UAE’s Sentient Labs Raises $85 Million to Democratize AI Development

Sentient Labs, a UAE-based Web3-focused startup, has raised a $85 million seed funding round co-led by Pantera Capital and Framework Ventures. The investment also saw participation from Arrington Capital, Canonical, Dao5, and other notable investors.

Founded in January 2024 by Sandeep Nailwal, Pramod Viswanath, and Himanshu Tyagi, Sentient Labs is on a mission to democratize AI development and ensure its benefits are shared broadly. The company aims to build a community-driven, open-source AI platform that prioritizes transparency and fairness.

The newly acquired funding will be used to accelerate the development of Sentient Labs' open-source AI platform and expand its team. The startup plans to forge partnerships with leading academic institutions and industry players to foster innovation and collaboration within the AI ecosystem.

To encourage transparency and fairness, Sentient Labs rewards engineers for essential tasks like data labeling and refinement, fostering a community-driven approach to AI development. By leveraging Polygon's software and building a community-driven open AGI platform, Sentient Labs aims to challenge the dominance of large tech companies and create a more open AI ecosystem.