Ex-NEA Partner Vanessa Larco Now Screens Founders on Whether They Actually Use AI to Compound Output
Crunchbase News·low signal
Crunchbase News published an interview with former NEA partner Vanessa Larco, now at Premise VC, describing how she evaluates seed startups on founder potential rather than the initial idea — and applies one explicit AI test: whether the team leverages AI to make itself materially more productive. That screen is a leading indicator for what gets funded next in SaaS, because it selects for small teams shipping in categories that previously required headcount. The framing matters for solo builders: the AI-leverage question has moved from a differentiator you mention to a filter you fail.