Grading 42 AI rollup funds: none earn top grade for verified results
curious_vii · x · 2026-09-06
Christian Ulstrup of Caritas Ventures published a 2026 market map of AI rollups and AI-native private equity, reviewing 80+ firms and grading 42:
- Grade A (third-party verified outcomes): none — only Apollo and Vista Equity Partners hit that bar among conventional PE benchmarks
- Grade B (company-reported): acquisition platforms like Beacon Software, Eudia, Metropolis, Modus, and Thrive Holdings; transformation partners including Caritas and The OpenAI Deployment Company; plus General Catalyst Creation
- Grade C (thesis only): the largest bucket, including AIVC, Sequence Holdings, and Tenet
Grades only count publicly verifiable results — demos, projected margins, and branded "AI OS" claims were excluded. The map doubles as an options guide for owners of businesses this category is buying.
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