By Contributor,Fabrice Coffrini,Gustaf Lundberg Toresson
Copyright forbes
TOPSHOT – A robot using artificial intelligence is displayed at a stand during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, on May 30, 2024. Humanity is in a race against time to harness the colossal emerging power of artificial intelligence for the good of all, while averting dire risks, a top UN official said. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Investments have always been about finding leverage. In the 1990s, it was debt. In the 2000s, it was professionalizing founder-led companies. In the 2010s, it was commercial excellence.
Now, as traditional levers reach maturity and macro tailwinds turn into headwinds, a new frontier is emerging. Not just for cost savings or faster diligence, but for real, scalable value creation.
One new frontier is AI. And the firms that figure out how to operationalize it – will define the next era of champions.
AI as Operational Leverage
Returns rely on on operational leverage: achieving more output with fewer inputs. AI might be a powerful tool for unlocking that.
Within, for instance, B2B services and industrials, AI can:
Automate back-office tasks: invoicing, scheduling, reporting
Optimize pricing, routing, or inventory in real time
Improve customer support with 24/7 AI agents
Enhance sales productivity through CRM automation and AI-generated proposals
Deliver insights from operational data that would otherwise stay hidden in spreadsheets
These aren’t hypothetical use cases. They’re already happening, often with measurable impact on EBITDA within a single quarter.
AI Enables Faster Wins – Without Overload
For any portfolio company CEO, time is one of the most precious, and limited, resources. Between managing operations, customers, and teams, there’s often little room to take on big transformation projects. That’s what makes AI uniquely valuable: it allows companies to move faster without increasing complexity.
MORE FOR YOU
AI tools can be introduced in focused, manageable ways – solving specific problems like reporting automation, smarter scheduling, or quicker quoting. These aren’t massive IT overhauls. They’re often lightweight pilots that can show impact within weeks, not months.
This kind of speed matters – not because someone’s rushing, but because momentum builds confidence. When small wins come early, teams get energized, and leadership sees clear, measurable progress.
In that sense, AI isn’t about urgency – it’s about unlocking clarity, traction, and headroom sooner than expected.
Unlocking Hidden Value With AI
For many portfolio companies, significant value sits trapped in manual processes, underused data, and outdated systems. AI can release it. By automating routine tasks, surfacing insights buried in operations, and enabling smarter, faster decision-making, AI transforms not just efficiency but the growth trajectory of a business.
Even small, targeted AI deployments can unlock new revenue streams, improve margins, and boost scalability. That creates a company that isn’t just running better – it’s worth more. In a competitive exit process, demonstrating AI-driven improvements can be the differentiator that turns a good sale into a premium multiple.
Talent Leverage in a Tight Labor Market
The labor market remains tight, and high-caliber talent is expensive. AI allows lean teams to punch above their weight.
Portfolio company leaders who understand prompt engineering, no-code tools, or embedded AI in operations can enable teams to:
Eliminate repetitive tasks
Deliver faster decision-making
Focus more time on customers, not admin
The result? Productivity gains and a more attractive platform for future leaders to grow inside.
From Experiment to Playbook
To not leave this to chance, one can:
Hire AI leads in a portfolio
Identify replicable use cases
Build shared vendor relationships
Train portfolio leadership teams on how to pilot and scale AI safely
What begins as a few wins becomes a systematic capability. Like lean operations or procurement synergies, AI becomes part of the value creation toolkit – but with higher speed and lower cost to implement.
The Future Is Human – Enhanced
This isn’t about replacing jobs or betting on moonshot tech. It’s about helping good companies become great – through sharper execution, smarter tools, and more leverage per person.
Entrepreneurship has always rewarded those who move first, see clearly, and execute well. AI offers a new lens to do exactly that – across diligence, operations, and value creation.
Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
