Bigger Budgets, Fewer Winners: The AI Reckoning of 2026

[cryptoenthusiast]

While overall AI spending is expected to rise, investors warn that most vendors won’t benefit. Rob Biederman of Asymmetric Capital Partners predicts a sharp bifurcation: a small group of AI providers will dominate enterprise budgets, while many others see growth stall or reverse as companies standardize around a few trusted solutions.

This shift echoes what happened in SaaS years earlier. Startups without strong differentiation — especially those offering features easily replicated by hyperscalers like AWS or Salesforce — may struggle to survive as pilots dry up and funding tightens.

[96f402f86e]

his is where a lot of “ai startups” quietly disappear

[The_Walking_Dead]

This is the SaaS shakeout all over again.

[Capybara_Capybara]

Features not moat, distribution wins.

[Revenant]

Most “AI startups” are just wrappers.