Venture Capitalists Predict Concentrated AI Budgets in 2026
Enterprise AI investments are set to become more focused in 2026, according to a TechCrunch survey of 24 venture capitalists. Rather than spreading budgets across multiple tools, companies will consolidate spending around proven winners. "Enterprises are testing multiple tools for single-use cases now, but they'll soon rationalize overlapping solutions," said Andrew Ferguson of Databricks Ventures.
The shift reflects a maturation of the AI market as early experimentation gives way to ROI-driven decisions. Rob Biederman of Asymmetric Capital Partners anticipates broader budget reductions across the industry, with funds flowing only to vendors demonstrating clear results. This consolidation could create winners and losers in the AI startup ecosystem.