Don’t build alone in year one
Don’t build alone in year one
AI House works with founders from day zero through the first year of company-building. You build surrounded by founders, operators, investors, and experts who have just been through the problems you are facing now.
AI House works with founders from day zero through the first year of company-building. You build surrounded by founders, operators, investors, and experts who have just been through the problems you are facing now.
What do we do?
The AI House Incubator helps founders build applied AI companies from the earliest stages. We start with community, then add hands-on company-building support and capital.
Founders join a working network of AI builders, operators, researchers, investors, technical leaders, domain experts, and potential customers. Through programming, Resident Experts, events, and day-to-day time at AI House, they get closer to the people and context that make early company-building easier.
From there, we work side by side on the zero-to-one work: sharpening the idea, validating customer pain, making technical decisions, finding design partners, hiring the first team, preparing to raise, and turning a promising concept into a real company.
The AI House Incubator helps founders build applied AI companies from the earliest stages. We start with community, then add hands-on company-building support and capital.
Founders join a working network of AI builders, operators, researchers, investors, technical leaders, domain experts, and potential customers. Through programming, Resident Experts, events, and day-to-day time at AI House, they get closer to the people and context that make early company-building easier.
From there, we work side by side on the zero-to-one work: sharpening the idea, validating customer pain, making technical decisions, finding design partners, hiring the first team, preparing to raise, and turning a promising concept into a real company.
The AI House Incubator helps founders build applied AI companies from the earliest stages. We start with community, then add hands-on company-building support and capital.
Founders join a working network of AI builders, operators, researchers, investors, technical leaders, domain experts, and potential customers. Through programming, Resident Experts, events, and day-to-day time at AI House, they get closer to the people and context that make early company-building easier.
From there, we work side-by-side on the zero-to-one work: sharpening the idea, validating customer pain, making technical decisions, finding design partners, hiring the first team, preparing to raise, and turning a promising concept into a real company.
Who do we help?
Technical Founders
Technical Founders
For technical founders, we help turn applied AI insight into a company.
That can mean sharpening the product wedge, finding the right customer pain, pressure-testing the technical approach, landing design partners, hiring commercial talent, or building a fundraising story that makes the opportunity clear. The hard part is not always building the technology. It is knowing where to point it.
For technical founders, we help turn applied AI insight into a company.
That can mean sharpening the product wedge, finding the right customer pain, pressure-testing the technical approach, landing design partners, hiring commercial talent, or building a fundraising story that makes the opportunity clear. The hard part is not always building the technology. It is knowing where to point it.
Domain Experts
Domain Experts
For domain experts, we help turn hard-won industry knowledge into an applied AI company.
You may understand a workflow, market, customer segment, or operational pain better than anyone. We help pressure-test the opportunity, shape the product strategy, connect you with technical talent, and build around the insight that comes from being close to the problem.
For domain experts, we help turn hard-won industry knowledge into an applied AI company.
You may understand a workflow, market, customer segment, or operational pain better than anyone. We help pressure-test the opportunity, shape the product strategy, connect you with technical talent, and build around the insight that comes from being close to the problem.
Co-founder Matching
Some of the best AI companies come from pairing deep technical talent with deep domain expertise.
When there is a strong fit, we help technical founders and domain experts find each other, test the working relationship, and build founding teams with the right mix of product, technical, and market insight.
Some of the best AI companies come from pairing deep technical talent with deep domain expertise.
When there is a strong fit, we help technical founders and domain experts find each other, test the working relationship, and build founding teams with the right mix of product, technical, and market insight.
Stories from our founders
Gaurav + Emad
All in one AI-powered legal platform
Play Story
LEXION
Esha + Varun
Interactive AI role-plays to be the best presenter
Play Story
YOODLI
Priyanka
Immigration with speed and care
Play Story
CASIUM
Kiana
Building AI computer interactions of the future
Play Story
VERCEPT
Alejandro
Workflow automations that learn from you directly
Play Story
CADDI
Ophir
Calming hospital warning anxiety and creating better health outcomes
Play Story
CALMWAVE
Theo
Sailing through mortgage underwriting with AI by your side
Play Story
FRIDAY HARBOR
Gaurav + Emad
All in one AI-powered legal platform
Play Story
LEXION
Esha + Varun
Interactive AI role-plays to be the best presenter
Play Story
YOODLI
Priyanka
Immigration with speed and care
Play Story
CASIUM
Kiana
Building AI computer interactions of the future
Play Story
VERCEPT
Alejandro
Workflow automations that learn from you directly
Play Story
CADDI
Ophir
Calming hospital warning anxiety and creating better health outcomes
Play Story
CALMWAVE
Theo
Sailing through mortgage underwriting with AI by your side
Play Story
FRIDAY HARBOR
Gaurav + Emad
All in one AI-powered legal platform
Play Story
LEXION
Esha + Varun
Interactive AI role-plays to be the best presenter
Play Story
YOODLI
Priyanka
Immigration with speed and care
Play Story
CASIUM
Kiana
Building AI computer interactions of the future
Play Story
VERCEPT
Alejandro
Workflow automations that learn from you directly
Play Story
CADDI
Ophir
Calming hospital warning anxiety and creating better health outcomes
Play Story
CALMWAVE
Theo
Sailing through mortgage underwriting with AI by your side
Play Story
FRIDAY HARBOR
What incubation support do we provide?
Community at AI House
Community at AI House
Daily access to a dense network of AI founders, researchers, operators, investors, domain experts, and technical builders working through similar problems in real time. AI House is where founders meet people who can actually help: other founders, potential customers, technical reviewers, resident experts, early investors, and operators who have seen the next few steps before.
Domain expertise
Domain expertise
Resident Experts and industry operators help founders understand real customer pain, workflows, buying behavior, technical constraints, regulatory realities, and where AI can create durable value. Applied AI depends on judgment. Domain expertise helps founders avoid polished products for shallow problems.
Company-building partnership
Company-building partnership
We are operators and company-builders at our core. Our Managing Directors have helped build more than 100+ AI companies over the last 20 years, and we bring that experience into every conversation with every founder. That means hands-on support through the messy early work: sharpening the idea, validating the market, making product decisions, hiring early teammates, and building toward a fundable company. But the company remains founder-led. We are not your boss. We are not here to run the company for you. We are your partner.
We are operators and company-builders at our core. Our managing directors have helped build more than 100+ AI companies over the last 20 years, and we bring that experience into every conversation with every founder. That means hands-on support through the messy early work: sharpening the idea, validating the market, making product decisions, hiring early teammates, and building toward a fundable company. But the company remains founder-led. We are not your boss. We are not here to run the company for you. We are your partner.
Customer access
Introductions to enterprise partners, industry experts, and potential design partners so founders can test with real customers early and often. We help founders learn from the right people, ask better questions, and turn early conversations into pilots, revenue, and product clarity.
Commercialization strategy
Commercialization strategy
Guidance on pricing, packaging, positioning, sales motion, and go-to-market strategy so technical products can become real businesses.
Technical judgement
Technical judgement
Access to experienced technical leaders who can help founders think through architecture, model strategy, infrastructure, product tradeoffs, evaluation, technical debt, and what will break at scale.
Capital connections
Capital connections
Warm introductions to aligned pre-seed and seed investors, plus fundraising guidance built around the company’s actual milestones and market.
Cash investment
Cash investment
Up to $600,000 in funding at a $10 million cap, giving founders early runway to hire, build, and validate.
Cloud compute
Cloud compute
Up to $1.5 million in free, non-dilutive cloud credits to train models, run experiments, and scale infrastructure from day one.
Design + Storytelling
Design + Storytelling
Support across product UX, websites, brand, and fundraising materials to turn complex technical ideas into clear, compelling narratives.
Recruiting and co-founder matching
Recruiting and co-founder matching
Help sourcing, vetting, and closing early technical and commercial talent, including co-founders and founding team members.
Company Operations
Company Operations
Connections to trusted providers for legal, HR, visas, finance, healthcare, and other back-office needs so founders can stay focused on building.
Four stages of the process
Four stages of the process
Every founder’s path is different. Some join at day zero. Others already have a team, product, customers, or early revenue. We meet founders where they are and work with them through the first year of company-building.
Every founder’s path is different. Some join at day zero. Others already have a team, product, customers, or early revenue. We meet founders where they are and work with them through the first year of company-building.
Phase 1
Initial Focus
We help sharpen the idea, validate the customer pain, clarify the market, pressure-test the technical approach, and define the first product wedge. For founders already in-market, this often means refining positioning, clarifying priorities, stress-testing customer feedback, and deciding what matters next.
We help sharpen the idea, validate the customer pain, clarify the market, pressure-test the technical approach, and define the first product wedge. For founders already in-market, this often means refining positioning, clarifying priorities, stress-testing customer feedback, and deciding what matters next.
Phase 2
Momentum
We help founders build product, run pilots, find early traction, and learn from customers quickly. For companies already in-market, this means tightening GTM strategy, improving the sales motion, expanding design partnerships, hiring against the right gaps, and turning early usage into repeatable evidence.
We help founders build product, run pilots, find early traction, and learn from customers quickly. For companies already in-market, this means tightening GTM strategy, improving the sales motion, expanding design partnerships, hiring against the right gaps, and turning early usage into repeatable evidence.
Phase 3
Fundraising readiness
We help founders prepare for institutional investors. That includes refining the story, clarifying milestones, building the data room, improving the deck, practicing the pitch, and making targeted introductions. The goal is not just to raise money. It is to raise around a clear company narrative and a credible plan for what comes next.
We help founders prepare for institutional investors. That includes refining the story, clarifying milestones, building the data room, improving the deck, practicing the pitch, and making targeted introductions. The goal is not just to raise money. It is to raise around a clear company narrative and a credible plan for what comes next.
Phase 4
Growth
Once incubation ends, founders remain part of the AI House network for alumni support, introductions, founder community, and long-term guidance.
Once incubation ends, founders remain part of the AI House network for alumni support, introductions, founder community, and long-term guidance.
The foundation is community
The foundation is community
Founders do not build in a straight line.
They run into technical questions, customer questions, hiring questions, fundraising questions, and moments where the next step is not obvious. AI House keeps founders close to the people who can help them work through those moments.
That includes founders building in real time, alumni who have been through the next stage, Resident Experts with deep industry knowledge, technical leaders who can pressure-test hard decisions, operators who know what breaks at scale, and investors who understand what early momentum looks like.
Community is not a side benefit of AI House. It is the center of the model.
It helps founders find customers, recruit teammates, avoid obvious mistakes, sharpen their thinking, and stay in the game longer. It keeps compounding after the formal incubation period ends.
The goal is simple: surround founders with the people and context that help them build better companies.
Founders do not build in a straight line.
They run into technical questions, customer questions, hiring questions, fundraising questions, and moments where the next step is not obvious. AI House keeps founders close to the people who can help them work through those moments.
That includes founders building in real time, alumni who have been through the next stage, Resident Experts with deep industry knowledge, technical leaders who can pressure-test hard decisions, operators who know what breaks at scale, and investors who understand what early momentum looks like.
Community is not a side benefit of AI House. It is the center of the model.
It helps founders find customers, recruit teammates, avoid obvious mistakes, sharpen their thinking, and stay in the game longer. It keeps compounding after the formal incubation period ends.
The goal is simple: surround founders with the people and context that help them build better companies.
The numbers that matter
The numbers that matter
The AI House Incubator is small, selective, and hands-on. We do not compete on volume. We work with a focused group of founders and go deep.
The AI House Incubator is small, selective, and hands-on. We do not compete on volume. We work with a focused group of founders and go deep.
~15
Companies / Year
We prioritize signal density, hands-on collaboration, specialized applied AI expertise, and serious time with each company.
We prioritize signal density, hands-on collaboration, specialized applied AI expertise, and serious time with each company.
We prioritize signal density, hands-on collaboration, specialized applied AI expertise, and serious time with each company.
90%
90%
Raised Venture Funds
More than 90% of our incubated companies have raised venture funding.
More than 90% of our incubated companies have raised venture funding.
More than 90% of our incubated companies have raised venture funding.
24%
24%
Companies
Nearly a quarter of our incubated companies have been acquired.
Nearly a quarter of our incubated companies have been acquired.
Nearly a quarter of our incubated companies have been acquired.
$400M
$400M
Dollars Raised
Venture funding raised by our companies.
Venture funding raised by our companies.
Venture funding raised by our companies.
Our economic terms
Our economic terms
Incubation
7% Common Stock
Our incubation economics are held in common stock, the same share class held by founders. We use common stock because we want to be aligned with the founding team. We are building alongside you, not above you.
Our incubation economics are held in common stock, the same share class held by founders. We use common stock because we want to be aligned with the founding team. We are building alongside you, not above you.
Pre-Seed Investment
Up to $600,000 on a SAFE at a $10 million cap
Separate from incubation, we provide capital to help founders build. We invest up to $600,000 on a SAFE at a $10 million cap. Early allocations typically start at $100,000 for a solo founder or $200,000 for a co-founding team, with the ability to increase up to $600,000 as the company hits early milestones. For teams at the right stage, we can deploy the full amount upfront.
Separate from incubation, we provide capital to help founders build. We invest up to $600,000 on a SAFE at a $10 million cap. Early allocations typically start at $100,000 for a solo founder or $200,000 for a co-founding team, with the ability to increase up to $600,000 as the company hits early milestones. For teams at the right stage, we can deploy the full amount upfront.
Our partners
We’ve assembled a coalition of world-class venture firms, global technology leaders, and civic partners who share our vision for applied Al. These aren't just investors or community organizations-they're active collaborators who bring deep expertise, extensive networks, and a genuine commitment to advancing applied Al.
These organizations understand that building applied Al companies requires more than capital or services. They offer strategic guidance on scaling Al systems, access to enterprise customers for pilots and partnerships, and connections to top talent across technical and commercial roles. Together, we're not just funding startups or creating a community — we're building the platform for Al to solve real problems at scale.
We’ve assembled a coalition of world-class venture firms, global technology leaders, and civic partners who share our vision for applied Al. These aren't just investors or community organizations —they're active collaborators who bring deep expertise, extensive networks, and a genuine commitment to advancing applied Al.
These organizations understand that building applied Al companies requires more than capital or services. They offer strategic guidance on scaling Al systems, access to enterprise customers for pilots and partnerships, and connections to top talent across technical and commercial roles. Together, we're not just funding startups or creating a community — we're building the platform for Al to solve real problems at scale.
Stay in touch
Subscribe to our Luma calendar for the latest on events and news from us.
Where AI meets the real world
Stay in touch
Subscribe to our Luma calendar for the latest on events and news from us.
Where AI meets the real world
Stay in touch
Subscribe to our Luma calendar for the latest on events and news from us.
Where AI meets the real world
Stay in touch
Subscribe to our Luma calendar for the latest on events and news from us.
Where AI meets the real world
Stay in touch
Subscribe to our Luma calendar for the latest on events and news from us.
Where AI meets the real world