Hello everyone,
It’s the last month of the year and what a year it’s been.
2025 will be remembered as the year AI adoption matured, market valuations stabilized and founders sharpened their focus on sustainable, measurable progress.
As we close the year and quarter, here’s a quick look at the signals shaping 2025.
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Navigating the AI Hype Curve
Gireendra Kasmalkar, our managing partner, talks about how AI may be the story of the decade but it’s also showing early signs of a bubble.
From trillion-dollar bets on GPUs and hyperscale data centers to inflated valuations for “AI-first” startups, the sector is starting to mirror past tech booms. With nearly 95% of enterprise AI projects failing to meet expectations, the gap between investment and impact is widening.
Pentathlon’s view is that the hype will fade, but AI will stay. The real winners will be use-case-first founders who pair domain expertise with measurable outcomes building profitably around specific workflows, not grand narratives.
That’s where the next decade of durable value will be built.
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The winter chill may have set in but our portfolio’s momentum is anything but cold. Here’s how Q3 warmed up the numbers.
Inside the Portfolio
The most defining wins across our portfolio this quarter
Pentathlon Day and Founder’s Evening 2025
Explore. Network. Celebrate.
This year’s Pentathlon partners evening brought together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for an evening of sharp insights and candid conversations. From AI’s practical impact on B2B tech to the evolving dynamics of startup funding, every session underscored one theme: clarity over noise.
Key Takeaways
- AI meets execution: TCS CTO Dr. Harrick Vin unpacked how AI is benefitting enterprises incrementally today, but the real differentiation will come with AI capturing the decision-making of experts and redefining the value enterprises bring to their customers.
- Fundamentals matter: Pentathlon’s Managing Partners discussed the tightening capital climate and why sustainable unit economics are defining the new normal.
- Storytelling as leverage: Prezentium’s Pradeep Yuvraj shared how clear narratives help founders raise smarter, sell faster, and lead better.
- Founder showcase: Every portfolio company hosted interactive booths, giving investors a firsthand view of product progress and traction.
The evening closed with a dose of laughter from Fatima Ayesha Khan, a reminder that even in venture, perspective matters as much as performance.
GTMD Insights
Lessons from founders this quarter
A candid discussion on how AI is changing day-to-day sales execution, from smarter qualification to faster deal cycles.
Investors broke down what’s actually getting funded today – clear problem definition, early traction, and a “why now” that stands on real customer demand.
We also spotlighted two SaaS founders who demoed their products live followed by an evening of genuine networking and high-context conversations.
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Want to be in the room next time?
The Road Ahead
Let’s build what the world will need next
2025 reaffirmed what Pentathlon has always believed: hype fades but strong fundamentals don’t.
As we step into 2026, our lens shifts to AI-in-the-Stack: how intelligent layers are quietly transforming core SaaS infrastructure.
It’s where automation becomes embedded, invisible, and indispensable.
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We’d love to hear from you.
What did you think of this edition? Anything you’d like us to explore next quarter?
Follow us on LinkedIn for portfolio news, founder stories, and insights.
Visit our website for deeper research and updates from across the ecosystem.
Until next quarter,
Team Pentathlon Ventures
