AI agents and Agentic AI are transforming the startup world, and I was recently invited to a panel discussion in Tokyo by TAI to give my POV as a Startup Supporter to dive into what this means for the future. The event featured hot startups and enablers to discuss the state of AI in startups. This article highlights some parts that I was able to talk about on the panel.
1. Who I Am, Why my POV on AI
I’m Erdinc Ekinci, and my work spans four interconnected areas all of them getting an excessive amount of AI-related inquiries and applications. So, my perspective is on AI’s impact on startups and the broader ecosystem:
1️⃣ Advisor to governments, corporates, and startups – I help design strategies for partnerships, innovation ecosystems, and economic development.
2️⃣ Leading Openfor.co – A platform that enables scalable partnerships, empowering businesses to collaborate and grow.
3️⃣ Running Founder Institute Japan & Korea – Supporting early-stage founders with mentorship, structure, and investor connections.
4️⃣ Building Co-Capital – An accelerator VC set to launch soon, focusing on supporting the Global GTM efforts of enterprise-first high-tech and AI-driven startups.
Through these roles, I engage with AI adoption from multiple angles—from startups trying to build AI-first businesses to enterprises and governments figuring out how to integrate AI into their workflows in partnership with startups. AI agents might be one of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in decades, not just in technology but in how businesses operate, delegate, innovate, attract funding, and scale.
2. The SaaS Boom and the AI Agent Shift
_"If you wanted to build a billion-dollar company in the last 20 years, SaaS was the best bet—Salesforce, Zoom, Slack, Notion. Nearly 40% of Silicon Valley unicorns followed this playbook. Why? Because platform technology emerged—cloud computing, APIs, and scalable infra-enabled software to be built faster and cheaper.
Now, a similar shift might be happening with AI agents."_
3. What’s Changing? The Ingredients Are Ready
"Just like SaaS had the right ingredients, AI agents have three forces aligning today:
Tech: LLMs, automation, scalable AI infrastructure.
Talent: AI is attracting top global talent.
Capital: AI startups raised $50B+ in 2023, and funding momentum is strong.
When these three factors come together, we might see AI-first startups define the next decade."_
4. AI Agents vs. Agentic AI – A Funny Analogy
"People confuse AI agents and 'Agentic AI.' Here’s a simple way to understand it:
AI Agents = A super-efficient intern – follows instructions, completes tasks but doesn’t think ahead.
Agentic AI = A proactive assistant – not just booking flights, but adjusting for weather, rescheduling meetings, and even packing your bags.
Most AI agents today are still interns, not assistants. Agentic AI might emerge, but we’re not fully there yet."_
5. Unique AI Agent Opportunities in Japan, Korea & Taiwan
_"AI adoption in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan is shaped by strong enterprise demand but slower regulatory adaptation.
Japan & Korea – Enterprises might seek AI agents for automation & workflow efficiency but are cautious in full AI integration.
Taiwan – A key player in semiconductor & AI hardware; potential bridge between Asia & global AI markets.
Collaboration across these markets might lead to AI agents that are localized, enterprise-ready, and globally scalable."_
6. Should Founders Build Their Own AI Agents or Use Existing Platforms?
_"AI adoption is growing in enterprises, so founders must decide: build AI from scratch or leverage existing models?
Building from scratch = high capital, deep expertise, and custom data needs.
Leveraging existing AI (GPT, Claude, Gemini) = faster go-to-market, focus on specific business applications.
The smart approach might be building vertical AI applications—AI agents optimized for specific industries and workflows."_
7. AI Agents Will Change How Startups Operate
_"The biggest shift might not be just new AI tools, but the idea that AI agents will work for you.
Instead of switching between SaaS tools, AI might automate entire workflows.
This might lead to hyper-personalized, industry-specific AI startups.
If you’re thinking about building an AI startup, look at SaaS unicorns and ask:
Can an AI agent replace or improve this process?
If yes, that alone might be a billion-dollar opportunity."_
8. What Signals Do I Look for in Early-Stage AI Agent Startups?
"Investing in AI agents is different from investing in SaaS. Here’s what I look for:
Workflow Disruption – Does this AI agent fully replace or significantly improve a business process?
AI Moat (Not Just an API Wrapper) – Is it leveraging proprietary data, fine-tuning models, or just using OpenAI APIs?
Go-to-Market Fit – Is the team solving distribution & adoption challenges? AI agents require new user behaviors.
If a founder can answer these three, they might be onto something big."_
9. AI Agents and the Future of Work – Fewer Employees, More Startups
_"AI might mean fewer employees achieving bigger success, but also new job roles emerging.
Building tech is cheaper than ever.
AI might enable more one-person startups and micro-companies.
More people might choose entrepreneurship over employment.
This aligns with the rise of angel and pre-seed funding—more startups than ever before."_
10. Why Pre-Seed is the Most Critical Stage in VC
_"Pre-seed investing is the most important stage because it creates industries.
65% of VC Lab VCs invest at pre-seed.
Some VCs go even earlier—backing angel and friends & family rounds.
The more early-stage companies we fund, the more options later-stage VCs and corporates have. This is how ecosystems grow."_
11. Pre-Seed & Accelerators – The Foundation of the AI Ecosystem
_"Pre-seed isn’t just about capital—it’s about enabling founders.
Encouraging entrepreneurship as a career path.
Providing training, mentorship, peer networks, and global exposure.
Creating a pipeline for later-stage investors.
When accelerators and early investors support more startups, the entire ecosystem benefits."_
12. What’s the Biggest Risk AI Agent Founders Might Be Overlooking?
"Three major risks founders might be missing:
Technical Costs & Efficiency – AI inference might be expensive at scale; startups must optimize infra early.
Adoption Lag – AI agents require new user behaviors; adoption might be slower than expected.
Monetization – AI-first companies might need new pricing models, as SaaS subscription models may not fit.
The biggest winners might be those who solve infrastructure, adoption, and revenue models."_
13. AI Agent Startups – Winner-Takes-All vs. Multiple Players?
_"Some AI categories might consolidate, but enterprise AI agents might remain fragmented due to industry-specific needs.
If AI agents become a commodity, brand and distribution might matter more than tech.
If AI agents specialize, we might see multiple winners across different industries.
I evaluate AI startups on how defensible their position is in the market."_
14. Now is the Best Time to Build – Quit Your Job and Start a Company
_"AI makes startups more capital-efficient. More funding is available earlier than ever.
The cost of building a company is dropping. AI might mean more startups, smaller teams, and longer runways.
If you’re waiting for the right moment, it’s now. 🚀
Partner with us, validate, build traction, and start a company that advances humanity further!
Become a member for free to build traction >> openfor.co
Apply to the FI Global Accelerator Program regionally >> fi.co
Comments