Thesis Briefs

As the hype around AI/ML applications drives R&D and funding to all-time highs, there are new opportunities for players building infrastructure....

Misha Gordon-Rowe, principal at Susa Ventures, assesses how vertical AI companies can find long-term defensible strategies....

Tess Hatch, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, explores the drivers of an ongoing renaissance in space-based technologies that go way beyond Space X’s rockets. Space technologies are offering countercyclical and uniquely competitive opportunities for tech investment....

Casber Wang, partner at Sapphire Ventures, assesses how DevOps-focused teams and products are permeating IT....

Nnamdi Iregbulem, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, explores how democratizing software development and investing in productivity tools can make teams more efficient and attract more developers to the industry....

Lauren Stephanian, partner at Pantera Capital, sees the crypto space continuing to mature, despite the current downturn. As the market becomes increasingly focused on real-world, non-speculative use cases, new specialized tools are needed for developers and non-technical end-users alike....

Accorinding to Sierra Venture's Vignesh Ravikumar:just as Shopify leveled the e-commerce playing field for “mom-and-pop” retailers, new provider platforms will empower the majority of US physicians who still work at smaller medical practices....

Keith Bender, principal at Pear VC, sees potential in practical mixed reality applications that shift consumer screen-time and improve professional efficiency within specific and hands-on roles....

Murali Joshi, principal at ICONIQ Growth, examines the growing realization that the future cybersecurity stack must offer seamless connectivity and granular visibility in order to be automated effectively....

Ronnie Martinez, associate at CEAS Investments, explains how market shifts — including technology change — create openings for 'Novel Critical Infrastructure.' These solutions solve core business problems and often drive new capabilities or efficiencies....

From plant-powered drug discovery to sustainable food systems, teams are exploring novel and impactful solutions. Natasha Sharma, principal at True Ventures, explores some of the most exciting opportunities her team has encountered with intersectional startups....

Organizations must adapt in order to attract, engage, and retain top talent. Colin Tobias, partner at SemperVirens Venture Capital, examines how new innovations in workforce technology and an uptick in digital benefits are creating more value for workers across industries....

With the rise of serverless technology, engineers can now more easily leverage the scale of the cloud. Patrick Chase, partner at Redpoint Ventures, examines how serverless computer companies will make the future of software development possible....

Lotti Siniscalco, partner at Emergence Capital, evaluates the “hybrid work pyramid of needs,” and dives into 4 key areas: culture & employee engagement, internal communication, the in-office experience, and real estate utilization....

Chris Abshire, senior associate at Toyota Ventures, explains how Foundation Models set the stage for generative AI tools and their ability to complete cognitively-demanding and creative tasks....

Grace Chou, partner at Maveron, examines how the growing influence of trends like side hustles and upskilling will create a future in which work is far more multifaceted than in the past....

The last generation of consumer apps sought to capture time and attention. The next generation will free up consumers’ time. Kathryn Weinmann, vice president at Norwest Venture Partners, explores key tailwinds driving this shift and potential impacts....

Kartik Gupta, investor at Salesforce Ventures, examines how large organizations are prioritizing software based on bottom-up considerations as purchase influence shifts from the C-Suite to the end user....

Brent Murri, principle at M13, explains why software platforms that enable merchants to lower acquisition costs and increase lifetime value will continue to drive the next wave of e-commerce....

Corinne Riley, investor at Greylock Partners, explores how intelligent GTM tools could enable “best-of-breed” sales applications and improve top-line performance for organizations....

Vivian Cheng, principal at CRV, explores how new players can use technology like AI and innovative distribution models to win over the consumer. In an increasingly digital world, consumers are more willing than ever before to embrace new products and technologies....

Jake Storm, deal partner at Felicis Ventures, examines three trends that are driving the evolution of cybersecurity: a shortage of security personnel, a “shift-left” approach to security configuration, and the transition to cloud....

Lisa Xu, principal at FirstMark Capital, explores how the crypto/web3 downturn is creating the conditions necessary to birth the next generation of companies who will build practical and valuable use cases for Web3 technology....

The transition to cloud-based infrastructure is being powered by infrastructure, DevOps, machine learning, and security tools. Sai Senthilkumar, principal at Redpoint Ventures, explains key innovation drivers within cloud infrastructure....

Covid-19 was the Black Swan event that brought supply chain resilience to the top of all stakeholders’ minds. Demi Obayomi, vice president at Sapphire Ventures, examines the business models and tools that are emerging within supply chain & logistics and the industry headwinds that must be overcome....