DOJ antitrust probe targets a16z over competing AI board roles

The U.S. Justice Department has spent nearly a year investigating Andreessen Horowitz over whether partners at the venture capital firm are improperly serving on the boards of competing artificial intelligence companies. Summary The DOJ is investigating Andreessen Horowitz over board seats held at competing AI companies. The probe involves Databricks and Fivetran and has been underway for nearly a year. Regulators are examining whether the board roles violate rules against interlocking directorates. The DOJ has not decided whether to take enforcement action. Bloomberg News reported on Aug. 17, citing people familiar with the matter, that the inquiry involves Databricks and Fivetran, two data and AI companies backed by Andreessen Horowitz, with regulators examining the firm’s representation on both boards. Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Ben Horowitz sits on Databricks’ board, while partner Martin Casado serves as a director at Fivetran. Both companies provide technology used by businesses to collect, organise and analyse large amounts of data, according to the report. Casado had also served on the board of dbt Labs before Fivetran acquired the company in June. People familiar with t...