The AI2 Incubator helps launch AI-first startups. We are an initiative of the Allen Institute for AI—a world-leading A.I. research institute with over 150+ A.I. PhDs, researchers, engineers, and support staff.
Each year, we invite talented engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs to join our incubator on a rolling basis. We help them come up with ideas, find co-founders, engage pilot customers, define their product, incorporate the latest A.I. techniques into their technology, and raise millions of dollars in venture funding.
We also invest up to $800,000 into the companies we work with. This investment capital comes from some of the best investors in the world, including four industry-leading VCs—Madrona Venture Group, Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, and Two Sigma Ventures.
More than anything else, this is an extraordinary community, all working together to help each other succeed. And as your cofounder, we are with you every step of the way.
Join us — and let’s build a new (AI-first) startup, around you.
We help business-focused founders to pair with technical cofounders that specialize in AI. We then help teams to come up with ideas, integrate AI into their products, build traction, raise VC funding, and more.
JOIN US >>We help skilled engineers to strengthen their AI capabilities and find a CEO/business partner. We then help teams to come up with ideas, integrate AI into their products, build traction, raise VC funding, and more.
JOIN US >>We help students and researchers to create new startups alongside their academic commitments. Participants pair with skilled CEOs and CTOs to turn AI technologies into exciting new products.
JOIN US >>Both ‘at-the-edge’ and in the cloud, we train computers to identify and process images in the same way that human vision does, and then provide appropriate output/insights.
Key papers:
We train computer algorithms to handle new situations via analysis, self-learning, observation and experience—removing manual identification of features in data.
Key papers:
We train computers to understand and read human text—bridging the translation gap between human languages and computer code—and opening a world of possibilities.
Key papers:
We train computers to artificially simulate human speech, to convert speech into text or text into speech, or to analyze an audio signal to extract insights and meaning.
Key projects:
“AI everywhere, on every device.”
XNOR bridges the growing divide between AI models dependent on the cloud and devices running at the edge, on devices as basic as a Raspberry Pi Zero. The company’s patented technology has upended traditional AI, resulting in billions of devices and products being AI-optimized—from battery operated cameras, to complex manufacturing machinery and cars.
FOUNDERS
Ali Farhadi, PhD & Mohammad Rastegari, PhD
MILESTONES
Acquired by Apple in 2020
“A voice for everyone.”
WellSaid creates truly life-like synthetic voices for next generation voice experiences, products, and content. The company’s text-to-speech editor offers video producers an inexpensive, subscription-based alternative to costly voice actors, without the robotic-sounding voices of traditional software.
FOUNDERS
Michael Petrochuk & Matt Hocking
MILESTONES
Raised millions of dollars in funding
“An intelligent Dropbox, for your contracts.”
Lexion reads your contracts, extracts terms, and organizes them — saving you time and money. The product supercharges not just Legal teams, but everyone in the organization who touches contracts.
FOUNDERS
Gaurav Oberoi, Emad Elwani & James Baird
MILESTONES
— Raised $4.2M in funding
— Backed by and partnered with Wilson Sonsini
“It’s good business, spoken clearly.”
Blue Canoe uses AI and speech recognition to increase business productivity by helping non-native English speaking employees communicate clearly with colleagues and customers. Productized into an engaging game experience, Blue Canoe teaches basic and specialized vocabulary and rewires the brain’s library of language sounds for better pronunciation and retention.
FOUNDERS
Sarah Daniels & Tony Andrews
MILESTONES
— Raised $3.9 million dollars in funding
— 2019 Winner, Qualcomm Ventures, Female Founder of the Year
“Conversational understanding as a service.”
KITT.AI makes technology to enable voice interaction with digital devices and services, including a platform that allows people to “wake up” devices with a defined word or phrase, and systems for natural language understanding and dialogue management.
FOUNDERS
Xuchen Yao, PhD & Guoguo Chen, PhD Kenji Sagae
MILESTONES
Acquired by Baidu in 2017
Today’s work is complex. Working everywhere and all the time. Stuff scattered across many apps. It’s painful to keep up. PANDA is about getting more done, working less, and being happier. PANDA works by applying breakthrough Natural Language Processing AI in ridiculously practical ways to help teams stay on the same page. PANDA is currently available through its early access program.
FOUNDERS
Aaron Goldfeder & Yue Ning
MILESTONES
Raised $3.3M from PSL Ventures, Ascend and AI2.
“Run AI with certainty”
WhyLabs is on a mission to build the interface between humans and AI applications. As teams across industries adopt AI, WhyLabs enables them to operate with certainty by streamlining model monitoring, preventing costly model failures, and facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
FOUNDERS
Alessya Visnjic, Sam Gracie, Andy Dang & Maria Karaivanova