a16z bet on AI seven years early, backing OpenAI, Mistral and more
a16z · x · 2026-08-21
Martin Casado recalls a16z seriously debated going all in on AI seven years before GPT became significant, when OpenAI was still an experiment. The firm was among the earliest and most active investors in the generative wave, backing OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Cursor, Ideogram, BFL and Mistral. He notes a16z's conviction on tech waves typically precedes on-the-ground gains — and this time it was prescient.
Related event: a16z's Martin Casado: AI Turns Capital Into Capability Like Never Before(5 posts)→
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