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Microsoft & BlackRock to Launch $30 Billion AI Infrastructure Fund

Microsoft & BlackRock to Launch $30 Billion AI Infrastructure Fund

Noel Moldvai
September 19, 2024

Good Afternoon! It’s about time… the first rate cut in 4 years! Maybe I’ll finally be able to afford that $23M home I’ve saved on Zillow. As if Salesforce’s $1B AI double-down wasn’t enough, BlackRock comes in strong with Microsoft and their anticipated $30B AI infrastructure fund. We hope you enjoy the rest of this week’s tech news!

TL;DR

Microsoft, BlackRock to launch $30 billion fund for AI infrastructure
Salesforce Ventures ups its AI fund to $1B, doubling it again
Mr. ChatGPT and other AI power players are going to the White House to discuss AI’s massive thirst for energy
Intuitive Machines Receives NASA Contract Worth Nearly $5 Billion

Microsoft, BlackRock to launch $30 billion fund for AI infrastructure

BlackRock and Microsoft plan to launch a $30 billion fund to invest in AI infrastructure, focusing on data centers and energy projects. The fund, Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership, includes partners like Abu Dhabi’s MGX and Nvidia. It aims to mobilize up to $100 billion, mainly in U.S. investments.

Read the full article on Reuters

Salesforce Ventures ups its AI fund to $1B, doubling it again

Salesforce Ventures announced a new $500 million fund for AI companies, raising its total AI fund to $1 billion. This follows a $500 million increase in June 2023. The venture arm has made San Francisco a key AI hub, supporting companies like Anthropic, Hugging Face, Runway, and Together AI.

Read the full article here on TechCrunch

Mr. ChatGPT and other AI power players are going to the White House to discuss AI’s massive thirst for energy

AI leaders, including Sam Altman of OpenAI, Google’s Ruth Porat, and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, will meet with top U.S. officials at the White House to discuss AI's growing energy demands. The meeting addresses concerns about AI's strain on U.S. infrastructure, while exploring sustainable energy solutions and maintaining U.S. leadership in AI development.

Read the full article here on CNN

Intuitive Machines Receives NASA Contract Worth Nearly $5 Billion

Intuitive Machines was awarded a NASA contract worth up to $4.82 billion for communication and navigation services in near space, aiding NASA’s Artemis campaign. The contract has a five-year base period, with an additional five-year option. Shares surged 37% after the announcement. Incremental task orders total $150 million initially.

Read the full article here on WSJ