Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence (AI) investment firm 3AI Holding Limited has partnered with Seetha MahalaxmiHealthcare (SML) to jointly own ‘Hanooman,’ the multilingual generative AI platform developed by SML in collaboration with IIT Bombay.
Under this joint ownership, both parties will hold a 50% stake in Hanooman. The platform aims to reach 200 million users across 22 Indian languages within its first year, starting from its launch on May 1, 2024.
Also, Hanooman will gain access to 3AI Holding’s Omega generative AI model, which is being developed with 665 billion parameters and 20 trillion tokens. Arjun Prasad, managing director of 3AI Holding, told ET that Omega will enhance the Hanooman’s capabilities in text, voice, image, and code for users.
Known for investing in companies operating in stealth mode, 3AI Holding is backed by the Patel Family Office, a third-generation family office from the United States. Other companies in 3AI’s portfolio include AI firm QX Lab AI, in which it holds a majority stake.
“The idea behind this partnership was to repatriate technology back to India. Our focus point was that we have invested in these technologies, and now we wanted to partner with an Indian entity to showcase how we can bring technology back to India while all startups are going across the globe,” Prasad said.
However, the exact amount that 3AI Holding has invested in Hanooman for the stake remains undisclosed. Prasad said that they will be collaborating as a technology and infrastructure partner.
Additionally, 3AI Holding aims to relocate over 60 members from its 90-member core technology team to India, signalling a shift in its base from Abu Dhabi.
Hanooman caters to sectors such as healthcare, education, banking, and entertainment, offering solutions for diverse use cases. In an earlier interview with ET, Amol Gite, director of projects at SML, said Hanooman has already engaged with industries and is looking to introduce a closed-source model for enterprise customers.
The public was introduced to Hanooman for the first time at the annual Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum in Mumbai.
“This collaboration underscores our commitment to India by delivering advanced AI solutions for the Indian masses with application across industries like healthcare, legal services, and education, among others,” Vishnu Vardhan, cofounder and CEO of SML India, said.
The partnership aligns with a trend of Indian startups, including Sarvam and Krutrim, backed by venture capital investors like Lightspeed Venture Partners and Vinod Khosla’s fund, developing open-sourced AI models customised for the Indian market.