Callosum raises $100m seed led by Atomico to tackle AI compute bottlenecks

AI infrastructure startup Callosum has secured $100 million in seed funding, led by Atomico, to address AI compute bottlenecks. Founded in 2024 by Cambridge PhD graduates Danyal Akarca and Jascha Achterberg, Callosum's platform enables developers to distribute workloads across various AI models and hardware providers, rather than relying on a single system or chip architecture.

This innovative approach was the first to receive investment from the UK Sovereign AI Fund, launched by the government to strengthen Britain's domestic AI capabilities. The company has also been included in the UK's £1.1 billion AI hardware plan, designed to support homegrown chip companies.

AI hardware demand is soaring, according to UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan, who emphasized that successful AI is contingent not only on access to chips but also on their efficient utilization. Callosum recently announced strategic partnerships with AI hardware firms, including US chipmaker Cerebras and South Korean semiconductor startup Rebellions.

Additionally, the startup unveiled a new technology platform called "programmable heterogeneity," which fragments AI workloads into smaller tasks and assigns each to the most appropriate model and processor.

The $100 million seed round is among the largest raised by a European AI infrastructure startup, underscoring the growing investor interest in companies developing both the software and hardware components essential for AI.