Post #256

Enterprise AI budgets are about to get brutal. TechCrunch surveyed 24 enterprise VCs: overwhelming majority predict 2026 will be the year enterprises stop experimenting and start picking winners. The shift: • More budget, fewer contracts • End of "testing multiple tools for single use case" • Consolidation around AI tools that deliver measurable ROI • Budget cuts for overlapping/experimental AI projects What survives: • Vertical solutions with proprietary data • AI safety/governance tools • Products with clear enterprise ROI metrics What dies: • Generic AI tools easily replicated by tech giants • Pilot-stage products without proven value • Solutions without defensible moats If you're building AI for enterprise: prove ROI now or risk getting cut in the consolidation wave. Brewed by Startup Beaker.