@JasonrShuman: VCs tend to shy away from tech...
@JasonrShuman
0 views
Feb 04, 2025
1
VCs tend to shy away from tech enabled services
Scale AI is now worth nearly $14B
It’s the most successful tech-enabled service in recent memory
More will come following its model.
Why?
Scale AI is now worth nearly $14B
It’s the most successful tech-enabled service in recent memory
More will come following its model.
Why?
2
B2B tech-enabled services = recurring revenue
AI + Services = unlocks software like gross margins
Contractor model = less challenges with utilization, leading to more flexibility in the model and more predictable gross margins
AI + Services = unlocks software like gross margins
Contractor model = less challenges with utilization, leading to more flexibility in the model and more predictable gross margins
3
Moats
It appears that companies like scale AI have:
1. Network economies
The more companies that use it, the better their tooling gets for their data labeling. The better their tooling gets, the more efficient their 240K+ workforce becomes
It appears that companies like scale AI have:
1. Network economies
The more companies that use it, the better their tooling gets for their data labeling. The better their tooling gets, the more efficient their 240K+ workforce becomes
4
2. Switching costs
Whether it’s their Scale Rapid product where they label for customers
Or their scale Studio product that enables in-house teams to annotate the data
Scales customers go through the heavy lift of getting things up + running smoothly, making it hard to churn
Whether it’s their Scale Rapid product where they label for customers
Or their scale Studio product that enables in-house teams to annotate the data
Scales customers go through the heavy lift of getting things up + running smoothly, making it hard to churn
5
3. Process Power
Scaling a team of 240K offshore laborers is hard.
The company is 8 yrs old and has learned some invaluable lessons that will be difficult to replicate without spending a ton of engineering and ops
And likely sacrificing gross margins along the way
Scaling a team of 240K offshore laborers is hard.
The company is 8 yrs old and has learned some invaluable lessons that will be difficult to replicate without spending a ton of engineering and ops
And likely sacrificing gross margins along the way
6
4. Brand
Scale AI is trusted by some of the biggest names in the world including OpenAI, Airbnb, Brex and the DoD
This gives them an advantage when competing against other companies across a wide array of industries
Scale AI is trusted by some of the biggest names in the world including OpenAI, Airbnb, Brex and the DoD
This gives them an advantage when competing against other companies across a wide array of industries
7
The opportunity
Vertical focused tech enabled services powered by AI that
1. Own the demand side
2. Build out industry specific expertise in highly complex or regulated markets
3. Build out workflow/collaboration tooling for internal teams
And most importantly
Vertical focused tech enabled services powered by AI that
1. Own the demand side
2. Build out industry specific expertise in highly complex or regulated markets
3. Build out workflow/collaboration tooling for internal teams
And most importantly
8
4. Complete the task end-to-end
While Scale does an incredible job of helping train the models, the opportunity is to be the application layer and service provider that completes the job to be done
Whether it’s reviewing key docs for errors and fixing them, providing a diagnosis or recommendation, creating a personalized presentation or more, Vertical AI software + services has a lot of potential
While Scale does an incredible job of helping train the models, the opportunity is to be the application layer and service provider that completes the job to be done
Whether it’s reviewing key docs for errors and fixing them, providing a diagnosis or recommendation, creating a personalized presentation or more, Vertical AI software + services has a lot of potential