Navigating Funding in 2025: Insights from Top VCs at Web Summit Qatar

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Navigating Funding in 2025: Insights from Top VCs at Web Summit Qatar

A panel of venture capitalists at Web Summit Qatar 2025, including Mr. Grimeland, Ms. Gopinath, and Mr. Ng, discussed the current state of venture capital and provided insights for founders seeking funding in 2025. The panel agreed that the market is heating up, making it a good time to build companies.

Mr. Grimeland emphasized the importance of building effective companies, particularly in light of the current platform shift driven by AI. He highlighted the potential of AI to increase efficiency and drive user adoption, citing an example of a company with a four-person team generating significant revenue using AI.

Mr. Ng echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of user adoption and revenue generation for startups, regardless of whether they are AI-focused. He pointed out that the AI landscape is still evolving, with billions of potential users yet to fully engage with AI applications. He encouraged founders to explore the potential of AI to disrupt existing markets and highlighted the success of AI-powered companies in his portfolio.

Ms. Gopinath added that AI is significantly impacting the market by reducing startup costs and enabling the development of more sophisticated applications. She noted the decreasing cost of foundational large language models and predicted a shift towards agent-first applications in the enterprise space.

The panelists also discussed what founders should look for in investors. Mr. Grimeland stressed the importance of finding investors who align with the founder’s vision and provide the necessary support without being overly controlling. He highlighted the value of investors with strong networks, expertise in hiring, and access to specific competencies.

Ms. Gopinath emphasized the importance of domain expertise, operating experience, and understanding the investor’s motivations. She encouraged founders to seek investors who can provide strategic guidance and support beyond just capital.

Mr. Ng offered practical advice for founders, suggesting they build relationships with potential investors by engaging with their portfolio companies and attending industry events. He encouraged aspiring founders to start building and experimenting with AI, emphasizing that the best way to become a founder is to start building.