Predictions for 2026 Big opportunities in navigating the AI-driven future

As we enter 2026, the landscape for start-ups, particularly those in the tech and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors, is set to undergo profound changes. The evolution of autonomous AI agents, the increasing demand for secure, efficient systems, and the need for an entirely new infrastructure to support AI-driven commerce are just a few of the trends emerging in the next few years. But as the opportunities become clearer, so too do the challenges that will test the resilience and adaptability of the UK's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Three leading figures from the venture capital world share their thoughts on what lies ahead, shedding light on both the bright spots and the obstacles that will shape the start-up world this year.

Autonomous AI: From Prototypes to Enterprise Solutions
For Adam French, Partner at Antler, a global VC firm that partners with early stage founders to build, launch and scale high impact tech start-ups, 2026 will mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI. He predicts a clear shift on the horizon. "AI agents move from prototypes to production," he notes, highlighting that 2026 will be the year when fully autonomous AI agents begin to deliver tangible business value. "Adoption moves beyond pilots into enterprise workflows, regulated sectors, and consumer applications." The potential impact of this transformation is especially acute in healthcare, where demand for AI-driven clinical decision support, diagnostics, workflow automation, and remote care infrastructure is on the rise, particularly as the NHS remains under pressure. French remains optimistic about the regulatory landscape catching up to demand: "Regulatory clarity is improving, and APIs are opening up, enabling a wave of new entrants. The UK remains Europe's most attractive market for building globally exportable health tech." However, the road ahead is far from smooth. French points to a critical challenge: "The talent gap in applied AI widens. Demand for AI engineers, product builders, and domain specialists far outstrips supply. UK founders will struggle to hire the people needed to ship AI-native products quickly enough." Compounding this issue is policy uncertainty. "Changes in AI, entrepreneurial, pension, and R&D incentives create planning complexity," French observes. "Founders may lose confidence in long-term policy direction even as the UK aims to be globally competitive." Looking back to 2025, French notes the emphasis on speed in the start-up ecosystem. "Helping founders push as hard as they can to compete globally was key. 2025 was the year where speed mattered more than ever. The companies winning are the ones moving fastest and aiming far beyond the local market." In his view, the central challenge for many start-ups is finding balance. "Growth without retention is not product-market fit," he asserts, underlining the importance of creating real, lasting value.

Geopolitical Shifts and Global E-Commerce Disruption
Hannah Leach, also a Partner at Antler, identifies the ongoing war in Ukraine as a key factor influencing global venture capital trends. "More capital is being raised around dual-use and defense," she notes, adding that NATO and western governments are becoming more receptive to AI-driven software and streamlined procurement processes. "We will likely see more founders building in dual-use and defense sectors." For Leach, hardware remains an area of focus. "Hardware will continue to have its moment," she says, predicting that the relationship between hardware and software will evolve: "We'll perhaps see increased decoupling between hardware and software, with more focus on software-for-hardware." At the same time, the world of e-commerce is poised for dramatic change. "In 2026, we'll see a big shift in e-commerce towards agentic commerce - people purchasing through LLMs, platforms optimising discovery in LLMs, agent-to-agent commerce, hyper-personalised discovery and customer profiling." On the consumer side, Leach points to the ongoing struggles within the healthcare sector, but notes a growing awareness around underfunded issues, particularly women's health. "A continued emphasis on female health - areas that have to date been overlooked and underfunded," she says. Yet it is the intersection of AI and healthcare that she finds most exciting. "What level of analytics, data, and insights can AI unlock? And what improvements can it lead to on the predictive health front?" Leach is also attuned to the rising wave of cyberattacks and believes there will be a corresponding surge in cybersecurity efforts. "We will see renewed efforts and energy being focused on cybersecurity, especially in highly-regulated and consumer-facing industries." However, she acknowledges that there may be hesitation in some quarters. "At a corporate and VC level, there will be hesitation around AI... Will the purchases made to date have been 'AI panic purchases' with no proper strategic intent or ROI?" The result, she predicts, will be longer sales cycles and a greater focus on founders proving their value. Looking ahead, Leach anticipates some hurdles. "Continued challenges around raising growth capital in the UK/ Europe, and potentially moving goalposts around ARR and growth milestones required to raise If ChatGPT becomes a major point of discovery and distribution, we will see a huge number of ecommerce/ consumer-facing brands fall off a cliff.," she concludes.

The Rebuilding of Infrastructure for AI Agents
For Sarah Finegan, Associate Partner at Antler, 2026 presents a unique opportunity: the overhaul of infrastructure needed to support AI agents. "AI agents are forcing a fundamental rebuild of infrastructure across multiple industries," Finegan explains. "Today's systems, payments, identity, compliance, procurement, logistics, were all built assuming humans would be operating them. Agents work differently. They process continuously, make decisions in microseconds, and coordinate at machine scale. The infrastructure can't keep up, and that gap is creating enormous market opportunity." The need for new payment rails, identity systems, and compliance frameworks is evident, Finegan argues. "The opportunity in 2026 is the infrastructure rebuild that AI agents are demanding. This means new payment rails, new identity systems, new compliance frameworks, and new expectations for how money should move." Europe, she believes, is uniquely positioned to lead the way. "Europe's regulatory expertise and enterprise relationships make this our opportunity to own. The next wave of category leaders will build for agents first, humans second." However, Finegan is quick to point out that it is not a simple task. "The market is splitting. Investors have figured out that not all AI companies are created equal," she notes. "In 2026, founders building thin wrappers around foundation models will struggle, while those solving genuine infrastructure problems will find capital and customers." Founders, she adds, will need to stay grounded and avoid being swept up in the hype. "We spent months challenging founders on fundamentals: Do you have the domain expertise to win in your vertical? Where's your unique access? Who's your actual first customer, and why will they pay you?"

Navigating the Opportunities and Obstacles of 2026
Starting 2026, there is no shortage of excitement about what lies ahead. AI continues to evolve, with new opportunities emerging across sectors from healthcare and defense to e-commerce. However, the path forward will not be without its challenges. Talent shortages, policy uncertainty, and a fragmented market will require founders to remain focused on the fundamentals of building a successful business. The start-ups that thrive this year will be those that embrace the future not merely as a trend but as a genuine opportunity to reshape industries. By focusing on creating real value, developing infrastructure that supports AI at scale, and navigating the complexities of a shifting global landscape, founders will define the winners of the year ahead. The opportunities are there. It's up to the founders and investors to seize them.