Supporting Translation-Ready
AI Efficiency Solutions
The AI Efficiency Challenge, led by STRIDE Ventures, operated by Start2 Group, and supported by the National Science Foundation, is closing that gap — accelerating commercial adoption of translation-ready AI/ML solutions to dramatically improve efficiency at scale.
The AI Efficiency Challenge funds two types of applicants in a structured model, each with a distinct role in improving AI/ML efficiency at scale.
Solution Teams
Teams developing software-based technologies to improve efficiency throughout the layers of the AI/ML stack.
Pitchers
Technology Developers
Researchers, innovators, algorithm designers, and systems engineers with translation-ready efficiency technologies that are deployable at scale without longer development lead times.
Catchers
Problem Owners
Organizations operating large-scale AI and data center systems with the technical capacity to deploy efficiency-improving solutions directly into meaningful environments at scale.
Required: Solution Teams must include at least one Problem Owner (“Catcher”) capable of and willing to implement efficiency-improving solutions at scale.
Benchmarking Teams
Teams developing industry-standard benchmarks to assess efficiency across the AI/ML software stack – and may also validate the efficiency gains achieved by Solutions Teams.
Umpires
Benchmarking Experts
Teams with deep expertise in benchmarking AI/ML software-based systems, who can define industry-facing efficiency measures and independently validate performance.
The Challenge prioritizes software-driven solutions capable of delivering measurable improvements in system performance and resource utilization.
Software implementation of AI/ML systems
Tools to guide the creation of efficient code
MLOps and distributed system software
Edge computing
Energy-aware system management
Efficient agentic orchestration
The AI Efficiency Challenge runs over three milestone-driven stages spanning up to two years, with awards between $1.75 and $3.5 million per project.
1
2 months: Identify inefficiencies, establish baseline performance metrics, and define the deployment roadmap for Stage 2 and Stage 3.
2
10 months: Execute iterative deployment-development cycles in operational environments to validate efficiency improvements at scale.
3
12 months: Continue spiral development-deployment cycles to further improve efficiency in larger, more impactful at-scale deployments.
Fast Track Available! Teams ready to move directly to implementation can choose an accelerated pathway, completing each stage in half the time.
Teams can choose their desired funding level: Large ($3.5M) or Medium ($1.75M). For either level, a meaningful portion of the budget must be applied directly toward development and deployment-related activities.
Large: $3.5M
For teams with broader deployment scope and resource requirements. A meaningful portion of the budget must be directed toward deployment-related activities such as integration, instrumentation, and at-scale operation.
Medium: $1.75M
Teams at this level may supplement external funding with in-kind resources, such as staff time or cloud services contributed by commercial team members who prefer to shoulder their own costs.
Solicitation Details
Read the solicitation details for more information on teaming structure, project scope, eligibility requirements, and application instructions.
Application Closes July 13, 2026.
Submit your application via the application form only.
Join an Info Session
Our team hosts live info sessions where you can hear directly from the program teams, get a detailed walkthrough of the challenge, and ask questions during a live Q&A.
No, the team size is flexible. What’s important is that all necessary skills and expertise are covered. The work plan must demonstrate that the team can carry out the tasks.
A team of experts from STRIDE Ventures will make a pre-selection. The final decision is based on the application and a pitch to an external jury consisting of scientists, industry experts, and/or investors. Teams will pitch between July 30 and 31, 2026. Final award decisions are subject to approval by NSF.
The application deadline is July 13, 2026, at 11:59PM Pacific Time. The Challenge starts in September 2026 and runs for 24 months, divided into three phases.
The intellectual property rights to the results created by the teams during the Challenge remain with the teams. Details are set out in the participation agreement, which will be published at or shortly after the application opening and can be accessed via the “Proposal Details” link above.
Though Solutions Teams and Benchmarking Teams apply through the same link, they are distinct applicant types with different questions to answer. At a high level, “Solution Teams” are developing and testing the efficiency technologies, while the “Benchmarking Teams” are creating standardized guidelines to measure efficiency gains in AI/ML systems.