Have suggestions for future podcast guests (or other feedback)? Want to write with us? In episode 48 of The Gradient Podcast, Daniel Bashir speaks to Nathan Benaich. Nathan is Founder and General Partner at Air Street Capital, a venture capital (VC) firm focused on investing in AI-first technology and life sciences companies. Nathan runs a number of communities focused on AI including the Research and Applied AI Summit and leads Spinout.fyi to improve the creation of university spinouts.

It's hard to believe, but a year in which the unprecedented seemed to happen every day is just weeks from being over. In AI circles, the end of the calendar year means the rollout of annual reports aimed at defining progress, impact, and areas for improvement. The AI Index is due out in the coming weeks, as is CB Insights' assessment of global AI startup activity, but two reports -- both called The State of AI -- have already been released. Last week, McKinsey released its global survey on the state of AI, a report now in its third year. Interviews with executives and a survey of business respondents found a potential widening of the gap between businesses that apply AI and those that do not.

LONDON – A 32-year-old venture capitalist's new fund has caught the eye of Twitter, Google execs and the billionaire founder of Clash of Clans maker Supercell. Nathan Benaich, founder and general partner of boutique VC firm Air Street Capital, announced last week that he has raised a new $17 million fund from a host of big names to invest in start-ups in the U.S. and Europe that have artificial intelligence at their core. But who is this investor and why are people in Silicon Valley and beyond so keen to back him? Benaich has straddled the worlds of venture capital and artificial intelligence for almost a decade. Unlike many VCs, he is known for having a firm grasp on the latest developments in AI and which companies are behind them.

The AI-focussed venture capital firm Air Street Capital today announced the closing of a €14.6 million fund, targeting early-stage founders in Europe and the US who combine AI expertise with deep sector-specific knowledge. Led by Air Street Capital founder and general partner Nathan Benaich, the London-based fund represents a new way of investing in AI companies. Its partners are embedded in the AI community and apply technical expertise to spot new talent and to source viable AI applications. Before starting Air Street Capital, its founder Nathan Benaich launched RAAIS and London.AI, which connect AI practitioners from large companies, startups and academia. Benaich's prior investments include Mapillary (acquired by Facebook), Tractable, LabGenius, Thought Machine, Starship, Ravelin, PolyAI, Jukedeck (acquired by ByteDance), and Numerai.