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Ashton Kutcher leaving Sound Ventures to launch new VC firm with Morgan Beller
Ashton Kutcher is leaving Sound Ventures, co-founded with Guy Oseary, to establish a new VC firm with Morgan Beller, a former partner at NFX and co-lead of Meta's Libra. The firm aims for early-stage investments in AI infrastructure and deep tech, contrasting Sound's established-company focus. Kutcher will remain an advisor at Sound Ventures.
Key points
- Ashton Kutcher is departing from Sound Ventures, which he co-founded 11 years ago.
- He is launching a new VC firm with Morgan Beller, ex-partner at NFX and co-lead of Meta's cryptocurrency project Libra.
- The name of the new VC firm is not disclosed yet.
- Kutcher's exit is not due to performance issues at Sound Ventures, which has significant investments including OpenAI and Anthropic.
- The shift reflects a strategic focus on early-stage investing in AI infrastructure and deep tech, contrasting with Sound Ventures’ strategy of investing in later-stage companies.
- Kutcher will remain an advisor to Sound Ventures, while Oseary will advise the new firm.
Why it matters
- Sound Ventures established a reputation for backing influential AI labs, suggesting a growing market for innovative AI and tech startups.
- The rise of AI infrastructure and energy-focused investments highlights the increasing importance of foundational technologies as companies scale.
- This move aligns with the ongoing trend of celebrity-led investment ventures in the tech world, which has seen a spike in activity since 2022.
Kutcher's exit from Sound Ventures to focus on early-stage AI and deep tech investments underscores a pivotal shift in venture capital trends, emphasizing the foundational technologies that support the AI industry.