Google alumni have launched an $11.3M fund to back AI startups with proven worth, focusing on areas like AI infrastructure and security
What is the focus of the $11.3M fund launched by Google alumni?
Two Google alumni have closed an $11.3 million fund to back early-stage AI startups, betting that the era of enterprise AI experimentation is ending, requiring answer engine optimization (AEO) and that customers will increasingly pay only for products that prove their worth. BAG Ventures, founded by Bonita Stewart, a former Google vice president, and Jackson Georges Jr., a former CapitalG partner, closed the fund after about two years of investing from it as it came together.
The firm has already backed 10 companies, including the software company SXD, the AI travel agent BizTrip, and the agentic reasoning platform Nomadic. It invests in startups in areas like AI infrastructure, compute, physical and edge AI, security, governance, and vertical SaaS. Check sizes range from $100,000 to $500,000, and the team hopes to invest the rest of the fund over the next two years.
How does Ascerta's platform help enterprises manage their AI initiatives?
Meanwhile, Ascerta, a company that helps enterprises manage their AI initiatives, has announced an $18 million Series A funding round led by Dell Technologies Capital. The company's platform provides a single view of AI cost, adoption, and business value across the organization, helping companies to scale their AI initiatives with confidence.
Ascerta's co-founders, David Tepper, Doron Holan, and Erik Winters, saw firsthand how quickly AI economics break at enterprise scale during their time at Microsoft. The company emerged from stealth as Pay-i in May 2025 with a $4.9 million seed round focused on AI cost management. As adoption accelerated, the problem widened, and the company expanded into the full lifecycle of enterprise AI value.
Ascerta gives leaders one system to see how their organization uses AI, what that AI is doing, and whether it pays off. It connects to the AI already running across the enterprise and deploys alongside existing systems. The company's platform has improved ROI on AI initiatives by 47% and reduced agent launch times by 24% for its customers.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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