In the new article published in Expansion and in the white paper “The B2B Legacy SaaS Disruption”, Patricio Hunt, Managing Partner of Intelectium, analyzes why the traditional SaaS model (as it was conceived in the cloud era) may not be ready for the change that autonomous AI agents represent.
The document states a clear thesis:
The problem isn't adding AI to an existing SaaS. The problem is that the architecture on which traditional SaaS was built was not designed for systems that operate 24/7, execute thousands of tasks in parallel and work autonomously.
Some of the key points developed in the white paper:
- The multi-tenant and request-response model of traditional SaaS comes into tension when AI agents need continuous and massive operation.
- Per-seat pricing clashes with automation: if AI reduces the number of users needed, it also reduces the revenues of the traditional model.
- The transition to AI-native models can occur in 3-5 years, not in 10-15 as in previous technological disruptions.
- The current SaaS market could transform into a new model of Intelligence-as-a-Service before 2030.
- There are specific technical questions that make it possible to distinguish between a SaaS with added AI and a truly AI-native architecture.
Some key insights from the article:
- 80% of CTOs today do not exceed the new due diligence standards in SaaS models.
- No SaaS without AI-native architecture will ever be Scaleup in 2030 if it does not solve the structural problem of efficiency and automation.
- The market has a window of just 18-24 months before the disruption is irreversible.
The advent of AI is not an incremental improvement. It is a change in architecture, margins and business model.
The white paper delves into the strategic implications for:
- Venture Capital Funds
- SaaS Scaleups
- Management teams
- Technology Buyers
If you work in venture capital or lead a SaaS company, this analysis isn't optional.
