Sentient Foundation has launched a $42 million programme to fund open-source AGI developers, researchers, maintainers, and startups, aiming to keep the future of AI accessible and prevent intelligence from being controlled by a handful of corporations.
Sentient Foundation has unveiled a $42 million Open Source AGI Grant and Investment Program, marking one of the largest funding commitments dedicated exclusively to advancing open-source artificial general intelligence (AGI).
The initiative is designed to support developers, researchers, open-source maintainers, and startups building AGI technologies in the open. It comes amid growing concerns that the most powerful AI capabilities are becoming concentrated within a small number of well-funded proprietary companies.
To address this, the programme combines non-dilutive grants for projects and researchers with founder-friendly investments for startups. Sentient said the goal is to create a sustainable economic foundation that enables open-source AGI projects to compete and thrive over the long term.
“The future of intelligence should be built by the many, not controlled by the few. A few companies are trying to become the OPEC of intelligence, meter it, price it, decide who gets it. We’re making it air,” said Sachi Kamiya, Director of Venture and Growth at Sentient Foundation.
Rather than requiring projects to open-source their entire technology stack, the programme adopts a flexible approach. Applicants must keep at least one critical component openly available and demonstrate its contribution to adoption, innovation, or ecosystem growth.
The initiative will also establish an advisory council from the open-source AI community to help shape funding priorities and governance. Early supporters include Alibaba Cloud, Franklin Templeton, Princeton University, and the Indian Institute of Science.
Sentient said the programme reflects a broader belief that the future of AGI should be shaped by a global community rather than a handful of corporations.
