Andreessen Horowitz is a venture capital firm specializing in investing in seed, start-ups, early, mid-stage, growth, and late-stage. It prefers to invest in the social media business and technology sector with a focus on software, back-end infrastructure, the infrastructure of the Internet, cloud computing, enterprise software and services, consumer, business Internet, mobile-Internet, consumer Internet, cloud computing, data storage, social network browsers data-storage, consumer electronics, networking functions, software related biology, biotech, and medicine companies at the intersection of computer science and life sciences with a focus on digital therapeutics, cloud technology in biology, and computational medicine.

Andreessen Horowitz

Green Bay Ventures (''GBV'') is a San Francisco based venture capital firm. The Firm is led by C. Richard ''Dick'' Kramlich and Anthony Schiller, who co-own and co-manage the Firm. Since 2012, Dick and Anthony have originated and made investments in world-class companies including Lyft, Dropbox, Xiaomi, MuleSoft, Databricks, Spotify, TransferWise, and DocuSign plus other leading early-stage venture capital deals. Dick and Anthony have designed GBV to build on the same instinct and vision which helped Dick and the firm he co-founded, NEA, pioneer investment in and commercialization of Ethernet (3Com), high capacity networking (Juniper Networks), balloon angioplasty (Advanced Cardiovascular), web-based remittances (Xoom) and graphics processing (Silicon Graphics) — but at a scale where the team can focus on a small number of high conviction opportunities and support a select group of visionary entrepreneurs working to create breakthrough technologies and transform industries. The Firm’s existing investors include some of the world’s most prominent families, top-tier venture capital investors, entrepreneurs, and Silicon Valley CEOs whose active engagement with portfolio companies provides deep domain expertise and direct access to target markets.  GBV believes that by leveraging the networks and businesses of the Firm’s investors, its portfolio companies gain an advantage — helping the growth of their businesses and the deployment of their technologies.

Green Bay Ventures

Village Global is an early stage venture capital firm backed by some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs.

Village Global

Coinbase Ventures is an investment arm of Coinbase that aims to invest in seed-stage cryptocurrency and blockchain startups. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in San Francisco, California, United States.

Coinbase Ventures

Preston-Werner Ventures is an investment firm that currently funds projects at the intersection of social justice, climate change, and technology. The company is committed in making investments in order to advance justice and dignity in the present. They invest in solutions to remove and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Preston-Werner Ventures was founded by Tom Preston-Werner and Theresa Preston-Werner.

Preston-Werner Ventures

Cortical Ventures is a venture capital investment firm that focuses on investing in AI companies.

Cortical Ventures

500 Emerging Europe assists emerging European founders in expanding globally.

500 Emerging Europe

A regional specialist fund operating within the early-stage emerging europe to US pipeline; backing emerging european founders within Eastern Europe and bridging them to the US at the earliest of stages. We also back immigrant founders from emerging europe in key end-markets like San Francisco, NYC, London and Berlin alike.

e2vc

Kindred Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital fund that supports startup companies. The company prefers to invest in the software, healthcare, telecommunications, retail, climate technology, and consumer industries. It is based in San Francisco, California, and was founded in 2014 by Steve Jang and Kanyi Maqubela.

Kindred Ventures

First Round is a seed-stage venture firm focused on building a vibrant community of technology entrepreneurs and companies, including Uber, Square, and Warby Parker. Through custom-built software, incredible in-person experiences, and a host of other unique services, First Round helps tiny companies get big while constantly reimagining the role of venture capital. It offers a growing number of services and products to help founders build companies from scratch. First Round has adopted the Diversity Term Sheet Rider.

First Round Capital

Founded in 2021 by Burkay Gur and Gorkem Yurtseven, Fal.ai is a developer-focused inference platform for running diffusion models to create AI-generated audio, video, and images. The company offers two main products: 1) Privately managed compute and workflows for running GenAI models and 2) APIs for open-source models that generate various media types. Fal.ai's platform is designed to handle large-scale requests, with the ability to process hundreds of millions of requests and generate 50 million images, videos, or audio streams daily.&nbsp;

Empowering Tomorrow's Innovations with Generative AI Infrastructure

Generative AI Infrastructure

Fal.AI

Founded in 2021 by Burkay Gur and Gorkem Yurtseven, Fal.ai is a developer-focused inference platform for running diffusion models to create AI-generated audio, video, and images. The company offers two main products: 1) Privately managed compute and workflows for running GenAI models and 2) APIs for open-source models that generate various media types. Fal.ai's platform is designed to handle large-scale requests, with the ability to process hundreds of millions of requests and generate 50 million images, videos, or audio streams daily.&nbsp;Fal.ai claims its infrastructure is optimized for speed and cost-effectiveness, allowing developers to run diffusion models up to 50% faster than traditional methods. The platform supports many models, including SDXL Lightning, AuraFlow, and Stable Diffusion V3. One of Fal.ai's standout products is Wizper, a Whisper v3-based transcription tool that offers approximately 250x real-time audio speed, making it significantly faster and more cost effective than competitors.Fal.ai follows a pay-as-you-use business model starting from USD 1 to USD 200; it also includes customized pricing. As of September 2024, the company reported an annual run rate of nearly USD 10 million, representing a 10x increase since that January.Key customers and partnershipsAs of September 2024, notable customers included Photoroom, Freepik, Perplexity, and PlayHT, with 500,000 developers on its platform. It <a href="https://www.globalvillagespace.com/tech/fal-ai-secures-23-million-in-funding-to-revolutionize-ai-generated-media-solutions/#:~:text=Notably%2C%20it%20has%20partnered%20with%20Black%20Forest%20Labs%2C%20hosting%20models%20that%20power%20image%20generation%20for%20various%20applications%2C%20including%20the%20controversial%20Grok%20chatbot.">partnered </a>with Black Forest Labs, hosting models that power image generation for various applications, including the controversial Grok chatbot. This initiative has supported the development of models like moondream2 and birefnet.

Founded in Israel, NeuReality specializes in providing hardware infrastructure to streamline computation processes to accelerate the development of AI applications. Its technology assists AI inferencing deployment by offering a comprehensive system solution that seamlessly supports a vast array of deep learning models.NeuRealitys’ infrastructure includes an architecture called the Network Addressable Processing Unit (NAPU) to maximize the capabilities of Deep Learning Accelerators (DLAs). This design facilitates inference through purpose-built NAPUs that are specifically crafted for AI inference tasks, enhancing performance and efficiency.The NR1 AI Inference Solution by NeuReality is a comprehensive system comprising architecture, hardware, and software platforms. Launched in November 2023, it intends to simplify the installation, utilization, and management of AI, making it accessible and manageable for users.The hardware offerings of the solution include,1. NR1 Network Addressable Processing Unit : A network addressable inference Server-on-a-Chip with an embedded Neural Network Engine, which is a workflow-optimized hardware device with specialized processing units, native network capabilities, and virtualization capabilities2. NR1-M™ AI Inference Module : A full-height, double-wide PCIe card containing one NR1 Network Addressable Processing Unit (NAPU) system-on-chip and a network addressable Inference Server that can connect to an external Deep Learning Accelerator (DLA)3. NR1-S AI Inference Appliance : An optimized design for an inference server that contains NR1-M modules with the NR1 NAPU, which enables disaggregated AI service in a scalable and efficient architectureThe software component of the solution is designed to be compatible with any trained model from any development environment. It includes tools that handle the entire AI pipeline and enable seamless connection of AI workflows to any environment.NeuReality differs from traditional AI chip connectivity in replacing CPU-centric support with an AI-centric platform. This allows components to communicate directly with AI accelerators, eliminating the need for commands to pass through a central processing unit. Additionally, the technology enables AI accelerators to connect with each other, enhancing efficiency and performance in AI applications. It also claims its AI-centric approach reduces complexity, cost, and power usage. The firm claims it can reduce inference costs by 90%.Key customers and partnershipsIn November 2021, NeuReality teamed up with IBM to develop advanced AI inference technology by enhancing its NR1 chip and system for use in IBM's Hybrid Cloud.In September 2021, the company partnered with Xilinx to develop AI-centric platforms that improve real-world AI applications. This collaboration was intended to focus on NeuReality's AI-centric inference platform NR1-P and address existing issues with AI deployment including cost and complexity.

NeuReality

<div>
 
 Accubits is an AI and BLOCKCHAIN focused development and solutions company based in Washington DC with its development offices in India and Dubai. Pioneering as a custom Blockchain solutions provider delivering solutions ever since 2012, Accubits is one of the oldest and experienced Blockchain dev house in the market and is featured as one among the top 13 Blockchain companies in India by INC42. We are a big family of engineers, innovators, inventors and many others continually working to help our customers in leveraging their business and adding value to their lives. Over the past 6 years, We have delivered more than 600 projects, for over 200 clients worldwide. Several of Fortune 500 companies in sectors from Retail to Health are being powered by our solutions to streamline and leverage their growth.Our portfolio for AI solutions includes intelligent conversational tools, RPAs, CRMs, SIPs, real-time video and image analytics systems, state of the art ALPR systems and many more being used enterprises, startups across North America, Canada, Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, India &amp; Sweden. Our portfolio of Blockchain development includes custom DApps and smart contracts, crypto token and exchange development, integrated blockchain services and ICO platforms.
 
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Accubits

<div>
 
 LeewayHertz is a leading software development company delivering tailor-made digital solutions to businesses worldwide. Our team of 250+ full-stack developers, designers and innovators has designed and developed 100+ digital solutions across industry verticals. As a close-knit team of AI and web3 experts, designers and full-stack developers, we undertake collaborative research and development to create next-gen applications and solutions perfectly suited to the evolving tech space. As a technology pioneer with deep knowledge and expertise in AI, blockchain and other advanced technologies like IoT, LeewayHertz believes in helping companies overcome their most complex tech challenges and drive business growth. Our motto, &lsquo;You Dream It: We Build It,&rsquo; reflects our business philosophy. From putting flesh on your idea to delivering the expected end product, we do whatever it takes to make your project successful. Having worked with 30+ top fortune 500 companies and created various on-demand solutions, we boast an impressive work portfolio demonstrating our expertise.
 
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LeewayHertz

Databricks, a data and AI company established by the original developers behind prominent Big Data solutions such as Delta Lake, Apache Spark, and MLflow, and provides organizations with AI and data analytics tools for efficient management of their data.&nbsp;Databricks' primary product is the Databricks Lakehouse platform, a unified data intelligence platform that merges a data warehouse and data lake to provide developers with efficient access to data and enables enterprise customers to create their AI models—similar to a ChatGPT-style AI system—using only their internal data.&nbsp;Databricks Unity Catalog, part of the Databricks Lakehouse Platform, provides unified governance for structured and unstructured data, machine-learning models, notebooks, dashboards, and files across various environments, offering automated monitoring, proactive alerts, and seamless data sharing through Delta Sharing integration. Furthermore, Databricks offers an open architecture that streamlines the AI development process, allowing the integration of various LLMs such as Llama 2, Azure OpenAI, and Anthropic, enabling customization with enterprise data for tailored model creation. In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28436">April 2024</a>, Databricks introduced its Data Intelligence platform for energy to use AI technology to process large data for energy companies. Following this, the company added synthetic data capabilities for AI agent evaluation in&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/37008">December 2024</a>.Notably, Lakehouse leverages NVIDIA technology for accelerated data processing and AI model generation. Databricks also offers industry-specific solutions like Databricks Lakehouse for Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail, and Manufacturing.Databricks has expanded its offerings through multiple acquisitions, including MosaicML (<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19683">July 2023</a>), Arcion (<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23041">October 2023</a>), Okera (<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18197">May 2023</a>), and Datajoy (October 2022).&nbsp; Key customers and partnershipsAs of November 2024, Databricks served a global customer base of more than 10,000 organisations, including Comcast, Conde, DuPont, Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, Shell, and Tata Steel.Databricks collaborates with over 1,200 global cloud, ISV, and consulting partners to deliver data, analytics, and AI solutions, supporting customers in scaling their projects.Notable partnerships include collaboration with AWS in&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/34884">October 2024</a> to leverage AWS Trainium chips as the preferred AI chip to power Databricks' Mosaic AI model training and serving capabilities.&nbsp;Databricks also partnered with Karini AI in&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33687">September 2024</a> to accelerate GenAI deployment for enterprises.&nbsp;

Databricks

Labelbox offers a data-centric AI platform for enterprises, enabling them to develop, optimize, and use AI to solve complex problems and power new products and services.&nbsp;&nbsp;Labelbox’s platform offers capabilities for building, optimizing, training, fine-tuning LLMs, and AI-enabled data labeling automation.&nbsp;Its products include&nbsp;1) Catalog: A platform for building AI applications with features such as advanced search capabilities and optimizing data for labeling budgets2) Annotate: A data labeling solution designed to streamline and accelerate labeling operations using automation tools and pre-labeling techniques(3) Model: Offers tools for data enrichment, model-assisted labeling, and custom Foundry Apps to automate data management tasks and improve AI model performance&nbsp;&nbsp;(4) Boost: Offers fully managed tailored solutions such as on-demand data labeling services to enhance AI development speed and efficiency.&nbsp;As such, Labelbox enables companies to streamline the fine-tuning and alignment of LLMs and enables the validation of outputs through techniques such as reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), reinforcement learning from AI feedback (RELIEF), and evaluation. This incorporation of human expertise ensures more accurate, contextually relevant, trustworthy, and secure results from LLM systems.The platform is offered through a SaaS subscription model with packages ranging from free subscriptions with limited usage and custom pricing for enterprises.Key customers and partnershipsThe firm's solutions have use cases across diverse industries, including retail, consumer internet, healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services. Labelbox has a large portfolio of customers, including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Blue River Technology, a smart AgriTech company that used Labelbox's model-assisted labeling suite to enhance its See &amp; Spray technology in smart agriculture, resulting in herbicide cost savings of 70%–80. Labelbox's customers also include several Fortune 500 companies, such as Walmart, P&amp;G, Audi Adobe, Airbnb, Bayer, and Bosch.Key partnerships include a long-term collaboration with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21770">Google Cloud </a>to facilitate digital transformations in retail, consumer internet, financial services, and manufacturing and logistics.&nbsp;

Labelbox

Integrated solutions that handle various processes such as model training, fine-tuning, model deployment, monitoring, and maintenance in working with and deploying LLMs

Platforms that provide hardware such as high-performance CPUs, GPUs, or TPUs, including cloud-based solutions that are commonly used to train and run GenAI models efficiently

Platforms that assist with fine-tuning pre-trained GenAI models or custom models tailored to specific use cases. Includes services that train models from scratch or use existing models

Platforms that store and retrieve training data in vector databases for access during the model training phase

Services to deploy GenAI models (on-premises or cloud-based) into production environments and integration tools to support existing systems and workflows

Ongoing monitoring of GenAI models to ensure performance. Includes regular model retraining, performance optimization, and troubleshooting

Platforms that assist in designing and refining prompts or instructions to GenAI models to get the desired responses or outcomes

Platforms that enable safe, responsible, and ethical GenAI deployment, ensuring compliance with regulations and/or protection against GenAI-based cybersecurity threats.

All services offered by these companies provide support to AI/ML

NLP is a key component of generative AI which is the core focus of this hub.

All companies within this space are offering infrastructure for generative AI

Generative AI infrastructure hub covers companies that deploy and run these foundation models.

<div>
 Artificial Intelligence platform Fal.ai raised a total of USD 23 million through two funding rounds: a seed round, which was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and generated USD 9 million, along with a Series A round led by Kindred Ventures which brought in another USD 14 million.
 The funds raised will be used by the company for the enhancement of its inference optimization product, making it self-serve. Additionally, Fal.ai aims to set up a dedicated research team with a focus on model optimizations.
 With its suite of solutions such as privately managed computing and workflows for running models, alongside APIs for open-source models capable of generating images, audio and video, Fal.ai has reached a base of 500,000 developers. The platform currently creates 50 million streams of images, videos or audio every single day.
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Fal.AI

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