## What Top VCs Want from AI Founders: Inside the Investor Lens with Jon McNeill, Aileen Lee, and Steve Jang at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
The buzz at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 reached a crescendo during a highly anticipated panel: “What Top VCs Want from AI Founders.” Featuring Jon McNeill of DV, Aileen Lee of Cowboy Ventures, and Steve Jang of Kindred Ventures, the discussion offered an unparalleled peek into the minds shaping the future of AI.
**Jon McNeill** emphasized the critical importance of *go-to-market strategy and execution*. “The technical prowess is table stakes,” McNeill stated. “What truly differentiates a founder for us is a crystal-clear understanding of their customer, a robust distribution model, and the ability to scale. We’re looking for AI solutions that don’t just innovate, but fundamentally transform how businesses operate and deliver measurable ROI.” His focus remained squarely on enterprise solutions with clear pathways to revenue and defensibility beyond the core technology, often through unique data advantages or network effects.
**Aileen Lee**, known for coining the term “unicorn,” highlighted the necessity of *truly AI-native solutions* and an obsession with product-market fit. “Is AI truly core to your value proposition, or is it a feature bolted on?” Lee challenged. She stressed the importance of identifying underserved vertical markets where AI can provide a 10x improvement over existing solutions. “We want to see founders who have a deep empathy for their users’ pain points and are building AI products that feel magical, intuitive, and seamlessly integrated into workflows.” The strength and diversity of the founding team, she added, remain paramount.
**Steve Jang**, an early backer in transformative consumer and infrastructure plays, leaned into the future of *human-AI interaction and unique data moats*. “We’re past the initial hype cycle; now it’s about where AI unlocks entirely new categories or deeply personal experiences,” Jang explained. He sought founders building robust developer ecosystems, fostering community, or leveraging proprietary datasets that create a virtuous feedback loop. “Show us how your AI creates a novel interaction, generates unique data, or builds a brand around a new paradigm that simply wasn’t possible before.”
While their individual lenses offered distinct perspectives, a common thread emerged: top VCs are looking beyond raw technological innovation. They seek **strong founding teams** tackling **real problems** with **defensible business models**, clear paths to **commercialization**, and an unwavering focus on **user value**. The message to AI founders was clear: success lies in translating cutting-edge AI into enduring, impactful solutions.