A new artificial intelligence startup called Vercept has emerged in Seattle, founded by several prominent former researchers from the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2). While operating in stealth mode and keeping their specific plans confidential, the company has already secured seed funding.
The startup’s leadership team is headed by CEO Kiana Ehsani, who previously led robotics and embodied AI research teams at Ai2 as a senior researcher. Ehsani’s background includes significant work in embodied artificial intelligence, a field that combines computer vision, machine learning, and robotics to create AI systems that can interact with and learn from their environments.
Adding considerable weight to the venture is the involvement of Oren Etzioni as a co-founder, announced through his LinkedIn post last week. Etzioni, who served as the founding CEO of the Allen Institute for AI until 2022, brings extensive experience in AI research and academia, including his role as a professor at the University of Washington’s Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. His most recent position was leading TrueMedia.org, a nonprofit AI organization that has since ceased operations.
The founding team also includes several other accomplished AI researchers. Matt Deitke, known for leading the development of key Ai2 research projects including Molmo, ProcTHOR, and Objaverse, has joined the venture. Luca Weihs, who previously managed research and led the infrastructure team at Ai2, brings expertise in AI agents and reinforcement learning. Ross Girshick, recognized for his pioneering work in combining computer vision with deep learning, rounds out the team, bringing experience from both Meta AI and Ai2.
While Vercept maintains a low profile regarding its specific objectives, the company’s jobs page describes it as “a stealth startup working on building out the next generation of AI applications.” The company’s website confirms the completion of its seed funding round, though specific details about the investment amount and terms remain undisclosed.
The AI2 Incubator, which became independent from the Allen Institute for AI in 2022, has positioned itself as Vercept’s first institutional investor, according to Jacob Colker, an AI2 Incubator managing director, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile.
State records show that Vercept was officially established in November, marking the beginning of what appears to be a promising addition to Seattle’s growing artificial intelligence ecosystem. The startup’s formation represents a significant consolidation of AI talent, bringing together researchers who have been at the forefront of various breakthrough developments in artificial intelligence.
The emergence of Vercept highlights the ongoing trend of experienced researchers from established institutions moving into the startup space to pursue innovative applications of artificial intelligence technology. The company’s formation also underscores Seattle’s position as a hub for AI development, particularly given the founding team’s strong connections to the region’s premier research
institutions and tech organizations.
While the specific nature of Vercept’s technological focus remains under wraps, the impressive credentials of its founding team and early institutional backing suggest ambitious plans in the artificial intelligence sector. The combination of expertise in robotics, computer vision, machine learning, and AI agents points to potentially groundbreaking developments in how artificial intelligence systems interact with and learn from their environment.
As more details about Vercept’s plans emerge, the startup will likely attract significant attention from both the tech industry and investment community, given the caliber of its founding team and their track record of innovation in artificial intelligence research and development.