Ornn aims to create a futures market for AI computing power, addressing volatility in a $7.6 trillion projected infrastructure spend.
Ornn, a startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz, secured $33 million in seed funding to develop a marketplace for trading AI computing power. The platform seeks to introduce commodity-like futures contracts for compute, mirroring markets for oil or metals to stabilize costs for AI firms.
Current AI infrastructure relies on long-term pre-purchase agreements, lacking hedging tools to manage price fluctuations. Goldman Sachs projects $7.6 trillion in global investment for compute, power, and data centers by 2031, but financial infrastructure remains underdeveloped.
Challenges include compute’s non-static nature, as newer chip generations alter asset value. Unlike tangible commodities, compute depreciates rapidly, complicating benchmarking efforts.