Chip Maker Nvidia Adds Blockchain-AI Startup to Incubator

Nvidia appears to be expanding its interest in blockchain.

CoinDesk has learned the graphics card producer, which saw a headlines-grabbing business boost from crypto mining demand last year, is now working with a startup called Ubex to develop a smart online marketing platform that uses blockchain and artificial intelligence.

Abhinav Agrawal, a spokesperson for the startup, told CoinDesk that Nvidia accepted Ubex into its Inception Program earlier this month. Ubex wants to use the technology to help a neural network - a type of computer program designed to think like a person - more efficiently present advertisements on websites.

Essentially, the startup is seeking to use blockchain to underpin its service, with data stored in a distributed ledger system helping the network target ads at consumers.

Ubex co-founder and chief executive Artem Chestnov told CoinDesk that the startup uses a blockchain in particular because its "key goal is transparency and speed of transactions."

He continued:

"Any AI needs datasets to work more effectively and to learn. Training an AI requires a lot of effort. The blockchain base will allow us to attract thousands of sources of information that will be used to enrich our AI's database and make it faster, smarter, stronger and more efficient."

At present, the startup has released a prototype of its platform for testing.

The Nvidia Inception Program seeks to provide data science and artificial intelligence startups with resources to finish developing and market their products, according to its website. Agrawal told CoinDesk that these resources include educational and marketing tools, as well as datasets for training the startup's neural network.

Nvidia Inception Program head Arjun Dutt confirmed that Ubex is part of the incubation program, but said its use of blockchain "was not a significant factor in our consideration." Rather, it's Ubex's planned application that caught the company's eye.

"The main area of interest is their use of deep learning [and] neural networks for better online advertising algorithms," he said.

Nvidia CEO via Flickr