AI2 Incubator, established by the Allen Institute for AI in 2022, has obtained a significant $200 million in computing resources that startups participating in its program can leverage to expedite early development.
Managing director Jacob Colker stated, “Our community of AI practitioners greatly values access to computing power. Many of these startups struggle to make progress and demonstrate early success due to limited resources for training models beyond basic API offerings.”
Any company in the AI2 Incubator portfolio or program is eligible to receive up to $1 million worth of specialized AI computing resources located in data centers owned by an undisclosed partner. (However, the number of companies with $200 million in available capacity is quite limited.)
The partner providing the computing resources does not receive preferential treatment or access to the companies, apart from being potentially the primary computing provider for a startup.
“There is a strong desire to help these entrepreneurs achieve revenue growth rapidly,” Colker emphasized.
A million dollars’ worth of dedicated computing resources can significantly benefit pre-seed startups, which is the main focus of AI2 (companies like WellSaid Labs and Xnor.ai have emerged from their program).
Colker noted that this allocation would likely cover most computing needs, even for companies working on developing new foundational models.
The AI2 Incubator, operational since 2017, became an independent entity in 2022, maintaining a close relationship with the Seattle research institute while operating separately. They have supported over 30 startups and recently secured a $30 million fund to continue their mission.
