From AI Buzz to AI Backbone: How Startups Are Really Evolving

​Artificial intelligence has gone through a dramatic shift in startup culture over the last few years.

​In the early wave of AI enthusiasm, many companies branded themselves as “AI startups” — putting AI at the forefront of their pitch. Today, the smartest founders have moved beyond labels and are instead weaving AI into the core of their value proposition in ways that actually solve real problems for users and customers.

​In this interview-style conversation, a leading VC fund manager shares firsthand insights on how startups have evolved over the past 1–3 years, and what this means for founders, operators, and investors today. You’ll hear:

• ​How investors’ expectations about AI have shifted

• ​Why strong startups don’t need to call themselves “AI companies” anymore

• ​How AI has transitioned from a buzzword to a backbone capability

• ​What differentiates today’s successful AI-embedded startups from yesterday’s hype

• ​Practical guidance on positioning your startup in a crowded market

​This session isn’t about the science of AI — it’s about the strategy of building with AI in a real-world context.

​Join us for a candid VC perspective on the next wave of innovation — where AI fuels solutions, not just stories.