Editorial
The Gist
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Founders bet big. Startups are using AI to cut costs, delay fundraising and gain operational advantages that once required more capital.
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Funding gets smarter. Investors are prioritizing startups with AI built into their GTM strategies and daily operations.
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Efficiency pays off. AI helps lean teams grow faster, improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue per employee.
Startups are aggressively embracing AI, not just for buzz, but to secure real business advantage and access to funding. HubSpot research shows that founders and funders alike see AI, particularly in marketing and sales, as a way to scale operations with lower investment. This extends the startup’s “flameout” horizon, which allows teams to delay capital raises, preserve ownership and potentially skip funding rounds entirely. At the same time, AI-driven efficiencies can potentially free up resources to accelerate investment in core product differentiation. Either outcome is a strategic win.
These findings are not unsurprising to this author, as I’m currently leading the first research study on agentic AI adoption for Dresner Advisory Services (my employer). Our preliminary data, set to publish later this summer, shows a strong pattern. Younger companies, particularly those under five years old, are the most willing to adopt AI and agentic AI. Among them, 18% are already active adopters, and 51% express strong interest or intent to deploy agentic AI. Their top reasons for investing are productivity and efficiency, improved decision making, improved customer experience and improved search quality. To be fair, this includes venture-backed and bootstrapped startups.
Table of Contents
- Technology Providers Hopping on Agentic AI Train
- Startups Use AI to Attract Funding
- AI Helps Startups Grow Faster and Perform Better
- AI Creates GTM Efficiency and Revenue Gains
Technology Providers Hopping on Agentic AI Train
HubSpot’s findings highlight a broader trend. Venture capital continues to favor software-first startups, which accounted for 37% of all startup funding in 2021, according to PitchBook and the NVCA. My research shows that 69% of software vendors already support agentic AI, with most of the remainder planning to follow within a year. This isn’t just early adoption; it signals an industry-wide shift. The momentum behind agentic AI marks a real inflection point for all organizations, not just hype.
As Rita McGrath describes in “Seeing Around Corners,” an inflection point “dramatically shifts some element of a company’s activities, throwing certain taken-for-granted assumptions into question.”
That’s exactly what’s happening now. For every business leader, this isn’t a trend to just watch; it’s a signal to move. In fact, two-thirds of all software vendors cite competitive necessity, customer demand, market differentiation and future-proofing as the key reasons for embracing agentic AI. The message is clear to marketing leaders. The time to act is now.
Related Article: How Agentic AI Broke the Rules of Martech Decisioning
Startups Use AI to Attract Funding
In today’s tighter funding environment, investors are making fewer but larger bets, and startups are responding by doubling down on AI. Nearly half (46%) of venture-backed startups now devote more than a quarter of their go-to-market (GTM) stack to AI technologies. What was once considered optional is now essential. AI has become a “must have” for securing funding in 2025.
Leading investors are clear on this shift and several shared their thoughts in the HubSpot report.
“If startups aren’t using AI tools or agents, we’re less inclined to invest,” said Adina Tecklu, partner at Khosla Ventures. Laura McGinnis, Principal at Balderton Capital, said her firm is “doubling down on AI expertise” and being highly selective. They’re prioritizing companies that can withstand competitive pressure from both nimble startups and powerful incumbents. For founders, the message is unmistakable. It’s important to use AI not just to grow, but to survive and stand out.
Related Article: Why Scalable Customer Journeys Are the New Growth Imperative
AI Helps Startups Grow Faster and Perform Better
AI is rewriting the startup playbook, and it's letting founders scale faster and operate more efficiently than ever before. In last year’s survey, 78% of founders predicted AI would accelerate their growth in 2025, and they were right. Today, AI is helping startups achieve higher annual recurring revenue (ARR) with significantly leaner teams. Said Richard White, CEO of Fathom, “We want to hit $100M in revenue with under 150 employees. Five years ago, that was insane. Now, with AI tools, it’s doable.”
This shift is more than a productivity improvement; it’s a structural advantage. With AI automating everything from customer interactions to internal workflows, startups are redefining what’s possible with limited resources. Said Cathy Gao of Sapphire Ventures, “You see companies scaling to $60M in ARR with 30 employees. Revenue per headcount is very high. If you can keep teams lean, you stay nimble.” In a funding environment where capital efficiency is king, AI isn’t just a differentiator; it’s becoming a survival strategy.
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Marketing and CX Actions Based on Startup AI Trends
What established organizations can learn from AI-forward startups — and how to apply those lessons to their own GTM and CX strategies.
| Action or Insight | Why It Matters | Startup Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Embed AI across the GTM stack | Integrating AI into sales, marketing and support operations increases speed, precision, and ROI. | 46% of startups use AI in over a quarter of their GTM tech stack |
| Prioritize capital efficiency with AI | AI enables leaner teams to do more, helping drive higher revenue per employee and faster growth. | Startups target $60M–$100M ARR with fewer than 150 employees |
| Use AI to boost upsell and satisfaction | AI-powered personalization improves customer engagement and lifetime value. | 81% of startups report better upsell/cross-sell rates; 24% see improved CSAT |
| Build agentic AI readiness | Proactive investment in agentic AI supports autonomous decision-making and efficiency. | 69% of software vendors support agentic AI now; most others plan to within a year |
| Adopt AI to stay fundable and competitive | Investors increasingly view AI capabilities as non-negotiable for market resilience and differentiation. | Startups using AI are more likely to secure funding and withstand market pressure |
| Use AI to lower CAC and optimize messaging | AI can hyper-target messaging by behavior and intent, reducing acquisition costs and improving conversions. | 37% of startups report lower customer acquisition costs via AI |
AI Creates GTM Efficiency and Revenue Gains
There’s a clear message here for marketing leaders at legacy organizations. AI isn’t just helping startups move faster; it’s making their entire GTM engine smarter and more effective. Startups using AI are seeing outsized results, with 81% reporting improved upsell and cross-sell rates and 24% more likely to report better customer satisfaction.
At the same time, AI is changing how companies connect with prospects and customers. It tailors messages to individual behavior, intent and timing. As a result, 37% of startups are lowering their customer acquisition costs. Said David Shim of Read AI, “AI handles the grunt work like CRM hygiene while learning from every interaction to recommend the exact actions that drive revenue,” turning GTM execution into a high-speed, high-ROI engine.
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