Enterprise AI budgets are about to get brutal.

TechCrunch surveyed 24 enterprise VCs: overwhelming majority predict 2026 will be the year enterprises stop experimenting and start picking winners.

The shift:
• More budget, fewer contracts
• End of "testing multiple tools for single use case"
• Consolidation around AI tools that deliver measurable ROI
• Budget cuts for overlapping/experimental AI projects

What survives:
• Vertical solutions with proprietary data
• AI safety/governance tools
• Products with clear enterprise ROI metrics

What dies:
• Generic AI tools easily replicated by tech giants
• Pilot-stage products without proven value
• Solutions without defensible moats

If you're building AI for enterprise: prove ROI now or risk getting cut in the consolidation wave.

Brewed by Startup Beaker.