Enjoy lunch with a presentation on the comprehensive market overview of digital media, highlighting key industry trends in commerce media, the open web, the creator economy and creative tech. Discover insights into the future of the ecosystem and what to expect as we move toward 2025.

The pandemic forced an already scaling e-commerce consumer behavior to hyperscale. In the process, the technologies that drive pricing, merchandising, marketing, and inventory management have evolved in silos.  At the same time, ad spending on retail media crested 100B in spend, much faster than search and social media did.  Retailers are making more money by advertising to consumers than selling them things, as ads are a high margin business. As applied AI enters the convergence story of media and commerce, commerce may become a loss leader for human attention. We will talk to a panel of the leading experts in this evolution. 

As AI moves from theory to real-world application, the challenge is unlocking tangible value. Successful implementation requires adapting AI models to specific business needs, refining data inputs, and ongoing optimization for peak performance. This panel will feature industry leaders driving AI innovation, discussing how applied AI is transforming industries and delivering measurable outcomes across sectors. 

Financial Services, unlike media, e-commerce and martech, has been relatively resilient to disruption from startups. This panel will examine whether or not that will hold true in the era of Applied AI. Startup innovators will discuss their use of AI to transform parts of financial services, while representatives from market leaders will discuss how the technology is shoring up their moats.

The percentage of U.S. households with at least one video streaming service is now at 89%, significantly higher than cable TV. (Park Associates) What is driving this trend? How many business models and concepts will we see next? Skinny Bundles, Cord-Cutting, Streaming Services, and FAST Channels have all garnered traction.  Are these services meeting consumers’ needs both from a budget standpoint as well as experience?  What technologies will emerge to address those needs? Will AI upend it all with algorithmic personalization and more?  We will hear from entrepreneurs and executives on both sides of the bundle, deploying innovative solutions with a consumer-first approach. 

The Time between funding rounds for private companies have reached peak levels.  The past 12 months have seen difficult trends on private technology company exits.  Strategic buyers are stepping in as investors to test the waters before making acquisitions.  What are the trends and strategies for M&A in 2H 2024, and what will be the catalyst to break the IPO logjam. How are late-stage investors evaluating exit strategies in the current market landscape, and what should venture LPs expect in terms of the market for exits in 2025? 

Reflect on today’s key insights, emerging trends and takeaways that will drive your next opportunity in private tech investment.

Join fellow venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and innovators at our networking hour to continue conversations and build new connections as we conclude the summit.