Andy Konwinski, a co-founder of Databricks and Perplexity, has pledged $100 million of his personal wealth to launch a new nonprofit research institute dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence in meaningful, human-beneficial ways.
The newly formed Laude Institute isn’t just another AI research lab. Instead, it’s designed more like a philanthropic investment engine, distributing funding through grants to promising researchers and labs. Its structure blends a nonprofit arm with a public benefit corporation, allowing it to pursue both academic and real-world impact.
A Powerhouse Board and Berkeley Flagship Lab
Laude’s board includes some of the biggest names in computer science and AI:
- Jeff Dean (Google’s Chief Scientist)
- Joelle Pineau (Meta’s VP of AI Research)
- Dave Patterson (UC Berkeley professor and Turing Award-winning researcher)
The institute’s first major initiative is a $15 million, five-year grant to establish the AI Systems Lab at UC Berkeley, led by the highly respected Ion Stoica. Stoica, a veteran of Berkeley’s AI and cloud computing research ecosystem, also co-founded both Databricks and Anyscale.
The new lab is expected to open in 2027 and will focus on long-term AI infrastructure and systems research.
Mission: Push AI Forward, Responsibly
Konwinski said Laude’s goal is to support “research built by and for computer science researchers,” particularly work that might otherwise go unfunded due to its early-stage or long-horizon nature.
The institute’s funding strategy is split between:
- “Slingshots” – smaller, hands-on grants for early-stage ideas
- “Moonshots” – large-scale support for labs focused on major challenges, such as healthcare AI, scientific discovery, or civic engagement
This move appears to be a subtle critique of how many AI research labs—originally set up as nonprofits—have morphed into commercially driven entities, like OpenAI. The blurred line between nonprofit and for-profit goals has raised questions across the industry.
Backing Research with Cash and Equity
In addition to the nonprofit institute, Konwinski also co-founded a for-profit venture fund under the Laude brand in 2024 with former NEA investor Pete Sonsini. This VC arm has already made quiet but notable moves in the AI space, including a $12 million round in AI agent infrastructure startup Arcade.
The Laude VC fund is backed by over 50 leading researchers as LPs, and Konwinski says he’s open to additional investment from other successful technologists.
Konwinski’s ability to fund such a massive initiative stems from the explosive valuations of his previous companies. Databricks hit a $62 billion valuation after raising $15.3 billion earlier this year. Just last month, Perplexity was valued at $14 billion.
A Needed Alternative in a Crowded AI Field?
As AI research becomes increasingly competitive—and often clouded by commercial incentives—Konwinski’s push to build an independent, research-first institute could help reset the tone.
With support from top academics and industry leaders, Laude may represent a new path forward: one that respects the scientific process while staying grounded in real-world impact.
Only time will tell if this blend of research idealism and strategic investment can deliver on its promise—but in a field as fast-moving as AI, that kind of bet might be exactly what’s needed.
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