How an AI investor places its bets when AI is everywhere

Plus, $125M for AI chips September 13, 2023 Hi, {NAME}. Thirty years ago, it probably didn’t seem silly to tout your tech company as an “internet company.” Of course, now that usually is, with the internet becoming almost synonymous with tech. Will we view AI the same way in a few years? In today’s edition, we speak with an investor at [Index Ventures]( who predicts that soon AI will “provide a heartbeat for every single piece of software.” 🤖 [How this VC invests when ‘every company will have AI’]( Years before [ChatGPT]( brought mainstream attention to AI, [Index Ventures]( was placing bets on artificial intelligence companies ranging from [Aurora]( to [Arthur AI](. We speak with firm partner [Erin Price-Wright]( about where she sees AI headed and what the firm is investing in. Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Index Ventures’ AI Portfolio Companies]( 🤑 [AI chip startup gets 5x valuation boost with new funding]( It’s not just Index that’s chasing the next big thing in artificial intelligence, of course. It seems any startup working on AI — and lately, hardware and infrastructure around AI in particular — gets massive investor interest. Latest case in point: a startup designing a new type of networking chip for AI data centers just raised a $125 million Series B, with [Nvidia]( and a long list of other investors joining in. The new funding is reportedly at 5x the company’s previous valuation. 💸 [Where have all the megarounds gone?]( So far this year, just 97 U.S.-based companies have landed a round of $100 million or more at Series A through Series D, per [Crunchbase data](. Over the prior two years, meanwhile, more than 800 such rounds closed. What does that tell us about the venture market overall? Related Crunchbase Pro list: [Supergiant Rounds At Series A Through Series D]( 🦶[3 strategic steps toward SaaS profitability]( It’s 2023, and startup investors increasingly want profitability over growth — or better yet, both. So how do you get there? Startup adviser [Itay Sagie]( shares three strategies for SaaS companies to consider as they try to perfect that magic blend. [Crunchbase ROI Calculator]( [See the number of new accounts Crunchbase can add to your funnel with our advanced prospecting ROI calculator powered by Crunchbase data.]( [Calculate]( Recent Investments [T-Mobile]( [$2.0B]( / [Post-IPO Debt]( T-Mobile is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communication services, including mobile phone and internet services. Categories: Internet • Mobile • Telecommunications • Wireless Founders: [John W. Stanton]( [Reliance Retail]( [21B INR]( / [Private Equity Round]( Reliance Retail operates a chain of neighborhood stores, supermarkets, and specialty stores. Categories: Consumer Goods • Grocery • Retail Founders: [Mukesh Ambani]( Investors: [Kohlberg Kravis Roberts]( (Lead) [Albemarle]( [$90M]( / [Grant]( Albemarle is a specialty chemical company focused on lithium, bromine, and refining catalysts. Categories: Chemical • Construction • Customer Service • Manufacturing • Pharmaceutical Investors: [U.S. Department of Defense]( (Lead) More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Open Cosmos]( 40M GBP / [Series B]( [A&G Energy Transition Tech Fund]( [Animoca Brands]( $20M / [Venture Round]( [CMCC Global]( [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [AtomicMarket]( Pending acquisition by [Spielworks]( for Unknown More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Travelstop]( [Wego]( Unknown [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [Latinas at the Forefront of Tech]( September 19 - 19, 2023 SHACK15 Conversations // Latinas at the Forefront of Tech is an online talk event about Latina tech company founders. Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Sep 13, 2023 [YES!Delft]( Delft Sep 14, 2023 [Microsoft for Startups]( Redmond [More Upcoming Deadlines]( Don’t see your event? Reach out to us at events@crunchbase.com. #{Rails.configuration.daily.cb_url} Discover innovative companies and the people behind them. [Follow Us on Crunchbase]( [View Jobs on LinkedIn]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Like Us on Facebook]( 564 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94104 © 2023 Crunchbase Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Unsubscribe]( from Crunchbase Daily.