The AI fund of the OurCrowd investment platform, the most active venture capital investor in Israel, announced that it would collaborate with NVIDIA to offer selected startups in the field of artificial intelligence a fast track to the NVIDIA Inception program. OurCrowd's AI fund provides investors with access to venture capital investment opportunities in companies specializing in Generative AI, which help solve real problems across a range of sectors.
The fund will make 20-25 spread-out venture capital investments across different stages and geographical regions, selected by a team of dedicated investment professionals, alongside professionals from global venture capital funds that collaborate with OurCrowd. The fund will also evaluate follow-on investments in the most promising companies in its portfolio. Several new companies have already been approved by OurCrowd's AI fund: D-ID – a company that developed proprietary software that allows any photo or video to be transformed into an extraordinary experience using only artificial intelligence; One Zero Digital Bank – the first digital bank in Israel to receive a full operating license. The bank leverages technology to provide customers with an automated private banking experience; Polaris Quantum Biotech – a company that uses quantum computing technology to identify promising molecules suitable for drug development processes.
The AI fund of OurCrowd enables accredited investors to access investment opportunities in artificial intelligence startups identified by a team of experienced venture capital experts," said Jon Medved, CEO and founder of OurCrowd. "Our collaboration with NVIDIA Inception will help provide suitable companies in the fund with access to a tailored program that will nurture startups and prepare them for success."
"When people think of artificial intelligence today, they think of AI creative software like OpenAI's ChatGPT. However, the revolutionary power of AI is much beyond its ability to create text, images, music, video, and other materials," Medved continued. "Investors need to look vertically at the AI revolution. The application of artificial intelligence in every sector will change our world and shape the economies of the future. AI is expected to influence every industry, similar to the impact of cloud computing, social media, the smartphone, the personal computer, and in the past, even electricity."
The NVIDIA Inception program helps startups develop faster through innovative technology, opportunities to connect with venture capital investors, and access to NVIDIA's latest technological resources and tools. The program supports startups at every stage of their life cycle.
Erik Kole, Senior Director and Manager of the NVIDIA Inception program in Israel, said: "Our collaboration with OurCrowd's AI fund will develop the next generation of startups specializing in artificial intelligence, and help shape the way AI technologies will benefit many areas of our lives."
Startups that are selected for the portfolio of OurCrowd's AI Fund will receive a fast track to Inception, which will support them with access to NVIDIA's training courses. These companies will also receive opportunities to collaborate with leading experts and access to additional investors, credit points for using cloud computing resources through NVIDIA partners, and preferred pricing for selected NVIDIA hardware and software products.
OurCrowd, the most active investor in Israel in the field of artificial intelligence, has invested $386 million in 81 AI companies worldwide. The fund has achieved 8 exits in the field, including Lemonade, Magisto, and BriefCam, and is ranked among the 15 most active venture capital funds in the world in AI transactions since 2012, according to data analysis by PitchBook.
OurCrowd was founded in 2013 by CEO Jon Medved based on the vision of making first-rate venture capital investments accessible to the general public. The company has since grown rapidly and has become the largest online platform in the world for investing in ventures. As of 2024, it holds investment commitments worth over $3.2 billion and has already invested in more than 440 portfolio companies and 56 funds spread across five continents. The startups in which OurCrowd has invested have so far recorded 63 exits and several IPOs: Beyond Meat (BYND), Lemonade (LMND), Innoviz (INVZ), Arbe Robotics (ARBE), Alpha Tau (DRTS), Freightos (CRGO); as well as numerous high-profile acquisitions: JUMP by Uber, BriefCam by Canon, Argus by Continental, Crosswise by Oracle, Replay by Intel, Corephotonics by Samsung, CyberX by Microsoft, and Kenna Security by Cisco. [1] OurCrowd adds value to its portfolio companies throughout their lifecycle by providing mentoring, recruiting expert advisors, assisting with follow-on rounds, and creating growth opportunities through its international partnership network.