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Fine-Tuning the Future of AI: Argonautic is proud to support the evolution of the AI ecosystem and the entrepreneurs powering the innovation

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SEATTLE, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and machine learning, foundation models – the backbone of predictive tasks – have captivated the tech world. Their ability to perform learning tasks are transforming the way we approach natural language processing, computer vision, and signal processing. At Argonautic, while we acknowledge the pivotal role foundation models play in the AI value chain, it is our perspective that the verticalization of these models under direction of teams with unparalleled subject matter expertise and access to proprietary training data aligns with our capital efficient thesis versus new generalized foundation models which require high upfront training costs initially and face price commoditization in the long run.

Foundation models are pre-trained deep learning models that serve as the versatile and general base for computationally-intensive predictive tasks. Foundation models are then ‘fine-tuned’ to perform function specific tasks for a given use case. The term was coined by Stanford Academics in 2021 and surged in popularity in 2022 to describe the models which were breaking out at the time.  Foundation models are especially recognized for their ability to perform ‘zero-shot’ and ‘few-shot’ learning tasks, where a task is performed with few or zero examples previous given to the model.

Argonautic believes that while the evolution of foundation models is crucial for the advancement of AI and technology overall, business models which focus on building these baseline models have high capital requirements and likelihood of commoditization over time. Instead, we believe teams building models with strong subject matter expertise and knowledge of the problem to be solved (which may be built on these generalized models) will reliably come out ahead in solving the most important problems. These teams have unique access to proprietary data that can be used to train their fine-tuned models and unique distribution channels that more seamless inserts AI-powered tools into business workflows.

Foundation models are commonly used for a variety of natural language processing, computer vision, and signal processing tasks. Open AI’s “GPT-N” series captured the general public’s attention with its ability to craft coherent seeming text given a wide range of prompts. At its core, GPT-N simply predicts the next word in a sentence, which when scaled produces coherent seeming responses. It is trained on a large “corpus” of text data sourced mainly from the open internet but also from, forums, publications and  books.

Argonautic maintains a strategic focus on industries with use cases that require verticalized models. While recognizing the importance of foundation models in advancing AI and machine learning, it is clear that the concentration on constructing baseline models carries inherent limitations. Instead, Argonautic partners with teams with strong subject matter expertise to build models tailored to specific problem domains, leveraging their unique access to proprietary data and distribution channels. In the context of foundation models, Argonautic acknowledges the widespread applicability in natural language processing, computer vision, and signal processing tasks. By emphasizing the importance of fine-tuning to achieve verticalization, Argonautic underscores the ability of companies to specialize their models while benefiting from the underlying foundation model’s conversational interface. In this landscape, Argonautic positions itself against significant capital deployment in general foundation models due to diversification risks and concerns about the potential disruption posed by open-source models and new architectures.

For a generalized foundation model to become ‘verticalized’, it must be “fine-tuned” by passing in an extra set of domain specific data to tailor the generalized model for a use case. This allows companies to specialize their models while still benefiting from the conversational interface of the underlying foundation model. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Alphabet’s Gemini, Meta’s Llama and others are foundation model driven businesses, which enables teams to build while avoiding billions of dollars of initial training costs.

Training a foundation model from scratch is a large, expensive, and important data engineering undertaking. The architecture of these models typically rely on transformers, which have been the industry standard for a number of years. Where it differs is the scale. The success of foundation models depends on the ability to seamless aggregate vast amounts of data with trillions of parameters. At the time of writing, this costs in the order of billions of dollars and will only grow as customer demands outpace the cost trends of computation and storage.

Argonautic does not believe general foundation models to be an area of capital deployment given our investment style. First, they require large checks which create diversification risk for our investors. Second, we are wary of the risk of open-source foundation models and new architectures disrupting the economics of proprietary models. For example, Retrieval Augmented Generation has changed the way enterprises look at retraining. Staying on are ahead of the curve is expensive and risky. 

Pre-dating the explosion of interest in private sector machine learning models, Argonautic believes the value of a model comes from a few areas: (1) unique architecture which gives it a technical or economic advantage (2) proprietary data which lets the model produce unique insights (3) ability to integrate seamlessly into existing workflows. Unique architecture is often spun off from academic institutions with heavy financial backing. As such our area of interest is in teams who have demonstrated the ability to use their unique insight to solve a specific problem. Teams in the space tend to work on verticalized foundation models which take general foundation models a step further with proprietary expertise.

For example, our portfolio company Cognaize, which automates financial spreading for large financial institutions, has accumulated years of financial data which allows it to fine-tune a defensible, verticalized foundation model in the financial technology space. Similarly, Document Crunch, which analyzes construction contracts for conflicting language, uses a corpus built over a number of years to produce exceedingly accurate results for its customers. ConCntric’s platform allows it collect data which will eventually inform its own powerful predictive model. The specific problems our protein engineering teams solve cannot be adequately addressed by a general model. The model’s differentiation for our teams is only possible because of the expertise of the overall team and is not reliant on a lasting technical edge.

As such, more important than ever, Argonautic is interested in teams that know the problem and market they are solving better than anyone else. This also protects companies from future disruption. Even with the next generation of trends, such as automated ‘AI agents’, we believe that teams with strong subject matter expertise are equipped to stay ahead of the pack. It is our view that general foundation models will never be able to solve a specific more reliably than a combination of an elite team that understands a problem and verticalized foundation model.

Argonautic is proud to have been deploying into AI since our founding. As technologists, we are excited to watch the field continue to change the world and as investors we see the opportunity to support this growth.

About Argonautic:

Founded in 2017, Argonautic is a AI/ML B2B venture capital fund investing across Fintech, Construction Tech and Biotech. Argonautic invests in entrepreneurs who are redefining the future of technology and innovation.

For more information, visit argonauticventures.com.

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HALLMARK VENTURE GROUP, INC. SECURES INITIAL $50,000 IN BRIDGE FINANCING AND WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR

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LAS VEGAS, Nov. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hallmark Venture Group, Inc. (OTC: HLLK) (“HLLK” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce in an 8k filed today that it has secured $50,000 in initial bridge financing. This funding will drive the Company’s ongoing expansion in search engine marketing (SEM), support machine learning advancements, and facilitate key talent acquisition.

The Company is also excited to welcome Nick Cardosi as the newest member of its Board of Directors, strengthening its leadership team and enhancing its expertise.

Additionally, Hallmark Venture Group has moved its principal place of business to Las Vegas, Nevada, positioning the Company for further growth and market accessibility.

In partnership developments, HLLK has entered into an agreement with Creative Venture Capital LTD (“CVC”). Under this agreement, CVC will continue to introduce high-quality traffic to the Jubilee platform, with revenue-sharing arrangements in place to benefit both parties.

The Company has also formalized an Executive Compensation Agreement with its President and CEO, Evan Bloomberg. The 24-month agreement includes $1,000,000 in shares of Company common stock, an annual salary of $340,000, and a tiered performance bonus linked to quarterly revenue milestones.

About Hallmark Venture Group, Inc.

Hallmark Venture Group, Inc. (OTC: HLLK) is a digital marketing leader specializing in machine learning and AI solutions to automate and optimize ad campaigns. The Company’s platform provides real-time insights that maximize ROI with minimal manual intervention.

Through its subsidiary, Jubilee Intel, HLLK continues to pioneer advancements in digital marketing. The team is focused on cutting-edge projects to enhance keyword research, traffic quality, and time-series data analysis, all aimed at boosting efficiency and profitability for digital advertising campaigns.

Safe Harbor Statement

Safe Harbor This release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements appear in a number of places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy. The words “may”,”would”, “will”, “estimate”, “can”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements as a result of various factors. More information about the potential factors that could affect the business and financial results is and will be included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or OTC Markets.

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MedAdvisor Solutions Launches Telehealth Service on MedAdvisor Patient App, Further Enhancing Access to Care

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Patients can now book virtual provider consultations within the App

MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — MedAdvisor Solutions, a global leader in pharmacy-driven patient engagement solutions, announced today that new Telehealth functionality is now available within the MedAdvisor App and is already being utilised by patients. Access to telehealth services was ranked as the 3rd most desirable feature by pharmacists, based on feedback from our extensive network of pharmacy partners1. Telehealth access via the App simplifies the patient healthcare journey, allowing patients to consult with providers and manage their prescriptions from anywhere, at any time.

This new feature in the MedAdvisor App allows patients to book virtual consultations with providers and receive eScripts following the consultation. The App also allows patients to pre-order medications from their preferred pharmacy and receive renewal reminders as needed.

The launch reflects MedAdvisor Solutions commitment to meet the evolving needs of patients and pharmacies across Australia, where more than 95,000 practitioners use Telehealth and 23% of appointments occur via Telehealth2. By making prescriptions, medication information and health services available through the MedAdvisor App patients can take a more active role in their healthcare journey, enhancing adherence and improving outcomes.

The feature allows for more seamless communication between patients, pharmacists, and providers, ultimately improving care coordination and eliminating barriers to medication adherence, such as geographic or time constraints.

“Providing seamless access to Telehealth services is a natural progression for the MedAdvisor app, providing a comprehensive resource for patients’ healthcare needs,” said Wayne Marinoff, President ANZ of MedAdvisor Solutions. “By enabling virtual consultations and eScript functionality, we are not only enhancing patient engagement and satisfaction, but also helping pharmacies streamline their operations and maintain strong patient relationships.”

To access the new Telehealth feature, patients can download the MedAdvisor App from the App Store or Google Play for free. After logging in, patients will have access to a wide range of healthcare services, including the ability to book virtual consultations with healthcare providers and receive eScripts directly within the App. The MedAdvisor App streamlines the entire healthcare journey, allowing patients to manage prescriptions, consult with professionals, and access medication reminders—all in one convenient platform.

Access to telehealth within the App aligns with the company’s commitment to enhancing access to care for patients across the country. Last year, MedAdvisor Solutions was chosen as the preferred software provider for the Expanded Scope of Practice initiatives. Today, more than 84,000 patients have received 88,400 services across 3,640 pharmacies. Additionally, 84% of pharmacies report being satisfied with MedAdvisor Solutions’ ability to help them expand the scope of health services in their pharmacy.1 By continuing to collaborate with our pharmacy partners and evolve our platform, MedAdvisor Solutions is helping to drive the future of patient-centric care.

About MedAdvisor Solutions
MedAdvisor Solutions is a global leader of pharmacy-driven patient engagement solutions that provide individualized patient experiences to simplify the patient medication journey. Our solutions utilise an empathetic, data-driven approach to engagement and an innovative, patient-centric digital experience that empower the pharmacy of the future and inspire lasting behaviour change. MedAdvisor Solutions works with over 37,000 pharmacies across the US, Australia & New Zealand to deliver our solutions to help patients take their medication safely and effectively.

In Australia, MedAdvisor Solutions has connected nearly 4 million patients through more than 95% of Australian pharmacies. MedAdvisor Solutions is on track to become one of the largest players to aid in the global transformation of the pharmacy of the future through digital patient engagement solutions. In 2018 and 2020, MedAdvisor Solutions was recognized in the AFR Fast 100 and in 2022, 2023 and 2024 received the Retail Excellence Award (REX) for Technology & Automation from Drug Store News.

www.medadvisorsolutions.com 

12023 internal MedAdvisor research of 459 pharmacists across 451 pharmacies in Australia
2Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, 6 October 2023, Does using telehealth affect our healthcare?

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MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Louder with Crowder Joins ‘Rumble Premium’; MugClubbers Granted Full Access to Exclusive ‘Rumble Premium’ Features

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Current MugClub members are grandfathered in and will now have full platform access that includes ad-free video viewing, exclusive content, a verified badge, and other benefits.New Subscribers will have the option to subscribe monthly for $9.99 or annually for $99.Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle are confirmed to be a part of Rumble Premium.This merge between MugClub and Rumble Premium ensures continued support for the ‘Louder with Crowder’ mission as well as increased quality services for MugClubbers.For more information on Rumble Premium, access https://rumble.com/premium.

DALLAS, Nov. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Louder with Crowder announced today that its member-only subscription service, MugClub, will join forces with Rumble Premium, as both organizations look to provide the highest quality services for their loyal audiences going into 2025.

Current MugClubbers will be granted full access to Rumble Premium features — which includes ad-free video viewing, exclusive content, a verified badge, among other benefits.

Subscribers can opt-in monthly for $9.99 or annually for $99, saving 17% compared to the monthly fee.

Louder with Crowder is excited about its continued partnership with Rumble to deliver the most unique and high-quality content to loyal subscribers.

Rumble has been a consistent defender of free speech, and the company’s success is proof that the American people support platforms that unwaveringly stand by the First Amendment.

This merge between MugClub and Rumble Premium ensures continued support for the ‘Louder with Crowder’ mission as well as increased quality services for MugClubbers.

Louder with Crowder CEO, Gerald Morgan Jr., expressed his enthusiasm about this announcement.

“From the beginning, Rumble and ‘Louder with Crowder’ wanted to create a place where you can pay one subscription fee and support all of the creators you love. With the launch of Rumble Premium, we are finally making that happen. Think Netflix combining with YouTube, this is going to be huge!”

For more information on Rumble Premium, access https://rumble.com/premium.

Louder with Crowder and Rumble will continue to share updates on this growing partnership as more benefits and features are added to enhance the subscriber experience.

Media Contact:  
comms@louderwithcrowder.com 

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SOURCE Louder With Crowder

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