As a venture facility for public benefit, Schmidt Futures drives discovery through investment in people, platforms, and partnerships. We aim to apply new ways of thinking and new technological innovations to long-standing human problems.
To achieve our goals, we use a broad set of tools — including gifts, grants, investments, and startup activity — for charitable, educational, and commercial efforts with a public purpose. We draw upon the best elements of models that work across sectors. For example, we borrow insights and tools from foundations, incubators, investment funds, and think tanks, bringing them together in unusual combinations to advance our work in a modern, fast, lean, and professional way.
We are focused on measurable results, applying new approaches to tackle old problems in a data-driven fashion.
Future-leaning
We seek to create the future, not restore the past. For example, embracing the inevitability of technological change, we look for machine learning solutions where there is a community benefit.
Risk Taking
We take the risks that only private philanthropy can take, providing early-stage funds broadly to new (and potentially competitive) efforts through a fast-launch venture model. We are creative in our approach, serving as an idea generator to test a number of ideas and identify those that work.
People-driven
Like effective venture facilities, we invest not only by thesis but also by team. In some cases, we start with a goal and then find the people, and in other cases we start by finding the best people and support them through multiple efforts or experiments.
Our People
We are a dedicated group bringing to bear new and creative ideas about how to tackle society’s long-standing challenges.