Kleiner Perkins partner Mamoon Hamid said he is focusing AI investments on tools designed for high-paying professions like doctors and lawyers [1].
This strategic shift highlights a move toward vertical AI, where technology is tailored to specific, high-value industries rather than general-purpose applications. By targeting sectors with high revenue per employee, venture firms aim to find sustainable business models that can withstand the volatility of the AI market.
Hamid said he discussed his approach to early AI investing during a Bloomberg video appearance on Monday [1]. He said the firm evaluates its strategy by examining past successes and missed opportunities, referencing the firm's history with companies such as Slack and Figma [1].
According to Hamid, the most significant potential for AI growth lies in automating or enhancing complex professional workflows. "We've been thinking about this for a while, and we’re seeing that the most interesting opportunities are going to be in highly paid jobs like doctors and lawyers," Hamid said [1].
This focus on specialized professional services aligns with a broader trend of investing in "AI assistants" that can handle the administrative and technical burdens of licensed professionals [2]. The strategy seeks to capture value from industries where accuracy and specialized knowledge are paramount, and where the cost of labor is highest.
Throughout his discussions on the Uncapped podcast and Bloomberg, Hamid said he emphasized the importance of learning from the lifecycle of startups [1, 2]. He said the patterns observed in previous software revolutions provide a roadmap for identifying which AI tools will move from novelty to necessity [1].
“the most interesting opportunities are going to be in highly paid jobs like doctors and lawyers”
The focus on high-paying professional sectors indicates a shift in venture capital appetite from horizontal AI platforms to vertical AI applications. By targeting law and medicine, investors are betting that the highest ROI will come from replacing or augmenting expensive human labor in fields with high barriers to entry and significant billing rates.
