Ron Levin: Investment Expectations Evolving in Rapidly Changing Tech

By Finance News On May 23, 2026

Investing in startups has always been about balancing risk with growth potential.

However, as artificial intelligence (AI), market volatility and evolving founder behaviors continue to reshape the tech ecosystem, a clear shift is occurring: investment expectations are moving away from market hype and inflated valuations toward a more disciplined, fundamental and execution-focused approach.

That was one of the main takeaways from Vancouver’s Web Summit conference, an annual event that drew 20,235 attendees from over 100 countries this year, a 30 percent increase from last year’s numbers.

The Investing News Network sat down with Ron Levin, managing partner and head of the AV Seed Fund at Alumni Ventures, at the event to explore how investing strategies are adapting and where confident opportunities still exist.

A new era of disciplined investing

Investor scrutiny and market dynamics have led to an era of disciplined fundraising focused on quality over quantity. Fewer deals are being funded at the seed stage, and investors are re‑emphasizing the value of more strategic rounds.

Smaller, focused seed rounds can create necessary discipline for founders, allow greater flexibility to pivot and give investors clearer evidence of company viability before larger checks go in. A startup that shows tangible progress on a leaner initial raise is often better positioned to attract follow-on funding at higher valuations.

Levin, a power law investor, said whether he invests at a US$10 million or US$15 million valuation is less important than the company’s potential to deliver outsized returns if it makes progress. At the same time, Levin noted that the integration of AI tools is fundamentally changing the pace of growth for portfolio companies.

“AI can’t build every product on its own, but there are still a lot of things that can be done faster, so I do sort of expect that founders should be able to hit key metrics, certain milestones, earlier — at least in the realm of vertical AI-type business models,” he explained on the sidelines of the Web Summit.

Valuations have reset, but expectations are rising again on the back of these highly scalable AI-driven technologies.

Durable opportunities in niche AI

While the AI market is crowded, investors can look for strategic opportunities beyond pure-play AI. Promising niches are emerging at the intersection of technology and tangible, real-world applications, including:

Physical AI: This segment includes robotics, hardware and automation. Levin identified these sectors as slower to adopt but ripe for innovation.

Infrastructure and construction: Levin cited Boston Civil, a civil engineering and land planning firm formerly known as Quetti Design, as a company using AI to optimize projects.

Energy Sector: Startups such as Pila Energy are focused on modular, smart and efficient power…