Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Vanessa Larco, a partner at Premise and former partner at NEA, believes 2026 will mark the true arrival of consumer AI. With years of experience investing in consumer and prosumer markets, Larco anticipates a significant change in how people spend their time online, driven by AI that offers “concierge-like” assistance. A key question is whether established consumer platforms such as WebMD and TripAdvisor will remain as independent applications or be integrated into broader AI systems like ChatGPT or Meta AI. She also explores where new startups might find opportunities to establish their own AI-powered niches. To dive deeper, listen to the full episode, which covers:

Why Larco is convinced that OpenAI will avoid building marketplace businesses that involve managing real people. Her perspective on “disposable software” and the idea that AI applications “should be treated like Word docs.”

How Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses made Larco a supporter of voice interfaces—and why she considers screens unnecessary for many everyday tasks. Additional forecasts for 2026, including another major year for mergers and acquisitions. The potential for stablecoins to enable entirely new business models.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. You can also follow Equity on X and Threads at @EquityPod.