Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm known as a16z, has launched a new $1.1 billion fund focused on building the physical infrastructure needed to support the development of artificial intelligence.
The Machine Age fund will target investments in AI hardware and infrastructure rather than the software-focused companies that have traditionally been central to the firm’s investment strategy.
a16z said the fund will focus on technologies that power AI systems, including computer chips, memory, data centres, robotics, and other infrastructure components required for large-scale AI deployment.
The firm said advancing AI requires improvements across the entire technology stack, including more efficient computing systems, higher-bandwidth memory, faster connections between computing systems, energy-efficient edge devices, and the physical facilities needed to operate AI infrastructure.
The fund reflects a growing focus on the physical systems behind AI models. As AI applications expand, companies require significant investments in computing capacity, power systems, cooling technologies, materials, and specialised hardware.
a16z described AI as a major tool for solving complex problems and said expanding the infrastructure supporting these systems is a key priority.
The Machine Age fund represents a shift toward backing the hardware and industrial technologies that enable AI development, including the components required to move AI systems from research environments into broader real-world applications.
