Vinod Khosla

Factual · Economics and markets

“We also helped incubate Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Lanzajet for renewable jet fuel.”

Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, on X · 4 September 2020 · Post by @vkhosla on X, 2020-09-04 (X)

Khosla Ventures helped incubate Commonwealth Fusion Systems and LanzaJet (renewable jet fuel).

Unresolvable The public record could not settle it.

The second judge would not resolve this claim; the verdict shown is the first judge's.

Said for an organisation they lead or work for; it counts on both records.

What would count as true or false

Judge as of 2020-09-04. True: credible records (company histories, Khosla Ventures or company announcements, contemporaneous press) show Khosla Ventures played an incubating or founding-stage role in both Commonwealth Fusion Systems (e.g., an early or seed investor that helped form the company) and LanzaJet (e.g., incubated through or alongside its portfolio company LanzaTech, which KV backed from the start). Mostly true: KV was clearly involved at or near formation of both, but one role is better described as an early investor than as an incubator. Mixed: KV incubated or helped form one of the two, but for the other it was only a later investor. Mostly false: KV invested in both, or in one, but evidence shows it had no incubating or founding-stage role in either. False: KV had no involvement with one or both companies at the time the claim was made.

Evidence

1. Commonwealth Fusion Systems - Wikipedia Wikipedia

   “After initial funding of $50 million in 2018 from the Italian multinational Eni,[3] CFS closed its series A round of venture capital funding in 2019 with a total of US$115 million in funding from Eni,[6] Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Vinod Khosla's Khosla Ventures, and others.”

2. A Few Critical Climate Technology Breakthroughs Multiplied by “Instigators” is Desperately Needed Khosla Ventures · 15 July 2020 Own record

   “I am particularly excited about a new fusion energy effort we helped start out of the Plasma Fusion Lab at MIT. And Commonwealth Fusion is trying to make it real in the current decade!”

3. A Few Critical Climate Technology Breakthroughs Multiplied by “Instigators” is Desperately Needed Khosla Ventures · 15 July 2020 Own record

   “LanzaJet (a subsidiary of Lanzatech), started in New Zealand a decade ago and partnered by Sean Simpson and Jennifer Holmgren, is building its first pilot plant to produce 100% renewable jet biofuel using gas fermentation technology.”

4. LanzaJet launches to make renewable jet fuel a reality | TechCrunch TechCrunch · 2 June 2020

   “Today, the company announced the spin-out of LanzaJet, alongside its corporate partners Mitsui, Suncor and All Nippon Airways, to bring sustainable aviation fuel to the commercial market.”

5. A Few Critical Climate Technology Breakthroughs Multiplied by “Instigators” is Desperately Needed Khosla Ventures · 15 July 2020 Own record

   “I am particularly excited about a new fusion energy effort we helped start out of the Plasma Fusion Lab at MIT. And Commonwealth Fusion is trying to make it real in the current decade!”

6. A Few Critical Climate Technology Breakthroughs Multiplied by “Instigators” is Desperately Needed Khosla Ventures · 15 July 2020 Own record

   “LanzaJet (a subsidiary of Lanzatech), started in New Zealand a decade ago and partnered by Sean Simpson and Jennifer Holmgren, is building its first pilot plant to produce 100% renewable jet biofuel using gas fermentation technology.”

7. Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $115 Million and Closes Series A Round to Commercialize Fusion Energy | Commonwealth Fusion Systems Commonwealth Fusion Systems · 24 July 2019

   “New participants in the round include Future Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Lowercase Capital, Moore Strategic Ventures, Safar Partners, Schooner Capital, and Starlight Ventures who join Eni, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, The Engine and other investors”

8. LanzaJet takes off with $50m - Global Venturing Global Venturing · 5 June 2020

   “US-based sustainable chemicals and fuel producer LanzaTech has spun off the aviation-focused LanzaJet with $50m from investors including corporates Suncor Energy, Mitsui and All Nippon Airways (ANA), Chicago Inno reported on Wednesday.”

9. About LanzaJet · 2 October 2023

   “LanzaJet launches as a new company, founded by LanzaTech, Suncor, and Mitsui, with additional investment from the U.S. Department of Energy and All Nippon Airways.”

Reasoning

The evidence shows Khosla Ventures joining Commonwealth Fusion Systems at its 2019 Series A (E7, E1), and Khosla Ventures' own post says it helped start the MIT fusion effort linked to Commonwealth Fusion (E2). For LanzaJet, the evidence does not cover Khosla Ventures' relationship with LanzaTech or LanzaJet (E4, E8, E9). The evidence does not show that Khosla Ventures had no incubating or founding-stage role in either company.

Cite this claim

Vinod Khosla, “Khosla Ventures helped incubate Commonwealth Fusion Systems and LanzaJet (renewable jet fuel).” (said 4 September 2020). Verdict: unresolvable. Reliability API, claim c_20d63a2f3674, method 0.1.0+c876030c. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_20d63a2f3674