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Feburary-May, 2026

Mountain View

SCALE
at GMI Cloud

4-week Equity-Free Startup Program for AI-native teams — focused on infrastructure, inference, and real-world scale.

4-week Equity-Free Startup Program for AI-native teams — focused on infrastructure, inference, and real-world scale.

Apply to the Cohort

Apply to the Cohort

Program Highlights

Up to $4.3K+ in Structured Credits

Onboard fast with MaaS credits, unlock 1:1 matching as you scale, and earn a GPU voucher after completing the program.

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100% Equity-Free

We invest in your success without taking a stake in your company. This program is designed for technical founders to build and scale, not to give up ownership.

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Curated Program Events

A curated series of technical workshops, architecture reviews, and 1:1 mentorship sessions with AI leaders, all designed to solve real-world scaling problems.

The Full GMI Product Suite

Get complete access to GPU Cloud for training, Inference Engine (MaaS) for deployment, Cluster Engine for orchestration, and the new GMI Studio for visual workflows.

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[Sponsors and Partners]

NVIDIA Inception Program

Infra & Compute

Infra & Compute

Services & Enablement Layer

Services & Enablement Layer

Data & Storage

Data & Storage

Models & Agents

Credits

🟢 Phase 1 — Onboarding Credits

$300 MaaS Credits to get your first integration live.

🔵 Phase 2 — Growth Matching

1:1 credit matching up to $1,000 to accelerate real paid usage.

🟠 Completion Reward — GPU Voucher

$3,000 GPU Voucher for teams that complete the program and are ready to scale.

Partner Credits

Credit and support packages offered by our partners and sponsors

Credits

🟢 Phase 1 — Onboarding Credits

$300 MaaS Credits to get your first integration live.

🔵 Phase 2 — Growth Matching

1:1 credit matching up to $1,000 to accelerate real paid usage.

🟠 Completion Reward — GPU Voucher

$3,000 GPU Voucher for teams that complete the program and are ready to scale.

Partner Credits

Credit and support packages offered by our partners and sponsors

Credits

🟢 Phase 1 — Onboarding Credits

$300 MaaS Credits to get your first integration live.

🔵 Phase 2 — Growth Matching

1:1 credit matching up to $1,000 to accelerate real paid usage.

🟠 Completion Reward — GPU Voucher

$3,000 GPU Voucher for teams that complete the program and are ready to scale.

Partner Credits

Credit and support packages offered by our partners and sponsors

[Program Flow]

From Application to Scale

Apply to the Cohort

Apply to the Cohort

Cohort
Announcement

April 4

Demo Day

May 8

Cohort
Announcement

April 4

Application
Deadline

March 20

[Your Support System]

Meet Builders, Operators & Partners in the Room

People actively shaping AI systems — sharing what works, what breaks, and what scales.

Lillian Ma

Product Growth @GMI Cloud

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Yijie Hong

Director of Engineering @GMI Cloud

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Zen Duan

Software Engineer @GMI Cloud

Louisa Guo

Head of Marketing @GMI Cloud

Yujing Qian

Head of Engineering @GMI Cloud

Stephan Li

Head of Sales @GMI Cloud

[About]

Where AI startups take form before scale

SCALE at GMI is a hands-on scaling program for AI startups at the moment when infrastructure decisions matter most.

We work with a small cohort of technical founders to help them design, optimize, and deploy production-ready AI systems — before cost, latency, and reliability become bottlenecks.

This is not a pitch competition.
It’s where serious AI products get ready for real scale.

a man holding a microphone in his hands
person discussing while standing in front of a large screen in front of people inside dim-lighted room
intended attendees for an event
Keynote

[Sponsor Benefits]

Partner With the Next Generation of AI Builders

Gain early access, real relationships, and long-term leverage

Become a Sponsor

Become a Sponsor

Get Time Back

Early Access to High-Signal Startups

Engage directly with 25+ AI startups actively building toward production — before fundraising pressure and platform lock-in.

Stay Ahead

Direct Founder Relationships

Curated 1:1 introductions with founders who opt in to work with you, facilitated by the GMI team to ensure relevance and fit.

Work Better

High-Signal Program Presence

Contribute to the program through a focused keynote, workshop, and engage directly with founders, partners, and investors at the private Demo Dinner.

Make It Simple

Long-Term Ecosystem Visibility

Premier brand placement across program materials and announcements, plus early access and priority consideration for future cohorts.

Get Time Back

Early Access to High-Signal Startups

Engage directly with 25+ AI startups actively building toward production — before fundraising pressure and platform lock-in.

Stay Ahead

Direct Founder Relationships

Curated 1:1 introductions with founders who opt in to work with you, facilitated by the GMI team to ensure relevance and fit.

Work Better

High-Signal Program Presence

Contribute to the program through a focused keynote, workshop, and engage directly with founders, partners, and investors at the private Demo Dinner.

Make It Simple

Long-Term Ecosystem Visibility

Premier brand placement across program materials and announcements, plus early access and priority consideration for future cohorts.

FAQ

Who is behind SCALE?

Stratus is run by GMI Cloud, an AI infrastructure company supporting startups building and scaling production AI systems.

Where is the program held?

The program is a mix of remote sessions and in-person events. Key in-person moments (such as Demo Dinner and select socials) will be clearly marked in advance to support travel planning.

Who should apply?

Early-stage AI startups actively building products that require real infrastructure decisions — including inference, deployment, performance, and cost optimization.

What stage startups do you accept?

We typically work with teams from early product through pre-Series A, but stage matters less than technical readiness and commitment to building toward production.

What does participation require?

Founders should expect to engage weekly through reviews, masterclasses, and working sessions. Some sessions are flexible; in-person events are optional unless otherwise noted.

FAQ

Who is behind SCALE?

Stratus is run by GMI Cloud, an AI infrastructure company supporting startups building and scaling production AI systems.

Where is the program held?

The program is a mix of remote sessions and in-person events. Key in-person moments (such as Demo Dinner and select socials) will be clearly marked in advance to support travel planning.

Who should apply?

Early-stage AI startups actively building products that require real infrastructure decisions — including inference, deployment, performance, and cost optimization.

What stage startups do you accept?

We typically work with teams from early product through pre-Series A, but stage matters less than technical readiness and commitment to building toward production.

What does participation require?

Founders should expect to engage weekly through reviews, masterclasses, and working sessions. Some sessions are flexible; in-person events are optional unless otherwise noted.

FAQ

Who is behind SCALE?

Stratus is run by GMI Cloud, an AI infrastructure company supporting startups building and scaling production AI systems.

Where is the program held?

The program is a mix of remote sessions and in-person events. Key in-person moments (such as Demo Dinner and select socials) will be clearly marked in advance to support travel planning.

Who should apply?

Early-stage AI startups actively building products that require real infrastructure decisions — including inference, deployment, performance, and cost optimization.

What stage startups do you accept?

We typically work with teams from early product through pre-Series A, but stage matters less than technical readiness and commitment to building toward production.

What does participation require?

Founders should expect to engage weekly through reviews, masterclasses, and working sessions. Some sessions are flexible; in-person events are optional unless otherwise noted.

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