What AI Investors Are Looking For Now – A Practical Guide for Founders

AI is moving faster than most founders and most investors can fully process. Technical complexity, polished demos, and early traction can make it difficult to know what really matters when building and fundraising in AI. This interactive workshop hosted by Arāya Ventures is designed for founders and operators building in and around AI who want to understand how investors evaluate AI startups. If you are raising now or planning to raise in the next 12 months, this session will help you better understand what investors actually look for beyond the hype. Led by Arāya Ventures Founder & Managing Partner Rupa Popat, the workshop shares how a global venture fund evaluates AI startups, what signals matter most, and how founders can position their companies more clearly in an increasingly crowded AI market. Schedule 6:30pm – Workshop 7:10pm – Q&A 7:30pm – End Who this is for: • Founders and operators building AI startups• Founders currently fundraising or planning to raise in the next 12 months• Builders who want to understand how investors evaluate AI companies• Early-stage teams figuring out how to position their AI product and moat Why you should join: In AI, the challenge is no longer access to information, it's knowing what signals actually matter to investors. In this workshop, Rupa shares how investors think when evaluating AI startups, and what founders should focus on when presenting their company. You’ll learn how to: • Understand what AI investors really care about in 2026• Position your AI product and moat in a crowded market• Recognise the signals investors look for beyond demos and early traction• Ask better questions when speaking to VCs and angels What you’ll get: • A clear framework for how investors evaluate AI startups• Insights from real investments and portfolio case studies• Practical guidance on communicating your AI product’s defensibility• Common red flags investors notice during AI fundraising• Hands-on exercises to apply investor thinking to real scenarios About Rupa Popat Rupa Popat is the Founder & Managing Partner of award-winning venture capital firm Arāya Ventures. Arāya invests in early-stage startups across Health, Fintech, Future of Work and Commerce with over 65% of investments in AI application companies. Their debut fund is the $26mm super angel fund backed by the British Business Bank has made 23 investments to-date and their latest $30mm global fund has made two investments to-date. Rupa is also the founder of House of Arāya, the end-to-end co-investment ecosystem that provides deal access, insights & learning to a global community of Angel investors.  Through the House of Arāya, Rupa has supported 400+ angels in the UK, Dubai, Riyadh, LA, Singapore, Toronto and New York to access to the venture asset class. Arāya Ventures was awarded 2025 Best New Fund Manager at the EISA awards and recognised as Pre-Seed & Seed Investment Firm of the Year 2025 – UK at the Investment Excellence Awards 2025. About Arāya Ventures Arāya Ventures is an award-winning early-stage venture capital firm investing across AI, Health, FinTech, Future of Work, and Commerce, with over 70% of its portfolio focused on AI application companies. Its debut fund was the $26.3m Super Angel Fund, backed by the British Business Bank, with 21 investments to date. Arāya Ventures also manages a dedicated $30m Global Fund focused on investments across the GCC, Europe, and Asia, supporting high-potential founders at the earliest stages of growth. In addition to investing, Arāya Ventures operates an investor education platform focused on developing the next generation of angel investors. Through the Arāya Ventures Investment Academy, the firm equips investors with practical tools, real-world insights, and disciplined decision-making frameworks. Operating across London, Dubai, Riyadh, and beyond, Arāya Ventures is known for its clarity, integrity, and no-hype approach to early-stage investing. About Arāya Signal As part of our commitment to support new and emerging angel investors on their venture investing journeys, we’re excited to announce the launch of Arāya Signal — our new free weekly newsletter designed to teach the craft of angel investing through clear, practical, and actionable insight. The next issue out is the first in our AI investing series. Sign up here.