Serverless cloud compute for AI and data teams
HQ: New York, NY | Founded: 2022 | Employees: 50-100 | Stage: Series B | Website: https://modal.com
Modal is a cloud computing platform designed for AI and machine learning workloads. Founded in 2021 by Erik Bernhardsson (former lead of ML at Better.com, ex-Spotify) and Akshat Bubna, Modal provides a serverless environment where developers can run Python code on cloud infrastructure — including GPUs — without managing servers, containers, or orchestration. The platform supports interactive development, batch processing, model serving, and job scheduling. Modal's core value proposition is reducing the infrastructure burden on AI teams, allowing researchers and engineers to focus on code rather than DevOps. The company is based in New York and has raised over $200 million in venture funding.
Modal has carved out a strong niche in the AI infrastructure stack by focusing on developer experience and Python-native abstractions for GPU compute. While it competes with larger cloud providers and specialized ML platforms, its serverless model and tight integration with popular ML frameworks give it an edge with small-to-mid-size AI teams. The company's growth trajectory is strong, but it faces pressure from hyperscalers adding similar capabilities and from well-funded competitors like Anyscale and Baseten.
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