On April 10, we hosted an inspiring roundtable session of our Future of Venture Capital Influencer Series, where thought leaders, founders, and investors gathered to explore the next frontier of innovation in venture capital.
The Influencer Series is an intimate, invite-only gathering of influential, good-energy leaders. The intent is to have fun, high-impact, “dinner table” conversations with people you don't know but should. The Influencer Series has connected over 4,000 participants and 15,000 influencers in our community over the last decade.
These roundtable conversations provide a space for prominent VC funds, corporate leaders, start-up founders, academics, and other influencers to explore new ideas through an authentic and connective experience.
Alchemist Accelerator’s Influencer Series Fireside Chat Podcast - Unless Tied to Hardware or Network Effects, Will AI Render Standalone Software Obsolete as an Asset Class?
In this compelling episode of Alchemist Accelerator’s Influencer Series Fireside Chat Podcast, Ravi Belani sits down with Kristian Marquez, Founder & CEO of FinStrat Management, for a wide-ranging conversation that traverses the future of standalone software, the resurgence of U.S. manufacturing, AI in robotics, and the global implications of demographic decline.
Kristian shares his unique perspective at the intersection of finance, innovation, and geopolitical strategy, offering insights highly relevant to founders, investors, and corporate innovators navigating today’s rapidly shifting landscape.
6 Key Takeaways from the Fireside Chat
1. The End of Standalone Software?
Kristian predicts that the valuation of standalone software companies will decline over the next 2–5 years. With the rise of AI-driven code generation, what once required vast engineering teams can now be replicated at scale by smaller, smarter teams.
2. Investment Implications: The Hardware Renaissance
The shift away from standalone software opens new opportunities in hardware and manufacturing. Kristian points to nearshoring trends, with manufacturing returning to the U.S. as global supply chains recalibrate.
3. Market Sentiment: Profit Over Growth
The VC landscape is recalibrating. The era of "growth at all costs" is waning.
Key insights include:
- Founders are focusing more on profitability and efficient operations
- The end of the global debt supercycle is constraining capital
- Growth is still valued (100%+ YoY), but sustainability is now a must
4. The Tech Frontier: Where AI Leads Next
Kristian highlighted several emerging areas of opportunity for investors and founders:
- AI in robotics—especially in autonomous industrial applications
- Next-gen alloys and advanced materials
- Fusion energy and novel energy platforms
- Nanotechnology as a convergence layer across industries
5. Demographics & Geopolitics: An Unfolding Crisis
Fertility rates are falling across developed nations, raising concerns about long-term economic productivity and labor availability. This challenge may:
- Accelerate adoption of robotic automation
- Amplify geopolitical instability as aging nations confront existential pressures
6. Final Reflections: Hope Through Innovation
Despite these headwinds, Kristian remains optimistic. He believes we are on the verge of a new era of prosperity, where technology, especially AI, robotics, and advanced infrastructure, can elevate humanity beyond current constraints.
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Thank You to Our Notable Partners
BASF Venture Capital
Investing globally since 2001, BASF Venture Capital backs startups in Decarbonization, Circular Economy, AgTech, New Materials, Digitization, and more. Backed by BASF’s R&D and customer network, BVC plays an active role in scaling disruptive solutions.
WilmerHale
A premier international law firm with deep expertise in Corporate Venture Capital, WilmerHale operates at the nexus of government and business. Contact whlaunch@wilmerhale.com to explore how they can support your CVC strategy.
FinStrat Management is a premier outsourced financial operations firm specializing in accounting, finance, and reporting solutions for early-stage and investor-backed companies, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and venture funds.
The firm’s core offerings include fractional CFO-led accounting + finance services, fund accounting and administration, and portfolio company monitoring + reporting. Through hands-on financial leadership, FinStrat helps clients with strategic forecasting, board reporting, investor communications, capital markets planning, and performance dashboards. The company's fund services provide end-to-end back-office support for venture capital firms, including accounting, investor reporting, and equity management.
In addition to financial operations, FinStrat deploys capital on behalf of investors through a model it calls venture assistance, targeting high-growth companies where FinStrat also serves as an end-to-end outsourced business process strategic partner. Clients benefit from improved financial insight, streamlined operations, and enhanced stakeholder confidence — all at a fraction of the cost of building an in-house team.
FinStrat also produces The Innovators & Investors Podcast, a platform that showcases conversations with leading founders, VCs, and ecosystem builders. The podcast is designed to surface real-world insights from early-stage operators and investors, with the goal of demystifying what drives successful startups and funds. By amplifying these voices, FSM supports the broader early-stage ecosystem, encouraging knowledge-sharing, connectivity, and more efficient founder-investor alignment.
Alchemist connects a global network of enterprise founders, investors, corporations, and mentors to the Silicon Valley community.
Alchemist Accelerator is a global venture-backed accelerator focused on accelerating seed-stage ventures that monetize from enterprises (not consumers). The accelerator invests in enterprise companies with distinctive technical founders and provides founders a structured path to traction, fundraising, mentorship, and community during the 6-month program.
AlchemistX partners with forward-thinking corporations and governments to deliver innovation programs worldwide. These specialized programs leverage the expertise and tools that have fueled Alchemist startups’ success since 2012. Our mission is to transform innovation challenges into opportunities.
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