OpenAI Startup Fund is the corporate venture fund affiliated with OpenAI, investing in early-stage companies applying artificial intelligence across healthcare, law, education, energy and infrastructure, and the sciences.
OpenAI Startup Fund backs founders building AI-native companies across the application layer, without requiring portfolio companies to build specifically on OpenAI's own models or APIs. Sectors of focus include healthcare, legal tech, education, energy and infrastructure, robotics, and the sciences.
The fund invests from seed through growth stage, and has increasingly backed embodied AI and robotics companies (1X Technologies, Figure AI, Physical Intelligence) alongside application-layer software (Anysphere/Cursor, Harvey, Descript).
OpenAI Startup Fund I launched in 2021 with $175M from external backers, including Microsoft; Sam Altman personally held legal control of the fund rather than OpenAI itself. The fund has also raised special-purpose vehicles on top of that base, including a $44.3M SPV in 2024.
In August 2026, OpenAI was reported to have a second fund of $400M, more than twice the size of Fund I, and was said to be seeking an experienced venture capitalist to lead it. Unlike Fund I, OpenAI itself is reportedly the sole investor in the new vehicle.
Leadership
Investment Strategy
Backs AI-native startups across the application layer — healthcare, legal tech, education, energy and infrastructure, robotics, and the sciences — from seed through growth stage. Portfolio companies are not required to build on OpenAI's own stack.
Notable Investments
United States
