Family offices double down on AI as startup fundraising hits record
CNBC • • general
Key Points:
- Despite fears of an AI bubble in February, ultra-wealthy family investment firms made significant investments in AI startups, including Emerson Collective's participation in a $1 billion funding round for World Labs and Azim Premji's family office investing $315 million in Runway.
- Family offices conducted 41 direct investments in AI-related companies in February, contributing to a record $189 billion in total startup funding for the month, with AI startups raising $171 billion.
- Notable investments include Hillspire, Eric Schmidt's family office, joining a $150 million Series B for Goodfire, a startup focused on understanding and improving AI models.
- Eric Schmidt expressed cautious optimism about AI, rejecting comparisons to the dot-com bubble and emphasizing the
