MIT-Pillar VC Artificial Intelligence Collective
The MIT-Pillar AI Collective is a one-year pilot program providing seed grants for projects in AI, machine learning, and data science.
Supported by a gift from Pillar VC and administered by the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, the mission of the program is to advance research towards commercialization.
Program Benefits
The MIT-Pillar AI Collective will support a select group of faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students through access to grants, expert advice, mentorship, and customer discovery.
Program resources:
Access to seed grants
Support in identifying key milestones
Advice from experienced founders
Guidance from product managers
Feedback from customers
Insight from early-stage investors
Founder Talks & community events
Co-founder matching and team-building
Program Structure
2x/month.
Bi-monthly meetings with Program Lead to review milestones & progress.
1x/month.
Monthly meetings with industry advisors for guidance.
4x/year.
Quarterly founder talks and community events.
periodic.
Feedback sessions with prospective customers.
ongoing.
Advice from product managers and enterprise sales leaders.
as interested.
Introductions to co-founders and team members.
Questions? View FAQ.
Prospective Customers
Each team has access to prospective customers across a variety of industries who are actively interested in leveraging new AI-enabled solutions. Teams will conduct customer interviews to identify promising new applications, iterating in response to feedback.
Customers will be tailored to program participants. New customers will be added once the program launches.
WayFair
Rapid7
Thrive
SimpliSafe
Jellyfish
Asimov
PathAI
TripAdvisor
Algorand
Additional customers coming soon
Program Timeline
AI Collective Program
- Applications are currently closed for the Spring 2024 Fellowship program. Summer 2024 application will open in the spring of 2024.
- View the FAQ page for more information.
- Contact us with further questions.
