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Sebastian Thrun joins Charles River Ventures as senior adviser

Early-stage venture capital firm Charles River Ventures has announced that Sebastian Thrun has joined the firm as a senior adviser.

Early-stage venture capital firm Charles River Ventures has announced that Sebastian Thrun has joined the firm as a senior adviser.

Thrun (pictured) is a professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Stanford University, where he also directs the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He also serves as a principal engineer at Google where he was a key driver behind Google StreetView.

A leading expert on artificial intelligence, robotics, and all things computer, Thrun will work with the partners at CRV to identify new investment opportunities in internet services and technology while also advising the firm’s portfolio company executives on product and technology strategy.

‘Sebastian is always on the cutting edge of technology innovation and brings a fresh perspective drawing from his work with students and future innovators,’ says George Zachary, partner, Charles River Ventures. ‘We are happy to have him on board and know that CRV and our portfolio companies will greatly benefit from his experience and know-how in helping entrepreneurs achieve market traction with world-changing ideas.’

Thrun’s research focus includes artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, distributed systems, human robot interaction, and programming language design. He is widely acknowledged as a pioneer in the area of probabilistic robotics, which is concerned with applying statistical techniques to problems in real-world perception, planning, and control. Within this area, Thrun has focused on mobile robot exploration, mapping, and multi-robot coordination.

‘Companies with groundbreaking technologies continue to emerge at a rapid pace, and it is an exciting time to be advising these companies on product and technology strategy and working with CRV to explore new investment ideas,’ says Thrun. ‘I’ve known CRV for a long time, and I welcome the opportunity to work more closely with the firm’s partners and portfolio companies.’

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