Our approach
Our theory of change stems from our overarching vision of empowering and safeguarding humanity. We seek to mitigate civilizational risk, while helping to ensure humanity has a thriving future. To realize this vision, we invest in the wise development of transformative technologies.
We developed our investment thesis from a cause prioritization exercise exploring where we can have the greatest impact, while addressing the leading existential risks to humanity. Based on this, we have selected specific sectors where we believe we can reduce risk, while generating attractive returns to our investors.
Our main areas of investment focus are transformative artificial intelligence and frontier mental health technologies.
Transformative artificial intelligence
As AI becomes increasingly prevalent in our society, prioritizing the safe development of advanced systems is becoming one of the most important issues of our time.
While there are serious risks associated with AI surpassing human intelligence, advanced AI could also yield tremendous benefits. To balance these considerations, we invest in visionary founders who take AI safety seriously. Our primary approach is investing in companies that explicitly contribute to AI safety. It is also important to improve the safety positions of potentially high-risk companies – in some cases, we partner with such companies to support the implementation of good governance and safety practices.
By working with companies that bridge the gap between AI capabilities development and human values, we strive to create a future where advanced AI systems contribute to human flourishing and societal progress, while significantly reducing existential risk.
I’ve worked my whole life on AI because I believe in its incredible potential to advance science & medicine, and improve billions of people’s lives. But as with any transformative technology we should apply the precautionary principle, and build & deploy it with exceptional care.
Demis Hassabis, Founder of DeepMind
Mental health
Poor mental health is a significant global challenge, with rates of depression and anxiety continuing to rise into the hundreds of millions. By investing in frontier mental health solutions, we aim to address these issues while participating in a rapidly growing market.
Research indicates that happier populations contribute to political stability, democratic governance and robust social safety nets. By supporting the delivery of transformative mental health treatments, we build resilience and cultivate a more harmonious future. We make targeted investments in particularly high-leverage areas, including psychedelic medicine, novel drug development, and non-invasive neurotechnologies.
We also recognize the vital role consciousness plays in addressing the complex and interconnected challenges facing humanity. By fostering greater awareness of the interdependence of all life on Earth, we can nurture our capacities of compassion, collaborating, and wise action – all of which are critical for tackling a wide range of existential risk scenarios.
These tools, the psychedelic drugs [and plants]—offer a much faster method than most of the classic alternatives for the accomplishment of the goals we seek: conscious awareness of our interior workings and greater clarity as to our responsibilities towards our own species and all others with whom we share this planet.
Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin
Other sectors
We also make strategic investments into other areas that have strong potential to reduce existential risk, when we believe there is the potential for high marginal impact. These include improving institutional decision-making, bettering international coordination, avoiding extreme climate change and advancing critical areas of research.
Our strategy is to focus on the areas that are more neglected and where our resources have greater ability to move the needle. This constitutes a small portion of our portfolio, but we are always evaluating new cause areas.
The real existential risk is a loss of the ability to make sense of the world around us: what is worth doing, and what the likely effects of things will be.
Daniel Schmachtenberger
Who we invest in
Key Company Criteria
- Multi-billion dollar addressable market
- Clear path to sustainable competitive advantage
- Direct quantifiable impact at scale
- Compliance with Lionheart’s ethical principles where relevant
Key Founder Criteria
- Raw intelligence
- Exceptional determination
- Growth mindset
- Founder-market fit
