In October 2024, a team from Google, Palantir, and Two Sigma presented a challenging thesis at a16z’s crypto accelerator, asserting that while AI models are readily available for download, the ability to run these models in production remains constrained by high operational costs and reliance on centralized API providers. This disparity prompted the development of OpenGradient, which has created a decentralized network that ensures verifiable AI inference without the need for trust in a single party. OpenGradient recently secured $9.5 million in funding, led by a16zcrypto, to support its launch on Virtuals Protocol, which aims to integrate trust-minimized AI operations into the growing agent economy, where over 40,000 agents and significant trading volumes have already been established.

a16z: a16z crypto is the blockchain investment division of Andreessen Horowitz, operating the Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX) for early-stage crypto projects. It led OpenGradient’s funding round after the team’s participation in its accelerator program.
Google: Google is a multinational technology company leading advancements in AI models, cloud infrastructure, and internet services. Alumni from Google formed part of the OpenGradient team that entered a16z’s crypto accelerator with a thesis critiquing open-source AI infrastructure centralization.
Palantir: Palantir Technologies develops AI-driven software platforms for data analytics, integration, and decision-making in enterprise and government sectors. Former Palantir team members co-founded OpenGradient, contributing to its decentralized verifiable AI network pitched at a16z’s accelerator.
SV Angel: SV Angel is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology and crypto startups. It supported OpenGradient’s seed funding alongside a16z crypto.
Two Sigma: Two Sigma is a technology-driven investment firm utilizing machine learning and data science for quantitative trading strategies. Professionals from Two Sigma joined the OpenGradient founding team, which challenged the economics of AI inference at a16z’s crypto accelerator.
CB Ventures: CB Ventures is the investment arm of Coinbase, focusing on early-stage crypto and blockchain innovations. It provided backing for OpenGradient’s recent funding.
OpenGradient: OpenGradient is a decentralized network for verifiable AI compute, enabling onchain model hosting, secure inference, and agent deployment with cryptographic proofs. Emerging from a16z’s accelerator with a team from Google, Palantir, and Two Sigma, it addresses infrastructure barriers in open-source AI deployment. The project recently announced its token launch on Virtuals Protocol.
Ilblackdragon: Illia Polosukhin is co-founder of NEAR Protocol, an AI researcher advancing user-owned internet technologies. He invested as an angel backer in OpenGradient’s funding round.
Sandeep Nailwal: Sandeep Nailwal is founder and CEO of Polygon Foundation, developing scalable blockchain solutions and promoting individual freedom in crypto. He participated as an angel investor in OpenGradient’s raise.
Virtuals Protocol: Virtuals Protocol is a decentralized platform tokenizing AI agents into co-owned, revenue-generating economic entities within an agent society. It facilitates agent commerce through standards like ERC-8183 and powers autonomous operations across blockchains. OpenGradient’s launch provides it with a verifiable intelligence layer for enhanced agent trust and coordination.

Verifiable Integration: OpenGradient’s launch on Virtuals Protocol adds onchain verifiable inference to enable trust-minimized AI operations in the agent economy.
Agent Commerce Expansion: Virtuals Protocol drives an active ecosystem with AI agents engaging in trading, payments, and autonomous coordination via protocols like x402 and ERC-8183.
AI Infrastructure Challenge: OpenGradient’s accelerator thesis highlights that while AI models are downloadable, production inference relies on centralized providers due to hardware costs.