CoreWeave Launches Venture Arm to Back AI Startups, Stock Rises

Shares of CoreWeave (CRWV) jumped as much as 9% on Monday after the cloud computing company announced the launch of CoreWeave Ventures, a new venture capital arm targeting early-stage artificial intelligence startups. By midday trading, the stock was still up 4.5%, reflecting investor optimism.

The fund will invest in startups developing tools, infrastructure, and applications for AI. While CoreWeave did not disclose how much capital it plans to allocate, the initiative aligns with its mission of supporting high-performance computing for machine learning and generative AI. “Our aim with CoreWeave Ventures is to give audacious, like-minded founders the support they need to drive advancements and bring the next wave of innovation to market,” said Brannin McBee, CoreWeave’s co-founder and chief development officer.

CoreWeave has built its reputation on cloud services optimized for AI workloads, offering access to Nvidia GPUs and high-speed storage to enterprises, research labs, and startups. The company went public earlier this year at $40 per share and peaked at $187 in June before retreating.

The launch comes as cloud infrastructure providers compete aggressively in the AI space. On the same day, rival firm Nebius signed a $19.4 billion, five-year deal with Microsoft to supply computing power, pushing AI and data center stocks higher across the board.

CoreWeave is also advancing a $9 billion all-stock acquisition of bitcoin miner Core Scientific (CORZ), announced in July and awaiting shareholder and regulatory approval.

For AI startups, CoreWeave Ventures offers an alternative to traditional VC firms or capital tied to hyperscalers, giving them access to specialized expertise and resources. For CoreWeave, the fund represents both a strategic investment in the broader AI ecosystem and an opportunity to secure early exposure to breakthrough innovations.