Vanessa Larcopartner at Premise and former partner at NEA, believes 2026 will finally be the year of mainstream AI.
Larco, who has been investing in consumer and prosumer for years, believes we are about to see a shift in the way consumers spend time online, with AI powering “concierge-like” services. The question is, will existing consumer products like WebMD and TripAdvisor continue to exist as standalone applications, or will they simply be absorbed by ChatGPT or Meta AI? And where can startups carve out an AI-based niche?
Today on TechCrunch Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan spoke with Larco to explain why the consumer is back, what OpenAI is won’t kill, and where the real opportunities lie.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- Why Larco thinks OpenAI won’t create marketplace businesses that require managing real humans.
- Larco’s take on “disposable software” and why AI applications “should be treated like Word documents.”
- How Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses made Larco a fan of voice interfaces (and why she thinks screens are optional for most tasks).
- More predictions for 2026, including another huge year for mergers and acquisitions.
- What new business models stablecoins could unlock.
Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Covered, Spotifyand all the castings. You can also follow Equity on X And Topicson @EquityPod.
Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch where she covers the business, policy and emerging trends shaping artificial intelligence. His work has also appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast and other publications.
You can contact or check Rebecca’s outreach by sending an email rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message to rebeccabellan.491 on Signal.
Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch and focuses on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of two producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and designed live performances and guest interviews like Lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Monmouth University.
You can contact or check Theresa’s outreach by sending an email Theresa.loconsolo@techcrunch.com.
