Venture Capital Investment Is Rising in Los Angeles — and Not Just for AI Startups

Venture capital investment is rising in Los Angeles — and not just for AI startups

Venture capital investors and private equity firms poured $3.1 billion to fund 144 deals in the L.A. area in the first quarter of this year, up 15% from a year ago.

Venture capital investment rises in L.A., and not just for AI startups

Early this year, private equity firm Blackstone bet big on the future of artificial intelligence by investing $300 million in a Chatsworth company that’s been around for more than two decades. The company, DDN, helps businesses store and manage the massive trove of data that powers AI systems — the lifeblood needed for chatbots, self-driving cars and more. DDN’s high-profile customers include chipmaker Nvidia, Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI, Google …