BOLDLY GO: The foundation named after Star Trek’s creator is offering a US$1 million prize for a startup using AI for good

Simon Thomsen

Jun 20, 2024 2 min read

Spock and Capt Kirk — "What do you think it is Captain?" "It looks like non-dilutive capital Mr Spock". Image: Star Trek

This year marks 60 years since a WWII bomber pilot began filming a science fiction series he wrote that would boldly go where TV had not gone before, changing the face of popular culture with Star Trek.

Gene Roddenberry died in 1991, but his legacy and imaginings live on through the Roddenberry Foundation, which has launched the Roddenberry Prize, a US$1 million competition for early-stage startups using artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit humanity.

Foundation cofounder Rod Roddenberry, said the prize embodies his father’s philosophy of the promise of a future in which technology and human ingenuity enable everyone – regardless of background – to thrive.

“We believe that building a better future requires a spirit of curiosity, a willingness to push boundaries, and the courage to think big,” he said.

“The Prize will provide a significant boost to AI pioneers leading these efforts.”

The Roddenberry Prize is open to early-stage for-profit and nonprofit ventures across all fields that meet the following criteria:

Ethical: Startups use of AI or machine learning will be fair, transparent, respectful of individual rights and privacy, and will explicitly design against bias or discrimination against individuals, communities, or groups.
Early Stage: Startups will have successfully raised Seed Rounds through Series A financing.
For Good: Startups will leverage AI’s capabilities to foster beneficial outcomes in various domains, including but not limited to healthcare, education, sustainability, and space advancements.
World Changing: Startups will be bold, far-reaching, and have a scalable vision to solve global challenges.

Applications are open until July 12 and the chosen startup will receive a US$1 million non-dilutive grant in November 2024.

Foundation chair Heidi Roddenberry they want to empower entrepreneurs to dream bigger and innovate valiantly and the Roddenberry Prize seeks to catalyse the development of AI solutions that promote abundance and well-being for all.

“As AI becomes more ubiquitous and powerful, we must harness its potential in service of a more prosperous future and towards solving the world’s most critical issues,” she said

Get more details and apply at the Roddenberry Prize,

About the author

Simon Thomsen

Simon has been editor of Startup Daily since 2019. He hosted the Startup Daily show on streaming service ausbiz.com.au from 2020 to 2023, and now, the weekly podcast Startup 360. He was previously associate editor of Business Insider Australia, a national restaurant critic, editor of The Good Food Guide, and newspaper proprietor during a 30-plus-years career in journalism and publishing. He’s also an investor in early stage startups.