Josh Pherigo

More than a third of companies spending on AI have reduced junior hiring in 2025 due to AI adoption, and that number is expected to increase in 2026 as efficiency gains compound. AI is rewriting the org chart, but its effect so far has been nuanced. It’s only triggered layoffs at 5% of the companies surveyed, signally a hiring mix shift rather than broad cuts.

In 2025, nearly half of VC-backed fintech acquisitions were made by other VC-backed companies, up from roughly a quarter in 2021. As late-stage companies continue to struggle with value overhang from the era of zero interest rates, private consolidation is becoming a more viable strategy for achieving a public exit.

Investors are backing frontier tech funds at the highest rate in 10 years – more than one in three VC dollars in 2024 went to a fund with a stated focus in frontier technology. The old adage that hardware investing is tough still persists, yet advances around availability, cost and production are lowering the barrier to entry.