A version of this article initially appeared in CNBC's Inside Wealth newsletter curated by Robert Frank, a weekly resource for high-net-worth investors and consumers. Subscribe to receive future editions directly in your inbox. Laurene Powell Jobs' investment in a new artificial intelligence "computing device" underscores her growing interest in AI startups, as revealed by recent data. Emerson Collective, the family office, investment firm, and philanthropic organization founded by Powell Jobs, has made investments in at least nine AI-related startups since 2022, according to exclusive data from Fintrx, a private wealth intelligence platform. Emerson's investments in AI span various regions and sectors, including a New York-based AI medical firm, a San Jose, California-based image analysis company, a French developer specializing in large language models, and a Norwegian company that creates AI presentation tools for educators. While specific dollar amounts for Emerson's AI investments have not been disclosed, Fintrx reports that they have participated in funding rounds for AI ventures totaling over $1 billion. A spokesperson for Emerson Collective did not provide any comments on the matter. Emerson does not publicly share its total assets under management. Laurene Powell Jobs, who is also a philanthropist, investor, and the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, has an estimated net worth of $11. 5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The main focus of Emerson Collective is on education, environment, and healthcare. As reported by Fintrx, the organization has made over 130 investments in total, with more than half allocated to technology, 48 in healthcare and life sciences, and the remaining investments spread across energy, agriculture, education, human services, media, and other sectors. Raffi Krikorian, a former executive at Uber and Twitter, serves as Emerson's chief technology officer. The New York Times revealed this week that Jony Ive, the renowned Apple designer who closely collaborated with Steve Jobs before departing the company in 2019, is joining forces with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to develop a new "computing device" designed for AI use.

Their venture seeks to raise up to $1 billion by year-end, with Emerson Collective as one of its founding investors alongside Ive, according to the report. In 2024, AI has emerged as the leading investment theme for family offices. The UBS Global Family Office Report shows that 78% of family offices surveyed intend to invest in AI within the next two to three years, marking the highest interest among any investment category. Powell Jobs began her investments in AI prior to the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT, which sparked the current AI investment and consumer frenzy. In June 2022, Emerson participated in an $80 million C-round investment in Proximie, a health tech firm providing a platform to connect operating rooms. Later, in August 2022, it invested in a $14 million Series A round for Atropos Health, which offers clinical data solutions for physicians. Emerson has continued to invest in AI startups globally, including a $4. 6 million seed round for Norway's Curipod, which assists teachers in creating interactive lessons, and a $415 million Series A round for Mistral, a French developer of large language models. The two latest investments by Emerson in the AI sector comprise Formation Bio, an AI-focused pharmaceutical company that raised $372 million in June, and a $33 million follow-on round for Atropos.