Allen-backed AI2 incubator aims to connect AI startups with world-class talent

You can't swing a cat these days without hitting some incubator or accelerator, or a startup touting its artificial intelligence chops -- but for some reason, there are few if any incubators focused just on the AI sector. Seattle's Allen Institute for AI is doing just that, with the promise of connecting small classes of startups with the organization's formidable brains (and 250 grand). AI2, as the Paul Allen-backed nonprofit is more commonly called, already spun off two companies: XNOR.ai, which has made major advances in enabling AI tasks to run on edge devices, is operating independently and licensing its tech to eager customers. "We're two for two, and not in a small way," said Jacob Colker, who has led several Seattle and Bay Area startups and incubators, and is currently the Entrepreneur-in-Residence charged with putting AI2's program on the map. Until now the incubation program has kept a low profile.