AIX Ventures Co-Founder Shaun Johnson Exits Firm Behind Perplexity and Windsurf Investments
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AIX Ventures Co-Founder Shaun Johnson Departs Firm
AIX Ventures -- a venture capital firm that has backed artificial intelligence startups including Perplexity, Windsurf and Ideogram -- saw co-founder Shaun Johnson exit the firm last month. Johnson started AIX with prominent AI researcher Richard Socher in 2021. "I'm looking forward to seeing the firm continue to do well," Johnson said. Johnson and AIX did not comment on the reasons for the exit. Socher, the firm's most recognizable figure, spent four years as Salesforce Inc.'s chief scientist and is noted for his contributions to natural language processing research. Socher is also the chief executive officer of You.com, and has been raising money for his own AI research lab, according to people familiar with the efforts. A representative for Socher did not comment on the new lab. AIX has raised two funds since its 2021 inception, including a $202 million second fund in February 2024. Its investing partners include Stanford University machine learning professor Christopher Manning and Anthony Goldbloom, the former CEO of Google's data science community platform Kaggle.
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AIX Ventures cofounder Shaun Johnson departs
AIX Ventures -- a venture capital firm that has backed artificial intelligence startups including Perplexity, Windsurf and Ideogram -- saw cofounder Shaun Johnson exit the firm last month. Johnson started AIX with prominent AI researcher Richard Socher in 2021. "I'm looking forward to seeing the firm continue to do well," Johnson said. Johnson and AIX did not comment on the reasons for the exit. Socher, the firm's most recognisable figure, spent four years as Salesforce's chief scientist and is noted for his contributions to natural language processing research. Socher is also the chief executive officer of You.com, and has been raising money for his own AI research lab, according to people familiar with the efforts. A representative for Socher did not comment on the new lab. AIX has raised two funds since its 2021 inception, including a $202 million second fund in February 2024. Its investing partners include Stanford University machine learning professor Christopher Manning and Anthony Goldbloom, the former CEO of Google's data science community platform Kaggle.
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Shaun Johnson has departed AIX Ventures, the venture capital firm he co-founded with prominent AI researcher Richard Socher in 2021. The firm has backed notable AI startups including Perplexity, Windsurf, and Ideogram, and raised a $202 million second fund in February 2024. Neither Johnson nor AIX commented on the reasons for his exit.
AIX Ventures Co-Founder Shaun Johnson Departs After Three Years
Shaun Johnson has exited AIX Ventures, the venture capital firm he co-founded with prominent AI researcher Richard Socher in 2021, according to reports confirming his departure last month
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. The move marks a significant shift for the venture capital firm that has established itself as a key investor in artificial intelligence startups. "I'm looking forward to seeing the firm continue to do well," Johnson said in a statement, though neither he nor AIX Ventures provided specific reasons for the departure1
.Richard Socher's Expanding Role in AI Investment and Research
The departure leaves Richard Socher as the most recognizable figure at AIX Ventures. Socher spent four years as Salesforce's chief scientist and is noted for his contributions to natural language processing research
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. Beyond his role at the firm, Socher serves as chief executive officer of You.com and has been raising money for his own AI research lab, according to people familiar with the efforts1
. A representative for Socher declined to comment on the new lab, leaving questions about how he will balance multiple ventures.AIX Ventures' Portfolio and Financial Backing
Since its 2021 inception, AIX Ventures has raised two funds, including a $202 million second fund in February 2024
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. The firm has backed prominent AI startups including Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine; Windsurf, an AI coding assistant; and Ideogram, an AI image generation platform. Its investing partners include Stanford University machine learning professor Christopher Manning and Anthony Goldbloom, the former CEO of Google's data science community platform Kaggle2
. This academic and industry expertise has positioned the firm to identify and support cutting-edge AI technologies.Related Stories
What This Means for AI Startup Funding
Johnson's exit raises questions about AIX Ventures' future investment strategy and leadership structure. For founders seeking funding from the firm, the transition period may bring shifts in decision-making processes and portfolio priorities. With Socher potentially dividing attention between the venture capital firm, You.com, and a new AI research lab, observers will watch how AIX Ventures maintains its competitive edge in identifying breakthrough AI startups. The firm's strong track record with companies like Perplexity and substantial capital from its recent fundraise suggest it remains well-positioned to continue backing artificial intelligence startups, though the leadership change could signal evolving priorities in the venture capital landscape.
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