The Sentient Foundation has launched a $42 million Open Source AGI Grant and Investment Program to support developers, researchers, and startups building artificial general intelligence technologies through open-source approaches.
The nonprofit organization says the initiative is designed to address the growing gap between heavily funded proprietary AI platforms and open-source communities that often lack the financial resources needed to compete.
The program combines non-dilutive grants with founder-friendly investments, creating opportunities for teams at different stages of development. Researchers, independent developers, open-source maintainers, and startups will receive support to build AI models, infrastructure, tools, and applications that remain accessible to the wider community.
Sentient Foundation believes the future of artificial intelligence should not be controlled by a small number of companies. The organization argues that open development can encourage wider participation, faster innovation, and broader access to advanced AI technologies.
Sachi Kamiya, Director of Venture and Growth at the Sentient Foundation, said the future of intelligence should be created by many rather than limited to a few powerful organizations. The foundation compares its mission to the role open-source technologies have played in shaping the internet and modern computing.
The initiative comes as debates around AI ownership and accessibility continue to grow. Many advanced AI systems today are available through closed platforms, raising concerns about whether future intelligence capabilities could become concentrated among a small group of technology providers.
The foundation points to successful open-source AI projects that have gained global attention, including Ollama, llama.cpp, DeepSeek, and LeRobot. Sentient has also contributed to open AI development through projects such as ROMA, Open Deep Search, EvoSkills, Arena, and its OML model family.
Projects applying for support will not be required to open-source every part of their technology stack. However, applicants must show that at least one important component of their work is openly available and provides meaningful value to the AI ecosystem.
Alongside funding, Sentient Foundation plans to build long-term support structures for the open-source AI community. An advisory council made up of members of the AI and open-source ecosystem will help guide funding priorities and future initiatives.
The program has already gained support from organizations including Alibaba Cloud, Franklin Templeton, Princeton University, and the Indian Institute of Science. Additional partners are expected to join as the initiative expands.
With its $42 million commitment, Sentient Foundation aims to strengthen the foundation for open-source AGI development and ensure that the next generation of artificial intelligence remains accessible, collaborative, and shaped by a global community of builders.
