From Code to Crystal Ball: A Strategist’s Top AI Picks

Engineer-Turned-Strategist Bets Big on AI’s Next Titans

Former software engineer Cyrus Tafti, now a partner at Alphabet-backed VC firm Gradient Ventures, is channeling his coding roots into venture capital foresight. In a recent feature, Tafti named his top AI startup picks, placing strong bets on companies he believes are laying the groundwork for generational transformation in enterprise and developer software. Among his favorites: Replit for collaborative coding, Harvey for AI-driven legal services, and Typeface—a branded content creation platform using generative AI. According to Tafti, these companies aren’t just building cool tools; they’re targeting deep pain points that generative AI is now mature enough to address at scale.

More Than Hype: Why These Startups Stand Out

What sets these startups apart, Tafti argues, is their hybrid DNA—equal parts infrastructure and application layer innovation. With AI democratizing capabilities once locked behind specialized APIs or manual workflows, startups like Replit are turning code collaboration into something as effortlessly social as Google Docs. Meanwhile, Harvey is infusing legal intelligence into law firms’ back offices, and Typeface is empowering brands to automate content while protecting their unique voice. Tafti says this convergence of usability and AI infrastructure is what defines the next iconic startups—and investors should be watching closely as these firms scale.