> Markdown version of [/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1756-what-ai-startups-are](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1756-what-ai-startups-are). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md).

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# What AI Startups Are VCs Actually Funding in 2026


- **Event:** World Congress 2026 North America

## Description

Everyone's pitching "agentic," "AI-native," and "autonomous" — but what's actually getting term sheets? In this fast-paced 30-minute conversation, Mariane Bekker (Head of Developer Relations, You.com) sits down with top VCs to cut through the noise and get specific: which categories are seeing real capital move, what separates a fundable agent startup from a feature wrapped in a demo, how diligence has changed now that every deck claims to be "agentic," and where the smart money is placing bets for the next 12 months. Expect direct answers, real portfolio examples, and zero fluff — a session for founders who want to know what VCs are actually looking for, not what they say at conferences.

## Speaker

### [Mariane Bekker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@mariane-bekker)

​Mariane Bekker, Head of Developer Relations at You.com; Founder at Founders Bay


## Related talks at this congress

- [Building Stuff with GenAI - The Open Minded Workshop beyond OpenAI](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1719-building-stuff-with) — Andreas Erben
- [The Reality of AI Adoption in Enterprises](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1752-the-reality-of-ai) — Priyanka Vergadia
- [Building Pragmatic AI: 10 AI Features Your Users Actually Want](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1406-building-pragmatic) — Jonathan "J." Tower
- [Building the AI Era Through Developer Communities: A Competitive Advantage for Engineers & Teams](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1748-building-the-ai-era) — John Komarnicki

## Watch remotely

Can’t make it to San José? Watch this session live with Pro. You also get:

- All full videos, bookmarks, and playlists
- World Congress livestreams

[See pricing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/pricing)

## Links

- [Get tickets](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/world-congress-north-america/tickets)