Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, announced Tuesday that it has raised $7.2 billion for investments in companies developing games, apps and artificial intelligence.
Over half the money, spread over five funds, is dedicated to “growth” strategies for startups in late stages. This could bring new life into a trend that has been moribund of buying or letting young companies go public through stock offerings.
Ben Horowitz, cofounder of the VC company and its general partner, wrote in a recent blog that “this marks an important landmark for us.”
Apps, games, American Dynamism, and “tech infrastructure” such as artificial intelligence (AI) were also targeted by investors.
Horowitz wrote that “AI is a new generation of computing, following the path taken by the microprocessors and internet, which will bring about improvements in terms of cost, efficiency and productivity.”
We believe infrastructure is the key to this shift, just like it is for other transformative technologies.
According to Horowitz, the infrastructure fund has raised approximately $1.25 billion.
He explained that American Dynamism will invest $600,000,000 in startups in areas of “national importance” such as aerospace and defense, education, safety for the public, supply chain, and public safety.
The VC veteran expressed his belief that “games are going to play a crucial role in defining the way we play, socialize and work in the coming century.”
Horowitz claims that a fund dedicated to app development raised $1 billion.
The VC company founded in 2009 has a reputation for early investments in technology stars like Facebook and Airbnb.
gc/des