{"id":10439,"date":"2026-01-08T08:45:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T08:45:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=10439"},"modified":"2026-01-08T08:45:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T08:45:47","slug":"where-vcs-think-ai-startups-can-win-even-with-openai-in-the-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=10439","title":{"rendered":"Where VCs think AI startups can win, even with OpenAI in the game"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Vanessa Larco<\/a>, partner at Premise<\/a> and former partner at NEA, thinks 2026 will finally be the year of consumer AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Larco, who\u2019s been investing in consumer and prosumer for years, thinks we\u2019re about to see a shift in how consumers spend time online, with AI powering \u201cconcierge-like\u201d services. The question is, will legacy consumer products like WebMD and TripAdvisor continue to exist as standalone apps, or will they just get absorbed into ChatGPT or Meta AI? And where can startups carve out an AI-powered niche for themselves?<\/p>\n

Watch as TechCrunch\u2019s ?Rebecca Bellan sat down with Larco on Equity<\/a> to talk about why consumer is back, what OpenAI won\u2019t <\/em>kill, and where the real opportunities are hiding.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube<\/a>, Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Overcast<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X<\/a> and Threads<\/a>, at @EquityPod.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n