Head of AT&T Ventures Vikram Taneja steers the telecom giant’s corporate VC arm toward early‑stage bets that can leverage its massive network and engineering talent. The fund focuses on seed to Series B software, hardware and infrastructure startups, counting names like Databricks, Apptronik and AST Space Mobile among its portfolio.

Taneja argues AI tools have lowered the hurdle to build functional apps, shifting technical risk from "can they build it?" to "is the technology defensible?" He looks for data moats, proprietary training sets and built‑in network effects that can survive three to four years. This lens pushes investors to scrutinise distribution plans and market traction far earlier than in previous cycles.

For corporate investors, the new dynamics create a clear advantage: AT&T can offer proof‑of‑concept trials, real‑world validation and access to its network before writing a check. That "free diligence" differentiates the CVC from traditional financial VCs, giving seed startups a tangible path to enterprise pilots while sharpening AT&T’s own strategic pipeline.