In 2021, innovation is progressing at the speed of light. Deep learning and machine learning breakthroughs have allowed computers to process and interpret data in ways we could never have imagined. Most people today still correlate artificial intelligence (AI) with science fiction, but as AI advances and becomes much more prevalent in our everyday lives, this perception is fading. AI is now a well-known term for entrepreneurs and even for normal people. AI technology has been acknowledged as a modern phenomenon in mainstream culture. To be more specific, the modern scientific field of AI was established in 1956, but substantial progress was seen towards creating an AI system by making it a technical reality that took decades.

H2O.ai, which is on a mission to "democratize" artificial intelligence for not just enterprises, but for "everyone," announced this morning a $72.5 million Series D. This round nearly doubles the amount the company had raised in previous financings combined over its lifetime. Goldman Sachs and the Ping An Global Voyager Fund out of China led the round, which also included participation from existing backers Wells Fargo, NVIDIA GPU Ventures and Nexus Venture Partners. As part of the financing, Jade Mandel, vice president of Goldman Sachs' principal strategic investments group, will be joining H2O.ai's board. The round brings H2O.ai's total raised since it was founded in 2012 to nearly $147 million. Wells Fargo and NVIDIA GPU Ventures led its $40 million Series C in November 2017.