Former director of OpenAI joins VC firm Acrew: OpenAI taught him where startups can create “moat”

OpenAI’s first sales director, Aliisa Rosenthal, has found a new job: venture capital. He is joining Acrew Capital company’s opinion as a common partner, working together with founder Lauren Kolodny and other strong partners, Rosenthal and Kolodny told TechCrunch.

Rosenthal left OpenAI about eight months ago after a three-year run at the AI ​​lab that saw the launch of DALL·E, ChatGPT, ChatGPT Enterprise, Sora, and other products. “At first I didn’t want to join a VC fund,” he told TechCrunch. “I met a lot of AI innovators.”

But after growing OpenAI’s business team from two people to hundreds, he saw interest when Kolodny pitched him in business. Instead of helping a startup with its go-to-market, they can help their team.

During his time at OpenAI, “I learned a lot about behavior, on the consumer side, how people think about these purchases, and the gap between what most organizations think is possible and what they can use today,” he said.

For example, he knows for himself what kind of AI model to create that won’t leave model developers at risk if OpenAI launches competing products.

Is OpenAI “just building everything and removing every company? You know, they’re already doing a lot: they’re consumers, they’re in businesses, they’re building a device. I don’t think they’re going to follow every possible project,” he says.

So one moat is for AI startups to deliver unique.

Context like moat

In addition, he thinks that the key to a successful startup will be “events” – or what the AI ​​stores in its window’s memory while working on requests.

“The story is powerful. It’s dynamic. It’s simple. And I think what we’re seeing is going beyond the RAG kind of image-based concept, which is very static,” he says. Back-Up Generation (RAG) a de facto strategy from 2025 to reduce illusions by teaching LLMs in credible, real environments (and having LLMs refer to them).

There are many technologies that need to be developed in this area, however, from memory to thinking beyond recognition.

“I expect real innovation here. I think this year we will see new ways – the idea of ​​stories and memories,” says Rosenthal.

But beyond startups working directly on system technology, Rosenthal thinks business apps that burn will have a chance.

“At the end of the day, when we talk about the moat, I think the ownership and control of this will be the biggest opportunity for AI products,” he says.

Another opportunity he sees: startups that don’t build on top of the lab’s high-end screens, and their high prices.

“I think there’s room in the market for affordable models that are lighter and more creative,” he says. These are models that are not, perhaps, at the top of the range of brands but are “still very useful” and affordable.

“Where I’m most excited about investing is in consumption. I’m interested in what’s going to be sustainable across the board, not just the startups,” he says. They look for startups with “exciting use cases” or those that use AI to help business people work better.

As for where to get these startups, he’ll be using his network among OpenAI’s alums for starters. Now that the AI ​​outfit is 10 years old, the alum network has grown. Many have already launched startups that have raised large amounts of capital at large prices, from OpenAI’s main competitor, Anthropic, to startup companies like Safe Superintelligence.

There is also a growing pattern of OpenAI elites becoming seed keepers. About a year ago, Peter Deng, OpenAI’s former head of procurement joined Felicis. He’s been crushing it ever since, and is clearly enjoying himself, joining the ranks of hot startups like Pictures of LMA and Periodic Labs.

“I called Peter a few months ago, and he helped me make the decision,” Rosenthal said of his decision to become an entrepreneur.

But Rosenthal may have a secret weapon to winning sales. They also have deep connections among business users of AI – the kind of consumers and beta testers these AI startups need.

Businesses still don’t understand how much AI can do for them. “There is a big gap that I hope can be closed. It leaves a lot of green space for applicants and companies.”