{"id":4398,"date":"2026-01-09T10:17:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T10:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyber-valley.de\/news\/call-for-applications-next-frontier-ai\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T10:51:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T10:51:44","slug":"call-for-applications-next-frontier-ai","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/cyber-valley.de\/de\/news\/call-for-applications-next-frontier-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for applications: Next Frontier AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal is clear: to ensure Europe is not only a user of advanced AI systems, but a creator of the next generation of AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Next Frontier AI?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Europe leads in AI research and adoption, many of today\u2019s frontier AI systems are developed and scaled elsewhere. Next Frontier AI addresses this gap by supporting teams willing to take high-risk, high-impact bets on what comes after today\u2019s dominant AI paradigms. Rather than prescribing what the \u201cnext frontier\u201d should be, the initiative invites researchers and builders to define it themselves \u2013&nbsp;whether through new algorithms, training paradigms, data modalities, architectures, or entirely new approaches to AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6a2aec4f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A challenge-based approach<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next Frontier AI follows a challenge-based funding model designed to maximize experimentation and learning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u20ac125M in total challenge funding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Initial selection of 10 teams, each receiving \u20ac3M in non-dilutive funding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multiple phases with progressive funding and selection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Full freedom to experiment, pivot, and pursue bold hypotheses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A long-term pathway toward up to \u20ac1B per team for those ready to scale globally<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The objective of the early phases is not to produce a finished frontier lab, but to identify and prepare exceptional teams capable of scaling transformative AI systems over the long term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who should apply<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The initiative is aimed at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>AI researchers, engineers, and technical builders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Small, highly skilled teams (typically 3\u20135 people)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Existing startups or newly formed teams<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Applicants with bold visions \u2013&nbsp;entrepreneurial experience is not required<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SPRIN-D supports participating teams not only with funding, but also with company-building support and ecosystem access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Europe at the center<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next Frontier AI is designed to strengthen European AI sovereignty by building AI systems in Europe, aligned with European values, markets, and industrial needs while remaining globally competitive. Cyber\u00a0Valley is one of Europe\u2019s leading AI and robotics ecosystems. We are amplifying these initiatives to reach frontier builders in Europe and Europeans working abroad who may be ready to come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All details on eligibility, timelines, and the application process are available on the&nbsp;<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/next-frontier.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\">Next Frontier AI website<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to join the challenge, sign up here:&nbsp;<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/next-frontier.ai\/join\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/next-frontier.ai\/join<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For deeper context on the vision behind Next Frontier AI, listen to the <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sprind.org\/worte\/podcasts\/117-mirko-holzer-und-johannes-otterbach\" target=\"_blank\">SPRIN-D podcast episode with Mirko Holzer and Dr. Johannes Otterbach<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4399,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true},"cv-tag":[294,332,344],"location":[],"network-role":[],"news-category":[],"user-group":[242,245,246,247],"class_list":["post-4398","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cv-tag-start-up-network","cv-tag-entrepreneurship","cv-tag-innovation-economy","user-group-start-up","user-group-researcher","user-group-entrepreneur","user-group-phd-student"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Call for applications: Next Frontier AI - Cyber Valley<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyber-valley.de\/de\/news\/call-for-applications-next-frontier-ai\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Call for applications: Next Frontier AI - Cyber Valley\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The goal is clear: to ensure Europe is not only a user of advanced AI systems, but a creator of the next generation of AI technologies. 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