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PIN AI secures $10M from a16z CSX, Hack VC, and All-Star angels to launch open platform for personal AI

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    San Francisco, United States, September 9th, 2024, Chainwire

     

    Innovative startup from Ethereum Core research, Google Brain, Stanford, MIT, and CMU aims to democratize on-device intelligence, empowering users with control over their personal AI, and receiving investment from a16z CSX, Hack VC, and investors from projects like Solana, Polygon, Near, Worldcoin, etc.

    PIN AI, a pioneering AI infrastructure company, announces $10 million in pre-seed funding to develop the world’s first open-source Personal Intelligence Network (PIN). A16z CSX, Hack VC, and notable investors, including Blockchain Builders Fund (Stanford Blockchain Accelerator), Illia Polosukhin (Transformer paper author; Founder, NEAR Protocol), Anagram/Lily Liu (President, SOL Foundation), Symbolic Capital (Co-Founder, Polygon), Evan Cheng (CEO, Mysten Labs/SUI), dcbuilder (Worldcoin Foundation), Foresight Ventures (parent company of the Block), Nomad Capital, Tim Shi (Co-Founder, Cresta), Ben Fisch (CEO, Espresso), Scott Moore (Co-Founder, Gitcoin), Alumni Ventures, and Dispersion Capital, have backed the project.

    Offering an open-source, web3-enabled alternative to Apple Intelligence, PIN AI’s platform turns smartphones into privacy-focused AI personal assistants. By redirecting profits from users’ data and attention, it empowers users to regain control and monetize their data. The platform leverages personal, contextual data and cryptography, deploying cutting-edge AI models on-device to handle tasks across apps—like shopping, ordering food, wealth management, and interacting with centralized exchanges, DeFi, and prediction markets.

    This AI-driven assistant ensures robust privacy and user-controlled data management, disrupting ultra-profitable models of web2 giants, including Apple’s 30% app revenue cut (over $100 billion) and Google’s mobile ads and Android store revenue cuts.

    Davide Crapis, Co-Founder leading Protocol Research, said, “We’re building a movement towards an open-source future where personal AI assistants can work on PIN AI’s platform like smart contracts on Ethereum.” He added, “PIN AI will take back the $100b+ profit from tech giants and return it to users, allowing them to control and monetize their data. Our platform offers access to a wider range of AI agents, developed by the open-source community, capable of handling tasks across popular apps.”

    PIN AI’s mission is to foster innovation for personal AI agents by offering access to personal, contextual data that reflects individual users’ needs and preferences. Unlike closed ecosystems like Apple, PIN AI’s open platform connects privacy-protected user data via a Layer-2 blockchain. This enables more flexibility in AI application development without the constraints of traditional, closed systems.

    Bill Sun, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, said, “On-device multi-modality models will revolutionize daily life. We are building a personal index for each user to create an on-device model that evolves via distributed training on the user’s phone. Soon, users won’t need to open multiple apps to complete tasks. The personal AI assistant will understand preferences and manage tasks efficiently.” PIN AI’s assistant will connect users with apps and services bidding on its blockchain protocol to fulfill tasks like shopping or crypto activities.

    PIN AI shifts data monetization from big tech to users, allowing secure monetization of personal data. Users receive token incentives through data onboarding and intent fulfillment, only providing necessary data with matched Personal AI Agents, while maintaining control of their information.

    At launch, PIN AI partners with Worldcoin and is developing a front-end product similar to Siri, expanding its reach and enhancing user experience.

    Leading the team are co-founders Davide Crapis and Ben Wu. Crapis, formerly of Ethereum Core Research, leads Protocol Research. Ben Wu, heading Strategy, is an MIT graduate, Y Combinator alum, and serial entrepreneur. The technical leadership includes Bill Sun, a Stanford AI/Math PhD and early Google Brain researcher, as Chief AI Scientist, and Regan Peng, a CMU graduate and former lead at Didi Fintech and Yahoo Data Infra, as Founding Head of Engineering.

    PIN AI collaborates with a16z crypto research, Flashbots, Espresso Systems, and academics from Stanford, Columbia, and NYU. Ben Wu emphasized the importance of an open platform, saying, “The open internet has made large language models possible. We need to build an open platform for users on their trusted device, allowing access to their various data, making their Personal AI possible.” Unlike Apple Intelligence, PIN AI’s system can run on low-spec smartphones by dynamically shifting between edge AI (on-device) and server AI to optimize performance, ensuring wide accessibility.

    The funding will expand research, grow the team of AI and blockchain experts, and accelerate the deployment of PIN AI’s technology. The company will join the a16z CSX Fall 2024 cohort in New York City.

    About PIN AI

    PIN AI is developing an open-source personal AI operating system that leverages smartphone and app data to empower users with control and privacy. The company’s approach aims to connect AI developers with users, promoting data sovereignty and developer empowerment. PIN AI collaborates with Ethereum Core Research and is committed to privacy and innovation.

    For more updates, visit pinai.io, X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, Discord, and Linkedin.

     

    Contact

    PIN AI
    contact@pinai.io

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    Statt Secures $2.8 Million Seed Round to Scale its AI and Data SaaS Platform for Public Policy and Regulatory Insights and Analysis

    2024-09-19T18:01:00Z

    The round was led by Moneta Ventures, and includes participation from Clutch VC, Next Coast Ventures, and NextGen Venture Partners

    WASHINGTON and AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Statt Inc., an innovative big data and artificial intelligence company for the public policy, regulatory, and strategic communications sectors, today announced it secured $2.8 million in seed funding. The round is led by Moneta Ventures, and includes participation from Clutch VC, Next Coast Ventures and NextGen Venture Partners.

    Statt’s latest funding follows a $1.6 million pre-seed round led by NextGen in Nov. 2020, and will enable Statt to expand its sales, marketing, engineering, and machine learning teams to accelerate the development and deployment of its SaaS platform.

    Statt leverages cutting-edge AI, along with its proprietary global data stream of hundreds of millions of public policy documents to deliver real-time insights, streamline research processes and risk assessment, and enhance decision-making capabilities for large companies, professional services firms, government agencies, and smaller policy organizations seeking to navigate complex regulatory and legislative environments.

    Statt is led by its two co-founders, Steve Glickman, CEO, and Andrew Platt, Head of Product, who share deep policy backgrounds. Steve previously served as Co-Founder and CEO of the Economic Innovation Group, senior economic advisor for the White House National Security Council, and a committee staffer on Capitol Hill. Andrew was previously elected to the Maryland General Assembly, served as a congressional leadership staffer, and as an executive at an education and fintech company.

    “We are thrilled to partner with several best-in-class investors as we continue our journey to revolutionize the application of AI to complex flows of information across the public policy and regulatory affairs spaces,” said Steve Glickman, Co-Founder and CEO of Statt. “With this new funding, we will scale our team, grow our first-to-market data stream, and expand our analytics solutions to empower our customers to proactively navigate and shape the policy landscape.”

    Statt already counts several influential corporations and professional services firms among its customers and partners, including Microsoft, Visa, FTI Consulting, and Avoq. Notably, Statt was accepted into the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program, as well as the Google for Startups Program and the NVIDIA Inception Program, which have collectively awarded the company $700,000 in cloud computing credits.

    “Statt’s platform has been instrumental in helping us anticipate regulatory changes and understand their potential impacts across different markets,” said Brent McGoldrick, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting. “Working with their AI platform gives our experts great access to a wide range of range of capabilities and insights.”

    The investments from leading VC firms like Moneta, Clutch, Next Coast, and NextGen underscores the growing excitement behind cutting-edge AI companies with products tailored to large sectors previously underserved by technology solutions.

    “Statt is uniquely positioned at the intersection of AI and public policy, two areas undergoing rapid change,” said Aasim Hasan, Managing Partner at Moneta Ventures. “Their leadership team and technologists are truly industry experts, and we are excited to support Statt as it brings innovative technology to a space that is ripe for disruption and offers tremendous potential for growth and impact.”

    About Statt
    Statt is a global AI SaaS platform focused on surfacing mission critical public policy, regulatory, and geopolitical insights. Based in Washington, DC and Austin, TX, Statt is dedicated to providing real-time, data-driven solutions that empower large companies, professional services firms, government agencies, and policy organizations to navigate complex regulatory and legislative landscapes. For more information about Statt, please visit www.statt.com.

    About Moneta Ventures
    Moneta Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in Austin, TX, and Folsom, CA. The firm invests in high-growth B2B technology companies along the US West Coast and in Texas. Founded by serial entrepreneurs with a track record of building and exiting large technology companies, Moneta works closely with founders to help companies scale operationally alongside capital investment. Moneta Ventures has invested in more than 50 companies since 2014, including Mindtickle, Grin, VideoVerse, Aumni, Sibros, and App Orchid. 

    Company Contact
    Steve Glickman
    info@statt.com


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