Sound Ventures co-founder and General Partner Ashton Kutcher joins Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow after his firm Sound Ventures closed its AI fund at nearly $240 million.
He discusses his AI investing strategy and why he believes foundation model layer companies are defining the category.
The fund seeks to invest in category-defining artificial intelligence businesses at the foundation model layer. The fund’s current portfolio includes OpenAI, Anthropic and StabilityAI. Sound Ventures is led by General Partners Effie Epstein, Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary and manages over $1B in assets across funds.
“We believe this is potentially the most significant technology we will experience since the advent of the internet,” said Ashton Kutcher, General Partner at Sound Ventures.
“The foundation model layer companies are defining the category, and, in our view, they have the power to transform businesses and everyday life. That is a conversation we want to be in.”
“We anticipate that AI is going to play an impactful role in everything we do – including entertainment, an industry we know well. The companies we are backing will be at the forefront of this powerful innovation, and Sound Ventures is excited to bring our distinct experiences and connectivity to responsibly support these AI foundational platforms,” said Guy Oseary, General Partner at Sound Ventures.
With historic adoption rates, AI technology has reached a stage of usability across enterprises and consumers that is driving significant growth. The Sound Ventures team has deep experience in two industries at the heart of generative AI – technology and entertainment.
“We have been investing in artificial intelligence for the past decade, and we believe that this moment in history will dictate the trajectory of this technology,” said Effie Epstein, General Partner at Sound Ventures. “Our team is well-positioned to continue investing in, and supporting, exceptional founders that are thoughtfully shaping the future through artificial intelligence.”
Sound Ventures AI Fund will invest alongside Sound’s early-stage funds. Sound manages over $1 billion in assets and prior investments include Airbnb, Uber, Flexport, Brex, GitLab, Airtable, Affirm, Forethought and You.com.
