Aethir Launches $100 Million Ecosystem Fund to Boost AI and Gaming Innovation
Aethir, a decentralized GPU cloud computing provider, has announced the launch of its $100 million Aethir Ecosystem Fund aimed at fostering innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and gaming. This initiative includes the Aethir Catalyst program, which is designed to provide startups and enterprises with access to high-performance GPU resources. Over the next year, the fund plans to distribute 336 million ATH tokens, focusing equally on AI and gaming projects. Daniel Wang, CEO of Aethir, emphasized that this fund addresses the challenges faced by startups in accessing critical compute resources, stating, “By offering funding and access to critical compute resources, we are working to democratize this technology and enable companies to scale more effectively.”
The Aethir Catalyst program is a key component of the fund, allocating $20 million to support over 100 projects through grants and subsidies. Mark Rydon, co-founder and chief security officer at Aethir, highlighted the importance of this fund in reducing financial barriers for companies in the AI and gaming sectors. He noted that by allocating $20 million from the Aethir Foundation’s $100 million ecosystem fund, they are ensuring that promising companies have the necessary resources to thrive and that access to compute power is made easier for all.
In addition to grants, the fund features a subsidy program that can cover up to 35% of off-platform GPU service costs, allowing companies to leverage high-performance computing without upfront expenses. Aethir is also collaborating with MetaGravity to enhance decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs), which aims to improve the 3D internet and gaming industry. This partnership seeks to create a scalable infrastructure that simplifies gaming development, with the goal of uniting a global network of underutilized resources.