The Morning Brief ET in the Valley: Apoorva Pandhi, MD at Zetta Venture Partners
Jan 14, 2026
Apoorva Pandhi, Managing Director at Zetta Venture Partners and an early-stage AI investor, discusses the seismic shifts in Silicon Valley's AI landscape. He reveals the harsh realities behind soaring startup valuations, highlighting the sky-high mortality rate between seed and Series A stages. With researchers taking the reins, Apoorva emphasizes the need for clarity in product-market fit over hype. He also touches on the burgeoning wave of young Indian founders and the challenges smaller funds face against megafunds in seed funding. It's a sobering look at AI's future!
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Conversational UI Is The New Catalyst
- AI is a once-in-a-lifetime platform shift combining substrate and a conversational UI that accelerates adoption.
- The conversational interface lets both technical and non-technical users retrieve knowledge and create personalized applications.
Investors Must Track Model Roadmaps
- Stay close to model research and anticipate next model changes when investing.
- Evaluate founders on both product and their ability to track model trends and adapt.
Require Hard Signals Before Doubling Down
- Prioritize categories with durable market size and sustainable growth before investing.
- Demand clear signals of adoption and product-market fit, not just hype.