#USA #San Francisco #Polyhedra #Aethir #AI Incubator

Launch of a Joint Incubator by Polyhedra and Aethir

On May 15, 2025, Polyhedra, a pioneering company specializing in zero-knowledge infrastructure, and Aethir, a leader in decentralized GPU cloud computing, announced their collaboration to establish a new incubator program. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the development of verifiable Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.

The joint incubator focuses on combining scalable computing access and transparent infrastructure to support nascent teams that are working on AI applications ready for production across various sectors, including enterprise, research, and open-source projects. The launch of this incubator comes at a crucial time when the pace of AI innovation is accelerating. In fact, since 2023, there have been 20 new AI companies that have attained unicorn status, and funding for AI startups surged to a staggering $110 billion in 2024, marking a 62% increase from the prior year.

Despite this financial growth, numerous startups are still grappling with significant challenges, primarily the limited access to computing resources and the lack of verifiable infrastructure necessary for training and deploying their models. The initiative launched by Polyhedra and Aethir aims to tackle these obstacles directly, providing a structured approach for startups to transition from concept to production.

Startups participating in the program will start with using Polyhedra's zero-knowledge toolkits and verification infrastructure, which effectively provides an environment where they can conduct secure operations and trust their processes. Following this foundational work, they can leverage Aethir's decentralized GPU cloud to scale their operations for inference, fine-tuning, and launching their projects. This integrated framework enables startups to construct, test, and deploy their applications on a singular infrastructure that they'll continue to use, thus minimizing the scaling challenges they commonly face. By consolidating these processes, the incubator accelerates development and supports projects that require compliance, trust, and model integrity.

Bart Meyer, Chief Ecosystem Officer at Polyhedra, shared insights into the challenges faced by AI developers today, highlighting the difficulties inherent in accessing scalable computing and reliable infrastructure. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive solution, expressing confidence that their partnership with Aethir would deliver the entire stack—from high-performance GPU resources to verifiable AI tools—which will allow teams to transition from ideas to fully-ready products seamlessly.

In addition to providing infrastructure support, participants in the incubator will be eligible for non-dilutive grants amounting to between $10,000 and $100,000. They will also benefit from technical integration and developer support on the EXPchain platform, which is uniquely crafted for AI-focused applications and verifiable computing environments. Additionally, Aethir is backing the initiative with its $100 million Ecosystem Fund, facilitating subsidized access to GPU computing credits valued at up to $100,000 per team. This allowance is particularly beneficial for developers aiming to scale their AI workloads without relying on centralized systems.

Mark Rydon, the Chief Strategy Officer of Aethir, reinforced their commitment to democratizing and decentralizing access to cloud computing resources. He pointed out that partnering with Polyhedra introduces an essential layer of verification and interoperability to their ecosystem, thereby contributing to the foundational goals of building provable AI.

The application process for the incubator is now open, inviting interested teams to submit their proposals through both companies' websites. The selection process involves several stages, including initial evaluations, interviews, joint grant proposals, and final approvals. The criteria for selection will mainly focus on technical feasibility, the essential infrastructure needs for computation and zero-knowledge proofs, and the alignment of projects with the overarching goals of the ecosystem.

To learn more and apply, visit Polyhedra's website.

About Polyhedra

Polyhedra focuses on constructing an adequate infrastructure for establishing trust and scalability within AI and blockchain systems. With roots in zero-knowledge proofs and distributed systems, the company's expertise stems from a diverse team of professionals with backgrounds from prestigious institutions like UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Tsinghua University.

About Aethir

Aethir operates the largest decentralized cloud GPU network globally, boasting over 425,000 enterprise-grade GPUs across 95 countries. By connecting users with distributed resources through a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN), Aethir is reshaping capabilities in various fields including AI, machine learning, gaming, and rendering applications. To explore more, visit Aethir's website.