05-06-2025
AI-efficient and flush with capital: 2025 startups and a VC's advice to founders
Battery Ventures general partner Dharmesh Thakker has some advice for first time founders: raising capital does not necessarily equate to success. After over a decade of investing in early and growth stage cloud and big data startups, Thakker sees some companies 'AI-washing,' and many taking on more funding than they need to succeed, thanks to an abundance of capital in the ecosystem. In an extended interview with CNBC's Kate Rooney, Thakker maps out the possible exits awaiting startups in 2025, including private equity buyouts, public listings, and big tech acquisitions–if they survive. He's deployed capital into the Indian and Israeli startup ecosystems, and he weighs in on the global trade environment's impact on funding flows.
