Databricks, Perplexity co-founder pledges $100M on new fund for AI researchers

Andy Konwinski, a distinguished computer scientist and co-founder behind the innovative companies Databricks and Perplexity, has announced the formation of a new AI research institute named Laude. The institute is set to be significantly bolstered by a personal pledge of $100 million from Konwinski himself, signaling a major investment in the future of artificial intelligence research.

Unlike traditional AI research laboratories, the Laude Institute is structured to operate more akin to a fund, focusing on making strategic investments through a grant-like mechanism. The institute’s board boasts an impressive lineup of AI luminaries, including UC Berkeley professor Dave Patterson, Google’s chief scientist Jeff Dean, and Meta’s vice president of AI Research, Joelle Pineau, underscoring its commitment to high-caliber research.

Laude has already made its inaugural and “flagship” commitment: an annual grant of $3 million over five years, dedicated to establishing the new AI Systems Lab at UC Berkeley. This pioneering lab will be led by Ion Stoica, a celebrated Berkeley researcher and current director of the Sky Computing Lab. Stoica is also recognized as a co-founder of Anyscale, an AI and Python platform, and Databricks, both of which emerged from technological advancements developed within Berkeley’s lab ecosystem. The new AI Systems Lab is slated to commence operations in 2027 and will include several other prominent researchers.

In his announcement blog post, Konwinski articulated Laude’s core mission: “built by and for computer science researchers… We exist to catalyze work that doesn’t just push the field forward but guides it towards more beneficial outcomes.” This statement hints at a broader vision for AI development, potentially distinguishing Laude from organizations that have leaned heavily into commercial ventures, such as OpenAI.

The landscape of AI research has become increasingly complex, with commercial interests often intertwining with scientific pursuit. Instances like AI benchmarking organization Epoch facing scrutiny for undisclosed funding from OpenAI, or its founder launching a controversial startup aimed at replacing human workers with AI agents, highlight the challenges in maintaining independent, impact-driven research. The potential for such conflicts underscores the importance of initiatives like Laude.

To navigate these complexities, Konwinski has structured Laude across organizational boundaries: as a nonprofit entity with a public benefit corporation operating arm. This hybrid model aims to balance research integrity with practical application.

Konwinski’s investment strategy for research is categorized into two distinct buckets: “Slingshots” and “Moonshots.” Slingshots are designed for early-stage research, providing grants and direct support, while Moonshots target “long-horizon labs tackling species-level challenges like AI for scientific discovery, civic discourse, healthcare, and workforce re-skilling.” Laude has already engaged in collaborations, such as with “terminal-bench,” a Stanford-led benchmark for AI agent performance, which is utilized by major players like Anthropic.

Beyond the grant-making institute, Konwinski has also co-founded a for-profit venture fund in 2024. Co-founded with former NEA VC Pete Sonsini, this fund has attracted over 50 leading researchers as Limited Partners (LPs). The venture fund has already made significant investments, notably leading a $12 million round in AI agent infrastructure startup Arcade, among other quiet backing of emerging startups.

While Konwinski has committed $100 million of his own wealth, a Laude spokesperson indicated that the institute is open to and actively seeking investment from other successful technologists. Konwinski’s substantial financial capacity stems from the remarkable valuations of his co-founded companies: Databricks recently concluded a $15.3 billion funding round, valuing it at $62 billion, and Perplexity recently secured a $14 billion valuation.

In a world where AI research has become increasingly muddled by commercial benchmarks and proprietary interests, a truly independent and human-focused approach is critical. The formation of Laude, backed by a formidable alliance including Konwinski, Dean, and Stoica, offers a compelling alternative. It aims to foster research that could, in time, evolve into independent and genuinely beneficial commercial applications, addressing the growing need for ethical and impactful AI development.