François Chollet
About François Chollet
François Chollet is a French software engineer and AI researcher. He created the Keras deep learning library, released in 2015, and wrote the book Deep Learning with Python. He worked at Google from 2015 to 2024 and contributed to TensorFlow from 2015 to 2021.
In 2019 he published the ARC-AGI benchmark, which measures how well AI systems solve novel reasoning problems. In 2024 he launched ARC Prize, a US$1 million competition built around that benchmark. He left Google in November 2024 to start Ndea with Zapier co-founder Mike Knoop. Ndea is an AI research lab that aims to develop general intelligence using program synthesis. He is based in the United States (San Diego, per Tracxn).
Chollet's angel investments appear mainly in third-party funding databases and announcements. He is not known to publish a portfolio of his own. Tracxn lists him as an angel investor with V7 (Series A, November 2022) and CTGT (Seed, February 2025). Press and database listings from 2025 and 2026 also name him in rounds for Sycamore, CodeWords and White Circle.
Sycamore raised a $65M seed round, which CB Insights dates to March 30, 2026. Chollet is listed among its co-investors, alongside funds and other angels. CodeWords, a London startup, raised a $9M seed round in May 2026 that FinSMEs reports was led by Visionaries. Chollet is named among its angel investors.
CTGT raised about $7.2M in a seed round in February 2025, with Y Combinator, General Catalyst and Gradient Ventures among the investors. Chollet participated as an angel. A May 2026 Angel Registry update lists him as an investor in White Circle's $11M seed round for an enterprise AI control platform.
Based on the deals above, Chollet invests in AI and enterprise software companies at the seed stage, with one earlier Series A (V7). Tracxn lists his investment locations as the United States and the United Kingdom. He is a participating angel in rounds led by others, not a lead investor in the deals we found. We found no public statement from him on check size or on what he looks for in founders. He does offer paid advisory sessions on Intro, covering AI in products, model development and AI strategy.
- Sycamore: $65M seed round, March 2026 (CB Insights).
- CodeWords: London startup whose AI agent, Cody, turns plain-language requests into automations. $9M seed, May 2026.
- CTGT: seed round of about $7.2M, February 2025, with Y Combinator, General Catalyst and Gradient Ventures.
- V7: Series A of $33M, November 2022 (Tracxn).
- White Circle: enterprise AI control platform. $11M seed, reported May 2026.
- fchollet.com
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Chollet
- tracxn.com/d/people/francois-chollet/__uKvXqXingZ2usygSasO9gl64k6aW0UK
- cbinsights.com/investor/ali-ghodsi
- finsmes.com/2026/05/codewords-raises-9m-in-seed-funding.html
- x.com/GrishinRobotics/status/2053073749679727018/photo/1
- cbinsights.com/investor/michael-seibel
- buttondown.com/AngelRegistry/archive/angel-registry-update-may-14-2026
Investing activity
François Chollet appears in 2 AI deals tracked by the Lounge deals desk, rounds totalling $65M. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $65M. The most recent are CodeWords (Seed, $9M, May 2026) and Sycamore (Seed, $65M, Mar 2026).
François Chollet most often invests alongside Visionaries, Andrey Khusid, Robert Gentz and Kieran Flanagan, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about François Chollet
Is François Chollet an angel investor?
Yes. Tracxn lists him as an angel investor. Funding announcements and databases name him as an angel in Sycamore, CodeWords, CTGT and White Circle.
What stage does François Chollet invest in?
The rounds we found are mostly seed, plus a 2022 Series A in V7. He joins rounds led by other investors.
What is François Chollet's check size?
His check sizes are not public. We found no statement from him on how much he invests.
Which AI startups has François Chollet invested in?
Sycamore (seed, March 2026), CodeWords (seed, May 2026), CTGT (seed, February 2025), White Circle (seed, reported May 2026) and V7 (Series A, 2022).
What is François Chollet's background?
He created Keras and worked at Google from 2015 to 2024. He now co-founds Ndea, an AI research lab, and ARC Prize, with Mike Knoop.
How can founders contact François Chollet?
He is active on X as @fchollet and has a personal site at fchollet.com. He also takes paid advisory sessions through Intro.
What AI companies has François Chollet invested in?
François Chollet's AI investments include CodeWords and Sycamore. The 2 rounds on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does François Chollet invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, François Chollet has invested at Seed, with a median round of $65M.
Who does François Chollet co-invest with?
François Chollet's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Visionaries (1 deal), Andrey Khusid (1 deal), Robert Gentz (1 deal), Kieran Flanagan (1 deal) and Mati Staniszewski (1 deal).
How can founders reach François Chollet?
Founders on Lounge can see François Chollet's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add François Chollet to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.