Inference Labs
Category: AI Infrastructure
Building decentralized security and verification infrastructure for AI inference using zero-knowledge cryptography, primarily within the Bittensor ecosystem. Inference Labs was founded in 2023. The company is led by Colin Gagich. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Team size: 10-20. Total funding raised: $6.3 million. Latest round: Seed. Key investors include Polychain Capital, Variant Fund, Hashkey Capital, Maven11 Capital, Digital Asset Capital Management, Delphi Ventures, Mechanism Capital.
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Team size
- 10-20
- Total funding
- $6.3 million
Value proposition
Provides a trustless, tamper-proof security layer for AI inference using zero-knowledge proofs, enabling computational integrity and model privacy on decentralized networks.
Products and solutions
Omron.ai (Bittensor Subnet 2), Proof of Inference Protocol (under development), Secure verification APIs for Decentralized AI (DeAI)
Unique value
Among the first to combine zero-knowledge proofs with decentralized AI networks like Bittensor to create a verifiable trust layer for AI computation, addressing model privacy and output integrity.
Target customer
AI application developers, enterprises, and Web3 protocols requiring secure, verifiable, and decentralized AI inference.
Industries served
AI Infrastructure, Blockchain/Web3, Cybersecurity
Technology advantage
Their 'Proof of Inference' protocol allows for trustless validation of ML model outputs on untrusted hardware, protects proprietary models' intellectual property, and uses crypto-economic incentives to secure the network.
How they differentiate
Inference Labs focuses specifically on the cryptographic verification and security of AI inference ('Proof of Inference'), rather than solely providing decentralized GPU compute marketplaces.
Main competitors
Gensyn.ai, io.net, Modulus Labs, Ritual.net
Key partnerships
Bittensor Foundation (via operating Subnet 2)
Notable customers
No public customers announced yet. Early pilots are underway.
Major milestones
Founded in 2023. Raised $2.3 million in a pre-seed round in April 2024. Secured a total of $6.3 million in funding by June 2024. Launched Omron.ai on the Bittensor network.
Growth metrics
Pre-revenue, in product development. Actively operating Bittensor Subnet 2 (Omron.ai) and reports strong inbound interest from Web3 and enterprise sectors.
Market positioning
A foundational infrastructure provider for Decentralized AI (DeAI), aiming to secure and verify off-chain computation for on-chain applications.
Geographic focus
Global
Patents and IP
No public patents disclosed. The company's intellectual property lies in its proprietary protocols combining cryptography, machine learning, and blockchain.
About Colin Gagich
Colin Gagich is the Co-Founder and CEO of Inference Labs. He previously founded and ran CENG Technologies, a software consulting company. He has experience in software consulting and is now leading Inference Labs in developing decentralized AI infrastructure.
Official website: https://inferencelabs.com/