Theta Labs has recently entered into a multi-year partnership with Seoul Women’s University, granting the university’s AI research lab access to Theta EdgeCloud’s decentralized GPU computing power.
According to a press release shared with crypto.news, this collaboration will enable SWU’s AI to Everything lab to utilize Theta EdgeCloud’s decentralized network of GPUs, reducing costs and enhancing computational power for their AI research in healthcare, bioinformatics, and finance.
Powered by the Theta Network (THETA), Theta EdgeCloud is a DePIN-driven hybrid cloud-edge computing platform. With over 30,000 distributed nodes, it provides scalable and cost-effective GPU computing resources for AI, media, and entertainment applications, allowing users to access a global network of decentralized computing power. Last year, the project received a $1 million investment from VC firm DWF Labs.
Theta Labs believes that the partnership with SWU’s AIX labs demonstrates how decentralized physical infrastructure networks can address real-world challenges.
Driving Cost Efficiency in AI Research
Given the escalating costs of GPUs for AI research, universities are finding traditional methods unsustainable. Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, highlights that Theta EdgeCloud offers a solution by reducing costs by up to “50-70%” and increasing research productivity fivefold.
“The message from universities is unanimous: GPU access for AI research is a major financial and logistical hurdle […] By lowering these barriers and accelerating setup times, we’re supercharging innovation across the entire AI ecosystem, benefiting everyone in the field,” Liu told crypto.news.
Professor Minseo Park, leading the collaboration, views Theta’s decentralized GPU network as bridging the gap between “academic ambitions and practical constraints,” democratizing AI research.
“By tapping into this shared resource, our students and academic team are able to focus on pushing the boundaries of AI applications without restraint.”
Minseo Park, assistant professor at SWU’s Department of AI.
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Expanding Opportunities in the DePIN Sector
The long-term agreement with SWU builds upon Theta Labs’ existing partnerships with KAIST University and Yonsei University, further solidifying Theta EdgeCloud’s presence in academia.
Simultaneously, the DePIN sector is rapidly gaining traction in the cryptocurrency space, with Messari predicting a market value of $3.5 trillion by 2028. DePIN’s ability to eliminate intermediaries and empower users positions it as a promising technology.
As highlighted by crypto.news, early-stage DePIN projects have attracted substantial venture capital funding this year, raising over $246 million across 70 deals by August 2024, marking a 296% increase year-over-year.
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