Venture capital firm Breakout Ventures has raised a new $114 million fund aimed at supporting early-stage startups that combine artificial intelligence with scientific research. The newly launched Fund III will focus on companies using AI to accelerate breakthroughs in fields such as biology, chemistry, and other areas of advanced scientific research.
Through this fund, the firm plans to invest in at least 20 startups, typically providing investments ranging from $500,000 to $5 million. The capital will be directed toward companies developing innovative technologies that apply artificial intelligence to complex scientific challenges and emerging research opportunities.
Breakout Ventures was originally created from a grant program within the Thiel Foundation and later established as an independent venture firm in 2016. Since its launch, the firm has focused on supporting startups that translate deep scientific research into commercially viable technologies. It previously raised a $60 million first fund in 2017 and a $112.5 million second fund in 2021, both aimed at supporting science-focused ventures.
According to Lindy Fishburne, managing director of Breakout Ventures, the firm’s investment strategy focuses on founders who combine scientific expertise with entrepreneurial vision. The firm is particularly interested in scientists commercializing their own research as well as industry experts developing solutions to real-world scientific problems using advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The new fund was raised over a period of about eighteen months from a group of institutional investors and limited partners. These investors are backing the firm’s belief that combining AI with scientific innovation can create new markets and help address major global challenges across sectors such as healthcare, biotechnology, and materials science.
The fundraising highlights a growing trend in the venture capital ecosystem where investors are increasingly supporting startups operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence and deep science. As AI tools become more capable of analyzing complex datasets, modeling biological systems, and accelerating research processes, startups applying these technologies are attracting significant investment interest.
By supporting early-stage companies in this space, Breakout Ventures aims to help transform scientific discoveries into scalable technologies that can drive long-term innovation and commercial impact across multiple industries.
