We will come up with a new logo in the future!
Welcome back to article 3 of the AI x PE weekly series reboot. You can find the latest post and original pilot series here: part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here, and 4 here.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve had the “how do we actually roll out AI?” conversation with 15 portcos. It’s starting to feel like a Dwayne Johnson action comedy: different cast, different setting, familiar plot. The PE firm asks management to figure out AI, someone buys the licences, and a few employees start experimenting. Some teams had thoughtful plans, but most were getting stuck in similar places (note: we did have conversations with some portcos that genuinely had an impressive and thoughtful approach. Credit where it's due)
We also have a busy October ahead at Road To Carry, with hands-on AI for PE workshops (AI for Market Mapping & Sourcing, AI at Portfolio Companies)
and a new partnership with Chariot Labs to help our network bring AI into their portfolio companies. Scroll to the mid-section for upcoming dates, registration details, and more on the partnership below.
If you’re an AI or tech provider serving the PE ecosystem interested in supporting AI To Carry series with sponsorships, please reply to this email with your company website and budget!
Several PE and indy sponsor backed portfolio companies in the Road To Carry network have worked with Chariot Labs, and the feedback I’ve heard has been very positive, with all engagements leading to additional projects. So if you’re interested in how AI can be embedded into portco to drive real value creation, reach out!
Chariot Labs helps PE-backed companies identify and prioritize where AI can create value, then embeds AI engineers to build and deploy those workflows into their existing systems.
Founded by former PE investors and AI engineers, we specialize in business services, industrial services, and multi-site retail. Our engagements range from field services companies to education services, and include work within the Apax portfolio.
Want to know how your competitors are using AI? Book a free call with the Chariot Labs founding team today.
Let’s dive into today’s topic: how we’ve seen businesses adopt AI and what’d we do differently.
State of Play
Hi I’m Davis—an ex-PE investor who’s spent the last two years building and deploying AI tools across the world's largest investment banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Every Wednesday, Edwin and I will be closing the gap in AI knowledge in PE, one use case at a time.
We grouped those 15 companies into four stages based on what they described: six were mostly using AI for individual tasks, eight had employees building their own tools, and one had started rolling it out more systematically. None described the ongoing testing and cost management we’d put in stage four.
