Ashton Kutcher exits Sound Ventures to co-found new AI-focused VC fund
Reported by TechCrunch AI: Ashton Kutcher leaving Sound Ventures to launch new VC firm with Morgan Beller. Analysis and context written by TickrWire.
Actor-turned-investor Ashton Kutcher is leaving Sound Ventures to launch a new venture capital firm with Morgan Beller, targeting AI infrastructure and energy startups.
- Ashton Kutcher is leaving Sound Ventures to co-found a new VC fund with Morgan Beller, focusing on AI infrastructure and energy startups.
- The new fund targets the foundational layers of AI, such as compute, power, and data center solutions, rather than direct AI model investments.
- Morgan Beller’s involvement brings expertise in scaling AI technologies, with prior investments in Scale AI and NVIDIA.
- The move reflects growing investor focus on AI’s supply chain bottlenecks amid rising demand for compute and energy.
Ashton Kutcher, co-founder of Sound Ventures, is departing the firm to establish a new venture capital fund alongside Morgan Beller, a prominent AI investor. The new fund will focus on early-stage startups in AI infrastructure and energy, areas Sound Ventures historically avoided in favor of direct AI model investments. Kutcher’s move signals a strategic shift toward the foundational layers that enable AI innovation, such as data centers, power solutions, and compute resources. Morgan Beller, known for her investments in AI infrastructure companies like Scale AI and NVIDIA, will bring expertise in scaling AI-driven technologies. The announcement reflects growing investor interest in the critical but often overlooked segments of the AI ecosystem that support model development and deployment.
Sound Ventures, co-founded by Kutcher and Guy Oseary, has built a reputation for high-conviction bets in category-defining AI labs, including investments in companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. By contrast, the new fund aims to address the bottlenecks in AI’s supply chain, where demand for compute and energy is outpacing supply. This pivot could attract startups developing novel solutions for sustainable AI infrastructure, including modular data centers, renewable energy integration, and next-generation chip architectures. The timing aligns with a broader industry push to reduce costs and environmental impact while scaling AI capabilities globally.
Companies in AI infrastructure and energy may gain new funding pathways and strategic support.
Opportunity to diversify into high-growth, foundational AI segments with long-term scalability potential.
Highlights the critical but underfunded layers of the AI ecosystem.
- AI infrastructure
- The underlying systems and resources (e.g., data centers, power, compute) required to develop and deploy AI models.
Trump administration launches $5B AI initiative aimed at advancing science - NPR
FundingEtched’s valuation doubles to $21B in a month
Wispr Flow valued at $2 billion on investor demand for AI voice-to-text startups - Reuters
FundingNvidia investing $1.5B in SoftBank data center developer behind OpenAI project
FundingWispr raises $280M at $2B valuation as it looks beyond dictation
AI ToolsMeta AI’s new Mac app wants you to talk to your apps
Meta released a new Mac application that lets users control apps and dictate text using voice commands powered by its Muse Spark AI model.
New White House strategy clarifies military tech priorities: undersea, outer space and AI - Breaking Defense
The White House released a new strategy prioritizing military investments in artificial intelligence, space systems and undersea technologies to counter emerging threats.
AI in an iron grip: How dictatorships use artificial intelligence to strengthen their rule - theins.press
A new report examines how authoritarian governments deploy AI for surveillance, censorship, and propaganda to reinforce their power.
Stripe, OpenRouter finally strike a deal - Banking Dive
Stripe and OpenRouter have partnered to integrate Stripe's payment processing with OpenRouter's AI model aggregation platform.
How one Philadelphia school is using AI to strengthen student learning, not replace teachers - CBS News
A Philadelphia school is integrating AI tools to support teachers and improve student outcomes, focusing on collaboration rather than replacement.
Exclusive-How a Texas student blew the whistle on a rogue AI hacking attempt - The Mighty 790 KFGO
A Texas student uncovered an AI-powered hacking attempt targeting local systems, prompting a swift law enforcement response.