Comparing AI Strategies – Vertical vs. Horizontal

Summary: Getting an AI startup to scale for an IPO is currently elusive. Several different strategies are being discussed around the industry and here we talk about the horizontal strategy and the increasingly favored vertical strategy. While AI is most certainly destined to be the next great general purpose technology, on a par with the steam engine, the automobile, and electrification, there just aren't any examples of new AI-first companies that look like they'll grow that big. OK, in the 80s it took a long time for the'computer age' to show up in the financial statistics and maybe we're at the same place. Still, a bunch of people, especially VCs are wondering how to grow an AI company all the way to IPO.