ET in the Valley: Apoorva Pandhi, MD at Zetta Venture Partners

Silicon Valley is experiencing its biggest platform shift in decades, but beneath the frenzy lies a brutal correction in progress. An early-stage AI investor reveals the uncomfortable truths emerging from the epicenter of the boom. Host Swathi Moorthy talks to Apoorva Pandhi, Managing Director of Zetta Venture Partners about why the honeymoon is over. What began as wild experimentation now faces merciless ROI demands. Startups are securing nine-figure valuations with little more than demos. The mortality rate between seed and Series A has never been higher. Each breakthrough from major AI labs creates an instant graveyard of obsolete startups entire business models evaporate overnight. This isn't typical market turbulence. Researchers, not traditional founders, now command the power. Mega-funds are abandoning late-stage discipline to chase seed deals with oversized checks. The math has broken. And at the heart of it all: a dangerous gap between what AI companies are worth and what they can actually deliver. The reckoning won't be gradual, it's already underway, and most won't see it coming.

You can follow Swathi Moorthy on her social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes of ET in the Valley: ET in the Valley: Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.