Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis held a previously undisclosed personal stake as an early angel investor in Anthropic. He made this investment before Google committed billions of dollars to the firm to compete with OpenAI. This stake highlights the interconnected relationships among leading AI laboratories.
Both companies now compete directly in the generative artificial intelligence market. This revelation also underscores the influence of former DeepMind researchers on the broader AI landscape. PitchBook and Dealroom data shows former staff from the Google-owned lab have founded more than 12 companies.
These startups have all launched since 2021. Industry observers often call this network of talent the DeepMind mafia. Startups in this group include Ineffable Intelligence and Recursive Superintelligence. These companies have collectively raised more than $14 billion.