2026 AI Investment Indicator: From Broad Experiments to Precise ROI

DAOplomacy · 2025-12-29T14:40:11+00:00

In 2026, companies will shift from experimenting with AI to focusing on profitability, tools will become specialized, and voice AI and infrastructure transformation will emerge. Successful startups will need to integrate processes, possess proprietary data, and have market validation. Funding will concentrate on a few star products, but technical and compliance issues will still need to be addressed, and widespread adoption will face challenges.

DAOplomacy

2025-12-29 14:40:11

Abstract generation in progress

【Crypto World】What will the VC circle look like in 2026? The news says that by that year, companies using AI will no longer be blindly investing, but will start focusing on real returns. Simply put, the shift will be from trying everywhere to targeted, point-to-point solutions. How exactly will it change? First, tools need to be specialized—no more all-in-one general tools, but tailored solutions for specific industries. Second, voice AI will become popular. Third, AI will seriously transform physical infrastructure. Fourth, those big labs will start launching ready-to-use applications. Where should the money be invested? Startups that can attract funding typically have these qualities: deep process integration, proprietary data, and a validated market. In plain terms, a few star products will attract most of the funding, and the rest will have a tougher time. But don’t be overly optimistic—although AI agents can break down departmental barriers, the technical and compliance hurdles still need to be slowly addressed. Widespread application in the short term remains a challenge.

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BanklessAtHeart

· 2h ago

Alright, to put it simply, the era of retail investors is coming to an end. Only those with genuine data and real-world scenarios can survive.

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HashRateHustler

· 7h ago

By 2026, we'll see the real deal—projects without data or moats are really going to cool off. --- Voice AI is emerging, but who will fill the compliance gap? Still the same old story. --- It's the Matthew effect again: top products take 90% of the funding, how can small teams survive? --- Customized professional solutions sound good, but most startups can't even protect their own data. --- The physical infrastructure sector is the real opportunity—much more reliable than virtual applications. --- The polite way to say it is "precise ROI," but the harsh truth is that the winter of fundraising is here. --- VCs will still follow the trend in 2026; this time, it's voice AI hype—just wait and see.

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RamenDeFiSurvivor

· 12-30 06:07

It's another new take from VC, let's wait and see. Anyway, they said the same last year. --- 2026? First, take care of your own wallet, don't get caught off guard again. --- Proprietary data is king. Startups without it can basically just give up and go home. --- AI voice technology is getting popular? I'm still waiting for it to understand Northeast dialect. --- Relying on star products to attract funding is old news. Some people still want to fall into the trap. --- The pitfalls of compliance haven't been fully addressed before going live. Web3 has long been used to this, haha. --- From reckless investing to focusing on ROI, it sounds good but in reality, it's still gambler's psychology. --- Industry-specific customization definitely has potential. The hype around general large models should cool down.

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ColdWalletAnxiety

· 12-29 15:07

I’ve written several comments in different styles: --- 2026 is still far away, it's a bit early to talk about ROI now... --- Damn, it's both customized professional solutions and plug-and-play, aren't these two contradictory? --- Voice AI is getting popular? By then, the bugs in speech recognition might be even more numerous. --- Basically, it's still the Matthew Effect—those at the top eat the meat, and those at the bottom drink the broth. --- Those big model companies should be panicking; it feels like the trend has really shifted. --- Compliance is a trap... domestic regulations are endless. --- Physical infrastructure? Sounds like it's not so intangible anymore. --- Proprietary data is the real trump card, and this is the right perspective. --- I just want to know how many startups will still be around before 2026. --- What the hell is deep process integration... just translate it.

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MissedTheBoat

· 12-29 15:06

Is ROI coming in 2026? I think it's doubtful; most projects are still burning money. --- I believe in the explosion of voice AI, but how to break the deadlock on the general model side? --- Proprietary data, deep integration, market validation... sounds simple, but 99% of startups get stuck at the first step. --- Here we go again, always talking about precise investment, then turning around to find a new hot spot. I'm tired of this VC rhetoric. --- The compliance pitfalls are endless; that's the real killer move. Don't be fooled by ready-to-use solutions. --- A few star products are taking the lion's share, while others are just drinking soup. Isn't that what it is now? --- The physical infrastructure part is interesting. Only those who can truly get it implemented count.

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LiquidatedThrice

· 12-29 15:01

Here we go again talking about ROI, the false prosperity is about to collapse --- Regarding proprietary data, you're right, projects without barriers really have no chance --- Voice AI is doomed once it takes off, noise will drown out all information --- Haha, the last sentence is the key, the technical compliance pitfalls are unfillable --- Process integration sounds impressive, but honestly, it's just a different way of working --- Waiting another two years until 2026, it's another time for big promises --- I agree that star products attract money, let's see who can survive until then --- Honestly, in this cycle, everyone is gambling—who falls first, who profits first --- I don't believe in others; compliance pitfalls really will bite repeatedly

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WalletDetective

· 12-29 15:00

By 2026, ROI will really matter. It feels like those reckless projects now are starting to break out in a cold sweat. Star products take the meat, others just drink the soup. VC always plays this routine and never gets tired of it. Voice AI and specialized tools—I'm optimistic about these two. They're much more reliable than general large models. However, when it comes to compliance and technical pitfalls... we still need to take it slow in the short term. The room for imagination is limited. It's nice to call it precise investing, but frankly, it's the moment of reshuffling for startups.

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GateUser-44a00d6c

· 12-29 14:53

In 2026, VCs still have to rely on data to make decisions. The era of blindly investing is truly over. Now, it's all about who can get into that specific track.

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