Sramana Mitra: I’m sure you are seeing that category of entrepreneurs in the geographies that you’re catering to. That is a true statement. They’re benefiting from the fact that the ultralight startup trend is really taking off right now because of AI.
>>>Sramana Mitra: The founders that are prized are founders who bring that kind of deep domain knowledge with which to build something differentiated.
>>>Sramana Mitra: So, tell me a little bit about fund two. What are you expecting to see? I’m sure you have some sort of a pipeline and deal flow that’s already built up as you are starting to divest your second fund. What is happening in the geographies you are interested in? Tell us more about what’s happening in the tech enabled services work.
>>>Sramana Mitra: What size checks do you write?
Mark Phillips: Out of fund two, we’re writing a $1-$1.5 million check into to portfolio companies over the course of the next two to three years.
>>>
Customer support is being reinvented by Generative AI and smart entrepreneurs are seizing the opportunity. Our new Generative AI Customer Support Startup Case Studies course explores how real founders are building successful startups in this fast-evolving space.
From AI-driven automation to natural language processing, this course showcases innovative solutions transforming customer service across industries. You’ll learn how founders launched their first products, scaled their ventures and made strategic decisions around funding, platform leverage and growth. These case studies cover everything from bootstrapping while holding a paycheck to building companies with $100M+ aspirations.
Whether you’re new to the startup world or looking to pivot your existing skills into the AI arena, our expert-led case study courses provide practical insights and proven strategies for building real businesses in today’s AI-driven economy.
Throughout May, you can save up to 85% on our top-rated startup courses. Discounts end May 31, 2025, so there’s no better time to invest in your next venture.
Enroll today and take the next step toward launching your AI-powered startup!
Artificial Intelligence:
Generative AI Customer Support Startup Case Studies: TRY1MBY1MMAY2025CUST
AI Services Startup Case Studies: TRY1MBY1MMAY2025AISI
AI Startup Ideas: TRY1MBY1MMAY2025AIID
How VC Investors Think About AI Startups: TRY1MBY1MMAY2025AIVC
Sramana Mitra: Let me just comment on what you said. The problem with the venture capital model that we have arrived at this point over the last, let’s say 30 years, is that it is all consuming. The investors expect the entrepreneur to put everything aside except for making the venture a success; and that success must be success that makes the investors money. Otherwise, it’s not considered a success. If the investors don’t make money, the founder’s not going to make any money at all.
>>>Sramana Mitra: Google’s AlphaFold is a good example of a model. A lot of scientists have been given access to it at an affordable price point. The impact it is having on scientific discovery and research is humongous. Somewhere in this continuum, I see that there’s a missing area where there is no Platform as a Service (PaaS) like AlphaFold that scientists can tap into to do drug discovery work using AI.
>>>Sramana Mitra: Okay. So that’s one positioning differentiation. What about within the private practice market? Why do your customers pick you and what is special about it? What are the needs of a dermatology private practice or an OB-GYN practice or a plastic surgery practice? What’s special about each of these individual types of practices?
>>>