Amidst the buzz of internal politics at OpenAI, the AI startup and its co-branded accelerator initiatives remain steadfast, as conveyed by the PR team. The OpenAI Startup Fund, an independent entity distinct from OpenAI itself, unveiled Converge-2 today, marking the second installment of its six-week Converge program. This program targets “exceptional engineers, designers, researchers, and product builders utilizing AI to envision a transformed world,” as outlined in a recently published blog post.
Similar to the initial Converge cohort supported by the OpenAI Startup Fund, the selected 10-15 startups for Converge-2 will benefit from a $1 million equity investment from the $100 million-plus entrepreneurial fund introduced last May, bolstered by Microsoft and other partners. Crunch the numbers, and the investment in Converge-2 totals at least $10 million, a substantial commitment.
Beyond financial backing, Converge-2 participants will enjoy access to tech talks, office hours, social gatherings, and discussions with “leading practitioners” and the OpenAI Startup Fund’s “community of builders,” according to the blog post. Importantly, participants are not obliged to build on OpenAI’s APIs; the program explicitly caters to “anyone building or aspiring to build with AI,” yet the allure of OpenAI’s technologies is expected to foster network effects.
The OpenAI Startup Fund actively encourages founders from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and experience levels, including those outside the U.S., to apply. Previous AI system experience is not a prerequisite. However, selected startups are required to dedicate four to six hours weekly to the program from March 11 to April 19, with the inaugural and concluding weeks held in San Francisco (travel costs covered by the OpenAI Startup Fund). The application deadline is January 26.
