Databricks, Perplexity Co-Founder Launches $100M AI Research Fund to Boost Independent Innovation

Andy Konwinski—a noted computer scientist and co-founder of Databricks and Perplexity—has announced the launch of a new AI research institute, backed with a landmark $100 million pledge from his own resources through his company Laude. This initiative stands out not as a conventional AI lab, but as a funding institution offering grant-like investments to drive forward-thinking research.

The Formation of the Laude Institute

The Laude Institute brings together leading minds in AI. Its initial board includes UC Berkeley's Dave Patterson (an acclaimed academic), Jeff Dean (Google’s chief scientist), and Joelle Pineau (Meta’s VP of AI Research). The organization’s structure blurs the typical lines—established as a nonprofit, it also operates a public benefit corporation for execution, signaling a hybrid approach to combining impact and sustainability.

Flagship Grant & the UC Berkeley AI Systems Lab

The institute’s debut commitment is a flagship grant: $3 million annually over five years to anchor the new AI Systems Lab at UC Berkeley, led by renowned researcher Ion Stoica. Set to open in 2027, the lab will unite top-tier AI researchers to pursue research free from commercial bias. Stoica’s background with startups such as Anyscale and Databricks highlights a history of translating academic breakthroughs into industry impact.

Mission & Motivation

According to Konwinski, the goal is to "catalyze work that doesn’t just push the field forward but guides it towards more beneficial outcomes." This approach is a direct answer to growing concerns over the commercialization and influence of tech giants in AI—seen, for instance, when other organizations faced controversies after disclosing commercial funding from companies like OpenAI.

Konwinski’s two-track funding approach includes "Slingshots" for early-stage, high-potential research and "Moonshots" for transformational, long-horizon labs targeting issues like scientific discovery, civic discourse, healthcare, and workforce reskilling.

Deep Founder Analysis

Why it matters

This move signals a significant shift for the startup and tech ecosystem: leading founders and researchers are investing personal capital to revive open, independent AI research. For startup founders, it represents a renewed commitment to foundational innovation outside the constraints of big tech’s commercial interests. Such initiatives may rebalance the power dynamic, creating fertile ground for deep tech startups to emerge around nonprofit research hubs and new academic–industry collaborations.

Risks & opportunities

The main risk? Blurring the boundaries between nonprofit research and commercial interests could create new transparency challenges—especially as for-profit arms and venture funding grow alongside public benefit missions. Yet, the opportunity lies in returning to first principles: funding truly exploratory work without immediate commercial pressures. This can create a pipeline for new markets and trust-building with both the developer and user communities—an approach that helped fuel the original internet and open-source AI waves.

Startup idea or application

Inspired by this development, founders could explore platforms that bridge independent research with the startup ecosystem. Imagine a curated marketplace where labs, grant-funded projects, and universities publish breakthrough findings and startup teams can license, commercialize, or co-develop applications, especially in under-served fields like AI for civic services or workforce learning. Complementary tools for research transparency and funding traceability would address trust concerns highlighted by historic controversies.

Beyond Grants: Venture Investments and Hybrid Models

Laude isn't just a research grant entity. In 2024, Konwinski teamed with ex-NEA VC Pete Sonsini to form a venture fund, blending philanthropic and commercial approaches. Recent backing includes a $12M round in AI agent infrastructure startup Arcade. This blend ensures that promising research has both foundational support and a pathway to sustainable business models.

Market Context & The Quest for Independent AI Research

With giants like Databricks and Perplexity each valued in the tens of billions—and major AI labs increasingly entwined with commercial ambitions—the creation of independent, founder-funded research hubs is timely. Recent controversies over AI benchmarks and opaque funding sources highlight the need for greater independence, transparency, and a focus on AI’s public benefit.

For further context on how such hybrid research–startup models are evolving, see our coverage of AllSpice's platform for engineering teams, which connects research with practical industry applications.

AI Research Startup Funding Independent Innovation AI Ecosystem

Visit Deep Founder to learn how to start your own startup, validate your idea, and build it from scratch.

📚 Read more articles in our Deep Founder blog.