Zerve, an Irish start-up focused on data science and artificial intelligence, has secured $3.8 million in pre-seed funding to enhance its research and development efforts. The company plans to use the funding to expand its team from 12 employees to 24 over the next year, with a focus on engineering, cloud infrastructure, and research and development.
Founded in 2021 by Phily Hayes, Jason Hillary, and Greg Michaelson, Zerve has developed a platform that allows collaboration between data science and AI development teams. This cloud-based, serverless environment enables live collaboration and the creation of stable code suitable for deployment. The company aims to transform data science, which is currently a solitary endeavor, into a multiplayer experience where data scientists can work together and build upon each other’s work.
The pre-seed funding round was led by Elkstone Ventures, with additional investment from angel investors, including Algolia chief technology officer Sean Mullaney and Rob Hickey, former EVP of engineering at DataRobot. Niall McEvoy, a partner at Elkstone Ventures, praised Zerve’s vision and technology, stating that it has the potential to revolutionize data science and AI development.
Furthermore, Zerve has been selected as one of the 10 European start-ups for the Intel Ignite Accelerator program, focusing on deep-tech companies. This recognition further validates the potential impact of Zerve’s innovative approach to data science and AI development.
Phily Hayes emphasized the current limitations of existing tools for data scientists to share code and results with their colleagues, highlighting the need for a more cohesive and collaborative environment. The funding secured by Zerve will enable the company to capitalize on its vision and address the challenges faced by data scientists in their daily work.