Laude Institute funds 15 AI startups with Slingshots grants

Image Credits: Laude Institute

On November 6, 2025, the Laude Institute unveiled its inaugural batch of Slingshots AI grants, targeting 15 startups dedicated to advancing AI research, particularly in the realm of AI evaluation. The program aims to provide resources often scarce in academic settings, including funding, compute power, and engineering support.

Key Highlights:

• 15 startups selected for the first cohort, with a strong focus on AI evaluation challenges.
• Notable projects include Terminal Bench (a command-line coding benchmark) and ARC-AGI (a long-running AGI test).
• Formula Code (CalTech/UT Austin) and BizBench (Columbia) introduce novel approaches to evaluating AI agents.
• John Boda Yang, co-founder of SWE-Bench, leads CodeClash, a competition-based framework for assessing AI code performance.

Why It Matters:

The Slingshots program fills a critical gap by offering researchers resources to translate theoretical work into tangible outputs—whether startups, open-source tools, or benchmarks. As Yang noted, "I’m a little bit worried about a future where benchmarks just become specific to companies." This initiative ensures broader, third-party validation of AI advancements.

Broader Implications:

With AI evaluation emerging as a pivotal challenge, the Laude Institute’s grants could shape the future of how AI systems are measured and improved. The program’s focus on diverse benchmarks—from coding efficiency to white-collar task automation—sets a precedent for comprehensive AI assessment.