Fordel StudiosLaude Institute announces first batch of ‘Slingshots’ AI grants
What Happened
Slingshots AI grants provide resources that would be unavailable in most academic settings. Its debut program has 15 startups focused on AI evaluation.
Our Take
Fifteen startups focused on AI evaluation sounds good until you ask: evaluation of what? Safety? Bias? Performance? And more importantly—who pays when the grant ends?
Grants solve the cash-flow problem for exactly two years (ish). They don't solve the hard problem, which is building a business model around evaluation work that enterprise buyers don't actually want to pay for yet.
Laude's investing in smart people. Whether that turns into revenue-generating companies is a different question.
What To Do
When evaluating AI grant startups, ask what the business model looks like after funding ends.
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