Charles Ferguson is (a) an angel investor and strategic advisor to early stage technology startups and venture capital firms, particularly but not exclusively in artificial intelligence; (b) an Oscar-winning film director and producer specializing in policy-oriented documentary films; and (c) a policy analyst specializing in technology policy issues related to high technology, national security and/or economic growth.
Ferguson is the author of five books and numerous articles, as well as the director and producer of four feature documentaries. His documentary films have won numerous awards including the Oscar for Best Documentary (for Inside Job), as well as the Sundance Special Jury Prize (for No End In Sight) and best documentary awards from the Directors Guild, Writers Guild, and both the Los Angeles and New York film critics circles. Prior to making films, Ferguson was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Visiting Scholar at MIT and UC Berkeley, and a visiting lecturer in the UC Berkeley School of Journalism. Earlier in his career Ferguson was the founder (with Randy Forgaard) and CEO of Vermeer Technologies, developer of FrontPage, which he sold to Microsoft in 1996. Ferguson holds a BA in mathematics from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in political science from MIT. Ferguson is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on the board of directors of the French American Foundation.
Governments and Companies Confront the AI Wavefront
Presentation to the Davidov / GenAI Collective AI Conference, April 2024
I invest in, and/or consult to, early stage technology startups, particularly in AI but also other areas. I am often the first money in, and usually am very active as a strategic advisor as well as assisting with introductions to adjacent founders, angel investors, potential employees, and/or potential venture capital investors. When I invest, I also sometimes have advisory stock (options on common) in addition to pure investment. In other cases, I am solely an advisor.
Venture Capital Limited Partnership Relationships