a16z Crypto doubles down on Story ecosystem, leads $15 million investment in decentralized data layer Poseidon to solve AI data bottlenecks
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a16z Crypto doubles down on Story ecosystem, leads $15 million investment in decentralized data layer Poseidon to solve AI data bottlenecks
Poseidon is a decentralized full-stack data layer custom-built for AI training workflows.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insights
Poseidon, a decentralized AI data infrastructure project incubated by the on-chain IP protocol Story, today announced the completion of a $15 million seed round led by a16z crypto. The funding will accelerate the development of a full-stack data infrastructure layer for robots, multimodal models, and next-generation physical AI, addressing the most critical yet overlooked bottleneck in current AI advancement: access to high-quality, IP-secure, and traceable data.
"As models and compute become increasingly commoditized, the real competitive moat is data."
——Sandeep Chinchali, Chief AI Officer at Story and Chief Scientist at Poseidon
Poseidon's mission is to extend Story’s programmable IP layer into real-world data and AI training scenarios. While Story aims to build an underlying protocol supporting programmable ownership, licensing, and attribution for creative and AI assets, Poseidon further enables these capabilities for AI data circulation and compliant usage.
AI Moves from Digital to Physical, Exacerbating Data Bottlenecks
Over the past two years, AI has made significant breakthroughs in text and image domains. However, as AI expands into physical-world applications such as robotics, autonomous driving, and smart devices, demand for real-world data has surged.
Yet, existing data collection models face three structural challenges:
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Scarcity of long-tail data: High-value data (e.g., POV videos, 3D simulations, edge sensors) is costly to collect and highly fragmented in source
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Licensing and compliance risks: Traditional data pipelines are complex with unclear copyright, making it difficult for enterprises to safely utilize data
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Lack of incentive mechanisms: Data contributors lack ownership protection and revenue sharing, reducing their willingness to participate
As Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth stated: "No amount of content on the internet can replicate the intuitive judgment of someone picking up a coffee cup." Next-generation AI models need not only to "see the world," but also to "understand and act within it."
Poseidon: An Operating System for AI Data
To address these challenges, Poseidon offers a full lifecycle operating system covering data collection, annotation, licensing, circulation, traceability, and incentives—transforming data from a mere "resource" into a legally enforceable and economically incentivized "asset."
S.Y. Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Story and President of Poseidon, said, "Leveraging Story’s programmable IP layer and tamper-proof IP registry, we ensure every dataset is IP-licensed, traceable, and enforceable. With our integrated licensing module, teams can seamlessly authorize, monetize, and use data without legal risk. This is not just infrastructure—it’s empowering AI systems that can truly be deployed in the real world."
Poseidon is a data operating system built specifically for AI training workflows, where every stage—from collection to annotation, licensing to distribution—natively supports IP tracking and programmable incentives. Its core capabilities include:
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Full-stack data pipeline: Standardized collection and cleaning of multi-source data (POV video, sensors, voice, synthetic simulations)
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On-chain IP registration and traceability: All data registered on Story Protocol as IP assets, ensuring clear provenance and legal authorization
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Incentive and licensing modules: Contributors, annotators, and synthetic models earn revenue shares via smart contracts, enabling sustainable network growth
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Composable data marketplace: Developers can filter, access, and integrate data by license type, with automatic license enforcement and revenue sharing, reducing copyright risk
Poseidon provides a truly compliant, composable, and sustainable data network for AI model training, serving as critical infrastructure as AI shifts from model-driven to data-driven.
Building the Foundation for a Data Economy in the AI Era
"AI foundation models have exhausted the most accessible training data. Poseidon’s decentralized data layer aims to establish a new economic foundation for the internet, rewarding creators and data providers who contribute diverse inputs to next-generation intelligent systems. We’re excited to support Poseidon in tackling one of the most critical bottlenecks in AI development."
——Chris Dixon, Founding Partner and Managing Partner at a16z crypto
Poseidon has already partnered with several leading AI companies and will use this funding to expand its tech stack, including SDK toolkits, data contributor workspaces, and licensing & revenue-sharing modules. Early access will open this summer, with registration opening for AI developers and data contributors.
About Poseidon
Poseidon is a decentralized full-stack data layer purpose-built for AI training workflows. Incubated by the Story Protocol team, it connects high-quality data supply with AI model demand. The platform supports end-to-end processes—from data contribution and licensing to verification and integration—ensuring data is secure, compliant, and economically incentivized.
Visit the official website for more: www.poseidonai.io
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