Untapped Ventures

Something exciting is launching tomorrow! 🚀 We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming debut of the Agentic podcast, hosted by our founder George Bandarian. This new series will share insights and conversations with pioneering founders, investors, and thought leaders driving the future of Agentic AI. The first episode drops tomorrow! Stay tuned!🎙️

Can niche solutions ever reach venture scale? Yipeng Zhao (Embark Ventures) warns that starting too broadly can kill AI startups. Point solutions earn credibility by solving specific, high-impact problems, while platforms capture funding by selling the vision of scale. The approach founders need to succeed: architect for scalable growth from day one, making horizontal expansion a natural progression. Tune in for the full conversation via the links in the comments.

As labor-intensive industries become high-margin AI businesses, VCs are debating where to take the plunge. In EP 04 of Agentic: 1. Yipeng Zhao (Embark Ventures) breaks down why partial automation will create more value than full autonomy. 2. Hari Arul (Khosla Ventures) shares data on why they're moving away from investing in human-in-loop solutions. 3. James Shecter (Fika Ventures) explains how AI is helping lower development costs and could bring back the capital-efficient rounds of the 1990s. 4. Nicole Toussaint (TenOneTen Ventures) unpacks how the rise of foundation models has made spotting top-tier technical talent more challenging. Listen in for the full breakdown with the links in the comments.

Is You.com just another Perplexity competitor? Not quite. Saurabh Sharma reveals their real play: You.com lets users build and customize AI agents on their search platform. When these power users hit production challenges - consistent outputs, error handling, compliance - they naturally upgrade to enterprise solutions. The result? A consumer platform with 11M visitors that doubles as a qualified enterprise pipeline. If you liked what you read, catch the full conversation in the links in the comments.

Is this the "Docker moment" for cloud providers? In this episode of Agentic, Aria Attar (TensorStax) reveals that with AI agents now capable of handling infrastructure setup using open-source tools, devs might skip expensive managed services entirely. Could Agentic AI make cloud behemoths like MongoDB obsolete? Aria certainly thinks so. Watch the full episode featuring him with the links in the comments below.

Talking to six standout founders opened my eyes to the challenges of building the next frontier in Agentic AI. What hit home for me: • Jacky Wong (Nullify): OpenAI's “function calling cracks” under scale. • Aria Attar (TensorStax): AI agents will eat cloud providers' lunch. • Max Ahrens (MAIHEM (YC W24)): The need for AI without calling it AI. • Saurabh Sharma (You.com): Seamless integration → enterprise deals. • Jonas Diezun (Beam AI): Calling agents "AI workers" has doubled adoption. • Ashar Rizqi (Bounti.ai): Agentic AI scales verticals in months, that would otherwise that years. Enterprise AI agents face brutal demands—consistent outputs, error handling at scale, and edge cases. For early-stage founders, this is the arbitrage to build for. Watch the full conversation via the links in the comments.

For early-stage AI founders, carving out a focused niche early on can be the tactical leverage they need. Pranav R. from Conviction made a great point: the fear of being stuck in a narrow vertical is often overblown. Case in point: HubSpot started with landing page optimization and, years later, expanded into full-fledged CRM solutions because they understood where their customers' needs were heading. Address one critical pain point, then leverage that success to expand horizontally. As Pranav put it, value accrues in how your solution evolves beyond APIs to tackle more complex, nuanced needs. Links to our full chat in the comments.

Vertical vs. Horizontal AI? It’s not as binary as some make it out to be. With Agentic AI, the goal is to address distinct, pressing issues with focused solutions. That’s where a vertical approach can give you the early leverage. SaaS started horizontally with giants like Salesforce and HubSpot, then narrowed into verticals to dominate specific use cases. Make no mistake: horizontal players didn’t crumble when verticals emerged. They adapted and seized fresh opportunities. The takeaway? Build for today, but don’t forget about tomorrow’s bigger picture. Watch EP 02 of Agentic with the links in the comments.

🚀 We're excited to announce that we're seeking a passionate and driven AI Venture Analyst Intern in SF to join our team in 2025! We’re looking for an individual who is passionate about artificial intelligence and venture capital, an analytical thinker with strong research skills, excellent communicator who can present complex information clearly, and team players eager to contribute to an innovative team. As an AI Venture Analyst Intern, you’ll have the opportunity to: ✅ Collaborate with our investment team to identify and evaluate promising AI startups. ✅ Conduct market research and analyze industry trends in the AI sector. ✅ Assist in due diligence processes and contribute to investment decisions. ✅ Engage with entrepreneurs and industry experts in San Francisco to expand your professional network If you're ready to kickstart your year as an AI Venture Analyst and make a meaningful impact, apply below 👇👇👇 🔗https://lnkd.in/g6uwfjnK

Throwing automation at customer experience is a one-way ticket to churn. It's critical for startups today to understand that enterprises have diverse needs—some want to self-serve, others seek real-time validation, and some expect a more personalized, white-glove experience. Knowing when to automate and when to inject a human touch, all while maintaining efficiency, is paramount. In Episode 01 of Agentic, Jonathan Corbin, CEO of Maven AGI emphasizes the need for systems that support diverse customer demands. Watch the full conversation via the link in the comments.