Pruna AI, a Paris and Munich-based software startup, has secured $6.5 million in funding from EQT Ventures. The company aims to make AI development faster, cheaper, and greener by compressing AI models to reduce their computational requirements. Rayan Nait Mazi, CEO, and Bertrand Charpentier, president and chief scientist, lead the startup.
Charpentier explained, “It’s similar to a zip that compresses files, so they are cheaper, faster, and greener, and everyone can access and use those AI models.”
Users can run their AI models through Pruna’s optimization engine, which makes the models smaller and more cost-effective to run on any hardware platform. The technology spans applications from natural language processing to image and audio systems. Pruna’s primary customers are midsize to large companies with significant compute bills due to AI usage.
Funding for AI compression startup
Using Pruna’s platform has helped these companies reduce costs dramatically. The startup charges its customers based on the usage of the compressed models, which are typically much cheaper to operate compared to the non-compressed versions.
Carl Svantesson, partner at EQT Ventures, highlighted the geographic advantage Pruna enjoys by being based in both Paris and Munich, which helps in hiring top talent. The funding round also saw participation from Daphni, Motier, and Kima, along with notable angel investors including Roxanne Varza, Hervé Nivon, and Olivier Pomel. With the fresh capital, Pruna plans to expand its team to further develop and enhance its technology.
The company’s innovative approach to AI compression has the potential to make AI more accessible and sustainable for businesses of all sizes.
