.

Soccer is fair. It believes in youth, yet never worships raw talent; it respects veterans, yet never lingers out of sentiment. Whether it's young stars in their prime, aging heroes graced with fortune, or the inevitable changing of the guard — these are all just stories before the whistle blows. On the pitch, everyone must prove themselves anew.

Some matches decide champions; some make legends. A World Cup final is usually both. This is soccer's cruelest and most captivating moment.

We want to witness it with you.

Before the final, from 00:00 to 03:00, we also have:

First, six newly established funds will introduce themselves.

Next, themed talks contributed by our audience, including but not limited to: what Arsenal can teach us about corporate management, the current state of soccer gaming, semi-professional soccer experience from ages 9-20, techniques for slacking off to watch early World Cup matches at the office, how to use the I Ching hexagrams to predict match results, and more. Stay tuned.

Then, the debate segment. Nearly 40% of registered attendees selected "want to participate in debate," so we've decided to turn this into a free-for-all. We'll invite registrants whose teams reached the final to serve as lead debaters, but audience members can jump in anytime (no fighting). So far, the most popular team among registrants is Argentina (39 people), followed by semifinalists France (19), England (13), and Spain (10) in positions 2-4.

Next, the elsewhere exclusive game — possibly the simplest one yet. Upon entry, each attendee chooses their team for the match and receives 5 corresponding tokens. Before the match ends, you may dispose of these tokens freely, including but not limited to destroying, gifting, or trading with others. After the match, each person's score = (Team A tokens × Team A goals / total goals) + (Team B tokens × Team B goals / total goals).

We have a prize prepared for the highest scorer.

The exact venue will be shared in the event group. Due to the special nature of this venue, all participants must register through the signup form. Registration deadline: 23:59 on July 17, 2026.

See you at the final!

Cover image: Umberto Boccioni, $2, 1913, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)