Anthropic and Menlo Ventures recently launched a $100 million fund designed to support early-stage startups using the company's AI technology. 

Menlo announced the partnership in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Menlo will put up the cash to invest in the startups while Anthropic, the artificial intelligence startup that launched the chatbot Claude, will grant recipients $25,000 in credits to use its large language models. The initiative will be called the "Anthology Fund."

In addition to funding, AI entrepreneurs selected for the Anthology Fund will also be offered access to a network of investors and business leaders as well as advanced AI research and tools. Furthermore, Anthropic and Menlo plan to hold "quarterly deep dives" and other resources such as a hotline directly to the company.

"We created this fund to fuel the next generation of AI startups through the powerful combination of Menlo's extensive company-building experience and Anthropic's pioneering AI technology and deep research expertise. Through this collaboration, we aim to catalyze innovation and shape the future of artificial intelligence in the startup ecosystem," Menlo said in a press release published on its website.

"We're not just looking for startups; we're seeking AI pioneers who harness Anthropic's cutting-edge technology to redefine what is possible today through AI. Our goal is not just driving value but fundamentally helping teams to reshape industries and improve lives," the statement continued.

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Which Companies Will Be Covered by the Fund?

The Anthology Fund will invest in companies from seed to expansion stages, with investments ranging from $100,000 and up. 

While all startups are welcome to apply, Menlo noted that the initiative will focus on those in five key areas of development---specifically, AI infrastructure, frontier and novel applications of AI, consumer AI solutions, trust and safety tooling, and AI apps and tech that maximize societal benefits, per the press release.

Startups are not required to use Anthropic's AI models, utilizing the company's language models may increase their chances of being selected for the funding, as reported by Inc.com, citing Menlo partner Tim Tully.

Anthropic and Menlo's Anthology Fund mirrors the iFund, a joint venture launched by Apple and Kleiner Perkins in 2008. That initiative provided $200 million in funding to support developers on Apple's mobile platforms. The iFund initiative was introduced a year after the iPhone hit the market.

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