Episode 35: Where the Money Meets the AI Model | Feat. Dr. Salman Azhar

About this episode

Dr. Salman Azhar discusses the intersection of finance and AI, focusing on investment strategies and the lifecycle of AI startups.

Join us in this episode with Salman Azhar as he unpacks how money really moves in the age of AI, from seed bets to the quiet mid-stage crunch. Discover what serious investors look for in AI startups, why problem-space matters more than buzzwords, and what corporate leaders can learn about capital allocation and incentives. Download the episode transcript ===== AI innovation doesn’t happen on code alone; it runs on capital. In this episode, Lukas Egger talks with Salman Azhar about what really happens “where the money meets the models.” They walk through the lifecycle of an AI company, from risky angel and seed checks to the Series A/B bottleneck and eventual exits. Salman explains why he prioritizes high-value problem spaces and defensible IP over flashy founders and AI-heavy pitches. Hear how AI is transforming venture work at the top of the funnel, while still falling short on trustworthy probabilities. The conversation zooms out to a liquidity crunch, IPOs “queued like planes after a storm,” and too much money chasing a few household AI names while real applications go underfunded. For corporate innovators, Salman’s takeaway is clear: align incentives with upside, kill weak…

People in this episode

Host: Lukas Egger

Guest: Dr. Salman Azhar

Topics covered

• AI investment
• venture capital
• startup lifecycle
• capital allocation
• corporate innovation

Keywords

• AI
• venture capital
• startups
• investment
• corporate innovation
• capital allocation
• problem-space

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Azimuth Opportunity Fund, Duke University, SAP SE

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