flows, not features: the future of AI platforms
How interconnected AI agents, generative interfaces, and autonomous workflows are redefining productivity, decision-making, and enterprise value in 2026 and beyond
By 2025, the market has decisively shifted as AI adoption is no longer experimental but foundational to business performance. 78% of organizations are using AI in at least one business function increased from 55% during 2024.
This broad enterprise adoption correlates with measurable outcomes as organizations report productivity gains of 26 to 55% and approximately $3.70 in ROI per dollar invested on average from AI initiatives.
88% of companies now report regular use of AI in at least one function and 23% say they are scaling agentic AI beyond pilots into production workflows while 39% experiment with agentic systems. For Kay VC, these statistics signal a fundamental transition. AI is evolving from a productivity booster into the operating layer of modern enterprises where speed, efficiency, and autonomous execution define competitiveness.
The End of AI as only a Tool
This shift is most visible in our focus on Agentic AI systems deployed as interconnected flows. Agentic AI systems capable of planning and executing multi-step tasks already accounts for a growing share of AI value creation (about 17% of total AI value) and is expected to approach 29% by 2028 as enterprises expand deployments.
Early adopters are already seeing dramatic efficiency improvements in planning, execution, and cross system coordination. Kay VC is prioritizing ventures that not only operationalize agentic agents but treat them as orchestrated workflows where agents negotiate with data, tools, and stakeholders continuously.
We’re seeing the earliest evidence of integrated agentic flows where handoffs are automated and outcomes are negotiated autonomously deliver 2–3X higher return on automation investment compared with isolated copilots or point AI tools. A trend we expect to accelerate through 2026.
AI That Negotiates, Not Just Recommends
At the user interface layer, Generative AI has become the new default mode of interaction for both knowledge workers and consumers. In 2025, surveys indicate that 82% of professionals use generative AI weekly with 46% using it daily and 72% formally measuring ROI tied to productivity and profit gains.
This shift toward intent driven interaction, reasoning with AI in natural language and multimodal formats has helped transform complex analytics and decision support into conversational flows. Kay VC predicts that by 2026, the majority of enterprise workflows will be initiated and managed via generative interfaces leading to the collapse of training curves and dramatically increasing adoption rates.
As generative interfaces extend into agentic orchestration, businesses will gain new speed and adaptability. These workflows that once took days will complete in minutes and machine learning loops will tighten continuously.
Generative AI Becomes the Interface
Looking toward 2026, Kay VC believes venture value will concentrate in companies that demonstrate tangible, measurable efficiency and outcome improvements rather than speculative capabilities alone.
We expect core KPIs such as end-to-end cycle time reduction (30 to 50%), forecast accuracy improvements (20 to 40%), and autonomous operational uptime (99%+ in critical flows) to become standardized investment metrics.
At the same time trust, explainability, and governance will drive adoption and valuation, as enterprise buyers demand observable, auditable AI behavior.
