# Crankstart

Crankstart is a philanthropic organization founded by Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman that funds social causes and has made significant investments in artificial intelligence research and startups.

Crankstart is a philanthropic organization established by venture capitalist Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman. The organization focuses on supporting social causes, particularly in education and poverty alleviation, while also making strategic investments in emerging technologies, including [artificial-intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence). Crankstart has become notable for its dual approach of charitable giving and venture funding, with a particular emphasis on AI-related initiatives.

The organization's name derives from the crank handle used to start early automobiles, reflecting its founders' interest in catalyzing change. Crankstart operates with a lean structure, directing funds to a range of nonprofit partners and academic institutions. Its philanthropic work includes scholarships and grants, while its investment arm has backed several AI startups, positioning it at the intersection of social impact and technological innovation.

## Philanthropic Mission

Crankstart's primary mission is to support underserved communities through education and economic opportunity. In 2019, the organization made a landmark donation of $75 million to the University of Oxford, funding scholarships for students from low-income backgrounds. This gift, announced in November 2019, was among the largest ever made to a European university for undergraduate financial aid. The program, named the Crankstart Scholarships, supports up to 50 students per year across all subjects.

Beyond higher education, Crankstart has funded initiatives in San Francisco, including programs addressing homelessness and youth development. The organization has also supported the San Francisco Public Library and various community-based nonprofits. Its approach emphasizes long-term partnerships rather than one-off grants, with a focus on measurable outcomes.

## AI Investment Strategy

Crankstart's investment activities have increasingly centered on [machine-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/machine-learning) and related fields. The organization has provided early-stage funding to companies developing [large-language-model](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/large-language-model) technologies and [generative-ai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/generative-ai) applications. Notable portfolio companies include [anthropic](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/anthropic), an AI safety and research company, and [inflection-ai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/inflection-ai), which focuses on personal AI assistants. Crankstart also invested in [ai21-labs](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/ai21-labs), known for its Jurassic language models, and [essential-ai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/essential-ai), which works on AI infrastructure.

The investment strategy reflects a belief in the transformative potential of AI across industries. Crankstart has backed startups working on [deep-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/deep-learning) hardware, such as [groq](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/groq) and [samba-nova](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/samba-nova), which design specialized chips for AI workloads. These investments align with broader trends in the semiconductor sector, where companies like [amd](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/amd), [intel](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/intel), and [tsmc](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/tsmc) are competing to meet the computational demands of AI models.

## Academic and Research Support

Crankstart has extended its funding to academic AI research, supporting institutions such as [stanford-ai-lab](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/stanford-ai-lab) and [berkeley-ai-research](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/berkeley-ai-research). These contributions help advance fundamental research in areas like [neural-network](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/neural-network) architecture and [reinforcement-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/reinforcement-learning). The organization has also funded work on AI ethics and safety, including research at [carnegie-mellon-university](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/carnegie-mellon-university) and [oxford-university](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/oxford-university).

In 2021, Crankstart provided a grant to the [mit-csail](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/mit-csail) to support projects on interpretable AI and algorithmic fairness. The funding enabled researchers to explore methods for making [transformer](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/transformer) models more transparent and accountable. Crankstart's academic support extends to conferences and workshops, fostering collaboration between academia and industry.

## Notable Partnerships

Crankstart has formed strategic partnerships with several AI organizations. It collaborated with [openai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/openai) on early-stage research initiatives, though the details of these engagements remain private. The organization has also worked with [google-deepmind](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/google-deepmind) on projects related to AI for social good, including applications in healthcare and climate modeling.

In the corporate sphere, Crankstart has invested in [amazon-web-services](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/amazon-web-services) and [azure](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/azure) infrastructure projects, recognizing the importance of cloud computing for AI development. It has also backed [waymo](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/waymo) and [tesla-autopilot](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/tesla-autopilot), reflecting an interest in autonomous systems. These partnerships demonstrate Crankstart's willingness to engage with both established tech giants and emerging startups.

## Impact and Future Directions

Crankstart's dual focus on philanthropy and AI investment has created a unique niche. Its philanthropic grants have improved access to education for hundreds of students, while its AI investments have contributed to the growth of the [generative-ai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/generative-ai) ecosystem. The organization's support for [open-panel](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/open-panel) and other open-source initiatives suggests a commitment to democratizing AI technology.

Looking ahead, Crankstart is likely to continue investing in [artificial-intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) infrastructure, including [aws-trainium](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/aws-trainium) and [oracle-cloud](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/oracle-cloud) services. The organization may also expand its funding for AI safety research, given the growing concerns about [large-language-model](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/large-language-model) risks. As of 2024, Crankstart has not publicly disclosed its total assets, but its activities indicate a sustained commitment to both social betterment and technological progress.

Crankstart's model of combining charitable giving with venture investment remains relatively uncommon among philanthropies. By leveraging the financial returns from AI startups to fund social programs, the organization aims to create a self-sustaining cycle of impact. This approach has attracted attention from other philanthropists and investors seeking to align their values with their portfolios.

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Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/crankstart
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
Last updated: 2026-09-12T16:20:00.899083+00:00