Asks about the scale of disruption from AI, given Lightspeed's investment in 165 AI companies.
Host
Ravi Mhatre
AI is one of the biggest lifetime technology changes, happening 10x faster and broader than previous platform shifts, creating societal questions about trust, displacement, and adaptation.
Ravi Mhatre
2026 is the year AI goes from demos to big deployments in large organizations, driven by autonomous agents handling legal, financial, and software workflows.
Asks about Anthropic dropping safety measures and if it's the right move.
Host
Ravi Mhatre
Anthropic is an incredible company, growing from $0 to $14B revenue in <3 years, and remains deeply focused on trust/safety technology which is core to mainstream AI adoption.
Asks about Anthropic's business model and revenue sources.
Host
Ravi Mhatre
Revenue comes from intelligence token usage; for Anthropic, enterprise focus allows monetization via digital coworkers that can replace SaaS or handle valuable institutional workflows.
Asks if there will be a VC shakeout, given only large firms like Lightspeed can invest in foundational AI companies.
Host
Ravi Mhatre
VC industry has fundamentally changed; investing is only 5-10% of the job now. Success requires scale, staying power, and helping with regulation, partnerships, and global strategy.
Asks how many 'zombie VC funds' exist that can't adapt.
Host
Ravi Mhatre
Early-stage funds can still succeed if they identify the supercycle trend early, not the current tech generation, due to AI's speed.
Asks what the next investment opportunities are beyond foundational models.
Host
Ravi Mhatre
Reiterates 2026 as the year of large deployments, centered on agents moving beyond chatbots to do long, independent complex tasks.
Asks if 2026 will also bring mass layoffs due to AI agents.
Host
Ravi Mhatre
So far, agents increase productivity by offloading repetitive tasks, leading to 'up-leveling' not job loss. Companies using AI rethink operations can grow market share with existing people.