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Rift at influential Silicon Valley venture firm shows tech’s divide over ICE shooting

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A fatal shooting involving U.S. immigration agents has triggered a sharp political divide inside Silicon Valley, spilling into one of the region’s most influential venture capital firms. Partners at Khosla Ventures publicly distanced themselves from a colleague after comments defending the killing of a U.S. citizen during an immigration enforcement operation drew widespread backlash.

The incident involved the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse, during a confrontation with federal agents in Minneapolis. The case has intensified national debate as video evidence appeared to contradict the administration’s account, even as officials defended the agents’ actions. The shooting is one of several involving immigration enforcement this month, heightening scrutiny of federal practices.

Tensions escalated after a senior partner at Khosla Ventures argued on social media that the shooting did not involve an innocent victim. Firm founder Vinod Khosla and other partners swiftly rejected the remarks, emphasizing that humanity should transcend politics. Several prominent technology executives echoed that view, praising Pretti and condemning violence.

The episode reflects a broader fracture within the U.S. tech industry, where long-standing progressive values increasingly clash with a growing faction openly supportive of hardline immigration policies. While some executives have aligned themselves with the Trump administration, others face mounting pressure from employees urging companies to speak out against immigration enforcement actions in U.S. cities.

AI Startup Humans& Raises $480 Million at $4.5 Billion Valuation in Seed Round

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Artificial intelligence startup Humans& has raised $480 million in a seed funding round, valuing the company at about $4.48 billion, highlighting strong investor appetite for next-generation AI labs founded by experienced researchers.

The round was led by SV Angel and co-founder Georges Harik, with participation from Nvidia, Jeff Bezos, and Alphabet’s venture arm GV. Nvidia has become a prominent backer of AI startups as demand for its chips continues to surge.

Humans& was founded by former researchers from OpenAI, Alphabet, and xAI, and is developing human-centric AI tools designed to improve communication and collaboration. The company expects to launch its first product early this year.

Chief executive Eric Zelikman said the technology is designed to coordinate with people and other AI systems to help users work more effectively together. The founding team also includes alumni from Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Meta, underscoring the depth of expertise behind the new venture.

Andreessen Horowitz Raises $15 Billion, Doubles Down on AI and Defense Startups

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Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z, said on Friday it has raised more than $15 billion across five new funds, less than two years after its previous fundraising round, underscoring sustained investor appetite for technology despite a broader slowdown in venture capital fundraising.

The firm said it secured $6.75 billion for a growth fund focused on scaling startups, $1.7 billion for an artificial intelligence infrastructure fund, and $1.12 billion for a fund targeting national priorities such as defense, housing and supply chains. The remaining capital was spread across two additional funds, the firm said.

Venture capital fundraising has remained difficult due to weak exit activity in recent years. According to PitchBook data, only $118.6 billion in new commitments were closed last year, nearly $100 billion less than in 2024, while the number of new funds closed in 2025 was the lowest in a decade. Against that backdrop, a16z’s haul highlights how the largest and most established VC firms continue to attract capital from limited partners.

AI and defense technology have emerged as key bright spots, as the United States intensifies efforts to maintain its technological edge amid growing competition from China. Marc Andreessen, a co-founder of the firm, has been a prominent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump and an adviser to the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.

“The technology landscape that we will be investing into is intensely competitive with China,” said Ben Horowitz, co-founder and general partner at a16z. “At this moment of profound technological opportunity, it is fundamentally important for humanity that America wins.”

Reuters reported last April that a16z was seeking to raise a roughly $20 billion megafund focused on AI-driven growth-stage investments. The firm is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital players and has backed major technology companies including Facebook, Instagram, Coinbase and Lyft.

In its previous major fundraising round in April 2024, a16z raised $7.2 billion across five funds. The firm now manages more than $90 billion in assets across all its investment vehicles.