Bill Gates is known for his philanthropic contributions to health, education, and anti-poverty organizations through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
But the billionaire founder of Microsoft has also made a number of more under-the-radar personal investments.
From fake meat to blood tests that could detect cancer early, take a look at a few Silicon Valley initiatives that Gates has supported in the past decade.
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Grail, a startup aiming to detect cancer when it's still curable.
Founded in 2016, Grail is a life sciences company working to develop technology that could spot cancer before it's incurable. Grail says on its site that it believes a special type of blood screen could be the key.
Grail was funded in 2016 by its former parent company (the gene-sequencing giant Illumina) and a group of high-profile investors including Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Google Ventures. The Series A round totaled $100 million, and Grail has garnered $1.2 billion in investments to date.
EtaGen, a startup developing highly-efficient power generators.
EtaGen is a startup producing ultra-efficient generators that supply power for companies, buildings, and microgrids. In 2012, CEO Shannon Miller told MIT Tech Review that EtaGen's engines use on average 25% less fuel (like natural gas or diesel) than traditional gas-powered generators.
Founded in 2010, the company has raised $133 million to date. Bill Gates and others invested $83 million in a Series C funding round in early 2018.
Change.org, a company publishing online petitions.
With over 150 million users in 196 countries, Change.org is a popular site where people can start petitions for specific causes. Current US-based petitions include one to strengthen gun laws and one supporting farmworkers' rights.
In a Series C funding round in 2014, Change.org received $30 million from Gates and others. The company has raised $83 million to date.
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