AI startup Flapping Airplanes has raised $1 billion in a Series A round, valuing the year-old company at $6 billion. The funding follows its $180 million seed round, announced nine months ago at a $1.5 billion valuation.
Founded by Aidan Smith and Stanford PhD graduates Asher and Ben Spector, the company aims to develop AI systems that require less data and computing power to train. Previous and new investors include Index, Lux, Sequoia, GV, Kleiner Perkins and Nvidia.
A software-first approach to AI computing
The founders are building a "megakernel" framework that combines multiple computing tasks in a single GPU program. They say it can run AI training and inference alongside other workloads, helping keep chips in use more consistently.
The company's broader goal is to make powerful AI models less costly to develop and operate, while relying on more efficient use of data and hardware. The new funding will support hiring and further development of its technology.
If the approach proves effective, it could help make advanced AI more accessible by reducing the resources needed to build and run models.
