In 30 seconds
Asked about AI investing in 2025, a venture investor says their firm looks for viral and network effects. The guest advises founders to understand each firm’s thesis, explains their firm’s scorecard and discusses how founders and investors assess one another.
- 1The firm’s criteriaThe investor names viral effects and network effects as part of their firm’s thesis.
- 2Research the investorThey advise founders to understand each VC’s particular thesis before pitching.
- 3Scorecards and meetingsThe guest describes an 80-out-of-100 threshold and meeting founders through events.
- 4Reputation runs both waysInvestors talk to one another, and founders also compare experiences with investors.
Takeaways
- The guest says their firm looks for viral effects and network effects.
- They advise founders to research the particular VC’s investment thesis.
- The guest describes a company scorecard and multiple opportunities to meet and demonstrate products.
- The guest notes that founders also share assessments of investors.
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What one investor looks for
The guest describes a specific firm’s criteria and advises founders to research each VC. They discuss events, scorecards and mutual reputations.
Asked how to spot a strong AI investment in 2025, a venture investor says their firm looks for viral effects and network effects. They emphasize that each venture capital firm has its own thesis, so founders should understand the particular investor before pitching.
The guest says their firm publishes a company scorecard and looks for a score of at least 80 out of 100 as a starting point for conversation. They also describe attending and hosting AI events where founders can meet investors and demonstrate products.
The investor says VCs exchange information, including in a private group they run, but adds that founders also talk to one another and assess investors. In their view, reputation and evaluation work in both directions.
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