• Pruna AI secured $6.5 million from EQT Ventures to compress AI models.
• The startup’s optimization tool aims to make AI models smaller, cheaper and greener.
• BI got an exclusive look at the 12-slide pitch deck it used to secure the new funding.

Software startup Pruna AI, based in Paris and Munich, has secured $6.5 million from EQT Ventures.

The startup developed an optimization tool to compress AI models so that they require less calculation and energy.

“It’s similar to a zip that compresses files, so they’re cheaper, faster and more environmentally friendly, and anyone can access and use these AI models,” said Bertrand Charpentier, president and scientific director of Pruna AI, to Business Insider.

Users can run their model through Pruna’s optimization engine, which the startup says makes the AI ​​model smaller, cheaper, and greener on any hardware platform. This covers everything from natural language processing to images and audio systems.

The startup’s customers are medium-to-large companies with their own AI models capable of racking up huge computing bills. Charpentier said using the Pruna platform is a win-win for both parties, as companies can significantly reduce the costs of operating these AI models. Pruna charges its customers based on usage of the compressed model, which is generally much cheaper to run than the uncompressed version.

Being based in both Paris and Munich is also a boon for the startup, said Carl Svantesson, a partner at Swedish investment firm EQT Ventures, who led Pruna’s funding round. “The combination of the two ecosystems, with Paris and Munich, makes it possible to recruit the best talent and software,” he said.

Access to computing and specialized chips, called GPUs, has become a problem. long-standing problem in the AI ​​ecosystem. As a result, Charpentier found that investors were looking to make AI cheaper and more sustainable.

Additional funding came from Daphni, Motier and Kima, as well as high-profile angel investors including Roxanne Varza, Hervé Nivon and Olivier Pomel.

With this new funding, Pruna plans to redouble its efforts to grow its team.

Discover the 12-slide pitch deck used to secure the capital.