Accel raises $5B to back late-stage bets

Accel announced on Tuesday that it raised $5 billion in fresh capital to back late-stage companies. The venture firm told Bloomberg that $4 billion will go to its late-stage Leaders Fund, for which it hopes to cut at least 20 checks, averaging $200 million each. Accel is looking to invest in companies building AI-powered technology, with a focus on software, hardware, robotics, defense tech, and data center infrastructure.