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On Thu, 19 Dec, 4:01 PM UTC
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Anthropic, Menlo Select 18 Startups for $100m Anthology Fund
Menlo Ventures, a venture capital firm investing actively in AI startups, has announced the first cohort of 18 companies for the $100 million Anthology Fund, launched in partnership with Anthropic. Companies are selected in various sectors, such as research, finance, healthcare, security, and CRM. Among the eighteen selected companies, eight of them are currently operating in stealth mode. "VCs have largely focused their investments on the foundational layers of AI -- hardware and models. Now, the spotlight is shifting to delivering real-world value through transformative end-user applications," said Deedy Das, general partner at Menlo Ventures. Launched in July 2024, the Anthology Fund is an initiative to use $100 million in capital to back AI-first startups. The fund will invest $100,000 + in seed to expand startups that use Anthropic's AI technology. The fund will also provide selected startups access to Anthropic's latest models, with $25,000 worth of free credits. "For both the team at Menlo and our partners at Anthropic, the Anthology Fund goes beyond investing. We're building a strong community of pioneers who are harnessing Anthropic's technology to demonstrate the tremendous impact AI could have on human lives," read the announcement. Menlo Ventures has been an active investor in Anthropic and participated in the $450 million Series C round last year. In November, Anthropic also announced a $4 billion investment from Amazon. Recently, Menlo Ventures also released a report titled "2024: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise". The report revealed that AI coding applications are leading the pack when it comes to the value of AI use cases. Support chatbots, enterprise search, and data extraction, followed by this. Earlier this month, both Google and a16z, put forth their visions and trends for startups and businesses in 2025. Google is betting on multimodal AI, agents, enterprise search, and so on. Moreover, Google also said that AI will enhance security systems and that in 2025, AI will help bolster defenses, identify and combat threats while automating manual security tasks and accelerating response times. A16z shared thier 'big ideas for tech in 2025' and they're betting on biotech startups and AI models in healthcare. They also said that 'new UI/UX paradigms will emerge for AI-powered software'. The full list includes ideas from 50 a16z partners.
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Menlo Ventures and Anthropic have picked the first 18 startups for their $100M fund | TechCrunch
Just five months after announcing a new $100 million fund called Anthology Fund, Menlo Ventures and Anthropic have backed their first 18 startups. And they are looking for more. Menlo says these first 18 were selected from thousands of applicants. They include startups working on recruiting software; autonomous coding; interpretability research (understanding how models make decisions); fintech compliance and tax apps; radiology image analysis and chart reviewing apps; non-human identify cybersecurity; customer engagement software; and a consumer nutrition app. Plus there are eight more accepted into the program that are still in stealth, Menlo says. This program is something of cross between a typical corporate startup program (like Nvidia's Inception or Microsoft for Startups) where startups get usage credits and educational resources, and an incubator where they get company-building attention and investment. The fund will write checks of $100,000 or more into startups and provide them with $25,000 worth of credits for Anthropic's models. Menlo is a major backer of Anthropic and this fund helps both get in the middle of the next big thing for AI coming in 2025: a focus beyond the foundational models and AI infrastructure and into the new apps that run on top of them. "We're one of the biggest investors in Anthropic and huge fans of what they're doing," Menlo Ventures partner Tim Tully told TechCrunch in July when the program launched. "We thought this was an opportunity for us to do something together, where we can see the ecosystem and find great companies that are building on Anthropic or AI more broadly."
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Menlo Ventures and Anthropic have chosen the initial 18 startups for their $100 million Anthology Fund, aimed at fostering AI-first companies using Anthropic's technology. The fund offers investments and access to Anthropic's latest models.
Menlo Ventures, in partnership with Anthropic, has announced the selection of the first 18 startups for their $100 million Anthology Fund. Launched in July 2024, this initiative aims to support AI-first startups leveraging Anthropic's technology 1.
The Anthology Fund offers a unique blend of investment and resources:
The 18 chosen startups, selected from thousands of applicants, span various sectors:
Notably, eight of the selected companies are currently operating in stealth mode 12.
Deedy Das, general partner at Menlo Ventures, highlighted a significant shift in AI investments: "VCs have largely focused their investments on the foundational layers of AI -- hardware and models. Now, the spotlight is shifting to delivering real-world value through transformative end-user applications" 1.
Menlo Ventures has been an active investor in Anthropic, participating in its $450 million Series C round. The partnership extends beyond investments, aiming to build a community of AI pioneers 1. Tim Tully, a partner at Menlo Ventures, emphasized the opportunity to identify great companies building on Anthropic or AI more broadly 2.
The launch of the Anthology Fund aligns with broader AI trends for 2025:
As AI continues to evolve, the Anthology Fund represents a strategic move to capitalize on the next wave of AI innovation, focusing on applications built on top of foundational models. This initiative positions Menlo Ventures and Anthropic at the forefront of AI startup ecosystems, potentially shaping the future of AI-driven solutions across various industries.
Reference
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Anthropic, an AI company backed by Amazon, has partnered with Menlo Ventures to create a $100 million fund called Anthology. The fund aims to support and invest in early-stage AI startups, focusing on those leveraging large language models.
11 Sources
11 Sources
Anthropic, an AI startup, is nearing a $2 billion funding round that could value it at $60 billion. The company projects revenues up to $34.5 billion by 2027, showcasing the rapid growth and intense competition in the AI sector.
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2 Sources
Anthropic, the AI startup behind Claude, has raised $3.5 billion in a Series E funding round, valuing the company at $61.5 billion. The investment will fuel AI research, expand compute capacity, and accelerate international growth.
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13 Sources
AI startup Anthropic is reportedly in late-stage talks to raise up to $2 billion in a funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, potentially valuing the company at $60 billion. This comes after significant investments from tech giants and highlights the intense competition in the AI industry.
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Anthropic, the AI startup behind Claude chatbot, secures $3.5 billion in funding at a $61.5 billion valuation, creating seven new billionaires and solidifying its position as a major player in the AI industry.
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12 Sources
