OpenAI Alumni Launch Quiet $100M Investment Fund: What We Know So Far
A new venture capital fund, named Zero Shot, has emerged from former OpenAI employees. The fund aims to raise $100 million and has already secured initial investments and begun writing checks to startups. The founding team includes Evan Morikawa, Andrew Mayne, and Shawn Jain, who are joined by VC Kelly Kovacs and Brett Rounsaville. They have recognized gaps in the AI startup landscape and decided to leverage their deep insight into the sector.
Evan Morikawa, who previously led applied engineering during the launch of DALL·E and ChatGPT, is now with the robotics startup Generalist. Andrew Mayne, known for his role as OpenAI’s original prompt engineer and host of The OpenAI Podcast, has also founded Interdimensional, an AI consultancy. Shawn Jain is a previous researcher at OpenAI and now a venture capitalist and founder of GenAI startup Synthefy.
The fund’s decision to start stems from their shared experiences at OpenAI, where they were often consulted by VCs and founders looking for guidance on AI tech. After discussions with potential investors, Zero Shot anchored its initial funding at $20 million and is now progressing towards a larger goal of $100 million, with a few investments already made.
Among their investments is Worktrace AI, led by former OpenAI product manager Angela Jiang, which aims to create an AI management software platform. Another backed startup is Foundry Robotics, which focuses on next-generation factory robotics.
The founders of Zero Shot assert that their unique background enables them to better predict where the AI market is heading. This understanding aids them not only in selecting startups but also in recognizing which ventures to avoid. For instance, they express skepticism towards certain trends like "vibe coding" and "digital twins," believing AI’s evolution will render many such models unnecessary or ineffective.
They also have secured an advisory board featuring notable industry figures such as Diane Yoon, Steve Dowling, and Luke Miller.
As they navigate the AI investment landscape, Zero Shot looks to combine their extensive knowledge of AI technology with strategic funding to foster innovative startups in the space. You can explore more about their initiatives through their official website, Zero Shot.
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