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Disruptive · Funding1 min read

Texas firm raises $10 billion to bet big on AI and defense startups

Dallas firm Disruptive announced a $10 billion fund to back AI and defense companies, a sign of how much money is flowing to a few large players.

By the Dashline deskSource: TechCrunch
Texas firm raises $10 billion to bet big on AI and defense startups
Photo: TechCrunch

Disruptive, an investment firm based in Dallas, announced a $10 billion fund on Tuesday. It plans to back at least 10 late-stage companies, with checks of up to $1 billion each. The focus is AI and defense, two fields that cost a lot of money to build in. The Dallas Business Journal says it is the largest venture fund raised in Texas history.

Who is behind it

Alex Davis founded Disruptive in 2012. He is the grandson of billionaire oil magnate Marvin Davis. Past bets include Palantir, Airbnb and Spotify. More recently, the firm put money into Groq, a chip startup, and ElevenLabs, which makes AI voice generation.

This is technically its first blind-pool fund. That means investors commit money without knowing which companies it will back. Until now, the firm raised money one deal at a time. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that it had already secured at least $7.5 billion in commitments. Bloomberg reported the firm told its investors it has returned more than $6 billion on the roughly $1.9 billion it has put into startups.

What is not known yet

The material does not say which companies will get the money, or how fast it will be spent. For everyday users, the link is indirect. Large sums flowing to a few AI and defense companies can shape which tools and products reach your workplace and your home.

The takeaway

A $10 billion fund will push money toward a small group of AI and defense companies, but which ones is still unknown.

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