The slump in VC investment, which has lasted for more than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic , has shown signs of recovery since Q4 of last year , and has continued to increase through the first half of this year. At the same time, investment strategies have undergone a major shift, from diversified investments during the COVID-19 pandemic to selective, high-value concentrated investments, and the size of investments has expanded overall.
With investment in AI models having peaked, a phenomenon known as the AI premium is now occurring, where high investments are being made in hard tech that benefits from AI , such as robotics and self-driving cars. Investors are also placing their hopes on defense tech due to geopolitical risks, as well as nuclear energy and quantum technology, which are fueled by the demand for electricity from AI and EVs .
Until last year , there were many startups that provided AI as a service, but this year, a notable feature is the increase in industry-specific startups that utilize AI in their own operations. For example, the scope of AI utilization is expanding further this year, with startups that use AI to clone clothing, which was previously not possible with traditional e-commerce, and startups that use AI agents to book accommodations at the lowest possible prices .
There are fewer startups that are unrelated to AI , and half of the 12 companies surveyed in this in-depth study are located within the AI ecosystem. For example, several startups have been identified that democratically evaluate AI models through voting, and there is an increasing trend of finding business viability within the AI economy.
In areas that do not utilize AI , investors are also highly evaluating the future potential of startups that find profitability in upgrading the old economy, such as youth sports development and restaurant management, as well as deep tech startups such as those using high-altitude balloons for remote sensing and gamma wave headsets for dementia treatment.
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