What VCs Are Asking Portfolio Companies About AI Visibility
Yuval Halevi
January 2026
9 min read
If you've had a board meeting recently, you may have noticed something new on the agenda. VCs are asking their portfolio companies about AI visibility. Not as a curiosity. As a strategic concern.
From conversations with founders across our client base, I've compiled the specific questions VCs are asking, why they're asking them, and how to answer in a way that shows you're ahead of the curve.
TL;DR
VCs are asking about AI visibility because buyers are researching there. If prospects ask ChatGPT about your category and you're invisible, that's a pipeline problem.
The 5 questions coming up most: awareness of the channel, competitive position, plan of action, budget allocation, and measurement approach.
Best answer position: "We're tracking it, we have baseline data, and here's our plan." Worst: "We haven't looked into it yet."
This isn't about having all the answers. It's about showing you're aware and have a thoughtful response.
Why VCs Care About AI Visibility
This isn't VCs chasing the latest trend. There's strategic logic behind the questions:
1
Pipeline Protection
If 20-30% of B2B research is happening in AI tools, that's pipeline you're either capturing or losing. VCs want to know you're protecting top-of-funnel.
2
Competitive Moat
Early AI visibility compounds. Companies that establish presence now have an advantage that's hard to replicate later. VCs are looking for forward-thinking.
3
Market Awareness Signal
How you answer this question signals how aware you are of market shifts. VCs want founders who see change coming, not ones who get blindsided.
4
Portfolio Cross-Pollination
VCs talk to many portfolio companies. They're hearing about AI visibility wins from some. They want to share what's working across the portfolio.
Smart founders are building AI visibility dashboards—command centers that track citation rates, trust hub sources, and competitive position. Here's what a board-ready AI visibility dashboard looks like:
The GEO Command Center: Metrics That Actually Matter
Tap to enlargeClick to enlarge
This type of dashboard helps you answer VC questions with specific metrics rather than vague awareness. Citation rate, trust hub sources, and query tracking become board-level KPIs.
The 5 Questions VCs Are Asking
Based on founder conversations, these are the specific questions coming up in board meetings and investor updates:
1
"Are you aware that buyers are using ChatGPT to research solutions?"
WHY THEY'RE ASKING
They want to know if you're tracking market behavior changes. Not being aware signals you might be missing other shifts too.
✓ STRONG ANSWER
"Yes, we're seeing it in our sales calls. About 30% of prospects mention they asked AI first. We've started tracking our visibility and have baseline data."
✗ WEAK ANSWER
"I've heard about it but haven't really looked into how it affects us."
2
"Do you know if you appear when people ask AI about your category?"
WHY THEY'RE ASKING
They're checking if you have actual data or are just aware conceptually. Having specific numbers shows you're taking it seriously.
✓ STRONG ANSWER
"We ran a baseline audit. We appear in Perplexity for about 40% of key queries, but only 15% in ChatGPT. Competitor A shows up more frequently."
✗ WEAK ANSWER
"I assume we do since our SEO is strong. I haven't specifically tested it."
3
"What's your plan for AI visibility?"
WHY THEY'RE ASKING
They want to see proactive thinking, not just awareness. Having even a basic plan shows you're action-oriented.
✓ STRONG ANSWER
"We're working with a GEO specialist. Phase 1 is entity consistency and schema markup. Phase 2 is content restructuring. Targeting 60% Perplexity coverage by Q2."
✗ WEAK ANSWER
"It's on our list for next quarter. We'll probably have our SEO agency look at it."
4
"How much are you investing in this?"
WHY THEY'RE ASKING
They're calibrating if your investment matches the opportunity size. Too little suggests you're not serious. Too much raises efficiency questions.
✓ STRONG ANSWER
"We're allocating about 15-20% of our marketing budget, roughly $15K/month. That covers agency fees and additional content production."
✗ WEAK ANSWER
"We haven't budgeted specifically for it. Our existing marketing should cover it."
5
"How do you measure success here?"
WHY THEY'RE ASKING
They want to see you're thinking about outcomes, not just activity. Specific metrics show sophistication.
✓ STRONG ANSWER
"We track citation rate by platform, mention accuracy, and competitive share of voice. Leading indicators weekly, board-level summary quarterly."
✗ WEAK ANSWER
"We'll know it's working when we see more traffic. Same as SEO basically."
The Answer Spectrum
VCs aren't expecting you to have AI visibility figured out. They're assessing your awareness and response. Here's how answers typically land:
Red Flag Response
"We haven't really looked into AI visibility. Our SEO is strong so I assume we're fine."
Signals: Unaware of market shift, assumption-based thinking, potential blind spot
Acceptable Response
"We're aware it's becoming important. We've done some initial testing with ChatGPT. It's on our roadmap to address more systematically."
Signals: Aware but not yet acting, on the radar but not prioritized
Strong Response
"We ran a baseline audit last month. We appear in Perplexity for 40% of our key queries but only 15% in ChatGPT. We're working with a GEO specialist and targeting 60% Perplexity coverage by Q2."
Signals: Data-driven, proactive, specific plan, clear metrics
Exceptional Response
"AI visibility is a board-level metric for us. We're ahead of [Competitor X] in Perplexity and closing the gap in ChatGPT. Here's the dashboard we track monthly. We're allocating 20% of our marketing budget here because our sales team is hearing 'I asked ChatGPT first' in discovery calls."
Signals: Strategic priority, competitive awareness, connected to revenue, board-level tracking
Pre-Meeting Preparation Checklist
Before your next board meeting, have answers ready for these:
Do you know your current citation rate in Perplexity vs ChatGPT?
Can you name which competitors appear more/less than you?
Do you have a specific plan (not just awareness)?
Have you allocated budget for this?
Can you show metrics you're tracking?
The Questions You Should Ask Back
Smart founders use this as a two-way conversation. Questions that show strategic thinking:
"What are you seeing work across the portfolio?"
VCs talk to multiple companies. They may have insights from portfolio companies further along in AI visibility.
"Any agencies or specialists you'd recommend?"
VCs often have vetted vendor lists. Getting a warm intro to a proven GEO partner saves evaluation time.
"How are other portfolio companies budgeting for this?"
Helps you calibrate whether your investment level is appropriate relative to peers at similar stages.
"Do you want this as a standing board metric?"
Shows you're taking it seriously and willing to be held accountable. Also sets expectations for reporting.
If You're Behind: The 30-Day Response
If your VC asks and you don't have answers yet, here's how to respond constructively:
Immediate Response (In the meeting)
SAY THIS
"Honestly, we haven't systematically addressed AI visibility yet. It's a fair gap. I'd like to come back to you in 30 days with a baseline audit and a plan. Can we make that a follow-up item?"
Your 30-Day Action Plan
1
Run Baseline Audit
Week 1
Test 30-50 category queries across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Document where you appear and where competitors appear.
2
Competitive Analysis
Week 2
Document competitor visibility. Identify who's ahead, who's behind, and what they seem to be doing differently.
3
Research Options
Week 3
Evaluate: Do this in-house or hire a specialist? Get 2-3 agency proposals if going external. Estimate budget requirements.
4
Present Plan
Week 4
Send VC a one-page summary: current state, competitive position, recommended approach, budget ask, expected timeline.
The Bottom Line
VCs are asking because AI visibility matters to pipeline. This isn't a checkbox question. It's a genuine strategic concern about how buyers discover your company.
You don't need to have it figured out. You need to be aware and have a plan. The worst answer is "we haven't thought about it." The best answer shows data, competitive awareness, and intentional action.
Use this as an opportunity. If your VC is asking, they may have portfolio resources, agency recommendations, or budget support to offer. Turn the question into a conversation.
Helping SaaS companies and developer tools get cited in AI answers since before it was called "GEO." 10+ years in B2B SEO, 50+ cybersecurity and SaaS tools clients.
