How to Evaluate AI Investments Like an Acquisition

This morning I dug into the latest AI and tech news and found a thread of practical momentum. AI agents are moving from theory to production, helping teams automate routine work and unlock new kinds of decision making. SaaS platforms are embedding smarter automation, richer analytics, and stronger governance to reduce risk and speed time to value. Edge AI and on‑device inference are delivering real‑time insights where data lives, while developer tooling is making experimentation faster and safer. Governance and responsible AI are rising in priority as teams scale adoption across marketing, support, and operations. My takeaway: organizations that combine human oversight with modular AI capabilities will win by shipping faster with less risk. Personally, I’m watching how teams balance experimentation with guardrails. What trend will you lean into this quarter to spark efficiency and value? 🚀🤖💡

According to SVB’s State of the Markets Report (H2 2025), the median Series A AI company burns ~$5 for every $1 of new revenue. This is the real state of scaling in 2025: AI-first companies are powerful but they are resource-intensive. The teams winning right now aren’t the ones building the most features - they’re the ones building with focus and financial discipline. If you’re scaling right now, ask yourself: → Where is our burn actually driving value? → What can be automated vs. hired for? → Does growth increase efficiency or just activity? Because here’s the shift we’re seeing: Runway = leverage. Efficiency = credibility. Signal > noise. Growth is still the goal. But smart growth is the advantage.

#REITs are well-positioned to lead in #AI if they treat it as a strategic business initiative and not as a tech novelty noted industry experts during our popular REITs and AI webinar. Other notable findings? 💡 AI must start with strategy ➡️ companies can't simply deploy tools like chatbots and "hope magic happens." 💡 Successful adoption doesn't just occur on it's own ➡️ it hinges on partnerships (REIT + service partner + tech provider) and strong data governance. 💡 Key use cases for real estate include examples of: ➡️ productivity copilots, predictive tenant/asset services, and enterprise intelligence built on clean data. Watch on demand to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eKu3_3Yk 👏 As always, thanks to our great panelists Nate Ruey, Robbie Beyer, our moderator, John H. Jones, and to RSM for sponsoring this great webinar.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗜 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜. In fact, it’s intentionally a little different from most AI consulting offers. Yes - I use AI to deliver it. And yes - some of the recommendations lead to AI solutions. But most of what comes out of AI Navigator is about 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: • clearer processes • tighter systems • smoother workflows • stronger foundations for growth Because before AI can make a difference, your business needs to be 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 for it. 𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - 𝘄𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. That’s the real work: helping businesses lift productivity, reduce friction, and get ready for whatever technology will create value for you. We’re lining up AI Navigator sprints for early 2026 - if you’re thinking about how to lift productivity or get your business AI-ready, now’s a good time to start the conversation.

AI can write like a strategist. But thinking like one takes the right structure. Toffler Associates, a future-focused strategic advisory firm, set out to make their consulting discipline live in a client-facing software. The result is SINE, a foresight and scenario platform that turns decades of expertise into a measurable, scalable system. Built on Meibel's dependable AI infrastructure, Sinebeacon captures Toffler’s Think Like a Futurist® methodology in a governed, transparent environment structured reasoning, human oversight, and data-driven feedback to generate insight that’s explainable and traceable. What began as a question “Can we make foresight reproducible?”, became a product that helps Toffler’s clients plan ahead with clarity and confidence. Full case study in first comment. #DependableAI #Foresight #AIInfrastructure #AIStrategy

This is the kind of AI application that gets me excited as an investor. Meibel isn't just another AI platform—they're enabling established firms to productize their intellectual capital. Toffler's SINE platform proves the model: take a proven methodology, add dependable AI infrastructure, create scalable value. That's a repeatable playbook across industries.

Most founders automate the wrong tasks first. And then they wonder why AI didn’t move the needle. Here’s the truth, not everything needs to be automated. But there are four signals that always tell you where to start: 1️⃣ Frequency: If it repeats, it automates. 2️⃣ Duplication: If your team copies data between tools, that’s wasted time. 3️⃣ Handoffs: If work keeps getting stuck between people, that’s an automation gap. 4️⃣ Low-skill time: If your highest-paid people do repetitive admin, you’re bleeding ROI. If you’re curious, I can share the complete AI Adoption document we use to spot these inside client workflows. Just comment “Adoption” and I’ll send it over. Make sure we’re connected so I can drop it in your inbox. Because automation isn’t about hype, it’s about spotting patterns that cost you money every week.

Turning Collective Expertise into the Next Big Platform: The Untapped Potential of Workflow Sharing In the evolving landscape of vertical AI and agentic automation, there’s a largely overlooked opportunity: the power of sharing workflows as a product in itself. Right now, a lot of investors focus on individual tools or single vertical solutions. But imagine a platform where industry professionals can share their deeply specialized workflows, those nuanced processes that aren’t just floating around on the internet for an AI to learn, but come from real hands on experience. In other words, this isn’t just about building a tool; it’s about creating a kind of shared brain trust. Professionals can contribute their tried and true workflows, customize them, and over time, turn these workflows into standardized practices. This creates a living, evolving dataset of “how things are done” that could be incredibly valuable. Once you have that kind of standardized, crowd improved knowledge base, it becomes something a big company could monetize, just like Google or any major platform that turns collective intelligence into a product. It’s an untapped opportunity that could redefine how industries share and optimize their workflows, and it’s a powerful idea whose time has come.

AI isn’t just for the tech giants: small businesses are harnessing its power to achieve growth rates up to 30%! From smarter inventory management to predictive customer insights, AI tools are turning ambition into real results. But there’s more: this kind of growth doesn’t just look good on your balance sheet: it can also make your business significantly more attractive to buyers. Modern buyers value efficiency, scalability, and data-driven decisions. An AI-enabled business suggests all three. Thinking about the future? Integrating AI now could have a direct impact on your business valuation when it’s time for that next big move or exit. Let’s talk about how you can leverage tech to boost both your bottom line and your business’s long-term value. #SmallBusiness #AIGrowth #BusinessValuation #TheArchCorporation

💡 Technology is the multiplier, not the replacement. Get the strategy right first, then scale it with automation. Our own AI scientist, Darrell Merrick of Rocketship Labs, specializes in helping businesses architect automation that actually drives growth—because it’s built on the right foundation.