OpenAI is broadening its own network through startup investments and a new funding program.
Together with Microsoft, OpenAI is launching a fund of 100 million US dollars, the "OpenAI Startup Fund". As a first measure, it launches "Converge," a five-week funding program for founders who want to develop "transformative AI" that will "positively impact the world.
"Converge is a highly selective, five-week program for exceptional engineers, designers, researchers, and product builders using AI to reimagine products and industries," OpenAI writes.
Each selected project will receive $1 million from the $100 million OpenAI Startup Fund. Applications are open to start-ups that are still in the seed phase as well as those that only have an idea so far but have not yet started to implement it.
Networking with OpenAI
The programming portion of the grant program starts Dec. 5, 2022, and goes through Jan. 27, 2023, with a break for the holidays. According to OpenAI, the design of the program will be based on the individual requirements of the selected projects.
Participants can attend remotely or work onsite at OpenAI. All program participants should spend the last week of January together in San Francisco. OpenAI also provides access to experts from its own ranks and networking opportunities.
Submitted projects do not have to use models from OpenAI or its APIs, but selected candidates will receive free access to OpenAI's tools and insight into current research and development as part of the program.
Applications are open online until November 25, 2022. Applicants should explain their project idea in a one-minute video and submit their application via this form.
Those interested in the fund outside of the grant program can write to hello(at)openai.fund. In addition to OpenAI, Microsoft and "other OpenAI partners" also pay into the fund.
