Fetch.ai launches $10M accelerator for AI agent startups

Fetch.ai, a crypto artificial intelligence company built on Cosmos, has announced a $10 million accelerator to support startups developing solutions focused on AI agents, quantum computing and high-performance tech.

The accelerator, operating through Fetch.ai’s Innovation Lab, aims to connect research with real-world applications. The lab, with hubs in San Francisco, London and India, will provide funding, mentorship and access to Fetch.ai’s agent-based technologies to help startups scale globally, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph.

Humayun Sheikh, CEO of Fetch.ai and chairman of the ASI Alliance, told Cointelegraph that “agents will not only redefine how we build software but also serve as the execution layer for modern technologies.”

Related: Fetch.ai, Imperial College partner to launch AI lab

Research meets real-world use cases

The new startup accelerator will feature boot camps, workshops and specialist lectures, in collaboration with international organizations such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Web.lab, an initiative focused on exploring advanced technologies.

Startups accepted into the program will receive tailored support through Fetch.ai’s proprietary AI agent technologies, which provide actionable inferences from AI models.

“Traditionally, APIs have been the primary mechanism for integrating technologies. However, agents will increasingly replace APIs, becoming the new interface for both software interaction and task execution,“ Sheikh told Cointelegraph.

“Beyond serving as intermediaries, agents will enable the cognitive orchestration of tasks, acting as dynamic tools capable of managing and executing complex workflows.”

Related: ASI Alliance launches Cortex — Decentralized AI for industrial needs

Accelerator details

The accelerator’s structure includes year-round programs and innovation competitions to ensure startups have access to mentorship and resources, with participating firms gaining the opportunity to pitch to investors and industry leaders at events.

Sana Wajid, chief development officer at Fetch.ai Innovation Labs, told Cointelegraph that the lab will “continue to support young talent through its Internship Incubator Program and provide earl-stage funding to startups.”

“[The lab] will prepare the next generation of innovators,” Wajid said. “It will expand globally by partnering with international innovation hubs and research organizations to access global markets and ideas.”

Related: Decentralized vacation rental platform Dtravel joins Fetch.ai network

Are AI agents just hype?

Sheikh told Cointelegraph that AI agent tech would play a key role in crypto and the ASI Alliance, a collaborative effort between Fetch.ai, Ocean Protocol and SingularityNET to accelerate decentralized AI development and adoption.

“AI agents will serve as the intermediary layer, facilitating communication and execution between models, end-users, and businesses,” Sheikh said. “In the context of the ASI Alliance, this functionality is essential.”

However, some Solana project founders have cast doubt on this perspective, suggesting that AI agents are overrated and have swamped social media platform X since October 2024 with AI agent tokens.

Condz, founder of Web3 startup Acolyte AI, said in a Dec. 29 post on X that, while 2025 “will be massive for AI agents,” it AI agents “can be a bubble if you look at just the narrative, where most are scams or will never deliver.”

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