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Popular open source AI developer tool Ollama raises $65M, grows to nearly 9Musers
Ollama, an open source AI developer tool, has raised $65M in Series B funding, growing its user base to nearly 9 million. Founded by Jeff Morgan and Michael Chiang, the company facilitates running AI models on local machines, aiming to simplify AI for developers. The funding will likely bolster Ollama’s cloud capabilities as it benefits from the rising trend of open-weight AI models in increasingly cost-conscious enterprises.
Key points
- Ollama raised $65M in Series B, totaling $88M in funding since launch.
- The platform allows developers to run open-weight AI models easily on PCs.
- Ollama is used by 8.9 million developers monthly, including 85% of Fortune 500 companies.
- The founders previously developed Docker, which revolutionized cloud app deployment.
- The surge in open models since January 2023 has increased demand for Ollama's services.
- Ollama’s cloud service aims to support larger models too complex to run on local machines.
Why it matters
- The rise of open source AI tools parallels the growth of containerization in cloud computing.
- Similar trends are seen with the emergence of various open-source AI projects, reflecting a shift toward cost-effective AI solutions.
- The debate surrounding open versus closed AI models reflects larger discussions in the tech community about accessibility and commercialization.
Ollama's significant funding and user growth highlight a pivotal moment for open source AI tools, emphasizing a growing reliance on such technologies among developers and enterprises alike, all while adapting to the evolving landscape of AI deployment.