Stanhope AI, a company born from University College London, has secured £2.3 million in seed funding, led by the UCL Technology Fund, with participation from Creator Fund, MMC Ventures, Moonfire Ventures, Rockmount Capital, and prominent angel investors. Founded by esteemed neuroscience and AI researchers, including CEO Professor Rosalyn Moran, Director Karl Friston, and Technical Advisor Dr. Biswa Sengupta, Stanhope AI applies decades of neuroscience research to develop artificial intelligence capable of making human-like decisions in real-world scenarios.
Employing principles of neuroscience, Stanhope AI pioneers ‘agentic’ artificial intelligence, which allows algorithms to continuously refine their understanding of the world, similar to how the human brain operates. This approach, based on the neuroscience concept of active inference, enables artificial intelligence models to autonomously adapt to changing environments, reducing uncertainty and minimizing the risk of erroneous decisions.
Agentic AI is on the rise
Unlike traditional machine learning methods, Stanhope AI’s active inference models operate autonomously, continuously refining predictions without requiring vast amounts of processing power or seen data. This breakthrough technology enables Stanhope AI’s models to reason and make human-like decisions, even on small devices like drones.
Professor Friston, hailed for his revolutionary work on the Free Energy Theory Principle, leads Stanhope’s research into minimizing surprise and uncertainty in artificial intelligence systems. The company’s Active Inference approach aligns with this theory, driving the development of AI systems that operate efficiently and effectively.
Stanhope AI’s technology is currently being tested with delivery drones and autonomous machines, with potential applications in manufacturing, industrial robotics, and embodied artificial intelligence. The investment will support further development and practical application of the company’s agentic AI models.
CEO Professor Moran expressed confidence in Stanhope AI’s mission to revolutionize AI technology by bridging the gap between neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Partner at UCL Technology Fund, David Grimm, praised the company’s unique approach, combining neuroscience insights with advanced artificial intelligence to address some of the most challenging problems in the field.
Associate Director at UCL Business, Marina Santilli, highlighted the promise of Stanhope AI’s approach, emphasizing the potential for powerful yet energy-efficient AI models. UCLB is proud to support the company’s journey, built on decades of fundamental research led by Professor Friston.
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