Andreessen Horowitz has raised a $1.1 billion "Machine Age" fund to invest in the physical infrastructure underpinning artificial intelligence. The fund marks a departure from the firm’s traditional software-centric investments, targeting hardware components like chips, memory, data centers, and robots.
The fund aims to address bottlenecks in AI systems, including faster interconnects, higher-bandwidth memory, and power-efficient edge devices. It also covers supporting infrastructure such as cooling systems, materials, electrical grids, and real estate for data centers.
The firm frames AI advancement as a "social and national imperative," arguing that faster, more efficient systems are critical for unlocking AI’s problem-solving potential. The announcement comes as the startup ecosystem prepares for TechCrunch’s October event in San Francisco focused on sustainable AI-era growth.
