Former Google employees shaped today's AI industry, study shows

By now, even the least tech-savvy among us have an idea of ​​Google’s enormous influence on the industry. In recent years, the company has launched itself into the artificial intelligence segment as a bet for the present and future. However, it seems that a large part of current AI-focused companies were also influenced, in one way or another, by former Google employees.

WriterBuddy.ai conducted a study on the top startups in the field of artificial intelligence. The list, made up of 50 names, confirms how Google is shaping the industry. We are not just talking about the company’s own developments from its DeepMind AI division. The report shows that fourteen of these companies have direct participation from former Google employees, either in their creation or in their main management.

Google alumni have influenced 14 of the top 50 AI energy companies

The top 3 AI startups with Google alumni influence include Anthropic, Perplexity, and Mistral AI. Anthropic stands out as the most valuable by far. The company is currently valued at $40 billion, with $9.7 billion in funding. Perplexity ($915 million funding, $8 billion valuation) and Mistral AI ($1.2 billion funding, $6.2 billion valuation) are much closer to each other than Anthropic, which seems to play in a completely different league.

The 14 Google-influenced AI companies managed to raise $14.7 billion combined in funding. Currently, they have an accumulated value of $71.6 billion. These companies are focused on fields such as AI infrastructure, AI models, and generative AI. Some are even in the healthcare sector, showing the great versatility of AI.

Top 50 AI startups raised $52.8 billion in funding this year

Regarding the top 50 AI startups, they managed to raise a combined funding of $52.8 billion in 2024. The investment trend in the segment has clearly been on the rise in recent years. 2023 represented a huge boom with a 600% increase in AI funding compared to 2020. The total raised by AI startups reached $20.7 billion last year.

In any industry, some segments are more popular than others. Talking about the AI field, the largest amount of funding went to companies developing infrastructure and AI models ($35.5 billion, 67% of the total). In second place are companies dedicated to Data & Analytics ($5.9 billion). Finally, there are firms that develop AI tech for Defense & Security ($3.8 billion).

It is not surprising that companies focusing on key AI technology received the majority of the funding. After all, it is primarily up to them to determine the pace at which the industry will advance. In the case of Defense & Security firms, state investment initiatives probably have a lot to do with it. You can look at the full WriterBuddy.ai studio to get more in-depth data.