Venture capital survey sees enterprises boosting and concentrating AI budgets in 2026

In a survey of 24 enterprise-focused venture capitalists, most respondents indicated that enterprises plan to raise their AI spending in 2026 while concentrating budgets on a smaller set of tools and vendors. The findings suggest a shift away from broad experimentation toward products that clearly demonstrate results, with emphasis on safeguards, data foundations, and post-training optimization. This consolidation could benefit a limited number of AI providers and hurt many startups, especially those competing directly with large enterprise suppliers.