a16z Crypto invests $15 million to support the Poseidon project

The decentralized AI data infrastructure project Poseidon has completed a $15 million seed round financing, led by a16z crypto. Poseidon is a project incubated by the on-chain IP protocol Story, aiming to build a full-stack data infrastructure layer for robotics, multimodal models, and next-generation physical AI.

The goal of the project is to address the key bottleneck in AI development: high-quality, IP-secure, and traceable data acquisition. Sandeep Chinchali, Chief AI Officer of Story and Chief Scientist of Poseidon, stated that in the current environment where models and computing power are gradually being commoditized, the real competitive barrier lies in data.

Poseidon's mission is to extend the programmable IP layer built by Story into real-world data and AI training scenarios. It aims to support programmable ownership, licensing, and attribution of creative and AI assets, utilizing these capabilities to support the circulation and compliant use of data for AI.

Data Challenges Faced by AI

As AI extends into physical world scenarios such as robots, autonomous driving, and smart devices, the demand for real-world data has surged dramatically. However, existing data collection models face three major structural challenges:

1. Scarcity of long-tail data: The acquisition cost of high-value data (such as POV videos, 3D simulations, and edge sensors) is high and the sources are dispersed.
2. Licensing and compliance risks: The traditional data chain is complex and copyright is unclear, making it difficult for enterprises to securely access.
3. Lack of Incentive Mechanism: Data contributors lack ownership protection and profit distribution, leading to insufficient willingness to participate.

Poseidon's Solution

Poseidon provides a comprehensive operating system covering the entire process of collection, labeling, licensing, circulation, traceability, and incentives. It transforms data from "resources" into "assets" with legal validity and economic incentive mechanisms.

S.Y. Lee, CEO and co-founder of Story and President of Poseidon, emphasized that Poseidon utilizes Story's programmable IP layer and immutable IP registration system to ensure that each dataset is IP-licensed, traceable, and executable. This is not only infrastructure building but also empowering AI systems that can truly be deployed in the real world.

Poseidon's core capabilities include:

• Full-stack data pipeline: Supports standardized collection and cleaning of multi-source data
• On-chain IP registration and traceability: All data is registered in the form of IP assets, ensuring clear provenance and legal authorization.
• Incentive and Permission Module: Achieve revenue distribution through smart contracts to promote sustainable growth of the data network.
• Composable data marketplace: Developers can filter, call, and integrate data by license, automatically triggering permissions and revenue sharing.

Future Outlook

Chris Dixon, founder and managing partner of a16z crypto, stated that the decentralized data layer of Poseidon is attempting to establish a new economic foundation for the internet, rewarding creators and data providers who offer diverse inputs for the next generation of intelligent systems.

Poseidon has partnered with several leading AI companies and will use this round of financing to expand its technology stack, including SDK toolkits, data contributor workbenches, and licensing and revenue-sharing management modules. The early access channel will open this summer, allowing AI developers and data contributors to register.

Poseidon, as a decentralized full-stack data layer tailored for AI training processes, aims to connect high-quality data supply with AI model demand. The platform supports the entire link process from data contribution, authorization, to verification and integration, ensuring that data has security, compliance, and economic incentive mechanisms.