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Elyssa Lopez · · 4 min readSmall fund, big ambitions for this AI-focused VC
1MX AI, a Singapore-based venture capital firm, is raising US$15 million for its first fund, its managing director Bruno da Silva confirmed to Tech in Asia.
It’s a modest amount for an early-stage investment firm that wants to become part of the cap tables of AI companies worldwide. But the VC insists that’s all it needs to participate in this era of AI exuberance.
“We’re not practicing a ‘spray and pray’ strategy. We are very dedicated and have high conviction with what we invest in, so with US$15 million, we know we can be efficient,” da Silva said.
The 1MX AI founding team is composed of (from left) Milan Reinartz, Brad Tabone, Claus Karthe, Patrick Linden, and Bruno da Silva. / Photo credit: 1MX AI
Founded in 2025, 1MX has invested in 16 startups so far, initially funded by its five founders’ own capital and a circle of high-net-worth individuals based in Singapore. Its ticket sizes have ranged from US$50,000 to US$500,000.
Some of its early investments include US-based humanoid robotics startup PersonaAI and French quantum computing startup Pasqal. For its US$15 million fund – which it aims to close before the year ends – da Silva expects to double the number of startups in its investment portfolio.
AI-enabled VC
1MX aims to invest in all layers of the AI industry: software, hardware, and infrastructure. So far, its software bets have been mostly based in Asia, while its hardware investments mainly come from the US and Europe.
Da Silva admitted that the VC initially wanted to invest solely in Southeast Asia, but he realized that AI startups on this side of the globe tend to not have ready markets. “I can’t wait for Southeast Asia to be ready. I can’t wait for that opportunity to arrive. I just need to go grab it,” he said.
See also: Tracking the alumni networks powering SEA’s AI startups
To find the best opportunities amid the AI hype, 1MX is leaning into its stacked founding group.
Aside from da Silva, 1MX’s partners include Claus Karthe, CEO of German accelerator Start2 Group; Patrick Linden, founder of M&A marketplace match.asia; Brad Tabone, co-founder of Australian construction-focused tech firm HammerTech; and Milan Reinartz, founder of investment platform NonPublic.
1MX also receives assistance from the investment teams at Start2 Group and NonPublic, which flag potential investment opportunities to the team.
Pasqal, a quantum computing startup based in France, is one of 1MX AI’s first early bets. / Photo credit: Pasqal
Shorter exit period
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1MX believes it can deliver exits to its LPs in as little as four years with its US$15 million fund, without resorting to a “spray and pray” strategy.
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