Zero Shot, a venture fund founded by former OpenAI engineers, has closed its first round at its $100 million target. The team—Evan Morikawa, Andrew Mayne, Shawn Jain, Kelly Kovacs and Brett Rounsaville—leverages deep ties to OpenAI to spot early AI playmakers. Their first investments signal a shift in how ex‑researchers deploy capital.

Early bets include Worktrace AI, an enterprise automation platform that just raised a $10 million seed led by Mira Murati and OpenAI’s Fund, and Foundry Robotics, which secured $13.5 million from Khosla Ventures. Zero Shot also backed a third, stealth‑mode startup, underscoring its focus on high‑growth, high‑impact AI sectors for the future of enterprise AI solutions today.

Mayne, a former prompt engineer, remains wary of trendy niches like vibe coding and digital twins, arguing that core LLMs already deliver comparable performance. Morikawa dismisses robotics startups that rely on video‑data embodiment, citing the gap between research and production. Their skepticism signals a disciplined, expertise‑driven approach to AI investing for the next wave of the market.

Zero Shot’s roster of advisors—Diane Yoon, Steve Dowling, and Luke Miller—will share in carried interest, aligning their expertise with fund performance. The fund’s launch may prompt other OpenAI alumni to follow suit, tightening the link between cutting‑edge research and venture capital. Investors now watch closely as the fund deploys its remaining capital in the market.