Kevin Derman MSc MBA’s Post

Menlo Ventures and Anthropic Launch $100M Anthology Fund for AI Startups 🚀 Menlo Ventures and Anthropic have partnered to create the Anthology Fund, a $100 million initiative to fuel the next generation of AI startups. The fund combines Menlo's extensive company-building experience with Anthropic's pioneering AI technology and research expertise. It aims to invest in companies from seed to expansion stages, focusing on areas such as: • AI infrastructure • Frontier applications • Consumer AI solutions • Trust and safety tooling • AI apps that maximize societal benefits #AnthologyFund #AIStartups #MenloVentures #Anthropic Startups backed by the fund gain access to resources including: • Menlo's experienced investors and network • Anthropic's AI research and products • Access to advanced AI models with $25,000 in free credits • A collaborative community • Structured programs • Additional resources like credits from Menlo's partners and workspace access The Anthology Fund taps expert investors from Menlo's AI team who will work closely with Anthropic's leadership to support promising AI startups. 🤝 Interested founders can apply online at https://lnkd.in/gx3EJbY5 or reach out to the Menlo partners directly. #ApplyNow

Big things are happening for startups here! Earlier this month, Hamilton, Ontario-based Inference Labs Inc., an AI and Web3 startup, closed $2.3 million in pre-seed funding towards making AI inference more accessible. Congratulations to co-founders Colin Gagich and Ron Chan! The round was co-led by DACM (Digital Asset Capital Management), Mechanism Capital, and Delphi Ventures, with additional participation from Big Brain Holdings, Bitscale Capital, Edessa Capital, ID Theory, Metropolis DAO, Mozaik Capital, Newman Capital, Seed Club Ventures, and several angel investors. 💡 So here's why this investment is such a big deal: AI inference is the stage where a trained machine-learning model applies its knowledge to make deductions or predictions based on fresh data. Making AI inference accessible allows smaller businesses and startups to unlock more opportunities to foster innovation. This in turn enables businesses to streamline operations and increase efficiency with AI, implement greater ethical guidelines and regulation of AI systems, and fuel economic growth by creating more jobs in the Canadian tech sector. 👉 Read more in the BetaKit article: https://lnkd.in/gpqg7kBp #AI #Web3 #Startups #Funding #Investment #CanadianBusiness #HamOnt #Hamilton #Ontario

Menlo Ventures and Anthropic have joined forces to launch the $100M Anthology Fund, targeting pre-seed to Series A AI startups. Key points: -->$100K+ investments -->$25K in Anthropic model credits -->Focus on companies building with Anthropic or broadly in AI This collaboration between a top VC and a leading AI company signals a strong push for innovation in the AI ecosystem. Startups, get your applications ready! #AI #VentureCapital #Startups

See this chart? 💰 This is the San Fran Bay Area versus the rest of the world in #AI funding. Last year, more than 50% of ALL global venture funding for AI-related startups went to companies headquartered in the Bay Area. And, the Bay Area alone had more AI-related startup funding deals than ALL COUNTRIES outside of the U.S. Let that sink in... This is a major problem for #ecosystems across the US, who are pinning their hopes on VC-backed companies in this AI startup renaissance moment. AI is a race to see who can come out the winner. 🏆 And the way you win in startupland is you pick the company you want to bet on and you back it with a lot of capital. With the Bay Area dominating the AI funding game, it's going to be increasingly difficult for other ecosystems to compete. chart via Crunchbase

Big names, big money, big AI dreams! SoftBank, SK, LG, and Hanwha are joining forces in a $130 million AI startup fund. Talk about a tech powerhouse team-up! They're not stopping there – the fund could grow to $200 million by year's end. Got a groundbreaking AI idea? These giants might just be your new best friends. The AI gold rush is on, and these companies are bringing the shovels. Who's excited to see what game-changing startups emerge from this collaboration?

Ever wondered if joining an accelerator program is worth it? The answer is yes, absolutely! With the AI Start program, you’ll not only build a strong #community and #network, but you’ll also gain the essential tools to launch your AI #startup. The entrepreneurial journey can be lonely, but here, you'll find connections and support that last a lifetime. We’re proud of our teams and their incredible achievements. 🤝💡 Applications for Batch #2 are closing soon! #AIStart #StartupCommunity #EntrepreneurLife #TechAccelerator #Teamwork | Benjamin Braun | innoWerft | IPAI | TUM Venture Labs | Start-up BW

The tech giants that once revolutionized our lives are now struggling to maintain their edge, creating a unique opportunity for deep tech ventures to step in. Unlike big tech, which is optimized for profits and product delivery, deep tech ventures are tackling society’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to health crises. With investments in AI, quantum computing, and robotics, companies like Microsoft have recognized the massive potential of these foundational technologies. Aventurine Capital Group's unique perpetual IP investment model is designed to support early-stage deep tech companies, driving the next wave of innovation. The future belongs to the companies solving large-scale societal problems, and there has never been a better time to invest in deep tech. At Aventurine, we're ready to lead the way. https://lnkd.in/gaMX-Yva #IP #Investing #VC #Venture #DeepTech #Startups

AI search startup Perplexity is closing a funding round that would value it at $9 billion, tripling its valuation from just a few months ago. Institutional Venture Partners is leading the $500 million round, which will be Perplexity’s fourth funding infusion this year, reflecting strong investor interest in generative AI technologies. Initially valued at $520 million at the start of 2023, Perplexity has quickly risen to prominence. However, the company faces legal challenges, with Dow Jones suing and the New York Times issuing a cease-and-desist, accusing Perplexity of using their reporting without fair compensation. #PerplexityAI #GenerativeAI #TechFunding #ArtificialIntelligence #StartupValuation https://lnkd.in/eC7P2a83

Fantastic pitch event by Startup&Angels tonight, and what an amazing lineup of investors for the panel. My favourite paraphrased quote tonight... rather that product-market fit, but market-product fit. As building products is getting easier, what makes a difference is being able to find and distribute to the market effectively. I also found it pleasantly surprised that there was only one pitch that led with Generative AI in the pitch as it showed everyone else has been focusing on the customer problem. I know a little weird coming from an AI guy, but building AI and then finding a problem to fit it in rarely works. Also the pure number of founders and those looking for co-founders shows the startup ecosystem is still very much alive despite the macro challenges everyone faces. #startup #venture #pitch

🟢 Menlo Ventures and Anthropic Launch $100M 'Anthology Fund' for AI Startups ➡️ Menlo Ventures, a major investor in AI startup Anthropic, has announced a collaboration to create a $100 million initiative called the "Anthology Fund". This fund aims to invest in pre-seed, seed, and Series A artificial intelligence companies, leveraging Menlo's close relationship with one of the world's leading foundational model companies. ➡️ The Anthology Fund will write checks starting at $100,000 and provide startups with $25,000 worth of credits to use Anthropic's models. This move comes after Menlo's recent investment of over $750 million in Anthropic, making it one of the company's top backers. ➡️ Tim Tully, a partner at Menlo Ventures, emphasized the opportunity to identify great companies building on Anthropic's technology or AI more broadly. The fund will use a proprietary machine learning tool to score and rank applications, with a more streamlined due diligence process compared to typical investments. The Anthology Fund represents a strategic move by Menlo Ventures to capitalize on its strong position in the AI sector and foster innovation among early-stage AI startups. By offering both capital and access to Anthropic's models, this initiative could play a significant role in shaping the next generation of AI companies and technologies. #VentureNews