Aethir, a company focused on decentralized GPU Cloud computing, will invest $100 million in AI and gaming companies as part of its Aethir Ecosystem fund.
Aethir Catalyst is a $20 million part of the Aethir Ecosystem Fund and is backed by the Aethir Foundation. This fund, comprising several grant programs, is designed to accelerate the adoption of Aethir’s compute platform, empowering startups and enterprises in the AI and gaming sectors.
Singapore-based Aethir’s business includes finding under-utilized graphics processing units (GPUs) across the industry and marshaling them for cloud-based computing purposes. It has roots in Web3 and has done deals with a number of blockchain-based projects — as well as games and AI — that need a lot of computing power.
As part of this initiative, Aethir has introduced the Aethir Catalyst, its independent grant program within the ecosystem that will distribute 336 million ATH tokens across the next year.
Aethir’s ecosystem fund is structured to drive innovation across the AI and gaming industries, encompassing both previously launched and newly introduced grant initiatives. The cornerstone of this fund is Aethir Catalyst, a $20 million initiative that will provide financial support to over 100 projects in the form of grants or subsidies.
The program aims to support startups and enterprises with significant compute needs, particularly those integrating AI or developing high-traction gaming projects in communities that would otherwise face challenges accessing affordable, high-performance GPU resources.
Companies will be evaluated based on various criteria, such as innovation, growth potential, compute needs, community impact, and more.
By distributing 336 million ATH tokens—equally split between AI and gaming projects—Aethir seeks to build strategic partnerships with both small and large-scale compute buyers while supporting early-stage startups.
This initiative lowers the barriers to high-performance computing, providing the critical resources needed for companies to scale their projects efficiently and competitively. For many innovators, access to GPU resources is a pivotal factor in growth, and Aethir’s program directly addresses this need by making such resources more accessible, Aethir said.
Aethir’s Ecosystem Fund is not only a financial commitment but a strategic initiative to foster the next wave of industry growth. As AI and gaming technology become increasingly compute-intensive, Aethir is positioning itself as a vital infrastructure provider that empowers developers to bring their most ambitious ideas to life, the company said.
Aethir Catalyst, along with two $10 million ecosystem grant programs are key components of the Ecosystem Fund, which is set to accelerate the creation and deployment of cutting-edge AI applications and immersive gaming experiences. These programs, in partnership with XAI and XPLA will drive innovation that will influence and shape the future of both industries.
In addition to grants, the Aethir Ecosystem Fund offers a subsidy program that provides up to 35% off-platform service costs, further easing the financial burden for companies requiring GPU compute. This combination of grants and subsidies ensures that developers, from bootstrapped startups to more established organizations, can access the compute resources necessary through Aethir’s platform to advance their projects without compromising on growth due to budget constraints.
Complementing the ecosystem programs, Aethir is launching a new business line through their Edge network, expanding its infrastructure to support more complex AI workloads and enhancing the scalability of enterprise-level social media platforms. As part of this expansion, the Aethir Foundation will allocate up to 100 ATH per device, per day for Edge devices, ensuring substantial compute availability across the network from November 2024 to mid-2025.
Mark Rydon, chief strategy officer at Aethir, said in a statement, “Aethir Catalyst represents a significant commitment to democratizing access to GPU compute for AI and gaming innovators. By allocating $20 million to this fund from Aethir Foundation’s $100 million ecosystem fund, we are ensuring that the most promising companies have the resources they need to thrive in these sectors, and that the barriers to accessing compute power are reduced for everyone.”
Aethir’s fund is expected to have wide-reaching effects across the tech industries, providing developers with the means to push technological boundaries and unlock new possibilities. By supporting a variety of companies, from AI-integrated enterprises to cloud gaming initiatives, Aethir is fostering innovation to create richer digital environments and more scalable, sophisticated AI solutions, the company said.
Developers, startups, and enterprises are encouraged to apply for the Aethir Catalyst grants and subsidies, which will provide essential resources to help scale their operations and bring groundbreaking projects to market.
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