In a prerecorded video at Microsoft Build 2021, Sam Altman was reported to have announced the OpenAI Startup Fund, a $100 million fund investing in AI startups. Microsoft joined as a partner and investor, and portfolio companies were to receive early access to new OpenAI systems along with Microsoft Azure resources. Altman reportedly said the fund would make big bets on a small number of companies, likely no more than ten, tackling problems in areas such as healthcare, climate change, and education.
26May 2021
OpenAI announces $100 million OpenAI Startup Fund
The announcement was made publicly in Sam Altman's video at Microsoft Build, but no contemporaneous official OpenAI announcement page could be verified; this entry is based on bylined reporting (TechCrunch, Devin Coldewey).