How Premji Invest Built $43 Billion AI Empire

•Premji Invest, a private investment firm owned by Azim Premji, has invested in 11 AI startups, predominantly in the US, with a combined valuation of $43 billion.

•The firm has participated in 19 funding rounds since January 2021, with a significant number of investments in 2024 and 2025, and has been more cautious with Indian AI startups.

•Five of the US-based startups backed by Premji Invest were founded by Indian entrepreneurs, including Hippocratic AI and Baseten, which saw valuations climb to $3.5 billion and $13 billion, respectively.

•Premji Invest has also invested in major US AI players like Runway (GenAI video) and Applied Intuition (autonomous driving AI systems), with valuations increasing to $5.3 billion and $15 billion, respectively.

•The firm's investments have been spread across the years, with the bulk coming in 2024 and 2025, and have included