Bessemer Venture Partners discusses the state of the cloud economy, with topics including recent developments in SaaS IPOs and M&A, the importance of efficiency and profitability, strategies for growth and efficiency in the cloud industry, and leveraging AI for product innovation and efficient growth tactics.

In a fascinating discussion, Janelle Teng, Vice President at Bessemer Venture Partners and former Salesforce product manager, shares insights on how AI agents are reshaping the SaaS landscape. She highlights the urgency for SaaS companies to innovate or face decline, as consumer adoption of AI surges ahead of businesses. The conversation dives into the benefits of a multi-agent approach to automation and the challenges startups face amidst rapid technological changes. Janelle also explores future applications of AI in sectors like healthcare and finance, emphasizing the crucial need for adaptability.

 Alex invited Janelle Teng from Bessemer Venture Partners on the program to riff with us on the state of the cloud.That's also the title of Bessemer's latest data dump concerning cloud stocks, startups, AI, and more. Teng, a co-author on the report, walked through some of key bits with us to better explain her firm's perspective, and to answer our critical commentary regarding Figma and why startups should always kill Goliath, instead of joining him for a round of grapes and lounging.You can find the report that we chatted about here, and our early notes thereof here. Finally, a rundown of topics: Is the valuation massacre that startups have survived since late 2021 finally over? Why is investor preference swinging back towards growth from profitability? What is the state of runway at late-stage startups? Is the M&A pause nearly over? And, naturally, AI and SaaS and where VCs see the pair heading! See you at Early Stage tomorrow!For episode transcripts and more, head to Equity’s Simplecast website.Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so subscribe to us onApple Podcasts,Overcast, Spotifyand all the casts. TechCrunch also has agreat show on crypto, ashow that interviews founders, one thatdetails how our stories come together and more! Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.