Names that left OpenAI established a $100 million venture capital fund

A new venture capital fund, created by the combination of experienced names working within OpenAI, stands out as one of the remarkable developments in the artificial intelligence ecosystem. The fund, established under the name “Zero Shot”, aims to reach a total size of 100 million dollars and has achieved its first closing. The fund’s founders also confirm that they have started investing in some early-stage startups. In addition, the team aims to directly reflect its technical knowledge in the field of artificial intelligence into investment decisions.

The founding partners of the fund include three important names with OpenAI background. Evan Morikawa, who took part in the development processes of DALL·E and ChatGPT, Andrew Mayne, one of OpenAI’s first prompt engineers, and Shawn Jain, a researcher-based engineer, stand out in this team. In addition, Kelly Kovacs, who is experienced in venture capital, and Brett Rounsaville, who has worked in technology companies, are also in the founding team. The long-standing business relationships and sectoral connections of the team members are among the factors that determine the strategic direction of the fund.

According to the founders, intense consultancy demands from both investors and entrepreneurs in the post-OpenAI period were effective in the emergence of this structure. In addition, the team observed that many artificial intelligence initiatives funded in the market did not match the real needs. This strengthened the idea of ​​​​establishing their own investment funds. Zero Shot, which raised approximately 20 million dollars in the first phase, has increased its target to 100 million dollars.

Selective approach stands out in artificial intelligence investments

Zero Shot has invested in some notable early-stage startups. One of these was Worktrace AI, founded by Angela Jiang, who has an OpenAI background. This initiative, which aims to facilitate automation in corporate processes, is developing a platform that analyzes in which areas tasks can be automated. In addition, the startup Foundry Robotics is among the projects the fund invests in. The initiative in question is working on new generation factory robots supported by artificial intelligence. The team has also invested in another venture that has not yet been made public.

Although intense interest in artificial intelligence investments continues, the Zero Shot team approaches some areas cautiously. For example, it is considered that platforms called “vibe coding” that aim to automate software development processes may not be sustainable in the long term. Despite this, it is stated that the solutions offered directly by model developers can reduce the need for such tools.

On the other hand, there is a similar doubt about video-based training data used in the field of robotics. According to Morikawa, there are still significant technical gaps in the data models that will enable robots to understand the physical world. However, it is thought that startups developing “digital twin” technologies may have difficulty meeting expectations. Evaluations indicate that existing large language models can perform similar functions more efficiently.

In addition to all these, the fund also attracts attention with its advisor staff. Having people who have held senior positions in companies such as OpenAI and Apple as advisors ensures that investment decisions are considered from a broader perspective. As rapid change continues in the field of artificial intelligence, the investment approach based on technical knowledge is expected to become more decisive in the coming period.