Andrew Ng came up with a theory almost 15 years ago: What if Google, the internet giant, thought of machines like the brain and trained neural networks on mass amounts of data using computational power in an attempt to lead to artificial general intelligence?

Google bit on Ng's line of thinking, and in 2011 he helped launch Google Brain, one of the most ambitious artificial intelligence programs at the time. Flash forward: Ng has cemented his status as one of the most respected figures in computer science.

Earlier this year, Ng's AI Fund, which backs small teams of experts using AI to solve key problems, said it planned to raise over $120 million for its second fund. A June filing with the SEC showed that the fund had amassed $69.75 million from 13 partners.

Ng launched the AI Fund in 2018 with $175 million, and initial backers included Sequoia and Softbank Group. It's made 43 investments to date, according to Crunchbase data.