Sound Ventures

AI mania appears to have driven investors to pour another $26 million into Sound Ventures AI Fund, boosting the total to $265.8 million, according to a new regulatory filing.

Los Angeles-based Sound Ventures, which invests in "transformative" technologies, has closed its AI fund at nearly $240 million.

Sound Ventures is seeking to raise $150 million for its third fund, according to an SEC filing.

Papa said Oct. 9 that it raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Canaan, with additional investment from Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates. Initialized Capital, Y Combinator, and Sound Ventures re-invested in the round. Papa seeks to provide companionship to seniors to curb loneliness and social isolation.

LearnLux, a digital financial wellness platform, has secured $2 million in seed funding. The investors included Sound Ventures, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Underscore VC.

Sound Ventures is seeking to raise $150 million for its second fund, according to an SEC filing. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1708018/000170801818000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml Sound Ventures was founded by Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary.

Calm said June 20 that it raised $27 million in Series A funding led by Insight Venture Partners. Also participating were Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures and singer Harry Styles. Calm previously raised $1.5 million from seed investors. Calm is an app for meditation, mindfulness and sleep.

Crowd Cow said it raised $8 million of Series A financing in a round led by Madrona Venture Group and joined by Ashton Kutcher's & Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures and existing investors, including Joe Montana of Liquid 2 Ventures.

The $865m fund will be invested by a new growth team led by former TCV general partner Shalini Rao and including alumni of Bessemer Venture Partners, EQT Group, Insight Partners and Bond.

The move comes just two months after Menlo announced that it had raised $1.35bn to invest in tech companies “leading the AI transformation.”

Menlo says the newly raised capital will go to its flagship venture fund Menlo XVI, Menlo Inflection III and affiliated funds 'with a mandate to invest in promising technology companies leading the AI transformation.'

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Jordan Park led the round.