US investment firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has revealed London as the location for its first international office in a boost for the UK capital.
General partner Sriram Krishnan will manage the London branch of the VC firm, which will open later this year.
Andreessen Horowitz, which has invested in the likes of Coinbase and Facebook, also plans to host its next Crypto Startup School from its London home next spring.
The crypto space is “in the early innings”, the VC firm said, citing how AI applications are just emerging off the back of 80 years of development.
It currently works with blockchain clubs at US universities and is looking to replicate this in the UK.
In a statement, Andreessen Horowitz said: “While there is still work to be done, we believe that the UK is on the right path to becoming a leader in crypto regulation.”
British investments from a16z include Arweave, Aztec, and Improbable.
Today AI startup Gensyn raised £33.8m in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “As we cement the UK’s place as a science and tech superpower, we must embrace new innovations like Web3, powered by blockchain technology, which will enable start-ups to flourish here and grow the economy.”
According to the investment firm it holds $35bn in assets under management.