Private AI: Venice.ai, led by crypto vet Erik Voorhees and Seattle’s Jesse Proudman, raises $65M

The Venice.ai leadership team, from left: Austin Virts, VP of marketing; Jesse Proudman, president and CTO; Erik Voorhees, CEO; Jonathan Shapiro, head of strategy; Tim Shakarian, head of engineering; and Johanna Tseng, VP of business operations. (Venice Photo) Venice.ai , a privacy-focused AI startup with strong Seattle ties, has raised $65 million in its first outside funding, valuing the 2-year-old company at $1 billion. The company positions itself as a private and unrestricted alternative to