IIT Madras Launches AI Studio to Build Companies From AI and Data Science Research

The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) at IIT Madras will launch AI Studio, a venture studio designed to build artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science companies from research developed at the institute, according to a release.

The initiative will help researchers and founders take research concepts from the idea stage to viable and scalable businesses.

Each selected cohort venture will receive seed funding, cloud and compute credits, laboratory access, mentoring and product-market-fit support. The programme will also provide an entrepreneur-in-residence and access to data and research resources.

Prof Balaraman Ravindran, Head of WSAI, said the AI Venture Studio would take the school’s work beyond publishing research towards building companies based on it.

Prof Satya Seshadri, head of the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT Madras, said selected teams would receive expert mentoring, technology, resources and customer access. They would also get mentoring from faculty and domain experts and structured entrepreneurship training.

The programme will provide a defined path towards further funding and formal spin-out into the IIT Madras Incubation Cell ecosystem.

AI Studio will be open to IIT Madras and WSAI researchers, academic founders from other institutions, and external entrepreneurs with an artificial intelligence, machine learning or data science venture or idea.

The venture studio will support selected teams with resources and guidance as they develop their research concepts into ventures. Its support package includes seed funding, computing resources, access to WSAI’s research laboratories, mentoring and product-market-fit support.

The programme will also provide entrepreneurship training and customer access to participating founders. IIT Madras said the selected teams would have access to faculty and domain experts as well as the institute’s data and research resources.

The AI Studio will create a structured process for selected ventures to progress from an initial research idea towards business development and eventually a formal spin-out into the IIT Madras Incubation Cell ecosystem.

The initiative is intended for ventures and ideas involving AI, machine learning and data science. Researchers from IIT Madras and WSAI, academic founders from other institutions and external entrepreneurs can participate in the programme.

According to IIT Madras, selected teams will receive support covering technology, resources, funding, mentoring and market-related assistance as they develop their ventures and work towards further funding and spin-out.