AI Data Cloud Company Snowflake has launched the Startup 2026 AI Agents Mean Business report. In the report, eight leading venture capital investors from around the world share their insights on how AI agents are changing the business landscape and impacting investments in AI startups. Among the investors are Swedish Carl Fritjofsson, General Partner at the venture capital firm Creandum.
The report clearly shows that companies are now leaving behind a period of broad and often haphazard AI experimentation. The focus is instead shifting to how the technology creates measurable business value and tangible returns. According to investors, 2026 is expected to be the year when AI agents are seriously established in business-critical operations.
We are approaching a shift where we leave broad AI experimentation and instead focus on where the technology actually creates returns, says Carl Fritjofsson. Instead of chasing the latest technology, attention is directed towards concrete results and profitability.
The report also highlights clear regional differences. The implementation of AI in larger companies is slower in Europe than in the USA. In the US, companies are putting AI into production more quickly, making issues of security, governance, and access increasingly important.
As an investor in both USA and Europe we see that the introduction of AI is slower in Europe, says Carl Fritjofsson. American companies move faster and put AI into production earlier, while European companies are often more cautious.
At the same time, the report points to several challenges as the market matures. The financing climate is becoming tougher, the demands for clear competitive advantages are increasing, and the balance between innovation and regulation is becoming increasingly important.
Historically, innovation has often come from startups, says Carl Fritjofsson. Today, the battle for innovation is going on everywhere. My concern is that larger companies, despite a slower pace, can win thanks to their distribution and brand trust even if their AI solutions are less advanced than those of startups.
The full report also describes how venture capitalists evaluate AI companies, where they see new investment opportunities, and how they work with entrepreneurs to transform agentic AI into long-term sustainable businesses.
About Snowflake
Snowflake is the platform for the AI era, enabling businesses to innovate faster and create more value from data. More than 12,600 customers worldwide use Snowflake's AI Data Cloud to build, use, and share data apps and AI solutions. Snowflake is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SNOW.
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