[bglazer]

I think this happens to some degree with venture firms taking multiple bets on multiple companies working in the same area. The individual companies are still hamstrung, though. Why would ten companies all take the same bet on a speculative technology, especially if they know that other companies are already working on the same ideas?

Also, not to be glib, but it sounds like you’re describing a very wealthy investor willing to spend a lot of money to advance social good by broadly funding an individually unprofitable research goal. That's just a government right?