Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has announced the creation of a new "Machine Age" fund, which has raised $1.1 billion. The fund's stated objective is to "open the throttle and accelerate the physical buildout of AI."
This new initiative marks a shift from the firm's traditional emphasis on software, as it will concentrate on investing in the hardware that underpins artificial intelligence. According to a post on a16z's website, the fund will target infrastructure such as computer chips, memory, data centres, and robots.
The firm also indicated that the fund will support areas including cooling systems, materials, electrical infrastructure, and real estate development necessary for AI. Andreessen Horowitz described AI as the "strongest tool ever developed for solving problems and bestowing abundance," characterising its advancement as a "social and national imperative."